Lydia Ko in Japan. World Ladies Championship.

Lydia Ko / Getty Images

Lydia Ko, the Worlds number one amateur player has finished in a share of fourth place in the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup in Japan. Lydia continues to impress people from around the world with her good golf and easy happy manner. Lydia had a final round of -4 under par,68 and finished the tournament at -5 under par, just four shots off the lead. She said of her time in Japan;

” I have enjoyed my week up here.”

Lydia’s next assignment on her world professional event calendar is to tackle the LPGA Championship at Rochester, New York, USA.

The Salonpas Cup event in Japan was won by 36 year-old Mogi Hiromi, with a winning score of -9 under par for the tournament at the Ibaraki Golf Club.

Mogi Hiromi

LPGA. LOTTE Championship. Petterson Pips Salas in Play-Off

Suzann Petterson pipped Lizette Salas in a play-off for the LPGA LOTTE Championship tile at the Ko Olina Golf Club in Hawaii.

Suzann Petterson / Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Suzann had a steady last round of -5 under par 67, to finish the tournament tied with Lizette, both of them at -19 under par, so they were taken back up the fairway to play number eighteen again in a sudden death play-off. Their tee shots on the first play-off hole were very similar, straight down the middle. Suzann was then first to hit her approach shot to the green, it landed just about twenty feet  to the left of the pin, a birdie chance.

After playing immaculately for 18 holes, shooting a -10 under par round of 62, Lizette then amazingly chunked her approach shot to the green, dumping it into the water that guards the left side of the green. It was really all over right then, she took the penalty drop and replayed the shot, executing a lovely approach to the right of the pin. But she was there for four, and then just missed her putt for a bogey five. That left Suzann two putts to win, which she duly took, to clinch her first win of the 2013 season. Suzann said she thought she would need a score of -20 to win;

“I thought 20 was going to do it, hat would take a fantastic round from anyone behind me, and it would take some good golf from me, but that was kind of the number I was shooting for. My game has been feeling great, it’s nice that I have kept the kind of the progress that I had from Kraft. I’ve kind of figured out how I play well, and I play well when I stay aggressive. I hate to play defensive and I hate to play away from the pins, and obviously at times you have to. That’s when the experience comes in. But for me to shy away and not step on the pedal, that’s not me. If I make an error being too aggressive, I can live with it. But if I make an error playing defensive trying to protect something, I mean, I wouldn’t shoot myself, but it’s hard for me to accept it.”

Suzann receiving Hula dancing instruction./ Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Lizette shrugged off her Chunk, and was pleased with her recovery after the disastrous 79 at the Kraft, and also getting used to using a short putter;

” Chunk is not bad, but if you have water it’s really bad, but I still had a chance, and that putt didn’t go in. Not everything is going to fall, but I played my butt off today. From shooting a 79 at Kraft to shooting a 62 here in Hawaii, just like that.  I can’t really describe the feeling, just I feel so proud of myself to put that 79 in the back of my mind and just to go out and play some golf. I took a big risk in using the short putter, but I felt extremely comfortable. I felt like me again.”

In third place was Ariya Jutanugarn, with her tournament score of -15 under par. Stacy Lewis who was hoping to win and regain the number one spot in the Rolex Ranking , along with World Amateur number one Lydia Ko both finished at -10 under par. A satisfying result for Lydia, but not so good for Stacy struggling with a -1 under par last round, compared to Lydia who finished with -6 under par 66. How Stacy would have loved to have had that score today.

LPGA. LOTTE Championship. Suzann Petterson Lead after Round 2.

Suzann Petterson leads after the second round of the LPGA, LOTTE Championship, with her total score of -10 under par.

Suzann Petterson / LPGA

Suzann battled hard against the elements at Ko Olina Golf Club in Hawaii, wind and rain being the main opponents against great golf. Suzann shot a second round of -3 under par 69, to lead by one shot from defending Champion, Ai Miyazato.

