Round 4 - Jessica Korda wins Honda with tournament record

February 25, 2018

American Jessica Korda fended off challengers to emerge victorious in the Honda LPGA tournament on Sunday with a strong performance in the final push that helped her hold onto her lead.

After a somewhat uneven start with two birdies and a bogey, Korda sank four birdies on the back nine including a 25-footer on the 17th hole to finish with a five-under-par 67.

Korda left the 72 holes at the Siam Country Club in Thailand's Chonburi province at 25-under, a new tournament record and also her fifth LPGA tour victory.

"I can't believe it, today was such a blur, I was just trying to make birdies. I tried to relax, but I was nervous," Korda told LPGA.com. "This was my first event, my rookie year. I played really, really well this week."

The 24-year-old, who is making her season debut after jaw surgery, pushed ahead of a four-way tie on the opening day of the $1.6 million purse tournament to card a 62 on day two.

During the third round she made five birdies on the back nine to make up for an early bogey and entered the final day with a four-stroke lead.

Korda crushed the hopes of local favourites the Jutanugarn sisters, though Moriya Jutanugarn managed to finish tied second with American player Lexi Thompson at 21-under.

Moriya was within a few strokes of Korda but a bogey on the 12th hole kept her just far enough out of the top.

Korda's own sister Nelly finished in a tie for 14th.

Thompson was able to climb back up the leaderboard with a stunning eight birdies on the final day of play.

Australia's Minjee Lee took third place with an 18-under for the course.

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Round 3 - Korda keeps 4-shot lead in Thailand

February 24, 2018

American Jessica Korda heads into the Honda LPGA final with a four-shot lead after the third round Saturday saw her younger sister and the Thai Jutanugarn siblings jostling atop the leaderboard.

Five birdies on the back nine made up for an early bogey to give Korda a 68 for a total of 196 at the Siam Country Club course in Chonburi province.

"I had no expectations, but my coach and I have worked together and it is still there," Korda told LGPA.com.

"I was bit nervous on the front nine, but I knocked the rust off," added the 24-year-old, who is now only 18 holes from her fifth win on the LPGA tour.

Korda built on a four-shot lead from the day before but was outdone in round three by her younger sister Nelly, who made eight birdies to card a seven-under 65 that launched her up from T17 to a tie for sixth at 12-under.

Local favourites and sisters Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn also carded 65s to clinch second and fourth respectively.

In between them was wedged Australia's Minjee Lee with an aggregate 201.

"I really enjoyed my game today, it's working out pretty good," Moriya, who is hoping for her first career win, said.

"There is a lot of support and it feels nice having people cheering you on."

Round 2 - Jessica Korda shot record 62 to take 4-shot Honda lead

February 23, 2018

Jessica Korda shot a course-record 62 at the LPGA Thailand on Friday to lead by four strokes after the second round.

Playing her first tournament since having jaw surgery, the American fired eight birdies and finished with an eagle to move to 16 under par at the halfway point, a 36-hole record for the event.

''That was a pretty good round, pretty special,'' she said. ''Just had a lot of fun doing it.''

Korda is the daughter of former tennis player Petr Korda. She leads from another American, Brittany Lincicome, who carded a 65 to go 12 under at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course.

Minjee Lee of Australia is third and a shot behind Linicome on 11 under after a 67. Lexi Thompson of the United States, the 2016 champion, is fourth and another shot behind Lee.

Korda is making her season debut in Thailand after the surgery and is playing with 27 screws holding her jaw in place.

She seized the outright lead with a birdie on No. 15, the third of four straight birdies she made on the back nine. Her eagle on the last meant she finished with a 29 on the back nine, putting her in prime position for a first tour win since 2015.

''The best part is I have had no headache for 11 weeks. So that's the biggest win for me,'' she said. ''Honestly I was just trying to get on the green, get myself a chance. I birdied four in a row and holed a long one (on 18). I wasn't expecting it at all. It was pretty cool.''

Round 1 - Four-way tie atop leaderboard in Thailand

February 22, 2018

Three-time tour winner Minjee Lee of Australia finished with a superb eagle putt to be among the four leaders after day one of the LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club on Thursday.

Lee sank a 45-foot putt on the 18th hole to card a 6-under-par 66 for a shot lead with 2016 champion Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda, and local hope Moriya Jutanugarn.

''I just hit the collar. I didn't know if I was going to have enough. Such a big break there. I'm glad it caught the hole,'' Lee said.

