April 17-20
Ko Olina Golf Club, Kapolei, Hawaii
$2,000,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4
Nelly Korda has taken the lead rolling in the last of her nine birdies at the 18th in a bogey-free round of 63 Wednesday for a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Lotte Championship at Ko Olina Golf Club.
.@NellyKorda continued her strong play this season, firing a bogey-free 63 on her way to a solo lead after one round in Hawaii.
โ LPGA (@LPGA) April 18, 2019
HIGHLIGHTS ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/EW6VLlBS7S
"I got here Saturday and I swear I couldn't even walk because it was so windy," said Korda, who is making her Lotte debut. "But I like the place. Everyone is really friendly and it just feels good to be here."
Eun-Hee Ji birdied six of the final eight holes for an 8-under 64. Ji has played in all eight Lotte events, never shooting lower than 66 before Wednesday. She admitted she was uncomfortable in the wind and surprised at how peaceful it was in paradise.
"It's always windy out here," Ji said. "But today was no wind and this course, a lot of changes if no wind, so that makes it little easier today."
Defending champion Brooke Henderson and Hyejin Choi, playing on a sponsor exemption, are two shots back.
Ji turns 33 next month, making her the oldest LPGA winner this year. Korda, who turns 21 in July, was one of the youngest when she snagged her second win in February in Australia.
In her third LPGA season, she is now No. 10 in the Rolex Rankings and has five top 10s in six starts this year. She also leads the tour in birdies.
Hawaii's Michelle Wie โ the 2014 Lotte champion who is coming back from a wrist injury โ shot 77.
"Just coming back, some shots are going to hurt," Wie said. "Trying to figure my way around that and just trying to get back in the swing of playing again."
Nelly Korda asks herself 'What would Tiger do?'
You wouldn't think Nelly Korda would have a streak of laziness, especially after such a hot start to the 2019 season and her first-round 63 at Ko Olina. However, the 20-year-old Florida-native has spent five weeks on the road and feeling a tad unmotivated, found a spark this week after witnessing Tiger Woods' win at last week's Masters Tournament.
โI think I posted something on my [Instagram] story that I had like no motivation and I needed to go work out, and then I just thought of Tiger. โI wonder if he would be in this position?,' she asked herself. โProbably not. I'm going to go work out.โ
Korda will tee off on the 10th tee at 7:44 a.m. with Amy Olson and World No. 1 Jin Young Ko for Round 2.
LPGA players pay tribute to founder Marilynn Smith
LPGA players and caddies wore special pins on Wednesday at the LOTTE Championship in remembrance of Founder Marilynn Smith, throughout the first round of competition since she passed last Tuesday, April 9th.
"I'll always think of her as the extraordinary human being who cracked open my heart."
โ LPGA (@LPGA) April 17, 2019
We miss you Marilynn.#CelebratingMarilynn pic.twitter.com/hOL9zWq9Q9
"I mean, we wouldn't be here without her,โ said first-round leader Nelly Korda. โShe had such a huge role and why women's golf is where it is today. When we saw her she had such a smile on her face. I'm really going to miss that. Her hugs especially. She always had such a positive energy around her.โ
Jin Young Ko shared the same sentiments about the Founder, โShe has a great smile. I couldn't believe that she passed away so quickly, but I pray for her. All the players, the LPGA players, get lots of inspiration from her so we can play this tour. I have so much to thank her for.โ
Ariya Jutanugarn draws inspiration from Tiger's win at the Masters
Former World No. 1, Ariya Jutanugarn admits that she's been having a rocky start to the 2019 season. After a successful season of three LPGA Tour wins, including a major (U.S. Women's Open), sweeping all the LPGA's major awards, including the ANNIKA Major Award and the Rolex Player of the Year Award, the 23-year-old Thai drew much inspiration from Tiger Woods' win at the Masters.
โTo watch him come back and win the Masters after a lot of things happened in his life, it's just so inspiring to me in so many ways,โ said Jutanugarn. โEspecially right now, I'm struggling right now mentally and I saw him fighting, I told myself, โjust wake up, fight everyday and take action, try to do something to improve everyday.โ
Jutanugarn shot a 5-under-par 67 in Round 1 of the LOTTE Championship and is currently tied for seventh with nine other players.
Kim Kaufman makes first professional hole-in-one
? ACE ALERT! ?@KimKaufmanGolf aces the par-3 162 yard 4th hole with her 7-iron at the @LPGALOTTE!
โ LPGA (@LPGA) April 17, 2019
Tune into @GolfChannel at 7 pm ET for live coverage from Hawaii! pic.twitter.com/OJnMNS6Fy9
Kim Kaufman was 1-under through her first three holes on Wednesday before making her first professional ace of her LPGA Tour career in the first round of the 2019 LOTTE Championship.