” You’re just really trying to play the course, and what it gives us.” There are certain holes you can take advantage of, and then others that are more; where par is a good score. But I think today even on the holes where I felt like I should have made a birdie and I made a par, I said, Par is not going to hurt me today.  So a decent day.  It was tough to play solid golf. Once you pick your shot, pick your club, it’s go time, I mean, playing away from the pin not so much, but playing smart. So when I had a short enough club in my hand I felt like I was aggressive enough.  Just accepting that a game of perfect, it is not the day for that. So got up and down quite a few times, feeling good with my putter.  Yeah, just hanging in there today and just really trying not to get too comfortable. Just really tried to keep pushing and pressing.  I’m pretty happy with a 69 today. It’s one of my strengths, I usually don’t shy away when I get to the back nine.  Feeling good, feeling sharp.  I mean, par fives, I think it’s tough throughout.  Doesn’t really matter what kind of shot you have.  If you have a ninety yard shot straight into the wind, into the grain, you’re trying not spin it; you’re trying to kind of flight it. You’re going through the repertoire.  It’s like my caddie said before we teed up.  It’s going to be a war out there.  And it was.  We had sunshine, rainbow, rain.  It was a great day.”

Ai was not sure if the conditions suited her;

” I’m not sure if it suits me.  I feel really tough out there, I’m pretty tired now. But, you know, like I said, I grew up in the wind and I like to play in this wind. This morning when I get to the golf course I’m like, now I’m in Hawaii.  Hawaii is always windy place, and always fun to play this weather conditions. It was definitely windier than yesterday so it was pretty tough out there, but the first couple holes it was kind of up and down because I made birdie and bogey and birdie and bogey.  It was kind of roller coaster.  After that I felt like more used with this wind. Then the back nine I just made great putts out there.  It was great feeling.”

At five feet five inches, Stacy Lewis was the tallest player in her group, playing alongside Ai Myazato and the rookie Moriya Jutanugarn, both of them at five foot two inches. Stacy joked about talking to her caddie, Travis Wilson, who stands at six feet tall;

” I told my caddie, Travis Wilson yesterday, you must feel really tall.I think it’s he’s almost six feet tall. It’s definitely different.  I’m used to being the short one. I think what Michelle Wie was saying about her putting stance and trying to get lower to the ground, so maybe it is.  I don’t know. To play well on this golf course you got to hit it straight.  I think that’s the biggest thing this week.”

Of the terrific teenagers, Hyo Joo Kim is tied in third place at -7 under par, Lydia Ko is at -2 under par and Ayria Jutanugarn fell back following her magnificent opening round to finish the second day at -5 under par.

 

LPGA. LOTTE Championship. 17 Year-Old Ayria Leads.

 

17 Year-old Ayria Jutanugarn leads the LPGA, LOTTE Championship at  Ko Olina Golf Club in Kapolei, Hawaii.

 

Ayria Jutanugarn / LPGA

Ayria shot an amazing -8 under par, 64, to lead the LPGA LOTTE Championship after the first round, by one shot. Tied in second place behind the Thailand teenager are Suzann Petterson and  Hee Kyung Seo, who are both at -7 under par after their opening rounds of 65.

Ayria said it is all about confidence;

” I have like really good front nine, but I just want to like make more birdies because my record is -8 under, so I want to be lower. When I have bogey on number ten I feel not very confident with my putting.  So when I have eagle on the fourteenth, it make me like more confidence.”

Suzann was concerned about the winds here;

” A bit unusual wind for here, I mean, it’s very playable.  The wind kind of changed a little bit on the back, on our front nine, which was the back nine, which actually makes the two par fives on the back reachable.”

Newly crowned number one in the Rolex Rankings, Inbee Park, had a modest first round of -2 under par, 70. Stacy Lewis, who was knocked off the top spot by Inbee, is happy that the rivalry between the players, creates a lot of interest in the Tour.

Stacy will go back to number one this week if she wins this title, she is currently at -5 under par;

” I think it’s good for the Tour when players are going back and forth and creating scenarios of if so‑and‑so wins they could be number one.  I like that, I don’t want to say it’s easier, but it’s fun now.  You’re checking what Yani is doing, you’re checking what Inbee is doing.  I think it’s a good thing for the Tour.”

