LPGA Shoprite Classic at Galloway, New Jersey

par 71
66 Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), Laura Diaz (USA).
67 Marina Alex (USA), Amy Young (S Korea), Beatriz Recari (Spain), Sandra Gal (Germany), In Gee Chun  (S Korea), Su Oh (Australia), Lydias Ko (NZ), Pernilla Lindberg (Sweden).

SELECTED SCORES
68 Mel Reid (England), Holly Clyburn (England) (T12).
69 Leona Maguire (Ireland), Bronte Law (England) (T26)
71 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England), Georgia Hall (England), Becky Morgan (Wales) (T65)
73 Laura Davies (England), Gemma Dryburgh (Scotland) (T96)
84 Lisa Maguire (Ireland) (T143)

English trio (Shadoff, Law and Hall) in contention

at LPGA Volvik Championship

 

Jodi Ewart Shadoff is tied for third after a second-round 70

England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Bronte Law and Georgia Hall are all in contention at the halfway stage of the LPGA Volvik Championship in Michigan.

Ewart Shadoff continued her strong return to the tour after a month's absence with a back injury to fire a two-under 70 in her second round to move to seven under for the tournament, two shots behind leader Nasa Hataoka of Japan.
Shadoff said she played "really steady" and was just what she's looking for as she comes back from an injury she said she suffered just bending over.

"It was a bit unlucky, starting to get old," said the 30-year-old, who is tied with Mexico's Gaby Lopez (68) and American Lindy Duncan (70).

Law is a shot further back on six under after her second-round 68 and she sits in a six-player tie for sixth - a group that also includes Hall following her 70.

Nasa Hataoka leads at the halfway stage in Michigan

Japanese teenager Hataoka pressed her case for a first LPGA tour title with a four-under 68 to take a one-shot lead.
Hataoka, whose back-to-back top-10 finishes in her last two starts included a playoff-loss at the Kingsmill championship last week, built a 36-hole total of nine under for a one-shot lead over Australia's Minjee Lee.
"I made a couple of bogeys today, but I made a lot of birdies, so things kept moving," said the 19-year-old, adding that she "just tried to be aggressive".
Defending champion Feng Shanshan, whose win at Travis Pointe last year was the first of three in 2017, carded a three-under 69 that left her tied for 39th - eight shots off the lead.

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LPGA Texas Classic cut to two rounds      

Tournamet leader Sung Hyun Park in action at the VOA LPGA Texas Classic

Photo Credit: 2018 Getty Images

   

Written by Bret Lasky

The waiting game continued on Friday at Old American Golf Club as the Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic was delayed due to storms in the morning. Rain continued through the morning and into the early afternoon, forcing officials to suspend play until 3:30 p.m local time.

Officials determined that due to the cancellation on Thursday, the long delay on Friday and fog in the forecast on Saturday morning that the tournament would be reduced to 36 holes.
The goal is to still complete the 36 holes by Sunday night.
The first-round was suspended due to darkness at 8:15 p.m. on Friday night. Only four groups finished round one, which will resume on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Round two will start on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. If round two is not completed by dark on Sunday, the tournament will extend into Monday.
World No. 5 Sung Hyun Park, who started on hole 10, made five birdies on her outward nine and seven total in the 14 holes she completed.
It’s been a bit of a topsy-turvy season thus far for the co-Player of the Year in 2017. She has just one top 10 in seven starts and has two missed cuts. In a 36-hole shootout, Park is off to a great start.
Jenny Shin, who won in Texas in 2016, and Sei Young Kim are two shots back of Park. Both have yet to complete round one. There are four players at 3-under.
Celine Boutier, a 2017 Symetra Tour graduate, was out in the first group and is the clubhouse leader at 1-under.
“I needed a couple of holes to warm up so I didn’t start the best,” said Boutier, who started with two bogeys on her first three holes. “I was pretty steady all day after so a good round.”
Boutier arrived at the course early and had breakfast. After getting the notification that the round was delayed, she went back to her housing and slept for three hours.
“Once I came back, I just waited around because the emails were coming every half hour or hour,” said Boutier. “It was just a really long and tiring day.”
Katelyn Sepmoree of Tyler, Texas played with Boutier and finished at even-par.
“I was lucky because I had family in town so I was able to hang out with them,” said Sepmoree about passing the time during the delays. “I got here (Old American Golf Club) early today and then went back to the hotel to sleep. I just tried to stay patient.”
Sepmoree, who played college golf at the University of Texas and is making her second career LPGA start, gave credit to the staff for getting the course in shape to play.
“We all want to play golf and the staff did a really great job of getting us out there today and we were lucky to finish.”
The shot of Friday belonged to Emily Pedersen, who played 17 holes and is 2-under. She holed out for eagle on the tenth, her first of the tournament.
“I had about 160 to the pin, uphill and we had been waiting all day so I just wanted to get it back there,” explained Pedersen. “It was a great way to start because honestly I was a little bit exhausted and that got me going and motivated.”
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Lydia Ko is back in the winning frame on LPGA Tour

