| DATES: May 18-21 | ||
| SITE: Kingsmill Resort, Williamsburg, Virginia | ||
| PRIZE MONEY: $1,200,000 | ||
Round 4 - Thompson wins Kingsmill, sets new record
May 21, 2017
Lexi Thompson has won her eighth LPGA tournament and set a new scoring record in the process. Having said her goal was to finish at 20-under Thompson proceeded to do just that and broke Annika Sorenstam record with rounds of 65, 65, 69 and 65.
“Oh, it means the world to me. Annika has been a player I've always looked up to not only how she played on the course, but how she is off and how she gave back to the game,” Thompson said on breaking Sorenstam's tournament record. “This is a huge honor. I wasn't focusing on that and I didn't actually know that until maybe last night.”
In Gee Chun, the only player to come close to Thompson, started the day just three strokes back and with three birdies in her first seven holes came within two of Thompson. Thompson herself had played three birdies on the front nine however and was back to three-ahead at the turn. Chun finished her round at 4-under 67 for a total of 15-under, 269.
“I had great round today. I made bogey-free round, but her play was so good,” said Chun. “Really enjoyed playing with her. I learn a lot from her today. I want to say congratulations to Lexi and thank you to all the spectators. I really enjoy them.”
| Pos. | Player | Scores | Total | To Par | Prize Money |
| 1 | Lexi Thompson | 65 - 65 - 69 - 65 | 264 | -20 | $195,000.00 |
| 2 | In Gee Chun | 69 - 66 - 67 - 67 | 269 | -15 | $120,353.00 |
| 3 | Angela Stanford | 70 - 66 - 71 - 66 | 273 | -11 | $87,308.00 |
Click here for full scores & prize money.
With Solheim on the brain, red, white and blue make statement
Lexi Thompson led a strong group of American players on Sunday, with five USA flags among the top nine at Kingsmill.
Angela Stanford finished in solo third at 11 under, her best finish of 2017 and best showing since she tied for second at the 2016 Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Invitational. Her $87,308 paycheck at Kingsmill moved her to $10,019,725 in career earnings, making her just the 13th player in LPGA history to cross the $10 million mark.
Danielle Kang’s fourth-place finish at 10 under is tied for the second-lowest performance of her career, following a T3 at the 2012 Kingsmill Championship; she also tied for fourth at the 2017 Honda LPGA Thailand and 2016 ISPS Handa Australian Open.
Ryann O’Toole and Gerina Piller tied for seventh at 8 under, along with Swedish rookie Madelene Sagstrom. This is O’Toole’s third-best career finish, following a T5 at the 2011 Safeway Classic (a 54-hole event) and a T6 at the 2016 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. For Piller, this marks her third top-10 showing of 2017, joining the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic (fourth) and the Kia Classic (tied for fourth).
These strong showings also helped each player in her quest for a coveted berth on the USA Solheim Cup Team. Of these five players, Thompson, Piller and Stanford are currently in position to automatically qualify for the team, as they rank first, fourth and eighth, respectively, in the point standings. Coming into Kingsmill, Kang sat in 12th and O’Toole, a member of the 2011 team, was 17th.
Quick hits
Lexi Thompson made 23 starts between her last victory (2016 Honda LPGA Thailand) and today’s win
With her victory, Thompson becomes the first LPGA wire-to-wire winner since Amy Yang at the Honda LPGA Thailand
Thompson is the third American to take home the Kingsmill Championship title, following Lizette Salas (2014) and Cristie Kerr (2013, 2009, 2005)
Thompson’s 20-under par tournament score,breaks the nearly 10-year-old tournament record set by Annika Sorenstam in her 2008 19-under-par victory
At age 22 years, 3 months and 11 days old, Thompson is the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour this season, besting Sei Young Kim who was 24 years, 3 months and 16 days old when she took the Lorena Ochoa Match Play title
In Gee Chun’s runner-up finish is her third of the season (Bank of Hope Founder’s Cup and LOTTE Championship)
Angela Stanford’s third-place finish is her best in 13 appearances (every single Kingsmill Championship)
Minjee Lee was disqualified from the 2017 Kingsmill Championship due to failing to sign her scorecard for the final round
It’s now been 11 LPGA events without a Rolex First Time Winner, going back to the 2016 CME Group Tour Championship, where Charley Hullcaptured her first win on Tour
The Kingsmill Championship was the 11th event of the 2017 season. With 11 different winners so far, this is the longest the Tour has gone without having a repeat champion since 1991. That year the LPGA did not have a repeat winner until the 16th event.
Through 11 events of the 2017 season, American players have now taken home three tournament titles: Brittany Lincicome (Pure-Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic), Cristie Kerr (LOTTE Championship) and Lexi Thompson (Kingsmill Championship). During the 2016 season,Thompson (Honda LPGA Thailand) and Brittany Lang (U.S. Women’s Open Conducted by the USGA) were the only Americans to take home a tournament title.
Quotable
“Tomorrow I’ll be out practicing, working on my game to improve even more, I’m sure.
- Lexi Thompson on her celebration plans
CME Group Cares weekends update
Players scored nine eagles over the weekend at the 2017 Kingsmill Championship Presented by JTBC, raising $9,000 for charity. This brings the total to 105 eagles on the year, which translates to $105,000 dollars raised.
Race to CME Globe update
Lexi Thompson earned 500 points and is projected to move from fifth to third in the Race to CME Globe with 1,480 points.
Ko protects No.1 ranking
Thanks to a T10 finish, Lydia Ko’s position as the top player in the Rolex Rankings is safe for at least another week.
Heading into the week at the Kingsmill Championship Presented by JTBC there were numerous scenarios that would have had No. 2 So Yeon Ryu or No. 3 Ariya Jutanugarn take over the top spot. Ryu tied with Ko at 7-under par, while Jutanugarn finished T18 at 4-under par.
