June 20-23
Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota
$3,850,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4
22-year-old Hannah Green, a second-year Tour member from Australia, has taken the lead in the opening round of the year's third LPGA major with a four-under-par 68.
“ I had a lot of luck today with putts going in and bounces going my way” — @hannahgreengolf after carding a 4-under 68 in the opening round @KPMGWomensPGA pic.twitter.com/XhmNfGAFHl
— LPGA (@LPGA) June 21, 2019
Her best finish in a major so far was T16 at last year's ANA Inspiration. She came in bogey-free on Thursday in spite of the weather.
“That was difficult,” she said. “I only brought one jacket and I was freezing cold. My caddy and I both really weren't prepared for the rain. Luckily there was a staff member from the course coming out with towels, otherwise I don't know if I would have been able to keep hold of the club.”
Hyo Joo Kim cruised at Hazeltine
Hyo Joo Kim birdied three of Hazeltine's four par-5s to post a 3-under 69 and is a shot behind Hannah Green. Although she missed the cut in the U.S. Women's Open last month, Kim's play was largely in tune with her performance this year. Kim has fashioned three top-10 finishes this year in seven starts, with her best finish being a T-5 in the HSBC Women's World Championship in February.
Kim, who hit 12 of 14 fairways and scrambled well (5 of 6) in her opening round, has major championship pedigree, as she won the 2014 Evian Championship at the age of 19 in just her third LPGA event (she was a non-member at the time). Her best finish in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship came in 2015 at Sahalee, when she finished in a tie for 9th.
"Hopefully those putts can continue to roll, but I was very pleased with how that went today."@hannahgreengolf only needed 23 putts on her way to a 4-under 68 to take the solo lead the @KPMGWomensPGA. pic.twitter.com/NndCf8WIbq
— LPGA (@LPGA) June 21, 2019
Strong Reid on Hazeltine
Mel Reid carded a first-round 3-under 69, her best round in a major championship since the third round of the 2017 AIG Women's British Open (also a 69). A current position of T-2 is the best of her career following any round of a major. Her previous low post-round position in a major came following the first round of the 2017 Ricoh Women's British Open (T-4).
Reid's best major finish came in 2015 in the AIG Women's British Open (T-9), while her lowest finish in a KPMG Women's PGA Championship occurred last year at Kemper Lakes (T-60).
Defense is on for the defending Champ
2018 KPMG Women's PGA Champion Sung Hyun Park is off to a strong start, posting a 2-under 70 and is tied for fourth. Park is seeking to become the sixth player to repeat as champion in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
Ariya pulls driver… twice (!), then closes strong
Ariya Jutanugarn was plodding along Thursday, one-over par, with four holes to play. To that point, she'd only hit 5 of 11 fairways. She was grappling with Hazeltine's length to the point she twice called for her rarely used driver. The result was a bogey on the par-5 11th hole and a birdie on 15, also a par-5.
From there, Jutanugarn hit her final three fairways, got up and down out of the rough for par on the par-3 eighth hole (she began her round on No. 10) and added three birdies to her suddenly attractive scorecard. Jutanugarn's 2-under 70 Thursday was her best opening round in relation to par in what are now five career starts in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
Lydia's lovely lift lifter
Thursday's 71 was Lydia Ko's best first round since late April, when she carded an opening 70 in the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open. Ko is searching for her third career major championship victory this week at Hazeltine, her first since winning the 2016 ANA Inspiration. Her best finish during her major championship drought, which reached 15 starts at the recently completed U.S. Women's Open, came at the 2016 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, when she finished runner-up to Brooke Henderson following a one-hole playoff at Sahalee.
Ryu in the mix (again)
One year after finishing in a tie for second place in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, So Yeon Ryu is tied for 10th after 18 holes. Ryu posted a 1-under 71, highlighted by birdies at Nos. 6 and 15. She bogeyed the par-4 12th.
Ryu, along with Nasa Hataoka (T-94), lost to Sung Hyun Park in a three-way playoff at Kemper Lakes in 2018. She owns two major championship titles (2017 U.S. Women's Open and 2011 ANA Inspiration) and 18 top-10 finishes in majors. Ryu finished tied for runner-up in the most recent major, the 2019 U.S. Women's Open.
Two withdraw on Thursday
Both Haru Nomura and Mi Jung Hur had to withdraw from the 2019 KPMG Women's PGA Championship on Thursday due to back injuries. Both players completed nine holes before their withdrawals.
Championship test
Through 18 holes of play, only 16 players currently sit under par, marking the second fewest through the first round since 2015. Only Sahalee Country Club (nine) produced less under-par scores after one loop. Westchester Country Club (2015 – 60), Olympia Fields Country Club (2017 – 37) and Kemper Lakes Golf Club (2018 – 50) proved to provide more scoring opportunities early on.
Rain total
Rain played a factor most of the first round. Hazeltine National accumulated 0.4 inches of rain on Thursday.