Lydia Ko never cried after winning.
That changed Sunday on the outskirts of San Francisco.
Her victory at the LPGA Tour's Mediheal Championship wasn’t the most historic of Ko’s already remarkable career, but it was easily the most emotional of her 15 LPGA titles.
She couldn’t stop the river of tears streaming down her face after she made eagle to defeat Minjee Lee on the first play-off hole with an epic 3-wood she described as the best shot of her life.
She cried when her older sister, Sura, fell into her arms on the 18^th green.
She cried when she turned and saw her mother, Tina.
She cried when she saw her swing coach, Ted Oh, wiping away his own tears, and when her caddie, Jonnie Scott, hugged her.
“I cried like four times in the span of two minutes, which is kind of embarrassing,” Ko said. “I’m like, ‘God, get a hold of yourself.’”
The tears were the story at Lake Merced Golf Club.
Ko's play-off victory followed a 71 in the final round that included three birdies in the final six holes (and one at the last for good measure). Ko, the 54-hole leader, had a chance to give the tournament away after playing the first 12 holes in 2 over, but she refused to take it.
Ko won $225,000 for a 12-under-par total of 276 (68 70 67 71).
The player she beat in the play-off was Minjee Lee (70 70 68 68) who earned $137,536.
Charley Hull finished joint third with scores of 69, 68, 73 and 70 for a total of 280. The English player earned $72,476.
Bronte Law blew her winning chance with a poor last round (by her stands). She scored 76, 70, 70 and 75 for three-over 291. She earned $6,185 for a T43 finish.
Catriona Matthew totalled 293 (74-72-74-73) in finishing T53 to collect $4,518.
Aberdeen's Gemma Dryburgh missed the cut with rounds of 75 and 75.

Ko has had a bumpy few years. The former child prodigy won 14 times before turning 20, but hasn't taken home a trophy on the LPGA since the summer of 2016. That's not a long period of time for most normal professional golfers, but Ko is anything but a normal professional golfer.
"It's a huge relief because people are like, 'hey, because of this you're not winning, because of that you're not winning,'" Ko told reporters. "I tried to stay away from all the media and everything that was being said about me and tried to just focus on what was going on in front. I knew that my game was there, but I just kind of need to put the pieces together and I felt like I was able to do that this week."

She was able to put herself in position with a tasty 68-70-67 start, which seemed to be more (and the most recent) proof that the magic she'd shown as a young teen was still inside of her. Still, self doubt comes easily in the professional ranks, and you don't know until you know.
"I was frustrated," Ko told Golf Channel of the last few years of struggles (she only had one other top 10 on the LPGA this year coming into this week). "Because sometimes I would go into a Thursday feeling, 'Hey, I feel like I can actually play really well,' and then miss the cut, or shoot over par. Self-pressure is the biggest thing, where you kind of put a lot of load on your shoulders."
That load was taken off with one fabulous swing on Sunday, Ko got win No. 15, and the LPGA got one of its biggest stars back in the spotlight.

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Moriya Jutanugarn scores first LPGA Tour win

LOS ANGELES – Ariya Jutanugarn could hardly watch. She stood off to the side of the 18th green at Wilshire Country Club with her mom and a handful of friends as older sister Moriya held off a charging Jin Young Ko for her first LPGA victory.
When it was over, Ariya embraced her mother in a heave of sobs. The former No. 1 hadn’t been this emotional for any of her own seven victories, not even the Ricoh Women’s British Open.
“It’s amazing,” Ariya said. “I mean, to me, I feel like not only did she reach her goal, but I feel like our family reached our goal.”
The Jutanugarns join Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam as the only set of sisters to win on the LPGA Tour. Moriya, 23, had been runner-up in three previous starts, most recently taking a share of second at the 2018 Honda LPGA Thailand.
“I think they are actually crying more than me,” said Moriya, laughing.

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SELECTED TOTALS
283 Charley Hull, Bronte Law (T19)
284 Jodi Ewart-Shadoff (T24)
286 Georgia Hall (T31)

MISSED THE CUT BY ONE STROKE
147 Gemma Dryburgh 72 75

Play-off between Lindberg and Park resumes on Monday at 8am local time in California        