The trio of teenagers playing together on the course, 15 year-old Lydia Ko, with two seventeen year-olds,  Ariya Jutanugarn and Hyo Joo Kim were collectively -16 under par. Ayria at -8, Hyo at -6, and Lydia at -2 under par.

Ayria really enjoyed playing with her teenage friends today;

” I feel like it’s very fun today because everybody are young and they so good, it’s very fun because we are friends.  I play with them before.”

Good Luck to the youngsters for tomorrow’s second round.

 

 

 

LPGA. Kraft Nabisco Championship. Park Prevails By Three Shots.

Inbee Park prevailed by four shots at the  LPGA, Kraft Nabisco Championship and took the traditional winners plunge into  Poppie’s Pond at the 18th green.

Inbee Park / LPGA

Inbee Park’s four shot win at the Kraft Nabisco Championship has catapulted her to number two in the Rolex World Rankings, just behind Stacy Lewis. Her last round of -3 under par gave her a tournament total of -15 under par. Inbee really wants the number one spot in the rankings;

” That’s the place that I’ve always wanted and I only have one more spot to go. That brings a lot of momentum, keeps momentum going for me, especially after this week. I felt a lot of confidence with my swing and with my putting. Everything has been going the right way this season. It feels good.”

Of the pond plunge at Mission Hills, Inbee said;

 ”It was great, that‘s the pond I’ve always wanted to jump in, and I finally jumped. It was a little bit chilly, though.”

So Yeon Ryu finished in second place at -11 under par, and when asked about her performance, trying to chase down her friend, Inbee, she said;

“Well, it’s hard to say, but I really wanted to finish strong, so I was just expecting to finish top five. I couldn’t expect winning because I know how Inbee is playing really consistently and I know how her putting was great, so I couldn’t expect winning, but I really wanted to finish top five, but I finished second, so I made it. Actually first of all, she really likes to gamble, so when I practice with her she always calls me to gamble like ten bucks a hole, whatever. But she always makes the hardest par putts, like eight‑foot par putts, 16‑foot par putts.  I can’t win like ten bucks.  She always wins like 50 bucks.  She always takes my money, so she always buys me dinner, lunch, whatever. Anyway, the important thing is she looks so easy, and putting is so easy.  Sometimes my putting was really great when I was playing with her, but not enough. I think her tempo is really great, her tempo is always consistent.  And what else?  Oh, and she taught me that when she was putting, the weight is a bit on the left side.  She looks like 70 and 30, and she says, before her weight was like 50/50, but now she changed it, and her weight has moved a bit more to the left side.  She said that’s really helped her putting.”

Tied in third place at -9 under par were Caroline Hedwall and Suzann Petterson. World Amateur number one Lydia Ko finished a disappointing -2 under par and tied in 25th place.

 

LPGA. Kraft Nabisco Championship. Inbee Park Leads

Inbee Park / Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

 

Inbee Park had a second round of -5 under par 67 which propelled her into the lead at -7 under par in the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills in California.

After her second round Inbee Tweeted;

“I just like to stay a little quiet and just do my own thing. If I win a little more I think I’ll get more attention.”

She has never been a feature on the week-end at this tournament, so this is new territory for her;

” I never had a good two days, this is something new on this golf course for me, and I don’t know. It’s good. I think it’s good to be ahead because you’re in better position than anybody else. Obviously putted really good out there, especially on the back nine. The wind picked up, so it was tough on the back nine.”

The lead is just one shot as American Lizette Salas kept in touch with a second round -2 under par for her total of -6 under par for the tournament. Lizette said she not a long hitter, so makes up for it with good wedges;

” I’m comfortable in my short game and I’m not a long hitter, so I have to make it up some way. I’ve been working hard and dialing in with my wedge because that’s your go-to club. I try to make it easy as I can, I started off with a birdie and then had my first three-putt, my only bogey of the day. That made me a little frustrated, missed a couple of birdie putts on the front, but turned it around on the back and started rolling them in.”

Caroline Hedwall, one of Europe’s finest young stars, is tied for third place with Giulia Sergas. Caroline, a five-time winner on the LET,  but has yet to do anything noteworthy in a Major.