Pos. |
Player | To Par |
R1 |
1 |
Hannah Green | -4 |
68 |
T2 |
Mel Reid | -3 |
69 |
T2 |
Hyo Joo Kim | -3 |
69 |
T4 |
Amy Yang | -2 |
70 |
T4 |
Sung Hyun Park | -2 |
70 |
T4 |
In-Kyung Kim | -2 |
70 |
T4 |
Xiyu Lin | -2 |
70 |
T4 |
Ariya Jutanugarn | -2 |
70 |
T4 |
Annie Park | -2 |
70 |
T10 |
Moriya Jutanugarn | -1 |
71 |
T10 |
Carlota Ciganda | -1 |
71 |
T10 |
Chella Choi | -1 |
71 |
T10 |
So Yeon Ryu | -1 |
71 |
T10 |
Lydia Ko | -1 |
71 |
T10 |
Mirim Lee | -1 |
71 |
T10 |
Angel Yin | -1 |
71 |
T17 |
Caroline Hedwall | E |
72 |
T17 |
Nelly Korda | E |
72 |
T17 |
Lauren Stephenson | E |
72 |
T17 |
Lizette Salas | E |
72 |
T17 |
Wichanee Meechai | E |
72 |
T17 |
Caroline Masson | E |
72 |
T17 |
Inbee Park | E |
72 |
T17 |
Lexi Thompson | E |
72 |
T17 |
Pernilla Lindberg | E |
72 |
T17 |
Pornanong Phatlum | E |
72 |
T17 |
Shanshan Feng | E |
72 |
T17 |
Jenny Shin | E |
72 |
T17 |
Haeji Kang | E |
72 |
T17 |
Yu Liu | E |
72 |
T17 |
Kendall Dye | E |
72 |
T32 |
Jimin Kang (CP) | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Celine Boutier | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Brittany Lang | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Azahara Munoz | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Ashleigh Buhai | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Tiffany Chan | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Wei-Ling Hsu | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Maria Fassi | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Jeongeun Lee6 | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Sei Young Kim | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Dana Finkelstein | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Nuria Iturrioz | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Tiffany Joh | 1 |
73 |
T32 |
Pavarisa Yoktuan | 1 |
73 |
T46 |
Cheyenne Knight | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
In Gee Chun | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Peiyun Chien | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Jennifer Song | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Angela Stanford | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Megan Khang | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Sandra Gal | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Kris Tamulis | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Pajaree Anannarukarn | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Jessica Korda | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Minjee Lee | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Mi Hyang Lee | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Eun-Hee Ji | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Nanna Koerstz Madsen | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Kristen Gillman | 2 |
74 |
T46 |
Su Oh | 2 |
74 |
T62 |
Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Marissa Steen | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Danielle Kang | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Karine Icher | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Mariajo Uribe | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Sarah Schmelzel | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Jaye Marie Green | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Stephanie Meadow | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Sakura Yokomine | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Daniela Darquea | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Lee-Anne Pace | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Luna Sobron | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Gemma Dryburgh | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Jeong Eun Lee | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Jasmine Suwannapura | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Austin Ernst | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Charley Hull | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Catriona Matthew | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Ally McDonald | 3 |
75 |
T62 |
Gaby Lopez | 3 |
75 |
T82 |
Dottie Ardina | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Na Yeon Choi | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Brittany Altomare | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Anne van Dam | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Cristie Kerr | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Anna Nordqvist | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Georgia Hall | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Hee Young Park | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Dani Holmqvist | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Karen Chung | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Elizabeth Szokol | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Katherine Perry | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Madelene Sagstrom | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Brooke M. Henderson | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Nasa Hataoka | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Linnea Strom | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Marina Alex | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Jodi Ewart Shadoff | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Ryann O'Toole | 4 |
76 |
T82 |
Mina Harigae | 4 |
76 |
T102 |
Lee Lopez | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Aditi Ashok | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Jin Young Ko | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Nicole Broch Larsen | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Stacy Lewis | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Alena Sharp | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Morgan Pressel | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Klara Spilkova | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Emma Talley | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Jane Park | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Laetitia Beck | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Amy Olson | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Laura Gonzalez Escallon | 5 |
77 |
T102 |
Clariss Guce | 5 |
77 |
T116 |
Charlotte Thomas | 6 |
78 |
T116 |
Mariah Stackhouse | 6 |
78 |
T116 |
Leona Maguire | 6 |
78 |
T116 |
Katherine Kirk | 6 |
78 |
T116 |
Paula Creamer | 6 |
78 |
T116 |
Sarah Burnham | 6 |
78 |
T122 |
Suzuka Yamaguchi | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
Jaclyn Lee | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
Lindsey Weaver | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
Karrie Webb | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
Kim Kaufman | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
Jing Yan | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
Bronte Law | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
Laura Davies | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
Sarah Kemp | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
Emily Kristine Pedersen | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
Anne-Catherine Tanguay | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
P.K. Kongkraphan | 7 |
79 |
T122 |
Giulia Molinaro | 7 |
79 |
T135 |
Jacqui Concolino | 8 |
80 |
T135 |
Lindy Duncan | 8 |
80 |
T135 |
Ayako Uehara | 8 |
80 |
T135 |
Louise Ridderstrom | 8 |
80 |
T135 |
Seul-Ki Park (CP) | 8 |
80 |
T135 |
Alison Lee | 8 |
80 |
T135 |
Brianna Do | 8 |
80 |
T142 |
Isi Gabsa | 9 |
81 |
T142 |
Joanna Coe (CP) | 9 |
81 |
T142 |
Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth (CP) | 9 |
81 |
T145 |
Nicole Jeray (CP) | 10 |
82 |
T145 |
Christina Kim | 10 |
82 |
T145 |
Ashley Grier (CP) | 10 |
82 |
T148 |
Maria Torres | 11 |
83 |
T148 |
Gerina Piller | 11 |
83 |
T150 |
Jennifer Kupcho | 12 |
84 |
T150 |
Michelle Wie | 12 |
84 |
152 |
Brittany Kelly (CP) | 13 |
85 |
153 |
Wendy Doolan (CP) | 14 |
86 |
154 |
Alison Curdt (CP) | 16 |
88 |
WD |
Haru Nomura | ||
WD |
Mi Jung Hur |