Following four playoff holes, the 2018 ANA Inspiration - the first LPGA Tour major of the year, was suspended for darkness on Sunday night.
Play will resume at 8 a.m. local time on Monday, April 2, at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, with Inbee Park and Pernilla Lindberg playing holes 10, 17 and 18 on repeat in sudden death format until there is a Major champion.
LEADERBOARD
T1, -15 (273) – Pernilla Lindberg, Inbee Park, Jennifer Song
Playoff Hole 1: All players made par
Playoff Hole 2: All players made par
Playoff Hole 3: Lindberg, Park made birdie; Song eliminated with par
Playoff Hole 4: Lindberg, Park made par; playoff suspended until Monday morning at 8 a.m. Pacific time
To say this tournament had everything is to sell short the drama that unfolded. There were two sister acts in the mix and among those who made appearances on the final-round leaderboard were a few who’d never won a major – Jessica Korda, Charley Hull and Caroline Masson among them – and a slew who had never even won a regular LPGA event, including Lindberg, Song, Nelly Korda, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Ayako Uehara, Moriya Jutanugarn and Amy Olson.
Meanwhile, Park is trying for her 20th LPGA victory and eighth major championship. She was, once again remarkably in control, making putt after putt, including a difficult, downhill 25-footer on No. 17 as she birdied four of her last six holes. Through 72 holes, she used only 107 putts.
Inbee Park, Republic of Korea (-15), on her competitor Pernilla Lindberg:
“It’s always exciting to see someone playing really well in a major championship where they haven’t been in that position. I mean even she doesn’t have much experience, she’s in the last group in a playoff, but I think everybody is in the same situation in the playoff. Everybody’s nervous. Everybody wants a major win, so I think we are really playing under the same conditions.”
Pernilla Lindberg, Sweden (-15), on her play on Sunday:
“I didn’t look at the leaderboard all day. I just had a number in my head all day and that number was 16 (under par), so that was a good guess. Obviously, I didn’t get to 16, but I knew, actually, walking off the 18th, Daniel, my caddie, told me I had to make a birdie to get into the play-off, and I did it.”

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Lindberg leads after Park is rattled by being put on the clock

RANCHO MIRAGE, California. – Sung Hyun Park built a two-shot lead on the back nine Saturday at the ANA Inspiration, the first major on the LPGA Tour calendar.
But she walked off the course four shots behind the three-shot leader Pernilla Lindberg.
Park had a crazy day, made more challenging when she and Lindberg were put on the clock on the 12th hole. It seemed to rattle Park, who bogeyed the 12th and 13th holes to give up her two-shot lead as the paired speeded up to get back in position.
“I just tried to play my own game and stay focused on what I had to do,” Park said when asked about being put on the clock. “At the end of the day, I just had to focus on what I had to accomplish. It was a rough day out there today.”
Park, the reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion and co-LPGA Player of the  Year, started her round struggling to find fairways. She missed the first four fairways and bogeyed two of the first four holes, but she rallied with birdies at the ninth, 10th and 11th holes before the struggles coming home. She played the final seven holes in 5 over par and posted a 2-over 74.
“There were a bunch of fairways that I couldn't miss, so that was something that I am disappointed in, my shots today,” Park said.
Park hit just five of 14 fairways.
“I had a lot of great play, a lot of good aspects in my game today,” Park said. “So, I'm just going to focus on what I need to do for tomorrow.”
Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg isn’t alone looking like an outsider crashing the party on the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills.
The 31-year-old Swede will be trying to win for the first time in her 250th cumulative start on the LPGA, Ladies European and Symetra tours.
She will go off Sunday in the final pairing alongside Amy Olson.
Linderg is No. 95 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings.
Olson, formerly Amy Anderson, the U.S. Girls’ Junior champ in 2009, is ranked 218th in the world.
They’re both seeking to make their first LPGA titles a major championship.
While they are being pursued by a couple of major champions, the pack chasing them is made up mostly of players just like them, women looking to break through in a big way and claim their first LPGA title.
Lindberg closed out a 2-under-par 70 Saturday after carving her approach to 5 feet at the last and making birdie. At 14 under overall, she is looking to complete this dreamy week with a wire-to-wire victory.
Olson (68) is three shots behind her.
Six players are four shots back, the most formidable being seven-time major champion Inbee Park (67) and the reigning U.S. Women’s Open champ, Sung Hyun Park (74).
Everyone else at 10 under is winless on the LPGA.

LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
202 Pernilla Lindberg (Sweden) 65 67 70
205 Amy Olson (USA) 69 68 68
206 Moriya Jutanugarn (Thailand) 70 70 66, Inbee Park (S Korea) 70 69 67, Jennifer Song (USA) 69 69 68, Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 70 67 69, Charle Hull (England) 69 68 69, Sung Hyun Park (S Korea) 68 64 74

SELECTED SCORES
210 Bronte Law (England) 70 70 70 (T17)
215 Catriona Matthew (Scotland) 73 72 70 (T49)

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Link to Round 2 scores in LPGA major, Ana Inspiration

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HALFWAY LEADERS
Par 144 (2x72)
132 Sung Hyun Park (South Korea) 68 64, Pernilla Lindberg (Sweden) 65 67
135 Jessica Korda (USA) 67 68
137 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 70 67, Charley Hull (England) 69 68

SELECTED SCORES
140 Bronte Law (England) 70 70 (T15)
142 Michelle Wie (USA) 75 67 (T34)
145 Catriona Matthew (Scotland) 73 72, Flo Parker (England) 72 73 (T63)

+Players with 36-hole totals of 145 and better survived the cut.