''It's a second-shot golf course. Your approaches are really important, and obviously being in the right spots with the undulation. And if you have a hot putter that's going to help.''

Lee won the Vic Open near Melbourne this month and opened her 2018 U.S. LPGA Tour account last week at the Women's Australian Open, finishing fifth.

Thompson, who won this event in 2016 by six shots with a 20-under total and tied for fourth last year, started her latest round in style with an eagle followed by a birdie only to bogey the third hole. She shot four more birdies.

''It definitely helps to get that kind of start, but I was just trying to keep that momentum and not get ahead of myself,'' Thompson said.

Her compatriot Korda had a rollercoaster round which featured eagles on the first and 17th holes, five birdies, a double bogey on the sixth, and two bogeys.

Moriya was the only player among the four to end the day without a bogey.

''I had a good start today, it was better than I expected,'' said Moriya, who was seventh here last year.

She's trying to become the first Thai winner of the tournament.

Two-time champion Amy Yang and world No. 2 Sung Hyun Park were among six players at 5 under.

Scores

Preview

PGA heads to Thailand for week three of the 2018 season

It’s a week in the Land of Smiles for the LPGA Tour, as the world’s best female golfers take to Thailand’s Siam Country Club Pattaya and the 2018 Honda LPGA Thailand.

Seventy players have made their way to Siam C.C.’s Old Course for the 12th playing of the Honda LPGA Thailand, including the top six players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings – No. 1 Shanshan Feng, No. 2 Sung Hyun Park, No. 3 So Yeon Ryu, No. 4 Lexi Thompson, No. 5 Anna Nordqvist and No. 6 In Gee Chun. Defending champion Amy Yang aims to take her third title here in Thailand, having tasted victory in 2015 and 2017, while 2018 winners Brittany Lincicome (Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic) and Jin Young Ko (ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open) will also make their cases to return to the winner’s circle.

Yang absolutely dominated the 2017 Honda LPGA Thailand, notching a wire-to-wire, five-stroke victory over Ryu and setting the tournament’s 72-hole scoring record of 22-under 266. Thailand is certainly one of Yang’s strongest events – in her eight career starts here, she has two victories and seven top-12 finishes.

LPGA Stars visit local school, participate in brain-based learning exercises

As part of Honda’s on-going dedication to better the local community, several participants in this week’s Honda LPGA Thailand visited the Wat Khao Pho Thong School, just five miles from Siam Country Club. Thai favorite Ariya Jutanugarn, along with defending champion Amy Yang, Ha Neul Kim and Saranporn Langkulgasettrin visited with students and participated in some “brain-based” learning, which combines physical activity and educational opportunities into fun exercises.

“I would like to applaud Honda and IMG for providing such a thoughtful and practical support for local students so they can have access to a comprehensive learning environment,” said Yang. “My interaction with the children has, in turn, given me optimism, courage and spirit to keep doing my best and be a good role model for the next generations.”

Thailand is lap three in Race to the CME Globe

This week’s Honda LPGA Thailand marks the third lap of the 2018 Race to the CME Globe. With a win apiece, Brittany Lincicome and Jin Young Ko sit tied atop the standings with 500 points each, followed by Wei-Ling Hsu with 337 points, Hannah Green with 260 points and defending Honda LPGA Thailand winner Amy Yang with 190 points.

Throughout the season’s 33 official events, LPGA Members will battle for position, with the top 12 players after the Blue Bay LPGA heading into the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship with the opportunity to take home a $1 million bonus, the biggest prize in women’s golf.

All tournaments have the same point values except for the five major championships, which carry 25 percent more value. For all events with a cut, points are awarded to members who make the cut, while for events without a cut, points are awarded to members who finish in the top 40 and ties.

Points will be reset for the CME Group Tour Championship following the Blue Bay LPGA, with the top 72 LPGA Members, as well as any non-Member winners and alternates, seeded into the championship field. For the top five players, it’s easy – win the CME Group Tour Championship and take home $1 million. However, the top 12 in the points race all have a mathematical chance to take the title of Race to the CME Globe Champion and win the coveted check.

In 2017, Lexi Thompson became the first American winner of the Race to the CME Globe and the accompanying $1 million prize. She joined Lydia Ko (2014, 2015) and Ariya Jutanugarn (2016) as the only players to hoist the crystal trophy.