Tag: XiYu Lin

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:

‘It’s been a long few years’: Australia’s Hannah Green survives three-way playoff to win third LPGA title at JM Eagle LA Championship

Hannah Green couldn’t hold back the emotion after clinching her first LPGA title in nearly four years.

LOS ANGELES – Hannah Green couldn’t hold back the emotion after clinching her first LPGA title in nearly four years. After finishing inside the top three the past two years at Wilshire Country Club, the steady and oft-stoic Aussie won a three-way playoff at the JM Eagle LA Championship.

“It’s been a long few years,” said Green, who parred the first 14 holes on Sunday but birdied the closing par-3 18th to finish at 9-under 275 alongside Aditi Ashok and Xiyu “Janet” Lin.

At one point late in the day, the crowded LA Championship leaderboard featured five players tied at 8 under.

American Cheyenne Knight looked primed to make a run for her second LPGA title until her second shot into the par-5 15th sailed out of bounds, resulting in a double-bogey seven. China’s Ruoning Lin held the outright lead until bogeys on the 17th and 18th derailed her bid.

The three players who found their way into the playoff did so with gutsy birdies on the closing par-3 18th. Lin actually birdied the last two in regulation.

In overtime, India’s Ashok suffered a hard lip-out from 15 feet on the 156-yard 18th, the first playoff hole. Lin then drained a 12-footer for birdie to put the pressure on Green, who hit an 8-iron to 4 feet and then converted to push it to a second hole.

After Lin found the bunker on her tee shot, Green needed only to two-putt from 25 feet to become the seventh Australian in LPGA history to earn at least three titles, joining Katherine Kirk (3), Wendy Doolan (3), Minjee Lee (8), Rachel Hetherington (8), Jan Stephenson (16) and Karrie Webb (41).

Now in her sixth season on the LPGA, Green broke through in 2019 at the KPMG Women’s PGA at Hazeltine and followed it with a second title that year at the Portland Classic. She’s a former Karrie Webb Scholarship winner, like fellow major champion Minjee Lee and recent LPGA winner Grace Kim.

Green earned $450,000 at Wilshire, bringing her career earnings total to $3,983,874.

“I said to my team and my caddie, I feel like once I get over the hurdle of having my third win that that will just open doors because I was really nervous today,” said Green.

“I hadn’t been in that position for quite some time to be especially in a playoff to win a tournament. So when I holed that 4-footer, I felt like I was literally shaking like crazy and you could see it visually. But I don’t really know. Maybe I’ll have a look at the footage.”

After missing the cut last week at the Chevron – Green missed the cut before all three of her victories – she spoke with LPGA sports psychologist Julie Aamto to get a fresh perspective and they talked about her post-shot routine.

Green had come to realize she when she hits a bad shot, she often holds onto that club until she gets to the ball. When she hits a good shot, Green typically gives her caddie the club back right away.

“Golf can be really frustrating,” said Green, “and sometimes showing emotion is a good thing, but just making sure that it doesn’t get too deep and affect your next shot.”

Ashok worked on building swing speed in the offseason and said the added distance helped her reach more par 5s in two this week. A four-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, Ashok began 2023 finishing 1-3-2 in her first three starts on the LET.

“I’ve never played in this position on the LPGA,” said Ashok, “so to be near the lead on the first day, kind of stay there the whole tournament. The competition is just so deep out here. Ten people have a good tournament but only one can win. I’m happy with the way I played.”

World No. 1 Nelly Korda played the weekend with sister Jessica’s caddie after her regular looper, Jason McDede, rushed home to Florida Saturday morning after wife Caroline Masson gave birth to their first child, a son.

“It was very unexpected,” said Nelly, “but they’re both doing really well, both healthy, and Jason is back home with the baby. Yeah, I can’t wait to meet him. Auntie Nelly.”

Masson, 33, has competed on the LPGA the past 10 years, winning the 2016 Manulife LPGA Classic. She has represented Europe in the Solheim Cup on four different occasions.

