Tag: Jin Young Ko

5 takeaways from Honda LPGA Thailand, where a ‘humbled’ Patty Tavatanakit stays hot

Here’s what you need to know from the first round of play on Thursday.

The LPGA returned to action in Thailand after a three-week break and Peiyun Chien lit up Siam Country Club Old Course with a career-tying 8-under 64. The 33-year-old Taiwanese player poured in seven birdies and an eagle to take control.

“I like the course because I just feel the green is similar in Taiwan, so I read better,” said Chien, who needed only 24 putts in the first round of the 2024 Honda LPGA Thailand.

There are 11 Thai players in the field of 72, including last week’s winner on the Ladies European Tour, Patty Tavatanakit. The no-cut event features a purse of $1.7 million, with $255,000 going to the winner.

Here are five takeaways from a steamy start to the Asian swing:

10 things to know about the women’s Rolex Rankings, which debuted on this day in 2006

Get to know the Rolex Rankings.

The Rolex Rankings debuted less than 20 years ago on Feb.  21, 2006. For context, the men’s Official World Golf Ranking has been around since 1986.

In that time, 18 different women from nine different countries have risen to the top, giving fans from all over the world reason to celebrate.

The rankings are used to fill fields at the majors, determine teams like the Solheim Cup and International Crown and decide which top players qualify for the Olympics.

Both amateurs and professionals are eligible and the rankings are updated every Monday.

Here are 10 interesting things to note about the Rolex Rankings, which are now 18 years old:

Healthy Jin Young Ko among notable players making 2024 LPGA debut in Thailand

Several stars are teeing it up in Thailand.

Former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko returns to competition at the Honda LPGA Thailand. The last time the South Korean star teed it up on the LPGA at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, she was wearing a brace on her left knee. Ko eventually withdrew from the event prior to the third round.

Ko insists that’s now behind her and said doctors checked her entire body – knees, shoulders, wrists, spine – and reported that she’s healthy for 2024. She flew to Vietnam during the extended offseason to train with her coach and feels confident going into her 10th season as a professional, including time spent on the KLPGA.

Her goal this year: Stay healthy and keep her energy up throughout the season.

“Usually my season is like first five months was really nice and then my energy getting lower,” she said. “I want to be consistent with my energy, performance, everything. … Hard practice and after the practice, let it be, let it go.”

World No. 1 Lilia Vu headlines the Honda Thailand field. Last year Vu broke through with her first LPGA title in Thailand, and then went on to win three more times, including two majors.

While her first two events of 2024 were lackluster at best, Vu went home to California during the three-week break to work on her ball striking.

“I think that was a bit of a wakeup call for me,” said Vu of the shaky start, “but definitely needed to happen.”

Lydia Ko, who won the season-opening event and lost in a playoff to Nelly Korda the next week, will return to action next week in Singapore at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. Korda, meanwhile, is in the midst of a seven-week break and returns at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship next month.

Ko isn’t the only player making her 2024 season debut. Here are several other notable players (with Rolex Ranking) starting their first LPGA start in Thailand:

Is LPGA dominance a thing of the past? Here’s the history of the most wins by players in a single season

It’s tough to see how these numbers get matched.

True dominance on the LPGA might be a thing of the past. There was a time when Mickey Wright won a staggering 10 times or more over the course of four consecutive seasons.

It’s been a decade since a player has won more than five times in a single season. Yani Tseng was the last player to win seven times in 2011.

Compare that to Annika Sorenstam’s double-digit years or when Lorena Ochoa won six, eight and seven times from 2006 to 2008.

Is anyone capable of matching those efforts in the modern game?

As the tour gets deeper by the decade, here’s a closer look at most wins by year on the LPGA:

5 things we want to see on the LPGA in 2024: A dominant player, a legendary sendoff in St. Andrews and more

A marquee major championship venue and the need for a dominant player highlight our 2024 LPGA wish list.

Looking ahead to 2024, it’s once again easy to focus on premiere venues and events on the upcoming LPGA schedule. For starters, it’s an Olympic year and a Solheim Cup year, which means there’s plenty to play for beyond the week-to-week grind. Every shot builds toward making a team or the trip to Paris.

And, once again, there’s a jewel on the 2024 major championship rota that’s a household name among non-golfers: the Old Course at St. Andrews. Surely something magical is in store for the third playing of the AIG Women’s British Open on the historic track.

Here’s a look at five things we’d like to see on the LPGA in 2024:

Five players have ascended to No. 1 this season, setting new LPGA record

It’s been a head-turning year in women’s professional golf.

It’s been a head-turning year in women’s professional golf. For the first time in the history of the Rolex Rankings (which dates back to 2006), five different women have been ranked No. 1 during a calendar year.

On Sept. 11, China’s Ruoning Yin, a two-time winner on tour this season, rose to No. 1 for the first time. In 2022 and 2017, four different players held the No. 1 spot, which was the previous record.

Yin became the third player to reach No. 1 at the age of 20 or younger, joining Atthaya Thitikul (19 years, 8 months and 11 days in October 2022) and Lydia Ko (17 years, 9 months and 9 days in February 2015 and 18 years, 6 months and 2 days old in October 2015).