English duo Charley Hull and Jodi Ewart Shadoff sit five shots off the pace at the halfway stage of the ANA Inspiration, the first women’s major of the season.

Latest leaderboard

ANA Inspiration

Hull birdied her final two holes to post a four-under 68 at Mission Hills Country Club and join Ewart Shadoff - last year's Women's British Open runner-up - on seven under 137 and tied-fourth.

South Korea's Sung Hyun Park fired a round-of-the-day 64 to set the clubhouse in California, with overnight leader Pernilla Lindberg signing for a blemish-free 67 to also get to 12 under 132.

Cristie Kerr cruises to five-stroke lead 

CARLSBAD, California – There are no limits for Cristie Kerr. 

That’s the mindset the veteran is playing with in her 22nd season on the LPGA Tour. And this week, there appears to be no stopping her. 

Kerr fired bogey-free rounds of 67-64 to take a five-stroke lead into the weekend at the Kia Classic. Her second round of 64 was one stroke shy of matching the tournament course record at Aviara Golf Club. She sits at 13-under par 131 through 36-holes, with In-Kyung Kim, Lizette Salas, Hee Young Park and Caroline Hedwall her closest competitors at 8-under par 136.

The cut line fell at even par 144, sending home notables Paula Creamer (+2), Sung Hyun Park (+2) and Juli Inkster (+3).

Inbee Park wins Founders Cup by five shots from Laura Davies

By RON SIRAK
PHOENIX, Arizona – Inbee Park sort of sneaks up on you. She doesn’t have the kind of swing that knocks your socks off. And if you looked at only her body language during a round you’d have no idea how she’s playing, she’s that placid. But she does three things really well: She keeps her golf ball out of trouble; she keeps her composure and she makes putts. 

That will win you a lot of golf tournaments. Inbee just quietly conquers courses. On Sunday, Park put down the hammer on the back nine by ripping off four birdies in a row beginning on No. 12 to win the Bank of Hope Founders Cup by five strokes over 54-year-old Laura Davies, Ariya Jutanugarn and Marina Alex at 19-under-par 269 with a closing 67. In Gee Chun and Megan Khang tied for fifth at 275. 

Think of what Park has accomplished: At the age of 29, she has 19 LPGA wins; seven majors championships – including four of the five majors – and an Olympic gold medal. 
And at age 27 she became the youngest to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame, which might be the most difficult HOF to make in all of sports with its points system. Oh, and she’s so big at home she was a torchbearer at the recent Winter Olympic Games in South Korea. 

How does she do it? With the kind of consistency that makes the sunrise seem like an erratic event. The one word to describe Inbee is balance. She is simply never out of balance on a golf course, either physically or emotionally. Park missed only six fairways all week; hit 60 of 72 greens and needed only 115 putts, just 55 on the weekend. Park seems to hit only two kinds of putts: Those that go in and those that almost go it.  On Sunday, when it mattered most she was at her best. 

“I didn't expect to win very early [in the season], I mean obviously, after a long break,” Park said. “In Singapore, I felt like my ball striking was quite good I and just needed to work on the putter a little bit. It has worked pretty good this week.”

That’s an understatement. On Saturday, she played the first five holes six under par as she backed up a 29 with a 34 for 63 that gave her the lead going into the final round.

One of her country mates, In Gee Chun, closed with a 66 to get in the clubhouse at 13 under par while Park and Davies still had the entire back nine to play. Park made the turn at 15 under and when Davies birdied No. 10 playing in the group ahead of Inbee she pulled within a single shot of the lead. But Park had too much for her down the stretch.

If there is such a thing as victory in defeat it’s what Davies accomplished at the Founders Cup. Dame Laura is a simply a force of nature. At, 54 she’s older than Park and Chun combined. Her last LPGA win was in 2001, but she was trying to become the oldest tour winner – by 8 years. 

Davies famously hates to practise. Still, she has 20 LPGA wins; four majors championships and 84 wins worldwide. I’ve also seen her play soccer and tennis and she is an extremely skilled athlete.
 And she is determined to get the two points she needs to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame, a feat she would have easily accomplished if she hadn’t almost single-handedly carried the LET by paying both tours full-time.

“It would have been huge,” Davies said about a victory in Phoenix. “I knew what the record was and that I hadn’t won in who knows how long. It was as nervous as I’ve ever felt,” she said about her feelings on No. 1. “I almost shanked my drive and made bogey but then I chipped in for eagle on No. 2 and that calmed me down. I was four over after six holes on Thursday so I’m quite pleased how I fought back.”