This is Ko’s longest stretch without a win on the LPGA Tour. It has been 18 starts since her win at the 2016 Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I.
Top Three Players (Since 2016 RICOH Women’s British Open)
|
No. 1 Lydia Ko
|
No. 2 So Yeon Ryu
|
No. 3 Ariya Jutanugarn
|
|
|
Starts
|
19
|
17
|
20
|
|
Wins
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
|
Runner-ups
|
1
|
4
|
3
|
|
Top-10s
|
9
|
13
|
16
|
Round 3 - Thompson takes 3 shot lead into final
May 20, 2017
Quick hits
Lexi Thompson’s 14-under 199 is tied for the third-lowest 54-hole score in Kingsmill history, behind Paula Creamer’s 197 in 2012 and the 198s of Cristie Kerr (2009) and Lindsey Wright (199)
Lexi Thompson and In Gee Chun, the top two players on the leaderboard, lead the field with 16 birdies each this week
Thompson has hit 47 of 54 greens so far to lead the tournament
Thompson is looking for her eighth career LPGA victory and first at Kingsmill
This is the 11th time in her LPGA career that Thompson has been the leader or co-leader after 54 holes
Thompson’s 14-under 199 is her third-lowest 54-hole score at an LPGA tournament, following 196s at the 2017 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic and 2013 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia and a 198 at the 2016 Meijer LPGA Classic
If Thompson can return a score in the 60s on Sunday, it would be the sixth time she scored all four rounds in the 60s in an LPGA tournament
Thompson’s lowest LPGA career final-round score is a 65, which she has shot on two occasions; she shot a 65 in each of the first two rounds at Kingsmill this week
Thompson’s best closing round at Kingsmill is a 66, which she shot in 2015 en route to a T5 finish
This is In Gee Chun’s second Kingsmill appearance; she finished T10 in 2016
This is the 16th time in Chun’s LPGA career that she been within five shots of the lead entering the final round. While she has only been able to convert two victories, they both came in majors – the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2016 Evian Championship.
Sei Young Kim fired the low round of the day, a 5-under 66 to match her lowest round of the 2017 season, which she shot in the second round of the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic
As the 2017 Lorena Ochoa Match Play champion, Kim is looking to become the LPGA’s first back-to-back winner since Shanshan Feng won the 2016 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia and TOTO Japan Classic
In two appearances at the Kingsmill Championship, Minjee Lee has a win (2015) and a T10 finish (2016)
Outside one missed cut (Kia Classic) and a withdrawal (Volunteers of America Texas Shootout), Lydia Ko has finished no worse than T11 in her last eight starts
Mo Martin and Dana Finkelstein hit all 14 fairways on Saturday; Martin leads the entire field with 41 of 42 fairways hit during the tournament
Perrine Delacour led the field with seven birdies in the third round
Brittany Lincicome is the longest hitter through 54 holes, averaging 287.8 yards off the tee
In Gee in the hunt
Two-time major champion and 2016 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year In Gee Chun heads into the final day at the Kingsmill Championship just three shots back from leader Lexi Thompson. Chun was blemish free on the front nine, but with two bogeys to match two birdies on the back nine, she knows she can improve for the final day.
“Lexi plays really well this week,” Chun said after her round on Saturday. “So I know my swing feel was not perfect, but I try keep going and then see where I am later.”
With two runner-up finishes already this season, Chun will be looking for her third career LPGA tournament title and the first since she took home the 2016 Evian Championship.
World No. 1 Ko in good spot
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lydia Ko will open the final round of the Kingsmill Championship five strokes off the lead, tied with No. 8 Sei Young Kim and No. 19 Minjee Lee for third place.
Ko birdied three of her last four holes on Saturday, but a change in strategy may be in order to make a charge on Sunday. “In some cases I might need to be a little bit more aggressive in some positions,” she said. “But at the end, I just got to focus on that one shot at the time. Sometimes being too aggressive might lead to a mistake.”
So Yeon Ryu, who trails Ko by only .23 points in the Rolex Rankings, enters the final day tied for 15th (-4) alongside defending Kingsmill championAriya Jutanguarn, who sits .25 points behind Ko. With a win at Kingsmill, Ko will hold onto the World No. 1 ranking, but there are numerous scenarios that forecast Ryu or Jutanugarn taking over the top spot.
• If Lydia Ko wins, she will remain No. 1
• If either So Yeon Ryu or Ariya Jutanugarn win, they will become No. 1
• If Ko, Ryu and Ariya finish T2, Ko will remain No. 1
• If Ko and Ariya finish T2 AND Ryu finishes 3rd or worse, Ko will remain No. 1
So Yeon Ryu could take over No. 1 if any of the following scenarios (12th or better finish) occur:
• Ryu is T2 with Ariya AND Ko finishes 3rd or worse
• Ryu is 2nd alone AND Ko and Ariya finishes T3 or worse
• Ryu is 3rd alone AND Ko and Ariya finishes T4 or worse
• Ryu is 4th alone AND Ko finishes 6th or worse AND Ariya finishes 5th or worse
• Ryu is 5th alone AND Ko finishes 11th or worse AND Ariya finishes 6th or worse
• Ryu is 6th alone AND Ko is not in top 14 AND Ariya is not in top 6
• Ryu is 7th alone AND Ko is not in top 18 AND Ariya is not in top 7
• Ryu is 8th alone AND Ko is not in top 24 AND Ariya is not in top 8
• Ryu is 9th alone AND Ko is not in top 30 AND Ariya is not in top 9
• Ryu is 10th alone AND Ko is not in top 40 AND Ariya is not in top 10
• Ryu is 11th alone AND Ko is not in top 50 AND Ariya is not in top 11
• Ryu is 12th alone AND Ko is not in the top 61 AND Ariya is not in the top 12
Ariya Jutanugarn could take over No. 1 if any of the following scenarios (7th or better finish) occur:
• Ariya is 2nd alone AND Ko and Ryu finish T3 or worse
• Ariya is 3rd alone AND Ko is not in top 5 AND Ryu is not in top 3
• Ariya is 4th alone AND Ko is not in top 8 AND Ryu is not in top 4
• Ariya is 5th alone AND Ko is not in top 14 AND Ryu is not in top 5
• Ariya is 6th alone AND Ko is not in top 21 AND Ryu is not in top 7
• Ariya is 7th alone AND Ko is not in top 29 AND Ryu is not in top 8
Quotable
“If this is light breeze, I don’t know what windy is.”
- Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lydia Ko on the weather during her third round on Saturday at the River Course
“It’s truly amazing just to see the amount of fans out. And little kids. That’s what we really want to see. Just hearing them cheer us on, it’s the best feeling. The fans make the game.”
- Lexi Thompson on the gallery following her at Kingsmill Resort
|
Pos.
|
Player |
To Par
|
R1
|
R2
|
R3
|
Total
|
|
1
|
Lexi Thompson |
-14
|
65
|
65
|
69
|
199
|
|
2
|
In Gee Chun |
-11
|
69
|
66
|
67
|
202
|
|
T3
|
Sei Young Kim |
-9
|
69
|
69
|
66
|
204
|
|
T3
|
Minjee Lee |
-9
|
68
|
69
|
67
|
204
|
|
T3
|
Lydia Ko |
-9
|
67
|
67
|
70
|
204
|
|
T6
|
Madelene Sagstrom |
-7
|
70
|
68
|
68
|
206
|
|
T6
|
Danielle Kang |
-7
|
72
|
65
|
69
|
206
|
|
T6
|
Shanshan Feng |
-7
|
69
|
67
|
70
|
206
|
|
T9
|
Su Oh |
-6
|
68
|
70
|
69
|
207
|
|
T9
|
Karine Icher |
-6
|
68
|
70
|
69
|
207
|
|
T9
|
Ryann O'Toole |
-6
|
70
|
67
|
70
|
207
|
|
T9
|
Angela Stanford |
-6
|
70
|
66
|
71
|
207
|
|
T9
|
Gerina Piller |
-6
|
66
|
67
|
74
|
207
|
Round 2 - Thompson holds on to lead heading into the weekend
May 19, 2017
Lexi Thompson’s 36-hole score of 12-under 130 ties for the second-lowest 36-hole score in tournament history; Jiyai Shin and Annika Sorenstam both shot 12-under 130s en route to their Kingsmill Championship victories
Thompson’s 36-hole score of 130 ties her career low, joining the 2017 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic and the 2013 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
In Gee Chun led the field with eight birdies in the second round, while Thompson has the most for the tournament with 13
Three players hit all 14 greens in regulation on Friday – Laura Gonzalez Escallon, Nelly Korda and Jing Yan
No players hit all 18 greens in regulation on Friday, while Thompson leads the field with 16 of 18 GIRs through two rounds
Brittany Lincicome leads the field in drive distance, averaging 287.8 yards off the tee; she ranks third on Tour for the season in average driving distance at 275.2 yards
Lydia Ko’s two-day total of 67-67—134 is four strokes better than her previous Kingsmill low of 70-68—138, which she shot in her first tournament appearance in 2014
With a bogey-free round on Friday, Ko is riding a streak of 30 holes without a bogey going back to her sixth hole on Thursday; Ko and Lizette Salas own the 2017 LPGA record for consecutive holes without a bogey, as both had unblemished scorecards at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup
This week marks In Gee Chun’s second start on the River Course; she finished T10 in 2016, a year which saw her recognized as the Rolex Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year
Shanshan Feng shot a second-round 67 on Friday to record a career-best tournament 36-hole score on the River Course of 6-under 136
Danielle Kang shot a 65 on Friday to record her lowest score of 2017; she previously shot a 66 in the final round of the LOTTE Championship
Friday marks the second time in Kang’s LPGA career she shot a 65, joining the second round of the 2016 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship; her career-low is a 64, recorded here at Kingsmill during the second round in 2012
Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras’ second-round 65 is the lowest round of her LPGA career, besting the 66 she shot in the first round of the 2016 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
In three other starts this season Austin Ernst has fired a second-round 68; each time she held on to finish in the top eight (Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, Honda LPGA Thailand, Kia Classic)
Of the six past Kingsmill champions in the field, 2014 champion Lizette Salas is the only one to miss the cut
Mariah Stackhouse is the only one of three sponsor invites to survive the cut, while the two Monday qualifiers (Brianna Do and Laura Jansone) missed the cut
Rookie roundup
The Kingsmill Championship field featured 21 of the 37 2017 LPGA Tour rookies, the most to tee it up at a tournament this season. After the 36-hole cut, 11 rookies will play through the weekend, with five sitting T25 or better.
Early Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award favorite Sung Hyun Park (-3, T25) is in good position to notch her eighth straight top-25 finish in as many starts, while Angel Yin (-4, T17) will look to gain some ground in the award standings as she sits 181 points behind Park. Madelene Sagstrom is T17 while Bronte Law (T25) and Nelly Korda (T25) round out the rookies in the top 25. Mariah Stackhouse posted a 3-under 68 on Friday to tie her career-best round and make her first cut as an LPGA member, sitting at T40.
Quotable
“I feel like I belong out there and I feel like my game is as good as anyone’s.”
- Seven-year Tour veteran Gerina Piller on seeking her elusive first victory
“I did not start well. I made double bogey on the first hole. After that, walking to second tee I said, Forget it; start again.”
- In Gee Chun on her round of 5-under 66; after opening with a double bogey, shemade eight birdies coupled with just one additional bogey
Ko staying confident into weekend
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lydia Ko sits in good position heading into the weekend at the Kingsmill Championship. Ko was bogey-free in the second round on Friday and sits in a tie for third at 8-under 134.