Jessica’s regular caddie, Kyle Morrison, will be on the bag for Nelly at next week’s International Crown team event at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. Nelly took a share of sixth at Wilshire.

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Xiyu Lin, Charley Hull tied for lead, Celine Boutier and Lydia Ko one back at Ascendant LPGA

Sunday should be a good one down in Texas.

It’s a tightly-packed leaderboard after round three of the Ascendant LPGA Benefiting Volunteers of America at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas.

Xiyu Lin and Charley Hull are tied for the lead at 11 under, while Celine Boutier and Lydia Ko sit one back with 18 holes left to play.

Lin got around Old American on Saturday with a 2-under 69, while Hull couldn’t get much going, firing an even-par round of 71.

Boutier signed for the second-best round of the day, a 5-under 66, which could have been a lot better if she took advantage of the par 5s (she birdied just one of four).

Ascendant LPGA: Leaderboard

After turning with a 2-under 33, Ko’s round was derailed a bit thanks to a double-bogey five at the par-3 11th. However, she made four birdies in her last seven holes to bounce back. She finished day three with a 4-under 67.

Lexi Thompson is T-9 at 7 under while Madelene Sagstrom is T-13 at 6 under.

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Xiyu Lin leads Ascendant LPGA Benefiting Volunteers of America; Atthaya Thitikul, Lizette Salas a shot back

Xiyu Lin eagled the 17th hole late in the day to overtake Atthaya Thitikul and Lizette Salas.

Xiyu Lin eagled the 17th hole to vault into the lead Thursday at the Ascendant LPGA Benefiting Volunteers of America.

Lin had five birdies and a bogey and shot a first-round 65, finishing late in the day to overtake rookie Atthaya Thitikul and veteran Lizette Salas by a shot at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas.

Thitikul already has two LPGA wins this season and has climbed to No. 3 in the Rolex Rankings.

Lexi Thompson is among those tied for fourth, two shots back. Nelly Korda, who could be in position to reclaim the top spot in the rankings, opened with a 4-over 75. She had six bogeys and just two birdies and sits tied for 91st.

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‘A dream start’: Xiyu Lin’s 64 leads LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship after first round

The 26-year-old’s 8-under round was one shot off her career-low of 63.

MADEIRA, Ohio ‒ Nine birdies, one bogey and an opening round 64 for Xiyu Lin were good for the lead on Thursday in the inaugural Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G at Kenwood Country Club.

Lin, who started her tournament on the back nine, birdied five of the first six holes she played to shoot 30 on that side. The 26-year-old’s 8-under round was one shot off her career-low of 63.

“It’s nice to start with three birdies in a row,” Lin said. “The first hole, the approach shot, I mean, the fairway still a little bit wet, so I’m just glad I got the distance right. Then second hole I roll a putt in from outside of the green. And then third hole I knock it close again and make birdie. That was a dream start. You can’t ask for a better start.”

Lin said she could only play nine practice holes at Kenwood because of the weather that hit the course leading up to the tournament, but she walked all 18 holes on Tuesday with her caddie to familiarize herself with the course.

Nasa Hataoka shot a 7-under 65 during the morning wave and stands alone in second place.

Sarah Kemp and A Lim Kin shot 66, tied for third, followed by a group of six golfers tied in fifth with rounds of 67.

Gaby Lopez, who’s coming off a win last weekend in Toledo at the Dana Open, opened with a 4-under round of 68.

Giana Clemente, a 14-year-old amateur who qualified for the tournament on Monday, shot 2-under 70, matching fellow amateur Emma McMyler, a junior at nearby Xavier University.

Americans Jessica Korda and Lexi Thompson struggled on Thursday. Korda was 2 under through 14 and finished with three bogeys in her final four holes to shoot 1 over. Thompson never really got anything going and finished without a birdie and four bogeys to shoot 76.