Park has been No. 1 in the world but came into the Founders Cup No. 19 in the Rolex Rankings. But that has more to do with a series of nagging injuries that had her skipping two majors in order to get ready for the 2016 Olympics. She seems to be back in the groove now and ready to make another run at the top spot. 

There have been rumours that she might want to take a break at some point to start a family and at the Founders Cup that appeared to be the only thing that could slow her down. 
You also had the feeling at Founders that she really enjoys dismantling a golf course and overwhelming the field. That sort of leads you to feel that if she ever does go on hiatus it will be after she climbs her way back to No. 1. This past weekend, she made that look like a very real objective.


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.

INBEE PARK.  Picture by courtesy of Mark Runnacles/Getty Images

PHOENIX (AP) — Inbee Park felt as if she was in 2013 on the front nine Saturday at the Founders Cup. Laura Davies brought back memories of her dominant desert run more than 20 years ago.
The Hall of Famers shot matching 9-under 63s in sunny and breezy conditions at Desert Ridge. Park reached 14 under to take a one-stroke lead over Mariajo Uribe into the final round. The 54-year-old Davies was tied for fourth at 11 under in the event honoring the 13 women who founded the LPGA Tour in 1950.
Park played the first five holes in 6 under , holing out from 90 yards for eagle on the par-4 third. She birdied the par-4 ninth for a front-nine 31, made another birdie on the par-5 11th and capped the bogey-free round with an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th.
“The front nine, everything felt great,” Park said. “Still, the back nine, I felt like I was hitting the ball pretty solid, but just the putts didn’t seem to drop like front nine. If it dropped like front nine, it would’ve been 59.”
In 2013, she won the first three majors and finished with six victories. The 29-year-old South Korean star took a break from the tour in August after the Women’s British Open, only returning two weeks ago for her title defence in Singapore.
“I think I just love the breaks,” Park said. “Just really refreshes me. Obviously, I get nervous because I haven’t played tournament golf for a while. … I’m not burned out. I’m happy to play golf again.”
The 18-time tour winner has seven major titles and won the gold medal at the Rio Olympics.
Davies had her best round on tour since 2005 . She’s trying to win for the fifth time in Phoenix after taking the Standard Register PING at Moon Valley four straight years from 1994-97.
“I’ll certainly have a crack at it,” Davies said. “At least I’ve given myself a chance now.”
She birdied five of the final six holes on the front nine, made a 6-foot eagle putt on 11 and birdied 15 and 17 in the bogey-free round.
“Just solid golf,” Davies said. “Hit it close enough and hole some really good putts. On greens as beautiful as this, you have to be making your putts, and that’s what happened today.”
Davies is fighting Achilles tendon and calf problems in her left leg.
“I can swing as hard as I want with no feeling at all, but every step is just misery,” Davies said.
She won’t let the injury keep her out of the final round.
“I’ll crawl around if I have to,” Davies said.
Uribe birdied the 18th for a 67. Winless on the LPGA Tour, the 28-year-old Colombian won the 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur.
“I’m just thinking of putting good rolls on my putts,” Uribe said. “That’s all that matters on this golf course.”
Ariya Jutanugarn was two strokes back at 12 under after her third 68.
Chella Choi had a 66 to join Davies at 11 under.
Tiffany Joh aced the fourth hole in a 64 that left her 10 under with Brittany Lincicome (68) and Marina Alex (70). Joh used a 5-iron on the 166-yard hole, a day after shanking a 7-iron and scrambling for par.
“This is like the worst holiday to be making a hole-in-one on,” Joh said about St. Patrick’s Day. “You’ll go broke buying everyone green beers.”
Jessica Korda had a 71 to get to 8 under. She won three weeks ago in Thailand in her return from surgery to correct a severe overbite. Second-round leader Cydney Clanton had five bogeys in a 74 that left her tied for 23rd at 7 under. Singapore winner Michelle Wie also was 7 under after a 71.

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 BRITISH SCORES
par 216 (3x72)
205 Laura Davies (England) 73 69 63
207 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 70 71 66
210 Catriona Matthew (Scotland) 71 71 68 (T31)
211 Bronte Law (England) 71 69  71, Charley Hull (England) 71 72 68 (T36)

Cydney Clanton. Picture by courtesy of Sam Greenwood/Getty Image

Cydney Clanton takes 36-hole lead at LPGA's Founders Cup

PHOENIX (AP) — Cydney Clanton took the lead into the weekend at the Founders Cup. She knows what she has to do to have a chance for her first LPGA victory.

“You just have to go in attack mode, because everybody else is going to go in attack mode,” Clanton said.

She was aggressive on the back nine Friday at Desert Ridge, taking dead aim at the back left pin on the par-4 13th and holing out for eagle from 72 yards. The ball flew into the cup on the first bounce.