“It was a pretty steady round. The front nine I gave myself a lot of looks for birdies, and a lot of them really slipped by,” Ko said after she went nine for nine in greens in regulation on the front nine, where she recorded three birdies.
Ko is feeling comfortable heading into the weekend four strokes behind leader Thompson. “Like I said yesterday, I feel like I’m putting good strokes on it,” Ko said. “That’s all I can do at the end of the day.”
So Yeon Ryu, who trails Ko by only .23 points in the Rolex Rankings, enters the weekend tied for 10th at 5 under, while defending Kingsmill champion Ariya Jutanguarn, who sits .25 points behind Ko, is tied for 25th at 3 under. With a win at Kingsmill, Ko will hold onto the World No. 1 ranking, but there are numerous scenarios that forecast Ryu or Jutanugarn taking over the top spot.
|
Pos.
|
Player |
To Par
|
R1
|
R2
|
Total
|
|
1
|
Lexi Thompson |
-12
|
65
|
65
|
130
|
|
2
|
Gerina Piller |
-9
|
66
|
67
|
133
|
|
T3
|
Candie Kung |
-8
|
68
|
66
|
134
|
|
T3
|
Lydia Ko |
-8
|
67
|
67
|
134
|
|
T5
|
In Gee Chun |
-7
|
69
|
66
|
135
|
|
T5
|
Vicky Hurst |
-7
|
68
|
67
|
135
|
|
T7
|
Angela Stanford |
-6
|
70
|
66
|
136
|
|
T7
|
Shanshan Feng |
-6
|
69
|
67
|
136
|
|
T7
|
Brittany Lincicome |
-6
|
66
|
70
|
136
|
Round 1 - Lexi Thompson leading in Virginia
May 18, 2017
In exactly three months, the 2017 Solheim Cup will return to U.S. soil at Des Moines Golf & Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa. The American contingent had a strong outing in the first round of the Kingsmill Championship on Thursday, taking up the top four spots on the leaderboard.
Lexi Thompson’s round of 65 puts her one stroke ahead of fellow Americans Gerina Piller, Brittany Lincicome and Angel Yin, who are tied for second at 5-under. When asked what her goal was this week in Williamsburg, Thompson said, “I want to win every week. One week isn’t more than another. It’s always the same attitude: I want to win. Everybody does.”
Through 10 events of the 2017 season, two American players have taken home tournament titles: Brittany Lincicome (Pure-Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic) and Cristie Kerr (LOTTE Championship). During the 2016 season, Thompson (Honda LPGA Thailand) and Brittany Lang (U.S. Women’s Open Conducted by the USGA) were the only Americans to win a tournament.
With pressure on, Ko off to good start
Lydia Ko has held the World No. 1 ranking for the last 82 consecutive weeks. Now, with So Yeon Ryu and Ariya Jutanugarn nipping at her heels, the 20-year-old from New Zealand opened her weekend at Kingsmill with a first-round 67 and sites tied for fifth with Sarah Jane Smith and Giulia Molinaro.
“Obviously that’s a really good start to the week,” said Ko, who carded five birdies and one bogey on Thursday. “I am just going to try and give myself as many opportunities as I can. I don’t think I was hitting the ball fantastic, so there is a little bit of improvement to do there.”
That 4-under round ties Ko’s lowest round ever at Kingsmill, and bests her previous-low first round, a 70 in her first tournament appearance in 2014, by three strokes. She has several good looks at birdie on her inward nine, but watched several putts trickle just past the hole.
“At the end of the day, all I can do is trust my read and put a good stroke on it,” said Ko. “It’s out of your hands from there. So hopefully few more will drop. But overall I thought I played really solid. Hopefully I can continue that for the rest of week.”
Ryu, who trails Ko by only .23 points, opened with a 1-under 70, while defending Kingsmill champion Jutanguarn, who sits .25 points behind Ko, carded a 1-over 72. With a win at Kingsmill, Ko will hold onto the World No. 1 ranking, but there are numerous scenarios that forecast Ryu or Jutanugarn taking over the top spot.
• If Lydia Ko wins, she will remain No. 1
• If either So Yeon Ryu or Ariya Jutanugarn win, they will become No. 1
• If Ko, Ryu and Ariya finish T2, Ko will remain No. 1
• If Ko and Ariya finish T2 AND Ryu finishes 3rd or worse, Ko will remain No. 1
So Yeon Ryu could take over No. 1 if any of the following scenarios (12th or better finish) occur:
• Ryu is T2 with Ariya AND Ko finishes 3rd or worse
• Ryu is 2nd alone AND Ko and Ariya finishes T3 or worse
• Ryu is 3rd alone AND Ko and Ariya finishes T4 or worse
• Ryu is 4th alone AND Ko finishes 6th or worse AND Ariya finishes 5th or worse
• Ryu is 5th alone AND Ko finishes 11th or worse AND Ariya finishes 6th or worse
• Ryu is 6th alone AND Ko is not in top 14 AND Ariya is not in top 6
• Ryu is 7th alone AND Ko is not in top 18 AND Ariya is not in top 7
• Ryu is 8th alone AND Ko is not in top 24 AND Ariya is not in top 8
• Ryu is 9th alone AND Ko is not in top 30 AND Ariya is not in top 9
• Ryu is 10th alone AND Ko is not in top 40 AND Ariya is not in top 10
• Ryu is 11th alone AND Ko is not in top 50 AND Ariya is not in top 11
• Ryu is 12th alone AND Ko is not in the top 61 AND Ariya is not in the top 12
Ariya Jutanugarn could take over No. 1 if any of the following scenarios (7th or better finish) occur:
• Ariya is 2nd alone AND Ko and Ryu finish T3 or worse
• Ariya is 3rd alone AND Ko is not in top 5 AND Ryu is not in top 3
• Ariya is 4th alone AND Ko is not in top 8 AND Ryu is not in top 4
• Ariya is 5th alone AND Ko is not in top 14 AND Ryu is not in top 5
• Ariya is 6th alone AND Ko is not in top 21 AND Ryu is not in top 7
• Ariya is 7th alone AND Ko is not in top 29 AND Ryu is not in top 8
Quotable
“The only way I would jump out of a perfectly good plane is with a SEAL on my back. There was nothing like it. Words can’t describe the feeling. It was just like a feeling of freedom jumping out.”
