Round 4 - Inbee Park wins Founders Cup

March 18, 2018

Inbee Park has won her 19th LPGA Tour title at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup putting an end to Laura Davies' bid. Park carded a bogey-free 5-under 67 and finished five shots ahead of Marina Alex, Ariya Jutanugarn and Laura Davies in second place.

"It feels great, especially after the long break I didn't know how I'd be able to compete," said Park. "Being able to contend and win is a great feeling. This week definitely proved that I can win again and play pain-free golf."

She admitted the time off for injury came at the right time for her career.

"When you play golf nonstop for ten years straight, you kind of want to take time off and think about something else and do something else [...] I might have won more tournaments if I didn't take a break, but I don't think I'b be as happy as I am today."

This was the first top-10 finish since 2014 for Laura Davies and comes in her 32nd year on the LPGA. It is also her best finish since the 2007 Honda LPGA Thailand when she was also second.

"This is incredible, really," said Davies. "I was 4-over after 6 (holes) and now I've finished tied second. Amazing to come back and accomplish this.  I know I've been playing really well and I haven't had the results to reflect that. I'm just delighted the way the week has turned out."

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Round 3 - Inbee Park seizes Founders lead, Davies chasing in T4

March 17, 2018

South Korea's Inbee Park fired a nine-under par 63 to seize a one-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the LPGA Founders Cup, where Britain's 54-year-old Laura Davies chased a historic triumph.

Park, a seven-time major winner, opened with four birdies and an eagle in the first five holes and vaulted atop the leaderboard at 14-under 202.

That was one stroke ahead of Colombia's Mariajo Uribe with Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn third on 204 at Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona.

Davies shot a 63 for the first time since 2005 in jumping into a share of fourth with South Korea's Chella Choi on 205.

The Englishwoman would become the oldest champion in LPGA history by winning Sunday in the first event of the season on US soil.

"I'll certainly have a crack at it," Davies said. "I've given myself a chance."

The sizzling start had Park pondering the all-time LPGA record low 18-hole score of 59 fired by Sweden's Annika Sorenstam in 2001.

"For a little bit I think a 59. I got off to a really good start," Park said. "On the back nine, it was different, a little bit more boring golf."

But after the fantastic start, Park only birdied the par-4 ninth and par-5 11th until she closed her bogey-free round with a birdie at 18.

"To finish with a birdie on the back nine was a big relief," Park said. "The front nine felt great. The back nine I was hitting pretty solid but the putts didn't drop like they did on the front nine. If they did I would've had a 59."

Park, who has won nine times in 15 prior attempts when leading entering the final round, matched Davies for the day's low round.

Davies, who has not won since the 2001 Rochester Invitational, would break the oldest LPGA winner mark held by Beth Daniel, who was 46 when she won the 2003 Canadian Women's Open.

Davies, in her 32nd LPGA campaign, birdied five of the last six holes on the front nine, eagled the par-5 11th and birdied the par-5 15th and par-3 17th holes.

"I hit a lot of fairways and that gives you a chance to get relatively close to the hole," Davies said.

"I haven't been holing the putts but today I did. The no bogeys part for me is the biggest key because that is what has been letting me down.

"I know I can still play great golf. My short game is really coming around and a day like this tells me that we are really doing the right things."

Davies is struggling to walk with a sore left calf and Achilles tendon.

"It's a struggle," she said. "It's just walking. Swinging is fine. I can swing as hard as I want to. But every step is just misery."

Round 2 - Cydney Clanton takes lead ahead of crowded leaderboard

March 16, 2018

Cydney Clanton holed out for eagle from the fairway at 13 and rolled in a birdie at the last to seize the second-round lead at the LPGA Founders Cup in Arizona on Friday.

Clanton shook off an early bogey and fired four birdies along with her eagle in a five-under par 67.

"I played really good and made some clutch putts coming in," Clanton said. "The hole out was pretty special, any time you don’t have to putt is nice."

Her nine-under par total of 135 put her one stroke in front of a quartet of players that included overnight co-leader Karine Icher of France, Colombia's Mariajo Uribe, Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn and American Marina Alex.

Clanton, seeking her first win on the LPGA Tour, was even through the first nine holes with one bogey and one birdie.

After a birdie at the par-five 11th, she posted an eagle two at the par-four 13th, where her wedge into the green took one bounce and found the cup. She added another birdie at 15 and took sole possession of the lead with her birdie at the last.

"It has been a while since I've been in the lead, so (on Saturday I'm) just going to take it one shot at a time, one hole at a time," Clanton said.

Clanton, a rookie in 2012, has four career top 10 finishes, but no wins.

Icher, who shared the first-round lead with South Korea's Chella Choi, had four birdies and a bogey in her three-under 69. Alex climbed the leaderboard with a bogey-free six-under 66 while Uribe and Ariya both posted 68s.

"I actually didn't hit it that well today, maybe I had some luck," Ariya said. "I still had so much fun out there and I’m working on my commitment."

It was a further stroke back to Americans Mo Martin and Jessica Korda on 137.

On a day when more benign conditions led to lower scores, Choi was unable to build on her first-round 67, her even-par 72 leaving her tied for 13th, four shots off the lead.

Former world number one Lydia Ko of New Zealand endured another tough day, following up her first-round 74 with a one-over 73 that left her well outside the projected cut line of one-under par.

Round 1 - Choi & Icher tied for lead as play suspended

March 15, 2018

Karine Icher and Chella Choi were leadigng as play was suspended at 6:50 p.m. local due to darkness with one group still to finish. Play will resume at 7:00 a.m. on Friday.

Karine Icher didn't let the cold weather affect her and made five birdies in the first eight holes then two more on 11 and 14 to get to 7-under. But as the wind picked up as she was finishing her round she bogeyed 15 and 18 to finish at 5-under.

“I made some good putts and that made the difference,” said Icher. “I hit good second shots. On this course, if you start getting confidence you can go low. It was a good front nine. On the back nine, I made two bogeys at the end, but with the wind picking up, it's a little bit hard.”

Chella Choi made four birdies in the first five holes only one bogey on 18.

Six players are tied for second place one shot behind the leader including former number 1 Inbee Park. Another eight players are two shots back at 3-under, including Jessica Korda, who won in Thailand two weeks ago.

Scores