March 28-31
Aviara Golf Club, Carlsbad, California
$1,800,000
Round 1, Round 2, Round 4
โYouโve just got to be really patient, and thatโs what I did.โ@InbeePark after her third round 67. Sheโs the current leader at -14.@LPGAKiaClassic pic.twitter.com/8pW6YA01DE
โ LPGA (@LPGA) 31 March 2019
South Korean Inbee Park drained a long birdie putt at the 18th hole on Saturday to grab a one-shot lead over Japan's Nasa Hataoka.
Park, a seven-time major champion seeking to end a year-long title drought, carded her second straight five-under par 67 at Aviara.
Her 14-under par total of 202 put her one in front of Hataoka, who had eight birdies without a bogey in her 64 for 203.
Park, seeking a 20th LPGA title in this last event before the first major of the year, the ANA Inspiration, said the key to her round was "a combination of consistency and the putting."
"I holed some good putts, especially on the back nine," she said. "Just the feel on the greens is really good this week and I really want to keep that going tomorrow."
At age 20, Nasa Hataoka already has two LPGA Tour victories under her belt, capturing wins at the 2018 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and the 2019 TOTO Japan Classic. The young Japanese phenom is certainly proud of those wins, but she also says that those victories in 54-hole events have left her craving her first 72-hole win.
Heading into Sunday's final round, Hataoka is in prime position to finally get that elusive full-length win. Her third-round 64, tied for the second-lowest round of her LPGA career and jumped her up the leaderboard into solo second at -13.
โI started out playing really well, attacking the pins, and had a lot of par saves as well, good par saves,โ said Hataoka, who pointed to a 30-foot par save on No. 15 as the key moment in her Saturday round. โIt was overall a good day.โ
.@InbeePark will be playing for her 20th @LPGA victory tomorrow in Carlsbad.
โ LPGA (@LPGA) 31 March 2019
The @LPGA Hall-of-Famer shot a 5-under 67 to get to the solo lead of -14.
HIGHLIGHTS ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/JdoO69kd4O
Thidapa Suwannapura finally won for the first time in her eight-year LPGA Tour career at the 2018 Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I. With the confidence of her win, Suwannapura is maintaining her composure at Aviara going into the final round.
โI feel like anybody can have a good day and win tomorrow,โ said Suwannapura, who played alongside World No. 1 Sung Hyun Park on Saturday. โI had a good day today. Just a little bit of putting on the lip and everything. A little bit of this and that.โ
Suwannapura has been enjoying her week in Carlsbad and has found it easy to feel at home at her favorite local spots.
โI like the weather here and there is a restaurant that I like to go and always go. There is a smoothie place that I been there for four years in a row. I just walk in there and say, โHi, I'm back,' says Suwannapura, who usually orders a fresh fruit smoothie with acai and blueberries. โThey know exactly what I want to order. It's fun.โ
Suwannapura will tee off in the penultimate group, just behind Park and Hataoka . But instead of feeling nervous, she said, โI would like to be chasing. I'll do my best tomorrow and just do my best.โ
Mi Jung Hur from the Republic of Korea set a personal best and the Kia Classic's 18-hole scoring record on Saturday, carding a bogey-free 10-under 62; her lowest score previously was a 63 but the last time she shot that was in 2016. In Round 3, Hur birdied three of her first five holes and lit up the back nine making seven consecutive birdies on Nos. 11-17.
โYeah, I got goosebumps. It was exciting playing the back nine,โ said the 29-year-old, who hit nine of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. โI had great shots and great putts and made seven birdies in a row. I had another chance on 18 but I missed it. But I still like today's round.โ
Though Hur came off a disappointing 2018 season, her 13th-place finish at last week's Bank of Hope Founders Cup likely earns her a place in next week's ANA Inspiration field. Hur feels positive heading into the LPGA Tour's first major of the year.
โActually, you know, I wasn't in the field next week, and then I had a good week last week and I got in the field next week, which is a major and I love to play at the ANA,โ said Hur, whose best finish at the ANA Inspiration is T14 in 2016 and 2017. โWith this momentum, if I keep this momentum to next week I think it's going to be good happen to me for future.โ
With a win โฆ
With the $270,000 winner's check, Inbee Park would move from sixth to fourth on the LPGA Career Money List with $14,878,088, passing Suzann Pettersen (fifth, $14,831,968) and Lorena Ochoa (fourth, $14,863,331)
Park would earn her 20th career LPGA Tour victory, moving her into a tie for 26th with Laura Davies and Cristie Kerr
Nasa Hataoka would earn her third career LPGA Tour victory, joining fellow Japanese player Haru Nomura at that mark; the only Japanese players with more victories are Ayako Okamoto (17), Ai Miyazato (nine) and Hiromi Kobayashi (four)
Thidapa Suwannapura would become just the second Thai player with more than one LPGA Tour victory, joining Ariya Jutanugarn (10)
Player Notes
Rolex Rankings No. 8 Inbee Park (68-67-67)
Park's second- and third-round 67s are her second lowest rounds of the 2019 LPGA Tour season, she shot a 66 in the second round of the Bank of Hope Founders Cup
She hit 12 of 14 greens and 13 of 18 fairways, with 26 putts
Park is in her 13th season on the LPGA Tour; she is a 19-time winner including seven majors, with her last win coming at the 2018 Bank of Hope Founders Cup
This is Park's third event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is 14th at the HSBC Women's World Championship
She is competing in her 10th Kia Classic; her best finish is second in 2010 and 2016, with two additional top-10s and four top-20 finishes
Rolex Rankings No. 7 Nasa Hataoka (69-70-64)
Hataoka's third-round 64 is her next lowest round of her career; she shot a career-low 63 in the final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens
Hataoka is in her third season on the LPG Tour; she is a two-time winnerโher last win was at the 2018 TOTO Japan Classic
This is Hataoka's fourth event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is T16 at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America
Hataoka is competing in her third Kia Classic; her best finish is T58 in 2018, with a T59 finish in 2017
Rolex Rankings No. 90 Thidapa Suwannapura (68-66-70)
Suwannapura's 54-hole 203 is tied for the lowest 54-hole score of her LPGA Tour career; she shot 203 at the 2018 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, where she went on to finish T18
She hit 13 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens, with 28 putts
Suwannapura is in her eighth season on the LPGA Tour; she has one victory at the 2018 Marathon Classic and two other top-10 finishes
This is Suwannapura's seventh event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is T17 at the ISPS Handa Vic Open and has yet to miss a single cut
She is competing in her seventh Kia Classic; her best finish is T26 in 2018
Pos. |
Player | To Par |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
Total |
1 |
Inbee Park | -14 |
68 |
67 |
67 |
202 |
2 |
Nasa Hataoka | -13 |
69 |
70 |
64 |
203 |
3 |
Thidapa Suwannapura | -12 |
68 |
66 |
70 |
204 |
T4 |
Mi Jung Hur | -11 |
74 |
69 |
62 |
205 |
T4 |
Sung Hyun Park | -11 |
68 |
66 |
71 |
205 |
T6 |
Azahara Munoz | -10 |
70 |
68 |
68 |
206 |
T6 |
Gaby Lopez | -10 |
68 |
70 |
68 |
206 |
T6 |
Mariajo Uribe | -10 |
68 |
69 |
69 |
206 |
T9 |
Jing Yan | -9 |
68 |
73 |
66 |
207 |
T9 |
Lydia Ko | -9 |
71 |
69 |
67 |
207 |
T9 |
Chella Choi | -9 |
65 |
70 |
72 |
207 |
T12 |
Danielle Kang | -8 |
72 |
70 |
66 |
208 |
T12 |
Jin Young Ko | -8 |
68 |
73 |
67 |
208 |
T12 |
Stacy Lewis | -8 |
71 |
68 |
69 |
208 |
T15 |
Jeongeun Lee6 | -7 |
73 |
67 |
69 |
209 |
T15 |
Celine Boutier | -7 |
69 |
70 |
70 |
209 |
T15 |
Minjee Lee | -7 |
68 |
69 |
72 |
209 |
T18 |
Jenny Shin | -6 |
71 |
71 |
68 |
210 |
T18 |
Haru Nomura | -6 |
68 |
74 |
68 |
210 |
T18 |
Mi Hyang Lee | -6 |
71 |
69 |
70 |
210 |
T18 |
In-Kyung Kim | -6 |
70 |
70 |
70 |
210 |
T22 |
Cristie Kerr | -5 |
74 |
71 |
66 |
211 |
T22 |
Pernilla Lindberg | -5 |
73 |
70 |
68 |
211 |
T22 |
Jodi Ewart Shadoff | -5 |
72 |
70 |
69 |
211 |
T22 |
Shanshan Feng | -5 |
70 |
72 |
69 |
211 |
T22 |
Katherine Kirk | -5 |
72 |
69 |
70 |
211 |
T22 |
Sei Young Kim | -5 |
68 |
73 |
70 |
211 |
T22 |
Xiyu Lin | -5 |
71 |
68 |
72 |
211 |
T22 |
Lindy Duncan | -5 |
68 |
71 |
72 |
211 |
T30 |
Hyo Joo Kim | -4 |
70 |
72 |
70 |
212 |
T30 |
Mirim Lee | -4 |
73 |
68 |
71 |
212 |
T30 |
Brittany Lang | -4 |
72 |
69 |
71 |
212 |
T30 |
Kristen Gillman | -4 |
71 |
70 |
71 |
212 |
T30 |
Morgan Pressel | -4 |
68 |
73 |
71 |
212 |
T35 |
Caroline Masson | -3 |
72 |
73 |
68 |
213 |
T35 |
Christina Kim | -3 |
72 |
72 |
69 |
213 |
T35 |
Amy Yang | -3 |
72 |
71 |
70 |
213 |
T35 |
Moriya Jutanugarn | -3 |
71 |
71 |
71 |
213 |
T35 |
Nicole Broch Larsen | -3 |
70 |
71 |
72 |
213 |
T35 |
Eun-Hee Ji | -3 |
69 |
70 |
74 |
213 |
T35 |
Stephanie Meadow | -3 |
67 |
72 |
74 |
213 |
T42 |
Jaye Marie Green | -2 |
76 |
69 |
69 |
214 |
T42 |
Anne van Dam | -2 |
73 |
72 |
69 |
214 |
T42 |
Sarah Schmelzel | -2 |
68 |
76 |
70 |
214 |
T42 |
Ryann O'Toole | -2 |
68 |
76 |
70 |
214 |
T42 |
Dani Holmqvist | -2 |
72 |
71 |
71 |
214 |
T42 |
Brittany Altomare | -2 |
72 |
71 |
71 |
214 |
T42 |
Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong | -2 |
72 |
70 |
72 |
214 |
T42 |
Ariya Jutanugarn | -2 |
68 |
72 |
74 |
214 |
T42 |
Mel Reid | -2 |
70 |
69 |
75 |
214 |
T51 |
Hee Young Park | -1 |
70 |
75 |
70 |
215 |
T51 |
Hannah Green | -1 |
73 |
71 |
71 |
215 |
T51 |
Anne-Catherine Tanguay | -1 |
76 |
67 |
72 |
215 |
T51 |
Kris Tamulis | -1 |
75 |
68 |
72 |
215 |
T51 |
Jane Park | -1 |
72 |
70 |
73 |
215 |
T51 |
Bronte Law | -1 |
72 |
70 |
73 |
215 |
T57 |
Dana Finkelstein | E |
78 |
67 |
71 |
216 |
T57 |
Haeji Kang | E |
70 |
75 |
71 |
216 |
T57 |
Mina Harigae | E |
74 |
70 |
72 |
216 |
T57 |
Lexi Thompson | E |
73 |
71 |
72 |
216 |
T57 |
Yu Liu | E |
71 |
72 |
73 |
216 |
T57 |
Ayako Uehara | E |
69 |
73 |
74 |
216 |
T57 |
Peiyun Chien | E |
72 |
69 |
75 |
216 |
T64 |
Anna Nordqvist | 1 |
72 |
73 |
72 |
217 |
T64 |
Alison Lee | 1 |
72 |
72 |
73 |
217 |
T64 |
Gerina Piller | 1 |
72 |
72 |
73 |
217 |
T64 |
Austin Ernst | 1 |
69 |
75 |
73 |
217 |
T64 |
Sakura Yokomine | 1 |
72 |
71 |
74 |
217 |
T64 |
In Gee Chun | 1 |
70 |
70 |
77 |
217 |
T70 |
Marissa Steen | 2 |
75 |
70 |
73 |
218 |
T70 |
Wei-Ling Hsu | 2 |
71 |
74 |
73 |
218 |
T70 |
Lee-Anne Pace | 2 |
71 |
73 |
74 |
218 |
T70 |
Lauren Stephenson | 2 |
70 |
74 |
74 |
218 |
T70 |
Mo Martin | 2 |
69 |
74 |
75 |
218 |
75 |
Clariss Guce | 3 |
69 |
72 |
78 |
219 |
T76 |
Charlotte Thomas | 5 |
73 |
72 |
76 |
221 |
T76 |
Tiffany Chan | 5 |
70 |
72 |
79 |
221 |
78 |
Dori Carter | 6 |
74 |
70 |
78 |
222 |
CUT |
Annie Park | 2 |
75 |
71 |
||
CUT |
Ashleigh Buhai | 2 |
74 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Amy Olson | 2 |
74 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Beatriz Recari | 2 |
74 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Lizette Salas | 2 |
74 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Emma Talley | 2 |
74 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Brianna Do | 2 |
73 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Kendall Dye | 2 |
73 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Sandra Gal | 2 |
73 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Alana Uriell | 2 |