- Lexi Thompson on skydiving into her pro-am on Wednesday
“It’s spreading out here.”
- 2017 LPGA Tour rookie Angel Yin on the popularity of players using a 2-iron (i.e. Ariya Jutanugarn, Anna Nordqvist and herself)
First round statistical notes
• While no player hit all 18 greens in regulation, Lexi Thompson hit the most with 17
• Three players hit all 14 fairways – Mo Martin, Jane Park and Jenny Shin
• Thompson led the field with seven birdies in the first round, followed by Gerina Piller, Angel Yin, Sadena Parks and Madelene Sagstrom with six apiece
• Three players carded eagles on Thursday – Brooke Henderson (No. 15), Celine Herbin (No. 3) and Ally McDonald (No. 7)
• At 308 yards, Joanna Klatten led the field in first-round average drive distance, followed by Jessica Korda at 287 yards
Quick hits
Lexi Thompson hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation in the first round. The only green she missed was at No. 12, which was her third hole of the day. Through the first 10 events of the 2017 season, Thompson ranks second on Tour in greens in regulation at 79.5 percent, behind So Yeon Ryu’s 81.5 percent.
Thompson’s first-round 65 is her lowest round ever at Kingsmill. Her previous low was a 66 in the second round in 2014 and the fourth round in 2016
Gerina Piller and Brittany Lincicome both returned rounds of 66 for the third time at Kingsmill. Piller did so in the fourth rounds in 2013 and 2015, while Lincicome’s marks came in the first rounds in 2007 and 2015.
Lincicome is looking to become the first repeat winner of the 2017 season after she won the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. With 10 different winners so far, this is the longest the Tour has gone without having a repeat champion since 1991.
In her seventh season on Tour, Piller is seeking her first LPGA victory. She has 33 career top-10s, including two this season (Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, Kia Classic) and three in her five career starts at Kingsmill.
LPGA rookie Angel Yin’s first-round 66 is the second-lowest round of her LPGA career. She shot a 65 in the third round of the 2017 Bank of Hope Founders Cup, where she went on to finish T19.
Entering the Kingsmill Championship, Yin is second in the Rolex Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year standings, 181 points behind leader Sung Hyun Park.
Giulia Molinaro was bogey-free through 16 holes on her way to recording a 4-under 67, which marks her lowest round in three starts on the River Course.
|
Pos.
|
Player |
To Par
|
R1
|
|
1
|
Lexi Thompson |
-6
|
65
|
|
T2
|
Gerina Piller |
-5
|
66
|
|
T2
|
Brittany Lincicome |
-5
|
66
|
|
T2
|
Angel Yin |
-5
|
66
|
|
T5
|
Lydia Ko |
-4
|
67
|
|
T5
|
Sarah Jane Smith |
-4
|
67
|
|
T5
|
Giulia Molinaro |
-4
|
67
|
|
T8
|
Jacqui Concolino |
-3
|
68
|
|
T8
|
Karine Icher |
-3
|
68
|
|
T8
|
Amelia Lewis |
-3
|
68
|
|
T8
|
Vicky Hurst |
-3
|
68
|
|
T8
|
Candie Kung |
-3
|
68
|
|
T8
|
Moriya Jutanugarn |
-3
|
68
|
|
T8
|
Minjee Lee |
-3
|
68
|
|
T8
|
Su Oh |
-3
|
68
|
Scores
| Pos. | Player | Scores | Total | To Par | Prize Money |
| 1 | Lexi Thompson | 65 - 65 - 69 - 65 | 264 | -20 | $195,000.00 |
| 2 | In Gee Chun | 69 - 66 - 67 - 67 | 269 | -15 | $120,353.00 |
| 3 | Angela Stanford | 70 - 66 - 71 - 66 | 273 | -11 | $87,308.00 |
| 4 | Danielle Kang | 72 - 65 - 69 - 68 | 274 | -10 | $67,539.00 |
| 5T | Carlota Ciganda | 69 - 68 - 71 - 67 | 275 | -9 | $49,420.00 |
| 5T | Sei Young Kim | 69 - 69 - 66 - 71 | 275 | -9 | $49,420.00 |
| 7T | Ryann O'Toole | 70 - 67 - 70 - 69 | 276 | -8 | $33,056.00 |
| 7T | Gerina Piller | 66 - 67 - 74 - 69 | 276 | -8 | $33,056.00 |
| 7T | Madelene Sagstrom | 70 - 68 - 68 - 70 | 276 | -8 | $33,056.00 |
| 10T | Suzann Pettersen | 69 - 70 - 71 - 67 | 277 | -7 | $24,017.00 |
| 10T | So Yeon Ryu | 70 - 67 - 72 - 68 | 277 | -7 | $24,017.00 |
| 10T | Shanshan Feng | 69 - 67 - 70 - 71 | 277 | -7 | $24,017.00 |
| 10T | Lydia Ko | 67 - 67 - 70 - 73 | 277 | -7 | $24,017.00 |
| 14T | Thidapa Suwannapura | 71 - 69 - 70 - 69 | 279 | -5 | $18,647.00 |
| 14T | Moriya Jutanugarn | 68 - 70 - 72 - 69 | 279 | -5 | $18,647.00 |
| 14T | Anna Nordqvist | 70 - 71 - 68 - 70 | 279 | -5 | $18,647.00 |
| 14T | Brooke M. Henderson | 70 - 70 - 69 - 70 | 279 | -5 | $18,647.00 |
| 18T | Mi Jung Hur | 71 - 69 - 71 - 69 | 280 | -4 | $15,182.00 |
| 18T | Ariya Jutanugarn | 72 - 67 - 70 - 71 | 280 | -4 | $15,182.00 |
| 18T | Brittany Lang | 70 - 69 - 70 - 71 | 280 | -4 | $15,182.00 |
| 18T | Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras | 73 - 65 - 71 - 71 | 280 | -4 | $15,182.00 |
| 18T | Karine Icher | 68 - 70 - 69 - 73 | 280 | -4 | $15,182.00 |
| 23T | Holly Clyburn | 72 - 69 - 73 - 67 | 281 | -3 | $11,910.00 |
| 23T | Brittany Altomare | 70 - 69 - 74 - 68 | 281 | -3 | $11,910.00 |
| 23T | Tiffany Joh | 71 - 71 - 69 - 70 | 281 | -3 | $11,910.00 |
| 23T | Marina Alex | 70 - 70 - 71 - 70 | 281 | -3 | $11,910.00 |
| 23T | Mirim Lee | 69 - 71 - 71 - 70 | 281 | -3 | $11,910.00 |
| 23T | Jacqui Concolino | 68 - 71 - 71 - 71 | 281 | -3 | $11,910.00 |