While Lilia Vu won two majors this season, Yin’s consistency allowed her to overtake the young American after a strong finish over the weekend in Cincinnati. One year ago, Yin ranked 193rd in the world.

With nine events left on the LPGA’s 2023 schedule, here’s a look at the tour’s revolving door of world No. 1s:

Megan Khang wins for first time on LPGA at 2023 CPKC Women’s Open in Canada

“I’m pumped to finally get the first one,” she said.

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Jin Young Ko was four shots back heading into the final round the Cognizant Founders Cup in May. She would go on to win there, which is tied for the largest comeback on the LPGA this season.

To start the final round of the CPKC Women’s Open in Canada on Sunday, Ko was five shots back of leader Megan Khang. Was another large come-from-behind win in the making?

On the 18th hole, Ko missed the green left with her approach but got up-and-down for par to finish at 9 under, good for the clubhouse lead.

Moments later, Khang, who was at 8 under after a bogey on No. 17, had her best shot of the week, stuffing her second shot on the challenging closing hole to about five feet. There had been only four birdies all day on the 18th hole and Khang needed to make the fifth in order to force a playoff.

Seeking her first LPGA win in her 191st career start, Khang then calmly poured in the putt to post a 2-over 74 and get into her first career playoff.

On the first playoff hole, Ko teed off first but pulled her tee shot left. Khang striped hers down the middle of the fairway, then hit an approach similar to the one she had in regulation, her ball rolling a little farther and nestling just into the fringe. Ko’s third shot, meanwhile, found a greenside bunker and after blasting out, she faced a 40-footer for bogey but missed, and ended up taking a 6 on the hole.

That set the stage for Khang, who putted from the fringe to about a foot before holing out for par to seal the deal on her first LPGA victory.

“My game has kind of been trending and has matured in the last couple of years,” she told Golf Channel on the 18th green moments after winning. “It was juts a matter of time.”

Khang, already locked into a Solheim Cup spot for the U.S. team, said she spoke with other members of that squad who have tasted victory for some inspiration.

“I’m pumped to finally get the first one,” she said.

Khang is the ninth first-time winner on the LPGA in 2023. She earned $375,000 for the win.

Canadian favorite Brooke Henderson finished tied for 13th. Alexa Pano, who won her first LPGA title last week, tied for 22nd. Nelly Korda shot a pair of 75s over the weekend and tied for 32nd. Lydia Ko shot 82 on Saturday and finished at 13 over and in last place of all the golfers who made the cut.

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5 things to know from first round of U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach

Here’s what you need to know about the opening round at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – A couple of amateurs from Stanford – Kelly Xu and Sadie Englemann – hit the opening tee shots off Nos. 1 and 10 at Pebble Beach and with that, history was a made. The first women’s major ever contested on this American treasure was underway and, well, it was a rough start for many of the best.

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko and No. 2 Nelly Korda started on the 10th tee and dug a hole early, carding a shocking 79 and 76, respectively. As bad as that was, rookie Natthakritta Vongtaveelap had it worse: She was disqualified after five holes.

Meanwhile, as is often the case, several amateurs had career days with three of the 27 inside the top 10.

Here’s the lowdown on how Round 1 unfolded on a damp and chilly day for some of the biggest names in the field, including rookie sensation Rose Zhang:

Jin Young Ko sets LPGA record for most weeks ranked No. 1

A 13-year-old LPGA mark has fallen.

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A 13-year-old LPGA mark has fallen.

Following her tie for 20th at the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Jin Young Ko is ranked No. 1 for a 159th week, breaking the mark held by Lorena Ochoa.

Ko has been No. 1 five different times since April 2019, with her latest stint starting in May. Ochoa reached 158 weeks at No. 1 after she consecutively held the top spot from April 2007 to May 2010.

“It’s an honor people saying with Lorena and me in the same sentence. It makes me happy, but also it makes me humble,” said Ko, who has had Ochoa’s long-time caddie Dave Brooker on her bag for most of her time at world No. 1. “It’s great to honor, to stand with Lorena.”

Time spent at No. 1

  • Jin Young Ko: 159 weeks
  • Lydia Ko: 125 weeks
  • Yani Tseng: 109 weeks
  • Inbee Park: 106 weeks
  • Annika Sorenstam: 61 weeks

Jin Young Ko is one of five Korean players to have obtained the top spot. She has two victories so far in 2023 and 15 in her career, including two majors. Ko also leads the Race to the CME Globe, a season-long points race on the LPGA.

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Five players to watch at the KPMG Women’s PGA at Baltusrol and the numbers behind their success

The Performance Insights relies on caddies to gather information and turn in a special card after each round.

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Two years ago, KPMG launched an analytics platform to help narrow the information divide between the men’s and women’s games. The program, similar to what’s offered on the DP World Tour, relies on caddies to gather information and turn in a special card after each round. KPMG pays the caddies a small stipend.

It’s an evolving system that gets more useful over time as data accumulates.

Scorecard numbers can only tell so much of the story, and as the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship kicks off this week at historic Baltusrol for the first time, we take a closer look at the Performance Insights numbers of five players to keep an eye on in New Jersey.

HOW TO WATCH: 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA

From the current No. 1 to a past champion and last week’s champion, here’s what the numbers tell us about these noteworthy stars: