April 25-28
Wilshire Country Club, Los Angeles, California
$1,500,000
Round 1, Round 2, Round 4
.@minjeegolf takes a 1-shot lead heading into the final act of @lpga_LA.#NECLPGAStats @NEC#LPGAgoesHOLLYWOOD
โ #DriveOn (@LPGA) April 28, 2019
Full leaderboard: https://t.co/zG49NlDfKS pic.twitter.com/DDKShGpJya
Minjee Lee and Nanna Koerstz Madsen started Saturday's play at the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open sitting first and second, respectively. Fast forward 18 holes and the duo kept their spots at the top of the leaderboard at Wilshire Country Club. Both players carded third-round 67s on Saturday, with Lee (-11) carrying a one-stroke lead over Koerstz Madsen (-10) into Sunday's final round.
โI think both of us, Nanna and I, we made a lot of birdies today,โ said Lee, who carded seven birdies to Koerstz Madsen's six. โI think we sort of fed off each other, which was really nice.โ
Former Rolex Rankings No. 1 and 19-time LPGA winner Inbee Park shot a 68 on Saturday and jumped into solo third at -7, with current World No. 1 Jin Young Ko and major champion Morgan Pressel tied for fourth at -6.
Lee bounces back from unlucky 7
Minjee Lee 's 4-under 67 featured seven birdies and one most unfortunate triple-bogey. After opening with consecutive birdies, Lee's second shot at the par-4 third clipped a tree branch and crashed down 50 yards short of the green. After sending her third shot over the green, Lee ultimately took a 7 on the hole.
โI just sort of tried to forget about it. What can you do that early in the round?โ said Lee. โJust try to get it back as much as I could and try and stay in the lead. Yeah, I mean, pretty much what I said before: try and hit as many good shots as I could out there.
.@minjeegolf had to fight her way back from a triple-bogey on the 3rd hole @lpga_la. She did so with 7 birdies in her 3rd round to take a 1-shot lead heading into Sunday's final round.
โ #DriveOn (@LPGA) April 28, 2019
She spoke with https://t.co/OXTgMXmmyA's @KentPaisley after her round ==> pic.twitter.com/88FccMmigK
Lemons keep Koestz Madsen cool on the course
Known for her emotions on the course, Nanna Koerstz Madsen worked hard to her cool and stay in contention at the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open. Her process that helps her staying calm? A couple lemons in her bag.
โI have this thing where if I get too nervous or mad, I can take a lemon and bite on the lemon,โ said Koerstz Madsen. The second-year LPGA player got the idea from her mental coach and has been using the method all season. โIt's like taking your senses away from whatever you're on and thinking about this lemon, which is really disgusting and not very nice,โ said Koerstz Madsen.
She only bit a lemon once today, after a three-putt on No. 11. Overall, she has felt good on the course over the last three rounds. Koerstz Madsen, who will be in the final grouping for the first time in her LPGA career, said she will not do anything differently tomorrow to stay calm. โReally just focus on my own game,โ she said. โIf it's enough, that's good and I'm happy with whatever. I mean, I'm already happy with how I've been emotionally this week. Yeah, just going to enjoy tomorrow I think.โ
With a win
Minjee Lee would earn her fifth LPGA Tour victory; only Karrie Webb (41), Jan Stephenson (16) and Rachel Hetherington (8) have more wins among Australian players
With the $225,000 winner's check, Lee would move to $5,317,468 in career earnings, projecting her to move past Katherine Kirk and become the third-winningest player from Australia, behind Karrie Webb ($20,254,718) and Rachel Hetherington ($5,730,915)
Nanna Koerstz Madsen would become the first player from Denmark to win on the LPGA Tour
Koerstz Madsen would become the season's second Rolex First-Time Winner, joining Celine Boutier
Player Notes
Rolex Rankings No. 4 Minjee Lee (66-69-67โ202)
This is the fourth time in Lee's career that she has held the lead after 54 holes; she won the 2016 Blue Bay LPGA and the 2018 LPGA Volvik Championship, and finished second at the 2019 Honda LPGA Thailand
Lee's 202 is tied for the third-best 54-hole score of her career
She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens, with 28 putts
Lee is in her fifth season on the LPGA Tour; she has four career victories, most recently at the 2018 LPGA Volvik Championship
This is Lee's ninth event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is second at the Honda LPGA Thailand and HSBC Women's World Championship
She is competing in her second HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open; she tied for seventh in 2018
She represented Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, finishing T7
Check out Round 3 highlights from @lpga_la where Minjee Lee holds a 1-shot lead heading into Sunday's final round.