| 23T | Austin Ernst | 69 - 68 - 73 - 71 | 281 | -3 | $11,910.00 |
| 23T | Brittany Lincicome | 66 - 70 - 73 - 72 | 281 | -3 | $11,910.00 |
| 31T | Alena Sharp | 71 - 70 - 71 - 70 | 282 | -2 | $9,172.00 |
| 31T | Vicky Hurst | 68 - 67 - 75 - 72 | 282 | -2 | $9,172.00 |
| 31T | Jessica Korda | 69 - 70 - 70 - 73 | 282 | -2 | $9,172.00 |
| 31T | Nelly Korda | 69 - 70 - 70 - 73 | 282 | -2 | $9,172.00 |
| 31T | Amy Yang | 70 - 68 - 71 - 73 | 282 | -2 | $9,172.00 |
| 36T | Mo Martin | 72 - 69 - 72 - 70 | 283 | -1 | $7,173.00 |
| 36T | Sadena Parks | 69 - 70 - 74 - 70 | 283 | -1 | $7,173.00 |
| 36T | Kim Kaufman | 70 - 70 - 72 - 71 | 283 | -1 | $7,173.00 |
| 36T | Sun Young Yoo | 71 - 68 - 73 - 71 | 283 | -1 | $7,173.00 |
| 36T | Kris Tamulis | 72 - 68 - 70 - 73 | 283 | -1 | $7,173.00 |
| 36T | Bronte Law | 71 - 68 - 71 - 73 | 283 | -1 | $7,173.00 |
| 36T | Su Oh | 68 - 70 - 69 - 76 | 283 | -1 | $7,173.00 |
| 43T | Pavarisa Yoktuan | 69 - 72 - 72 - 71 | 284 | E | $5,412.00 |
| 43T | Cydney Clanton | 73 - 69 - 70 - 72 | 284 | E | $5,412.00 |
| 43T | Lindy Duncan | 69 - 71 - 71 - 73 | 284 | E | $5,412.00 |
| 43T | Wei-Ling Hsu | 69 - 70 - 71 - 74 | 284 | E | $5,412.00 |
| 43T | Candie Kung | 68 - 66 - 76 - 74 | 284 | E | $5,412.00 |
| 43T | Perrine Delacour | 71 - 71 - 67 - 75 | 284 | E | $5,412.00 |
| 43T | Sung Hyun Park | 70 - 69 - 70 - 75 | 284 | E | $5,412.00 |
| 50T | Jane Park | 72 - 69 - 74 - 70 | 285 | 1 | $4,349.00 |
| 50T | Na Yeon Choi | 70 - 71 - 73 - 71 | 285 | 1 | $4,349.00 |
| 50T | Jackie Stoelting | 70 - 69 - 73 - 73 | 285 | 1 | $4,349.00 |
| 50T | Amelia Lewis | 68 - 69 - 74 - 74 | 285 | 1 | $4,349.00 |
| 50T | Pernilla Lindberg | 69 - 70 - 70 - 76 | 285 | 1 | $4,349.00 |
| 55T | Laura Gonzalez Escallon | 70 - 70 - 73 - 73 | 286 | 2 | $3,822.00 |
| 55T | Haru Nomura | 74 - 68 - 70 - 74 | 286 | 2 | $3,822.00 |
| 55T | Karrie Webb | 71 - 70 - 70 - 75 | 286 | 2 | $3,822.00 |
| 58T | Angel Yin | 66 - 72 - 76 - 73 | 287 | 3 | $3,492.00 |
| 58T | Jenny Shin | 69 - 71 - 71 - 76 | 287 | 3 | $3,492.00 |
| 60T | Dana Finkelstein | 72 - 69 - 76 - 71 | 288 | 4 | $3,130.00 |
| 60T | Nontaya Srisawang | 72 - 69 - 75 - 72 | 288 | 4 | $3,130.00 |
| 60T | Nicole Broch Larsen | 71 - 70 - 73 - 74 | 288 | 4 | $3,130.00 |
| 60T | Mariah Stackhouse | 72 - 68 - 73 - 75 | 288 | 4 | $3,130.00 |
| 60T | Cristie Kerr | 72 - 70 - 68 - 78 | 288 | 4 | $3,130.00 |
| 60T | Sarah Jane Smith | 67 - 74 - 69 - 78 | 288 | 4 | $3,130.00 |
| 66 | Katie Burnett | 71 - 70 - 72 - 76 | 289 | 5 | $2,899.00 |
| 67T | Giulia Molinaro | 67 - 73 - 76 - 74 | 290 | 6 | $2,735.00 |
| 67T | Katherine Perry | 70 - 72 - 73 - 75 | 290 | 6 | $2,735.00 |
| 67T | Lee-Anne Pace | 70 - 72 - 71 - 77 | 290 | 6 | $2,735.00 |
| 67T | Ally McDonald | 69 - 70 - 74 - 77 | 290 | 6 | $2,735.00 |
| 71 | Joanna Klatten | 76 - 66 - 78 - 73 | 293 | 9 | $2,603.00 |
| 72 | Emily Tubert | 71 - 71 - 76 - 79 | 297 | 13 | $2,569.00 |
| CUT | Jennifer Song | 74 - 69 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Peiyun Chien | 73 - 70 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Celine Herbin | 73 - 70 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Mi Hyang Lee | 73 - 70 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Lee Lopez | 73 - 70 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Eun-Hee Ji | 72 - 71 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Azahara Munoz | 72 - 71 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Caroline Hedwall | 71 - 72 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Mariajo Uribe | 71 - 72 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Mina Harigae | 70 - 73 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Christina Kim | 70 - 73 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Gaby Lopez | 69 - 74 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Ayako Uehara | 69 - 74 | 143 | 1 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Min Seo Kwak | 75 - 69 | 144 | 2 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Ilhee Lee | 75 - 69 | 144 | 2 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Laura Jansone | 73 - 71 | 144 | 2 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Mel Reid | 73 - 71 | 144 | 2 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Sakura Yokomine | 72 - 72 | 144 | 2 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Beatriz Recari | 78 - 67 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Wichanee Meechai | 75 - 70 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Kelly Tan | 75 - 70 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Jaye Marie Green | 74 - 71 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Sarah Kemp | 74 - 71 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Laetitia Beck | 73 - 72 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Hee Young Park | 73 - 72 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Madeleine Sheils | 73 - 72 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Alison Lee | 72 - 73 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Demi Runas | 72 - 73 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Megan