โI made a shot and I actually said โgo,' which you don't usually say on a par-3,โ said Kaufman, hitting a 7-iron from 162 yards on the par-3 4th. โIt just fell right in the hole. It was just online the whole way. It was fun. It was great. It was my first one on the LPGA, so kind of cool.โ
With Kaufman's ace, CME Group will donate $20,000 towards St. Jude's Research Hospital. There have been eight hole-in-ones made prior to the week and a total of $160,000 has been donated thus far in 2019. This is enough to cover half of the treatment for a pediatric patient battling lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer.
CME Group Cares Challenge - Score 1 for St. Jude
The CME Group Cares Challenge is a season-long charitable giving program that turns aces into donations. CME Group will donate $20,000 for each hole-in-one made on the LPGA Tour in 2019, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $500,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Player Notes
Rolex Rankings No. 10 Nelly Korda (63)
Korda's first-round 63 is her lowest round of the 2019 LPGA Tour season, besting the 65 she shot in the third round of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America
She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens
Korda is in her third season on the LPGA Tour; she won the 2016 Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge and finished ninth on the Volvik Race for the Card Symetra Tour money list to earn LPGA Tour status in her first year as a professional
This is Korda's seventh event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; she won the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open earlier this season for her second victory on Tour
She is competing in her first LOTTE Championship
Rolex Rankings No. 20 Eun-Hee Ji (64)
Ji's first-round 64 is her second lowest round of the 2019 LPGA Tour season, one shot away from the 63 she shot in the first round at the Honda LPGA Thailand
She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens
Ji is in her 13th season on the LPGA Tour; she is a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour. Her most recent win was at the inaugural 2019 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America
This is Ji's seventh event of the 2019 LPGA Tour season; she has two additional top-10 finishes this year
She is competing in her eighth LOTTE Championship; her best finish is T11 in 2018
Rolex Rankings No. 30 Hyejin Choi (65)
Choi is making her season debut on the LPGA Tour; she is making her 14th career start on the LPGA this week
Choi's first-round 65 is her lowest round on the LPGA Tour, besting her 66 score which she shot in the third round of the 2018 Kia Classic
She hit eight of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens
Choi is in her third season on the KLPGA Tour; she is a four-time winner on the KLPGA
She is competing in her fourth LOTTE Championship; her best finish is T30 in 2017
Choi has two runner-up finishes on the LPGAโ2018 ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open and the 2017 U.S. Women's Open
Rolex Rankings No. 12 Brooke Henderson (65)
Henderson's first-round 65 ties her lowest round of the 2019 LPGA Tour season, which she shot in the first round at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America
She hit 9 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens
Henderson is in her fifth season on the LPGA Tour; she is a seven-time winner on the LPGA Tour; she is one-win shy of tying Sandra Post's record for most victories by a Canadian player in LPGA Tour history
This is Henderson's seventh event of the 2019 season; she has three top-10 finishes this season
She is the defending champion of the LOTTE Championship; this is her fourth start of the LOTTE Championship
Quick Hits
28 players in the top 20 represent 10 different countries (USA, Republic of Korea, Canada, Australia, Thailand, Japan, Thailand, Sweden, Denmark and Spain)
Kim Kaufman made a hole-in-one on Hole No. 4 with her 7-iron from 162 yards
Pos. |
Player | To Par |
R1 |
1 |
Nelly Korda | -9 |
63 |
2 |
Eun-Hee Ji | -8 |
64 |
T3 |
Hyejin Choi | -7 |
65 |
T3 |
Brooke M. Henderson | -7 |
65 |
T5 |
So Yeon Ryu | -6 |
66 |
T5 |
Hannah Green | -6 |
66 |
T7 |
P.K. Kongkraphan | -5 |
67 |
T7 |
Chella Choi | -5 |
67 |
T7 |
Haru Nomura | -5 |
67 |
T7 |
In Gee Chun | -5 |
67 |
T7 |
Ariya Jutanugarn | -5 |
67 |
T7 |
Lilia Vu | -5 |
67 |
T7 |
Moriya Jutanugarn | -5 |
67 |
T7 |
Danielle Kang | -5 |
67 |
T7 |
Minjee Lee | -5 |
67 |
T7 |
Suzuka Yamaguchi | -5 |
67 |
T17 |
Pajaree Anannarukarn | -4 |
68 |
T17 |
Karen Chung | -4 |
68 |
T17 |
Madelene Sagstrom | -4 |
68 |
T17 |
Nicole Broch Larsen | -4 |
68 |
T17 |
Brittany Altomare | -4 |
68 |
T17 |
Mi Jung Hur | -4 |
68 |
T17 |
Ryann O'Toole | -4 |
68 |
T17 |
Pornanong Phatlum | -4 |
68 |
T17 |
Sei Young Kim | -4 |
68 |
T17 |
Carlota Ciganda | -4 |
68 |
T17 |
Azahara Munoz | -4 |
68 |
T17 |
Pavarisa Yoktuan | -4 |
68 |
T29 |
Celine Boutier | -3 |
69 |
T29 |
Jing Yan | -3 |
69 |
T29 |
Jin Young Ko | -3 |
69 |
T29 |
Lee-Anne Pace | -3 |
69 |
T29 |
Ruixin Liu | -3 |
69 |
T29 |
Emma Talley | -3 |
69 |
T29 |
Alena Sharp | -3 |
69 |
T29 |
Elizabeth Szokol | -3 |
69 |
T29 |
Lindsey Weaver | -3 |
69 |
T38 |