“It’s pretty special to hole out,” Clanton said. “Any time you don’t have to putt it’s nice.”

Clanton shot a 5-under 67, playing the back nine in 5-under 31 to reach 9-under 135. She also birdied the par-5 11th and 15th and the par-4 18th. Winless on the LPGA Tour, the 28-year-old former Auburn player’s lone bogey came on the par-4 third after a penalty stoke because her ball moved.

“It was unfortunate,” Clanton said. “In my head I didn’t actually make a bogey today.”

Ariya Jutanugarn, Marina Alex, Karine Icher and Mariajo Uribe were a stroke back on a calmer and warmer day after wind and cold made scoring more difficult Thursday. Alex had a 66 to match the best score of the day.

“If the conditions are favorable tomorrow, scores will be low, so just attack and take advantage of everything you can,” Alex said. “If that’s not the case, just adjust the game plan and play what’s in front of me.”

Jutanugarn and Uribe shot 68, and Icher had a 69. Jessica Korda and Mo Martin were 7 under, and Michelle Wie topped the group at 6 under.

Korda had a 68. She won three weeks ago in Thailand in her return from surgery to correct a severe overbite, and is fighting a head cold. She’s still too sore to eat many foods. “I’ve been crushing mac and cheese like it’s my job,” Korda said.

Martin shot 66.

“My game is in a special place,” Martin said. “Just nice to see it come together.”

Wie had a 68, finishing with an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-4 ninth.

“I made a couple stupid errors out there today, but made up for it with some good putts,” Wie said.

She won two weeks ago in Singapore for her first victory since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.

“Having a lot of fun playing,” Wie said. “Just trying to build confidence every round, every shot. Just trying to keep it consistent and just try to do the best I can every round out there.”

Playing partner Brittany Lincicome shot a 66 to match Wie at 6 under. Lincicome won the season-opening event in the Bahamas.

“I drove it well, which is obviously key on this golf course,” Lincicome said. “You can attack, but you have to be in the fairway.”

Tour rookie Caroline Inglis was 5 under after a 68 in the event honoring the 13 women who founded the LPGA Tour in 1950. She received the Marilyn Smith Scholarship as a freshman at Oregon and got to meet Smith, the 88-year-old founder.

“I just gave her a big hug and said, ‘Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for not only me but women’s golf,'” Inglis said. “She’s been such a pioneer for the women’s game. That was pretty special to meet her. She’s just a sweetheart.”

Defending champion Anna Nordqvist was 2 under after a 73.

DIVOTS: Paula Creamer shot 75-73 to miss the cut in her first event since surgery on her left wrist in October. She confirmed Wednesday that she has split with husband Derek Heat after three years. 

Hall of Famer Colin Montgomerie walked outside the ropes watching Creamer. He’s in the area working with Kevin Craggs — also Creamer’s instructor — at Troon North. … Lydia Ko, 2016 winner Sei Young Kim and Brooke Henderson also failed to advance to the weekend

LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
135 C Clanton (USA) 68 67
136 M Alex (USA) 70 66, A Jutanugran (Thailand) 68 68m M Uribe 68 68, K Icher (France) 67 69

SELECTED SCORES
140 B Law (England) 71 69 (T19)
141 J Ewart Shadoff (England) 70 71 (T28)
142 L Davies (England) 73 69, C Matthew (Scotland) 71 71 (T39)
143 C Hull (England) 71 72 (T58)

MISSED THE CUT (143 and better qualified)
148 G Dryburgh (Scotland) 76 72, B Morgan (Wales) 73 75.
150 H Clyburn (England) 76 74, M Reid (England) 71 79.

Confident Wie grinds out 70 on Day 1 

By Randall Mell
GOLF CHANNEL
PHOENIX – Michelle Wie scrambled her way into early contention Thursday at the LPGA Tour's Bank of Hope Founders Cup in a bid to win back-to-back titles.
Cold, blustery winds couldn’t cool her hot putter.
With a 2-under-par 70, she is three shots off the lead at Marriott Wildfire Golf Club.
“On days like this, I just feel really proud of myself, for staying in there,” Wie said.
Wie drove it in the woods at the second hole, but she set the day’s tone carving her way back into play and then getting and down for par, holing a 15-foot putt.
“I just scrambled really well,” she said. “Proud of myself for grinding in there and putting myself in a good position.
Wie won the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore in the LPGA’s last event two weeks ago. It was her fifth tour title. She won holing a 36-foot putt on the final hole to break out of a four-way tie for the lead.
For so long, her putting was the weakest part of her game, but it’s becoming a strength. She entered this week eighth on tour in putts per greens in regulation.
“I definitely feel more confidence, every putt I hit, every shot I hit,” Wie said. “I just want to build more confidence on that.”