Paula Creamer had arguably the most interesting round on Thursday. Creamer’s scorecard included every number from one through six. Creamer shot even par and it was far from boring.

She had a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth, eagled the par-4 fifth, and doubled the par-4 16th.

“Goodness, if you look at my scorecard it’s all over the place,” Creamer said during a post-round interview.

When asked about the hole-out for eagle and the ace, Creamer said, “It was 155. It was just a nice little three-quarter 7-iron, and I hit it perfect, like how we wanted. Ended up going in. You know, and then the hole-out on five was 104 yards and hit a 52 just right at it. I think one bounce and went in. I hit my irons really well today. I made a lot of putting mistakes and did some mental errors here and there. Unfortunately, my scorecard is a roller coaster. But that’s golf.”

Thursday was Creamer’s second competitive event in over a year following the birth of her first child in January.

“I haven’t obviously played for a year and my body has changed. Everything has changed. I have a daughter. It’s a little different than coming back from an injury like I have in the past,” Creamer said. “But I’ve worked really hard and I know where my game is at. I’ve been playing well at home, and it’s just competition is just different out here.”

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China’s Xiyu Lin leads HSBC Women’s World with crowd of major champions in hot pursuit

Xiyu Lin birdied four of the last six holes at Sentosa Golf Club to take the 54-hole lead at an LPGA event for the first time in her career.

Xiyu Lin birdied four of the last six holes at Sentosa Golf Club to take the 54-hole lead at an LPGA event for the first time in her career. Lin’s 5-under 67 put her at 14 under at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore where a host of major champions are in hot pursuit, including LPGA Hall of Famer Inbee Park.

“Last time I played this tournament was 2016,” said Lin. “So yeah, because I had a really rough year 2017 and took me a long time to get through all these … last year I changed a lot thanks to COVID.

“Coming back here and playing a different course, it’s like a completely different experience. So I just try to feel like a rookie here, so just feeling excited to play.”

Hannah Green, buoyed by a holed-out approach with an 8-iron on the par-4 10th, carded a second consecutive 66 to take a share of second with Park, who shot 70 despite a double-bogey hiccup on the 16th.

“It was a great birdie on No. 18,” said Park. “That really got me probably have a chance to win tomorrow, so I think that was really huge. Tomorrow, obviously, we have a lot of girls in the top; it’s going to be a shootout.”

HSBC Women’s World Championship: Leaderboard

Mexico’s Gaby Lopez carded the day’s low round, 65, to move into fourth, two strokes back. A calm Lopez poured in nine birdies on the day.

“I’m just going to give it all,” she said of Sunday’s plan. “I’m going to press the gas pedal down. I’m going to go, go, go. I’m not going to protect anything because I don’t have anything to protect.

“I’m one of those players that I’m very, very aggressive and my caddie has to slow me down sometimes when I’m going, and trusting when I’m hitting good shots; my caddie knows me too well to kind of let me go, and that’s kind of what we did today.”

Lydia Ko holed out for eagle on the 18th with a 50-degree wedge to move to 10 under, four strokes back of Lin and good for a share of fifth with In Gee Chun and So Yeon Ryu.

“I hit a really good drive and then obviously with the pin being tucked on the right,” said Ko. “Nice to have a short club in and hit a good committed 50-degree and I hit it perfect.”

China’s Lin, an eight-year veteran of the tour, has relied on the advice of compatriot Shanshan Feng, who has preached the importance of staying hydrated and conserving energy this week in the oppressive heat.

The 25-year-old Lin, who is still searching for her first victory on the LPGA. She stayed back in the U.S. last year during the height of the COVID-19 shutdown to train with her coach. Last spring and summer, their main focus was chipping and pitching. Over the winter, she shifted to putting.

“I think for the amount of work I put in, I truly believed it would definitely make a difference,” said the 86th-ranked Lin, “but yeah, I didn’t expect to see it at this week that soon. But I think that’s also one of the keys I was so calm out on the course because I know I’ve been working so hard for all these, so I deserve this.”

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