โ #DriveOn (@LPGA) April 28, 2019
Watch ==> pic.twitter.com/9rP9mlYj3e
Rolex Rankings No. 193 Nanna Koerstz Madsen (69-67-67โ203)
This is the first time in Koerstz Madsen's LPGA Tour career that she will play in the final group on Sunday
Koerstz Madsen's 203 is tied for the best 54-hole score of her career; she previously shot 203 at the 2018 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, where she ultimately finished tied for 15th
She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 29 putts
Koerstz Madsen is in her second season on the LPGA Tour; her best finish is second at the 2017 ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open as a non-Member
This is Koerstz Madsen's seventh event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is 26th at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup
She is competing in her second HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open; she missed the cut in 2018
Koerstz Madsen won three times as a Symetra Tour rookie in 2017 and reached the LPGA Tour via the Volvik Race for the Card
She represented Denmark at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, finishing T13
No player from Denmark has won on the LPGA Tour
Pos. |
Player | To Par |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
Total |
1 |
Minjee Lee | -11 |
66 |
69 |
67 |
202 |
2 |
Nanna Koerstz Madsen | -10 |
69 |
67 |
67 |
203 |
3 |
Inbee Park | -7 |
68 |
70 |
68 |
206 |
T4 |
Jin Young Ko | -6 |
70 |
70 |
67 |
207 |
T4 |
Morgan Pressel | -6 |
71 |
66 |
70 |
207 |
T6 |
Megan Khang | -5 |
72 |
72 |
64 |
208 |
T6 |
Annie Park | -5 |
70 |
72 |
66 |
208 |
T6 |
Sei Young Kim | -5 |
70 |
70 |
68 |
208 |
T6 |
Danielle Kang | -5 |
72 |
66 |
70 |
208 |
T10 |
Hannah Green | -4 |
65 |
73 |
71 |
209 |
T10 |
Stacy Lewis | -4 |
65 |
73 |
71 |
209 |
T12 |
Kristen Gillman | -3 |
69 |
74 |
67 |
210 |
T12 |
Brooke M. Henderson | -3 |
68 |
73 |
69 |
210 |
T12 |
Charley Hull | -3 |
71 |
69 |
70 |
210 |
T12 |
Ally McDonald | -3 |
71 |
69 |
70 |
210 |
T12 |
Jing Yan | -3 |
68 |
71 |
71 |
210 |
T12 |
Lizette Salas | -3 |
68 |
71 |
71 |
210 |
T12 |
Gaby Lopez | -3 |
69 |
68 |
73 |
210 |
T19 |
Brittany Lang | -2 |
73 |
71 |
67 |
211 |
T19 |
Chella Choi | -2 |
71 |
73 |
67 |
211 |
T19 |
Mariajo Uribe | -2 |
71 |
72 |
68 |
211 |
T19 |
Haeji Kang | -2 |
71 |
71 |
69 |
211 |
T19 |
Ashleigh Buhai | -2 |
70 |
71 |
70 |
211 |
T19 |
Pajaree Anannarukarn | -2 |
70 |
70 |
71 |
211 |
T25 |
Mirim Lee | -1 |
71 |
74 |
67 |
212 |
T25 |
Lydia Ko | -1 |
70 |
73 |
69 |
212 |
T25 |
Lindsey Weaver | -1 |
70 |
73 |
69 |
212 |
T25 |
Amy Yang | -1 |
71 |
71 |
70 |
212 |
T25 |
Jenny Shin | -1 |
71 |
71 |
70 |
212 |
T25 |
Carlota Ciganda | -1 |
73 |
68 |
71 |
212 |
T25 |
Azahara Munoz | -1 |
71 |
70 |
71 |
212 |
T25 |
Aditi Ashok | -1 |
70 |
71 |
71 |
212 |
T25 |
Isi Gabsa | -1 |
68 |
71 |
73 |
212 |
T34 |
Dana Finkelstein | E |
74 |
70 |
69 |
213 |
T34 |
In-Kyung Kim | E |
71 |
73 |
69 |
213 |
T34 |
Angela Stanford | E |
70 |
73 |
70 |
213 |
T34 |
Sarah Jane Smith | E |
68 |
74 |
71 |
213 |
T34 |
Christina Kim | E |
70 |
71 |
72 |