73 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Jacqui Concolino | 2 |
72 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Daniela Darquea | 2 |
72 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Catriona Matthew | 2 |
72 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Pornanong Phatlum | 2 |
70 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Brooke M. Henderson | 2 |
69 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Lindsey Weaver | 3 |
76 |
71 |
||
CUT |
Dottie Ardina | 3 |
75 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Marina Alex | 3 |
74 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Lauren Kim | 3 |
73 |
74 |
||
CUT |
So Yeon Ryu | 3 |
73 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Ally McDonald | 3 |
72 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Wichanee Meechai | 3 |
72 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Megan Khang | 3 |
70 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Linnea Strom | 3 |
70 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Elizabeth Szokol | 4 |
77 |
71 |
||
CUT |
Jeong Eun Lee | 4 |
76 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Mariel Galdiano (a) | 4 |
75 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Pavarisa Yoktuan | 4 |
75 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Klara Spilkova | 4 |
73 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Benyapa Niphatsophon | 4 |
70 |
78 |
||
CUT |
Isi Gabsa | 5 |
81 |
68 |
||
CUT |
Ji Hyun Oh | 5 |
78 |
71 |
||
CUT |
Karine Icher | 5 |
76 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Joanna Klatten | 5 |
76 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Maria Torres | 5 |
76 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Becca Huffer | 5 |
75 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Jaclyn Lee | 5 |
75 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Brittany Marchand | 5 |
75 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Celine Herbin | 6 |
78 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Jackie Stoelting | 6 |
78 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Laura Gonzalez Escallon | 6 |
77 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Angela Stanford | 6 |
76 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Lilia Vu | 6 |
75 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Gemma Dryburgh | 6 |
74 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Mariah Stackhouse | 6 |
74 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Juli Inkster | 6 |
72 |
78 |
||
CUT |
Nanna Koerstz Madsen | 7 |
77 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Katherine Perry | 7 |
77 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Tiffany Joh | 7 |
76 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Ruixin Liu | 7 |
76 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Jennifer Song | 7 |
76 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Carlota Ciganda | 7 |
73 |
78 |
||
CUT |
Youngin Chun | 8 |
77 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Kim Kaufman | 8 |
75 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Madelene Sagstrom | 8 |
75 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Alena Sharp | 8 |
75 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Jenny Haglund | 8 |
74 |
78 |
||
CUT |
Na Yeon Choi | 8 |
73 |
79 |
||
CUT |
Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras | 9 |
81 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Laura Davies | 10 |
78 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Su Oh | 10 |
76 |
78 |
||
CUT |
Aditi Ashok | 11 |
79 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Brittany Lincicome | 11 |
77 |
78 |
||
CUT |
Sarah Jane Smith | 15 |
81 |
78 |
||
WD |
Yani Tseng | 77 |
||||
WD |
Maddie McCrary |