Minami Katsu | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Laetitia Beck | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Jackie Stoelting | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Mariajo Uribe | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Maria Torres | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Kristen Gillman | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Katherine Kirk | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Klara Spilkova | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Aditi Ashok | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Ashleigh Buhai | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Peiyun Chien | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Giulia Molinaro | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Dottie Ardina | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Brittany Lang | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Kris Tamulis | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Na Yeon Choi | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Shanshan Feng | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Hyo Joo Kim | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Lindy Duncan | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Jennifer Song | -2 |
70 |
T38 |
Lauren Stephenson | -2 |
70 |
T59 |
Jeongmin Cho | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Robyn Choi | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Charley Hull | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Stacy Lewis | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Pernilla Lindberg | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Paula Creamer | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Amy Olson | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Lizette Salas | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Daniela Darquea | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Gemma Dryburgh | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Dori Carter | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Isi Gabsa | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Ji Hyun Kim | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Haeji Kang | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Alison Lee | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Inbee Park | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Tiffany Joh | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Kim Kaufman | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Nanna Koerstz Madsen | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Mel Reid | -1 |
71 |
T59 |
Linnea Strom | -1 |
71 |
T81 |
Lee Lopez | E |
72 |
T81 |
Mina Harigae | E |
72 |
T81 |
Gaby Lopez | E |
72 |
T81 |
Angel Yin | E |
72 |
T81 |
Mariah Stackhouse | E |
72 |
T81 |
Tiffany Chan | E |
72 |
T81 |
Jeong Eun Lee | E |
72 |
T81 |
Caroline Masson | E |
72 |
T81 |
Anne-Catherine Tanguay | E |
72 |
T81 |
Amelia Lewis | E |
72 |
T81 |
Cristie Kerr | E |
72 |
T81 |
Nasa Hataoka | E |
72 |
T81 |
Ally McDonald | E |
72 |
T81 |
Angela Stanford | E |
72 |
T81 |
Jaye Marie Green | E |
72 |
T81 |
Alana Uriell | E |
72 |
T97 |
Sandra Changkija | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Xiyu Lin | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Wichanee Meechai | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Mi Hyang Lee | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Marissa Steen | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Cheyenne Knight | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Gerina Piller | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Lauren Kim | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Paula Reto | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Youngin Chun | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Jaclyn Lee | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Wei-Ling Hsu | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Jenny Shin | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Jasmine Suwannapura | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Jenny Haglund | 1 |
73 |
T97 |
Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong | 1 |
73 |
T113 |
Lauren Coughlin | 2 |
74 |
T113 |
Stephanie Meadow | 2 |
74 |
T113 |
Beatriz Recari | 2 |
74 |
T113 |
Dana Finkelstein | 2 |
74 |
T113 |
Maddie McCrary | 2 |
74 |
T113 |
Becca Huffer | 2 |
74 |
T113 |
Brittany Marchand | 2 |
74 |
T113 |
Georgia Hall | 2 |
74 |
T113 |
Charlotte Thomas | 2 |
74 |
T113 |
Sakura Yokomine | 2 |
74 |
T113 |
Ayako Uehara | 2 |
74 |
T124 |
Celine Herbin | 3 |
75 |
T124 |
Jeongeun Lee6 | 3 |
75 |
T124 |
Kendall Dye | 3 |
75 |
T124 |
Sarah Schmelzel | 3 |
75 |
T124 |
Kristy McPherson | 3 |
75 |
T124 |
Kum-kang Park (a) | 3 |
75 |
T124 |
Sophia Popov | 3 |
75 |
T124 |
Louise Ridderstrom | 3 |
75 |
T124 |
Yu Liu | 3 |
75 |
T124 |
Laura Gonzalez Escallon | 3 |
75 |
T124 |
Brianna Do | 3 |
75 |
T135 |
Dani Holmqvist | 4 |
76 |
T135 |
Muni He | 4 |
76 |
T135 |
Christina Kim | 4 |
76 |
T138 |
Lori Beth Adams | 5 |
77 |
T138 |
Michelle Wie | 5 |
77 |
T138 |
Clariss Guce | 5 |
77 |
T138 |
Benyapa Niphatsophon | 5 |
77 |
T138 |
Joanna Klatten | 5 |
77 |
143 |
Sarah Burnham | 8 |
80 |
144 |
Yani Tseng | 9 |
81 |