213 |
T34 |
Dani Holmqvist | E |
70 |
69 |
74 |
213 |
T34 |
So Yeon Ryu | E |
70 |
69 |
74 |
213 |
T41 |
Wichanee Meechai | 1 |
74 |
71 |
69 |
214 |
T41 |
Brittany Altomare | 1 |
72 |
72 |
70 |
214 |
T41 |
Mina Harigae | 1 |
71 |
73 |
70 |
214 |
T41 |
Angel Yin | 1 |
68 |
76 |
70 |
214 |
T41 |
Mel Reid | 1 |
72 |
71 |
71 |
214 |
T41 |
Lauren Stephenson | 1 |
72 |
70 |
72 |
214 |
T41 |
Katherine Kirk | 1 |
71 |
71 |
72 |
214 |
T41 |
Klara Spilkova | 1 |
69 |
72 |
73 |
214 |
T41 |
Anne-Catherine Tanguay | 1 |
67 |
74 |
73 |
214 |
T41 |
Jaclyn Lee | 1 |
71 |
67 |
76 |
214 |
T41 |
Shanshan Feng | 1 |
68 |
70 |
76 |
214 |
T52 |
Anne van Dam | 2 |
74 |
71 |
70 |
215 |
T52 |
Sarah Schmelzel | 2 |
72 |
72 |
71 |
215 |
T52 |
Eun-Hee Ji | 2 |
71 |
73 |
71 |
215 |
T52 |
Madelene Sagstrom | 2 |
70 |
74 |
71 |
215 |
T52 |
Mi Jung Hur | 2 |
74 |
66 |
75 |
215 |
T52 |
Ryann O'Toole | 2 |
69 |
71 |
75 |
215 |
T58 |
Gemma Dryburgh | 3 |
72 |
73 |
71 |
216 |
T58 |
Pavarisa Yoktuan | 3 |
74 |
70 |
72 |
216 |
T58 |
Kris Tamulis | 3 |
71 |
73 |
72 |
216 |
T58 |
Maria Torres | 3 |
71 |
73 |
72 |
216 |
T58 |
Hee Young Park | 3 |
73 |
70 |
73 |
216 |
T58 |
Cristie Kerr | 3 |
70 |
72 |
74 |
216 |
T64 |
Amy Olson | 4 |
75 |
70 |
72 |
217 |
T64 |
Pornanong Phatlum | 4 |
74 |
71 |
72 |
217 |
T64 |
Ariya Jutanugarn | 4 |
73 |
71 |
73 |
217 |
T64 |
Stephanie Meadow | 4 |
70 |
73 |
74 |
217 |
T64 |
Pernilla Lindberg | 4 |
70 |
73 |
74 |
217 |
69 |
Cheyenne Knight | 5 |
73 |
71 |
74 |
218 |
70 |
Lee-Anne Pace | 6 |
73 |
72 |
74 |
219 |
71 |
Emma Talley | 7 |
70 |
74 |
76 |
220 |
CUT |
Sarah Burnham | 4 |
76 |
70 |
||
CUT |
Haru Nomura | 4 |
76 |
70 |
||
CUT |
Jessica Korda | 4 |
74 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Lindy Duncan | 4 |
73 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Mi Hyang Lee | 4 |
73 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Su Oh | 4 |
73 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Suzuka Yamaguchi | 4 |
73 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Celine Boutier | 4 |
72 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Nicole Broch Larsen | 4 |
72 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Bronte Law | 4 |
72 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Brittany Lincicome | 4 |
71 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Karine Icher | 5 |
77 |
70 |
||
CUT |
Sung Hyun Park | 5 |
76 |
71 |
||
CUT |
Jaye Marie Green | 5 |
75 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Muni He | 5 |
75 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Lexi Thompson | 5 |
75 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Jungmin Hong (a) | 5 |
74 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Xiyu Lin | 5 |
74 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Becca Huffer | 5 |
73 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Jane Park | 5 |
72 |
75 |
||
CUT |
In Gee Chun | 5 |
71 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Tiffany Joh | 6 |
77 |
71 |
||
CUT |
Ruixin Liu | 6 |
76 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Beatriz Recari | 6 |
