Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Day 1

LPGA Match-Play 2021 1
May 26-30
Shadow Creek, Las Vegas, Nevada
$1,500,000
Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Match play is back on the LPGA Tour with Wednesday’s Day One matches at the inaugural Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Hosted by Shadow Creek. As always, the format brought excitement and extreme highs and lows to the day’s competition.

LPGA Match-Play 2021 1

Perhaps the biggest upset came in Group 4, where No. 61 Jenny Coleman knocked off No. 4 Brooke Henderson, 1 up. Coleman, playing in just her second match-play event and first since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur, carded only four birdies, but they all came at opportune moments. After dropping the first three holes to Henderson, who was runner-up at that same Women’s Amateur, Coleman’s birdie at No. 5 cut the deficit to two holes. She tied the match with a birdie at No. 11 and took her first lead with a third birdie at No. 16. Her final birdie at No. 18 sealed the big win.

“I think we were both pretty even keeled,” said Coleman. “I just came off to a sloppy kind of start, and she kind of had a rough patch in the middle, and then I started capitalizing on it and kept moving all the way through the back nine pretty good. Just stayed patient, but also playing smart.”

LPGA Match-Play 2021 1

No. 5 Danielle Kang cruised to a 7-and-6 victory over No. 60 Albane Valenzuela, Wednesday’s largest margin of victory. Her American Solheim Cup compatriots Lizette Salas and Stacy Lewis followed close behind, notching 5-and-4 wins over Madelene Sagstrom and Mi Hyang Lee, respectively. The win was particularly sweet for Lewis, who is chomping at the bit to get back onto Team USA after missing the 2019 competition with a back injury.

“I really want to be playing. I want to be a part of the team. I want to help the team win,” said Lewis. “Pat [Hurst, USA Captain] is out seems like almost every week right now watching, so just trying not to pay attention if she is hanging around, but I know she’s watching and paying attention.”

LPGA Match-Play 2021 1

No. 1 Jin Young Ko, despite admitting no love for the match-play format, earned a 4-and-2 victory over No. 64 Natalie Gulbis. No. 2 Inbee Park went the distance with 2020/21 LPGA Tour rookie Jennifer Chang, who took a 1-up lead to the final hole. With a white ribbon on her hat in memory of her grandfather, who died on Monday, Park got up and down for birdie from the back of the green to tie the match.

“Just feels really weird playing in the hometown and waking up in your own bed and going to the tournament. I mean, it’s something I’ve never done before,” said Park, who has lived in Las Vegas since she was a teenager. “So today was how I kind of felt a little nervous and I wasn’t able to perform as well as I wanted to perform. Hopefully the rust is off today and the next few days I’ll be playing better.”

LPGA Match-Play 2021 1

Match	Group	Seed	Players		Results		Seed	Players
	No.	No.					No.
Match 1	9	9	Hannah Green		3 & 2	>	56	Gerina Piller
Match 2	9	24	Mel Reid		2 UP	>	41	Azahara Munoz
Match 3	8	8	Minjee Lee		TIED		57	Jaye Marie Green
Match 4	8	25	Moriya Jutanugarn	<	5 & 3		40	Cheyenne Knight
Match 5	16	16	Ariya Jutanugarn		TIED		49	Lauren Stephenson
Match 6	16	17	Carlota Ciganda		1 UP	>	48	Sarah Schmelzel
Match 7	1	1	Jin Young Ko	<	4 & 2		64	Natalie Gulbis
Match 8	1	32	Anna Nordqvist		3&2	>	33	Caroline Masson
Match 9	12	12	Austin Ernst		1 UP	>	53	Annie Park
Match 10	12	21	Amy Olson		TIED		44	Bronte Law
Match 11	5	5	Danielle Kang	<	7 & 6		60	Albane Valenzuela
Match 12	5	28	Lizette Salas	<	5 & 4		37	Madelene Sagstrom
Match 13	13	13	Jennifer Kupcho	<	6 & 4		52	Christina Kim
Match 14	13	20	Ally Ewing		2 & 1	>	45	Leona Maguire
Match 15	4	4	Brooke M. Henderson		1 UP	>	61	Jenny Coleman
Match 16	4	29	Angela Stanford	<	1 UP		36	Ashleigh Buhai
Match 17	10	10	Nasa Hataoka	<	3 & 1		55	Jing Yan
Match 18	10	23	Mi Jung Hur		2 UP	>	42	Jasmine Suwannapura
Match 19	7	7	Patty Tavatanakit		TIED		58	Sarah Kemp
Match 20	7	26	Stacy Lewis	<	5 & 4		39	Mi Hyang Lee
Match 21	15	15	Sophia Popov		TIED		50	Hee Young Park
Match 22	15	18	Sung Hyun Park	<	3 & 1		47	Su Oh
Match 23	2	2	Inbee Park		TIED		63	Jennifer Chang
Match 24	2	31	Gaby Lopez		4 & 2	>	34	Celine Boutier
Match 25	11	11	So Yeon Ryu	<	3 & 1		54	Ryann O’Toole
Match 26	11	22	Mirim Lee		4 & 3	>	43	Eun-Hee Ji
Match 27	6	6	Hyo Joo Kim		5 & 4	>	59	Alison Lee
Match 28	6	27	Megan Khang	<	5 & 4		38	Jenny Shin
Match 29	14	14	Jeongeun Lee6		TIED		51	Pajaree Anannarukarn
Match 30	14	19	Shanshan Feng		2 & 1	>	46	Brittany Lincicome
Match 31	3	3	Sei Young Kim		TIED		62	Ayako Uehara
Match 32	3	30	Brittany Altomare	<	1 UP		35	Yu Liu