MONTY SPECTATES AT LPGA TOUR EVENT
The last time World Golf Hall of Famer Colin Montgomerie walked outside the ropes at a professional golf tournament was when he was 10 years old.
It was the 1973 Open at Royal Troon won by Tom Weiskopf.
Monty was back outside the ropes on Thursday at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup following Paula Creamer.
He is in town working with Creamer’s new coach – fellow Scot Kevin Craggs - at Troon North and it was his off day. 
“Kevin said come down and watch the ladies golf,” said Montgomerie when LPGA.com caught up with him beside the second tee box. “I wanted to see what it is like compared what we do on the Champions Tour and the way the girls play.”
Even after just a few holes, he left awfully impressed.   
“I’m very impressed with all the fans here,” said the 31-time winner on the European Tour. “The whole set up is great. I walked past the player area, the media centre, the range facility. I think it’s fantastic. I’m really, really impressed.”
He was also impressed with the quality of golf.
“According to Kevin, they (LPGA players) hit the ball more on the middle of the club face than any of the men’s tours do,” said Montgomerie. “It’s a much more consistent shot into the greens, they don’t make mistakes. It’s interesting to see.”


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THREE SCOTS BEAT ROUND 3 CUT 

AT LPGA Q SCHOOL STAGE 1

Three Scots - Michele Thomson, Vikki Laing and Rachael Taylor - survived the third-round cut to the leading 125 players and ties at the LPGA Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 at Mission Hills Country Club, California.

Thomson (Meldrum House) from Ellon is in T22 position with rounds of 69, 70 and 72 for five-under 211.

Laing has had scores of 74, 72 and 72 for 218 and a share of 81st place.

Taylor made it on the limit mark of 220 with rounds of 71, 75 and 74.

The leading 90 and ties after the fourth round will advance to stage 2 at Venice, Florida from October 18 to 22.

South Africa's Stacy Bregman and Swedish amateur Linnea Strom are co-leaders on five-under 211.

Scots who missed the cut were Heather Macrae on 225 (72-73-80) and amateur Jess Meek on 232 (80-76-76.

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FOUR SCOTS IN  LPGA Q TOURNAMENT

 

FIELD IN CALIFORNIA

Four Scots - Michele Thomson, Jess Meek, Heather MacRae and Iona Stephen - are in a record field of 362 players competing in the LPGA and Symetra Tour qualifying Stage 1 tournament this week at Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, California. The field will be cut to the leading 126 and ties after 54 holes.

The Symetra Tour will soon become the only route towards gaining LPGA status, hence the record field this week before the gate closes for good.

Link to Brittany Lincicome play-off win on LPGA Tour

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/lpga-brittany-lincicome-beats-lexi-thompson-in-a-playoff-after-stacy-lewis-late-stumble

Stephanie Meadow just outside top 10 in Bahamas LPGA

Third-round leaderboard in the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic at Paradise Island, Bahamas

 

par 219 (3x73)

196 Stacy Lewis (USA) 66 67 63, Lexi Thompson (USA) 69 61 66

197 Gerina Piller (USA) 67 65 65

198 Brittany Lincicome (USA) 64 65 69

SELECTED SCORES

206 Stephanie Meadow (NIr) 72 67 67 (T13)

210 Mel Reid (Eng) 70 69 71

MISSED THE CUT (144 and better qualified)

145 Charley Hull (Eng) 76 69.

147 Michelle Wie (USA) 73 74

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http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

Link to LPGA Tour report

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EDINBURGH-BASED AMERICAN WINS 

LPGA TOUR PLAYER'S CARD

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Edinburgh-based American Beth Allen and England's Mel Reid finished tied 6th and seventh respectively at the LPGA Final Qualifying School and their top-20 positions earned them promotion to the lucrative American lady pro circuit in 2017.

Allen, pictured, had rounds of 71, 72, 68, 68 and 72 for a total of nine-under-par 351 for the golfing marathon over five days.

She said before the final round that she would not be deserting the Ladies European Tour where she has become a leading player.

She wanted LPGA Tour playing rights so that she would have somewhere to play competitively when there was no LET tournament.

Reid scored 69, 64, 75, 72 and 72 for 352.

World No. 2 amateur and GB and I's Curtis Cup star, Bronte Law from Cheshire, finished in a tie for 24th, just two shots off top flight qualification.

Bronte had rounds of 75, 68, 73, 70 and 72 for a total of 358.

Other British players who made the final day but finished outwith the all-important top 20 were former Curtis Cup player Stephanie Meadow (T27) from Northern Ireland, and England's Hannah Burke (T44) and Felicity Johnson (T55).

All three Scots in the starting field, Gemma Dryburgh, Sally Watson and Kylie Walker, missed the cut after four rounds.

