Tag: Lake Merced

Matilda Castren becomes first player from Finland to win on LPGA, and does it in her 15th start

Matilda Castren became the first player from Finland to win on the LPGA, emerging from a thick Marine Layer as a rising European star.

Matilda Castren became the first player from Finland to win on the LPGA, emerging from a thick Marine Layer as a rising European star.

“I knew one day it would be me,” said an emotional Castren, “but you didn’t think it was going to be so soon.”

Castren, who began the day two strokes back of Min Lee, started out blazing hot at chilly Lake Merced, stuffing her approach shots for easy birdies on the first three holes and then converting a short eagle putt on the par-5 fifth. She was 5 under through five holes and looking like someone who’d been in this position one thousand times over. In truth, this was only her 15th start on the LPGA.

The seemingly unflappable 26-year-old made the turn in 30 and built a three-shot lead over Taiwan’s Lee, who looked to become the first player to win on the Symetra Tour and LPGA in consecutive starts.

As Castren cooled off with pars on the back nine, the easygoing Lee tightened things up, pulling to within one after a birdie on the par-5 15th.

A short miss for par on the par-3 17th, however, gave Lee her first bogey of the day and put her two back with only the closing par 5 to play. Lee’s eagle putt on the 18th from just off the green from around 25 feet, came up about an inch short and the expressive player dropped to her knees.

Castren then calmly dropped in a final birdie putt to cap off a glorious 65 that put her at 14 under for the tournament, two head of Lee. It was a two-player contest for most of the day, and they only dropped one shot between them.

“I mean, winning a tournament you have to practice,” said Lee, “and this is a great practice. Maybe after couple times I will be there.”

So Yeon Ryu and Hannah Green, both majors winners, finished in a share of third at 8 under.

Castren, a 2020/21 LPGA Tour rookie, won seven times at Florida State and collected her first LPGA title on the same day another former Seminole, Morgane Metraux, won on the Island Resort Championship on the Symetra Tour.

Prior to this week, Castren’s career-best finish on the LPGA was a tie for eighth at the 2020 LPGA Drive On Championship in Georgia. She tied for 30th at last week’s U.S. Women’s Open at nearby Olympic Club.

Celine Boutier bolted up the board with a closing 64 to move into a share of sixth. Jodi Ewart Shadoff hit 18 greens in a final-round 65 that included six birdies in the last eight holes to also vault into the top 10.

Michelle Wie West played the weekend for the first time since coming back from maternity leave. Wie West, who is a member at Lake Merced, shot 69-71 over the weekend to finish tied for 40th.

One week after suffering a heartbreaking loss at the U.S. Women’s Open, Lexi Thompson finished with a 74 to place tied for 34th.

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Lexi Thompson ‘focused on the good’ as she gets back to work at LPGA Mediheal

Lexi Thompson took Monday off for a photo shoot and then got right back to work this week at Lake Merced.

Ireland’s Leona Maguire rolled in nine birdies in the opening round of the LPGA Mediheal Championship to take a one-shot lead at 7 under. But the big question heading into the first round at Lake Merced: How would Lexi Thompson fare?

After suffering a devastating collapse at the U.S. Women’s Open, less than four miles down the road at The Olympic Club, Thompson took Monday off for a photo shoot and then got right back to work. She’s currently tied for 14th at the Mediheal after a 1-under 71.

“Really just surrounded myself with my dad and my manager as well,” said Thompson, when asked how she tried to reset. Thompson also noted that she tried to sign as many autographs as she could.

“Just really focused on the good that came out of Sunday, and the good that I had that whole week.”

Thompson, who is currently tied for 11th, said she hit two “iffy” tee shots on Thursday but rolled it well coming in. She hit nine fairways, 14 greens and took 33 putts. She also pitched in for eagle on the par-5 fifth.

“It was good that I just didn’t go home and ponder over it all,” she said of the decision to play this week.

Thompson, of course, rebounded with a victory at the Kingsmill Championship shortly after that brutal loss at the 2017 ANA Inspiration. She also won the ShopRite LPGA Classic immediately after a runner-up finish at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open.

Leona Maguire
Leona Maguire lines up her putt on the 15th hole during the first round of the LPGA Mediheal Championship at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, California. Photo by Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Rookie Maguire has a new Irish caddie on the bag this week and said Lake Merced has a home feeling to it. It’s also the first time identical twin sister Lisa has been out on tour with Leona since last February. The pair planned to visit the Golden Gate Bridge Thursday afternoon.

“I suppose the weather is similar to home, even the golf course is similar to home,” said Maguire. “It’s very green and sort of tree-lined a little bit like what we get at home. Northern California’s been good to me and I won my first Symetra event not too far from here, so these kind of golf courses suit my eye and it was a lot of fun to play with Lydia (Ko), and we played a lot together over the last few months at Lake Nona.”

In keeping the recent Stanford storylines going, Cardinal grad Albane Valenzuela holds a share of third after a 4-under 68 with former teammate Ziyi Wang, who goes by Emily, on the bag. Wang, a Rhodes Scholar, graduated from Stanford with a Master’s degree in international policy on Wednesday.

“She’s really like my best, best friend from college,” said Valenzuela, “and this week neither my dad or my brother could caddie because my brother is playing in the Mexican Am, so I called her and I was like, ‘Can you please caddie for me?’ She was like, ‘done deal.’ Reply within five minutes. Really cool.”

Inbee Park headlines a group at 3 under, making four consecutive birdies on Nos. 4-7. Park said she didn’t get too much rest after the USWO because she played Harding Park with a few friends earlier this week.

The LPGA Hall of Famer is a huge fan of Bay Area courses.

“Obviously the weather is a little bit chilly for those two weeks and we’re going to be in the summer after this,” she said, “but I really enjoyed playing these two courses. They’re a little bit different. Both really good layouts I love to play.”

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