Khang | 71 - 74 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Min Lee | 71 - 74 | 145 | 3 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Karen Chung | 75 - 71 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Paula Reto | 75 - 71 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Cheyenne Woods | 75 - 71 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Chella Choi | 74 - 72 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Nasa Hataoka | 74 - 72 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Beth Allen | 73 - 73 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Olafia Kristinsdottir | 73 - 73 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Jeong Eun Lee | 73 - 73 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Caroline Masson | 72 - 74 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Jing Yan | 72 - 74 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Dori Carter | 71 - 75 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | P.K. Kongkraphan | 71 - 75 | 146 | 4 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Annie Park | 76 - 71 | 147 | 5 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Regan De Guzman | 75 - 72 | 147 | 5 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Stephanie Meadow | 75 - 72 | 147 | 5 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Becky Morgan | 74 - 73 | 147 | 5 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Kaylin Yost | 74 - 73 | 147 | 5 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Sandra Gal | 73 - 74 | 147 | 5 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Simin Feng | 72 - 75 | 147 | 5 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Belen Mozo | 72 - 75 | 147 | 5 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Maria Parra | 72 - 75 | 147 | 5 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Lizette Salas | 72 - 75 | 147 | 5 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Aditi Ashok | 70 - 77 | 147 | 5 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Brianna Do | 76 - 72 | 148 | 6 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Ashleigh Buhai | 75 - 73 | 148 | 6 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Dani Holmqvist | 73 - 75 | 148 | 6 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong | 71 - 77 | 148 | 6 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Julie Yang | 78 - 71 | 149 | 7 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Morgan Pressel | 77 - 72 | 149 | 7 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Marissa Steen | 77 - 72 | 149 | 7 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Amy Anderson | 75 - 74 | 149 | 7 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Maude-Aimee Leblanc | 74 - 75 | 149 | 7 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Brooke Pancake | 74 - 75 | 149 | 7 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Sandra Changkija | 73 - 76 | 149 | 7 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Katherine Kirk | 71 - 78 | 149 | 7 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Ssu-Chia Cheng | 78 - 72 | 150 | 8 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Therese O'Hara | 75 - 75 | 150 | 8 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Jennifer Ha | 74 - 76 | 150 | 8 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Yani Tseng | 77 - 74 | 151 | 9 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Lauren Coughlin | 74 - 77 | 151 | 9 | $0.00 |
| CUT | Kelly Shon | 78 - 78 | 156 | 14 | $0.00 |
| DQC | Minjee Lee | 68 - 69 - 67 | 204 | -9 | $0.00 |
Preview
Ko Not Feeling The Pressure
World No. 1 Lydia Ko returns to the course this week after posting a T9 finish at the Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Match Play presented by Aeromexico and Delta two weeks ago. In three starts at the Kingsmill Championship Presented by JTBC, Ko has never finished outside the top 20, with her best finish coming as a rookie in 2014 when she was fifth. The stakes are high this week as only .23 points separate Ko from No. 2 So Yeon Ryu in the Rolex Rankings and .02 points separates Ryu from No. 3 Ariya Jutanugarn.
“I don’t really look at the rankings myself,” Ko said. “I don’t go in my spare time and look, Hey, what position am I in? I kind of know these things through media and when people tell me, Hey it’s getting close. It could change this week.”
Knowing the potential for change this week, Ko’s not worried about the rankings. “I know that the girls are playing amazing golf and there is an incredible amount of talent on this tour in the women’s game in general,” she said.
“I know I need to work hard,” Ko continued, “and I need to put that performance to try and maintain it. I just got to focus on the round, the shot in front of me, and not get too carried away about the results and the rankings. Just got to focus on me.”
Change On The Horizon
With World No. 1 Lydia Ko, No. 2 So Yeon Ryu and No. 3 Ariya Jutanugarn all teeing it up on the River Course, all eyes will be on the top three players as they battle for the No. 1 spot.