Meadow was already guaranteed Category 17 (conditional) LPGA Tour status for the 2017 season before beginning the Final Q School but she needed to finish in the 20 to secure Category 12 (full) status. She missed the top 20 by three shots with rounds of 73, 70, 73, 73 and 70 for 359.

Burke shot 73, 75, 69, 69 and 77 for 363 while Johnson had rounds of 765, 66, 71, 77 and 74 for 364. 

American Jaye Marie Green emerged on top after finishing on 13 under par 347 with scores of 68, 68, 67, 70 and 74.

Iceland's Olafia Kristindottir finished second on 348.

There were three Americans in the top four, Angel Yin and Sadena Parks sharing third place on 349.

To read the LPGA website summary of the tournament

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LPGA TOUR QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT - Final Stage

Daytona Beach, Florida

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 360 (5x72)

Players from USA unless stated

347 J M Green 68 68 67 70 74

348 O Kristinsdottir (Ice) 74 66 67 68 73

349 A Yin 74 69 69 68 71, S Parks 69 72 67 68 73

OTHER TOTALS IN TOP 20 included

351 B Allen 71 72 68 68 72 (T6)

352 M Reid (Eng) 69 64 75 72 72

OTHER TOTALS OUTWITH TOP 20 included

358 B Law (Eng) (am) 75 68 73 70 72 (T24)

359 S Meadow (NIr) 73 70 73 73 70 (T27)

363 H Burke (Eng) 73 75 69 69 77 (T44)

364 F Johnson (Eng) 74 66 71 77 74 (T55)

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Scots trio fail to make it to LPGA Final Q 

School last round

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Scots Gemma Dryburgh, Sally Watson and Kylie Walker failed to make it through to the fifth and final round of the LPGA Final Qualifying School at Daytona Beach, Florida.
But Edinburgh-based American Beth Allen is sixth among the leading 71 players with 72-hole totals of 290 and better who will play on Sunday with 25 LPGA players' cards for the 2017 season on the line.
Aberdeen-born Dryburgh shot a 71 for four-over 292, failing by two shots to beat the cut in T80th place.
Watson had her best score of the week - a two-under-par 70 - but it was too little too late for the Edinburgh-born player to advance to the final day. She had a total of 295 and was tied 105th.
Walker was never really in with a shout after starting with an 81 but she shoot 72-73-71 over her last three rounds for 297 and a T117 finish.
American Jaye Marie Green leads the qualifiers into the final round over the Hills Course.She had a third-round 70 (her worst so far!) for 15-under-par 273 and leads by two shots from Iceland's Olivia Kristinsdottir (68 for 275).
Beth Allen has had back-to-back 68s for 279 and is obviously pushing hard for LPGA Tour playing rights. She said in a pre-round interview that she has no wish to leave the Ladies European Tour, only to play in the States when there was no tournament in America.
Mel Reid is the leading English player in joint seventh place after a 72 for 280. 
England's Hannah Burke and Bronte Law (still an amateur but she will have to turn pro for LPGA Tour status) are bracketed in T30 place on 286. Hannah had a fourth-round 69, Bronte a 70.
Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow made it through with a 73 for 289 and T50 position.
Felicity Johnson was the fourth and last English-born player to make the final day. But she almost blew it with a fourth-round, fie-over-par 77 for 290 - the limit mark for the 71 qualifiers.
Holly Clyburn had to withdraw before the fourth round, as she explained by Email to Scottishgolfview.com:

"I picked up a sickness bug. My caddy had it on Day 2 and I caught it on the evening of Day 3 evening, which had me up all night so I couldn't force myself to play."

FOURTH-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 288 (4x72)
Leading qualifiers for final round
273 Jaye Marie Green (USA) 68 68 67 70
275 Olivia Kristinsdottir (Iceland) 74 66 67 68
276 Sadena Parks (USA) 69 72 67 68
277 Nasa Hataoka (Japan) 68 65 69 75
278 Angel Yin (USA) 74 67 69 68
279 Beth Allen (USA) 71 72 68 68

Other final-round qualifiers included:
280 Mel Reid (England) 69 64 75 72 (T7)
285 Aditi Ashok (India) 73 70 71 71 (T23)
286 Hannah Burke (England) 73 75 69 69, Bronte Law (England) (am) 75 68 73 70 (T30)
289 Stephanie Meadow (N Ireland) 73 70 73 73 (T50)
290 Felicity Johnson (England) 76 66 71 77 (T61)

MISSED THE CUT
(71 players with totals of 290 and better qualified)
291 Charlotte Thomas (England) 73 71 73 74 (T71)
292 Gemma Dryburgh (Scotland) 77 69 75 71 (T80)
294 Eleanor Givens (England) 78 72 70 74 (T96)
295 Sally Watson (Scotland) 77 76 72 70 (T105)
297 Kylie Walker (Scotland) 81 72 73 71 (T117)

Withdrew: Holly Clyburn (England) 77 69 75 wd

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