76 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Celine Herbin | 6 |
75 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Jeong Eun Lee | 6 |
75 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Mariah Stackhouse | 6 |
75 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Alena Sharp | 6 |
73 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Elizabeth Szokol | 6 |
73 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Ayako Uehara | 6 |
73 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Dori Carter | 6 |
71 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Austin Ernst | 6 |
70 |
78 |
||
CUT |
Tiffany Chan | 7 |
77 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Yu Liu | 7 |
77 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Maddie McCrary | 7 |
77 |
72 |
||
CUT |
Anna Nordqvist | 7 |
76 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Jennifer Song | 7 |
76 |
73 |
||
CUT |
Dottie Ardina | 7 |
75 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Georgia Hall | 7 |
75 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Kim Kaufman | 7 |
75 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Daniela Darquea | 7 |
74 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Moriya Jutanugarn | 7 |
71 |
78 |
||
CUT |
Jasmine Suwannapura | 7 |
68 |
81 |
||
CUT |
Peiyun Chien | 8 |
76 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Sandra Gal | 8 |
76 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Louise Ridderstrom | 8 |
76 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Charlotte Thomas | 8 |
76 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Jacqui Concolino | 8 |
75 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Brianna Do | 8 |
74 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Kristy McPherson | 8 |
74 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Jackie Stoelting | 8 |
74 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Na Yeon Choi | 8 |
73 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Nelly Korda | 8 |
73 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Catriona Matthew | 8 |
73 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Sakura Yokomine | 8 |
73 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong | 8 |
72 |
78 |
||
CUT |
Wei-Ling Hsu | 9 |
76 |
75 |
||
CUT |
Paula Creamer | 9 |
75 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Juli Inkster | 9 |
75 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras | 9 |
73 |
78 |
||
CUT |
Gerina Piller | 9 |
72 |
79 |
||
CUT |
Alison Lee | 10 |
75 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Caroline Masson | 10 |
73 |
79 |
||
CUT |
Linnea Strom | 11 |
79 |
74 |
||
CUT |
Lauren Kim | 11 |
77 |
76 |
||
CUT |
Clariss Guce | 11 |
76 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Brittany Marchand | 12 |
77 |
77 |
||
CUT |
Joanna Klatten | 12 |
75 |
79 |
||
CUT |
Youngin Chun | 13 |
73 |
82 |
||
CUT |
Alana Uriell | 14 |
75 |
81 |
||
CUT |
Kendall Dye | 16 |
78 |
80 |
||
CUT |
Laura Gonzalez Escallon | 16 |
75 |
83 |
||
WD |
Natalie Gulbis | 76 |