There are several possible scenarios for each player to be ranked No. 1 following the Kingsmill Championship:
• If Lydia Ko wins, she will remain No. 1
• If either So Yeon Ryu or Ariya Jutanugarn win, they will become No. 1
• If Ko, Ryu and Ariya finish T2, Ko will remain No. 1
• If Ko and Ariya finish T2 AND Ryu finishes 3rd or worse, Ko will remain No. 1
So Yeon Ryu could take over No. 1 if any of the following scenarios (12th or better finish) occur:
• Ryu is T2 with Ariya AND Ko finishes 3rd or worse
• Ryu is 2nd alone AND Ko and Ariya finishes T3 or worse
• Ryu is 3rd alone AND Ko and Ariya finishes T4 or worse
• Ryu is 4th alone AND Ko finishes 6th or worse AND Ariya finishes 5th or worse
• Ryu is 5th alone AND Ko finishes 11th or worse AND Ariya finishes 6th or worse
• Ryu is 6th alone AND Ko is not in top 14 AND Ariya is not in top 6
• Ryu is 7th alone AND Ko is not in top 18 AND Ariya is not in top 7
• Ryu is 8th alone AND Ko is not in top 24 AND Ariya is not in top 8
• Ryu is 9th alone AND Ko is not in top 30 AND Ariya is not in top 9
• Ryu is 10th alone AND Ko is not in top 40 AND Ariya is not in top 10
• Ryu is 11th alone AND Ko is not in top 50 AND Ariya is not in top 11
• Ryu is 12th alone AND Ko is not in the top 61 AND Ariya is not in the top 12
Ariya Jutanugarn could take over No. 1 if any of the following scenarios (7th or better finish) occur:
• Ariya is 2nd alone AND Ko and Ryu finish T3 or worse
• Ariya is 3rd alone AND Ko is not in top 5 AND Ryu is not in top 3
• Ariya is 4th alone AND Ko is not in top 8 AND Ryu is not in top 4
• Ariya is 5th alone AND Ko is not in top 14 AND Ryu is not in top 5
• Ariya is 6th alone AND Ko is not in top 21 AND Ryu is not in top 7
• Ariya is 7th alone AND Ko is not in top 29 AND Ryu is not in top 8
Inspiring Invite
Teeing it up at the Kingsmill Resort alongside the 144-player field will be Maryland native and sponsor invite Kaylin Yost. In March, the hearing-impaired Yost and her story made waves when she Monday-qualified and subsequently played the weekend in her first LPGA tournament at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup.
“It was very important,” said Yost, the 2014 Big South player of the year for Campbell University in North Carolina. “Fact that I birdied my first LPGA hole is something I’ll always remember, and shooting a 67.”
After an opening-round 67 in Phoenix, Yost didn’t have the finish she hoped for posting rounds of 71-75-75 to finish 74th, but she still found a lot of positives to take from her first LPGA outing. “Probably the best thing that’s happened for my golf game by far, is just really believing in myself,” she said. “And knowing that I came out strong and that I made the lowest LPGA cut.”
This week in Williamsburg, her goals are no different than any other LPGA player: to make the cut and get her name on the trophy. “When I’m here this week,” Yost said, “I am just going to know that I belong out here.”
Kerr At Home At Kingsmill
Cristie Kerr is one of only five LPGA players here this week to have played at the Kingsmill Championship every year since its inception in 2003 (the event was not held in 2010 or 2011), along with Christina Kim, Candie Kung, Becky Morgan and Angela Stanford.
Kerr has finished in the top seven in her last five starts this season. Couple that with a win at the LOTTE Championship and her 2017 season is off to a hot start. “Got to keep plugging away and get myself in position every week to win a golf tournament,” Kerr said.
Kerr is the only multiple winner of the Kingsmill Championship, with her three wins (2005, 2009, 2013) each coming in four-year increments. A win this week would keep the trend alive.
“All I can really control is try to get myself in the hunt every week,” she said, “and then come the back nine on Sunday hopefully some really good things will happen.”
It's A Bird, It's A Plan
Lexi Thompson today plunged (quite literally) into a new charitable partnership with the SEAL Legacy Foundation called the “Lexi Legacy Challenge”, completing her very first parachute jump by landing on the first tee for her pro-am round on the eve of the Kingsmill Championship.
Thompson made her sky diving debut in tandem with US Navy SEAL Larry Barbieri, then unbuckled from her flight suit before setting off with her pro-am partners at the Kingsmill Resort’s River Course.
Quotable
“It’s been a huge honor to be in this position. It’s always been a dream of mine to be the No. 1 ranked player. For it to have happened so early and for it to have happened, it’s something I’m very fortunate about.”
- Lydia Ko on holding the No. 1 ranking for 82 consecutive weeks
“The whole tour, the amount of talent is huge. I think you can see that through obviously all our winners this year, and when you see at the end the year the first time winners, eight, nine new winners, you go, Wow. It’s not just about three players. Not just about the big three. It’s about the whole tour.”
- Ko on the 10 different winners on Tour so far this season
“I know I’m good enough to be out here, I know that I can compete among some of the top players. I learned a lot about myself as far as confidence, and like I said, that I’m good enough to be out here.”
- Sponsor invite Kaylin Yost on what she learned in her first LPGA tournament (Bank of Hope Founders Cup)
Quick Hits
• The Kingsmill Championship marks the 11th event of the 2017 season, with 10 different winners so far this is the longest the Tour has gone without having a repeat champion since 1991. That year the LPGA did not have a repeat winner until the 16th event.
• Karrie Webb, who is playing in her 11th Kingsmill Championship, and Annika Sorenstam both won their titles by a tournament-record seven strokes (in 2006 and 2008, respectively)
• Suzann Pettersen has made the cut all 10 times she has competed at Kingsmill
• So Yeon Ryu has played in four Kingsmill Championships and has yet to finish outside the top 10 (eighth in 2013, fifth in 2014, second in 2015 and tied for 10th in 2016)
• Through 10 events, Ryu leads the Tour with 22 rounds in the 60s. She has shot in the 60s at Kingsmill in 11 of her 18 career rounds, including all four rounds in 2015