Lydia Ko, the 15-year-old Kiwi World Amateur number one,  who already has three professional titles to her name, shot  a second round 74 and is +2 over par for the tournament.

 

 

Honda LPGA Thailand, Inbee Park Wins

Inbee Park

Inbee Park won the Honda LPGA Thailand by one shot and a total of -12 under par, after local favorite Ariya Jutanugarn lipped out a three-foot putt on the last hole to  suffered a triple bogey, handing the title to Inbee.

Ariya lost concentration when in sight of the finishing line, putting  her second shot on the par five 18th into the front right bunker. She unfortunately had to take a drop and a one-stroke penalty for an unplayable lie. Then hit her fourth shot over the green and with a tricky downhill shot facing her, she left it short with the ball still on the fringe. Her putt, her sixth shot of the hole, slid by and she had about a 3-foot uphill putt left to make for double-bogey in order to force a playoff. The putt rimmed the hole and Ariya sadly tapped in for triple bogey eight which gave Inbee Park the one-shot victory.

Inbee thought she had missed her chance when she missed a birdie putt on the 17 th hole;

” On No. 17 when I missed that birdie putt I thought that this game might be over because she was at 14 under-par and it was a two-stroke lead coming into the last hole. I knew she was a long hitter so she had a chance to go ahead. So yeah I just didn’t expect this kind of finish. Out of all the other wins, this win just felt like it was not as much work this week. It was a lot easier this week for me. But I really want to congratulate Ariya for her fantastic golf the last four days. She has a lot of fans out here and she’s very talented. So I think I’ll be seeing more of her.”

Ariya said that making a hole in one on the par three 12th hole had made her feel full of confidence;

” It just made me feel confident because before that hole I wasn’t very confident. My driver and my irons were not very good. I think after 12 my driver feel OK and my irons like feel better. Just a bad hole on 18.”

World Number One Yani Tseng  tied the tournament record with a -9 under par 63 to finish in a tie for third at -10 under par. Yani is coming back into form, and thinks next week she will start the tournament a little better than her first round effort here;

“Hopefully next week I can start a little earlier and still finish strong, I feel like this is more like me. When I play my best I always finish strong on the weekend but last year at the end, on the weekend, I’m always struggling. But this is what I like to feel, to play aggressive and have fun and relax. Because today I go out there and I try to make birdie every hole.”

Tied in third place with Yani, were So Yeon Ryu, Beatriz Recari and Stacy Lewis, all on -10 under par. Lydia Ko, the World Amateur number one finished the tournament at -5 under par, tied in 14th place.

Honda LPGA Thailand, Its Still Stacy after round Two

Stacy Lewis.

Stacy Lewis maintained her stranglehold three shot lead on the Honda LPGA Thailand event, shooting a second round -3 under par 69 at the  Pattaya Old Course at Siam Country Club.

Stacy admitted this round was not as easy as the first;

” It’s always hard to follow up a really good day, I thought if I could shoot 4 or 5 under that would still be a really solid day. I almost got there but it was kind of up and down. I definitely left a few out there. I didn’t hit it as good today but I made some putts on the back nine and still have a three-shot lead so I can’t complain.”

In second place on her own at -9 under par for the tournament is Ariya Jutanugarin, from Thailand. Ariya had a -6 under par 66 for her second round.

There are three players tied in third place at -8 under par, they are;  South Korean So Yeon Ryu, Scot Catriona Mathew, and Beatriz Recari from Spain.

Lydia Ko, the World Amateur Number One is now eight shots off the pace, tied in ninth place at -4 under par. Lydia will need a really low round tomorrow is she is to get up into the reckoning for this tournament.

Honda LPGA Thailand, Stacy Lewis Leads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stacy Lewis

Stacy Lewis fired in a first round -9 under par 63 to lead the Honda LPGA Thailand tournament at  the Siam Country Club on the Pattaya Old Course, Chonburi, Thailand.

Her nearest rival is Frenchwoman Karine Icher, who had a first round 66, to leave her three shots adrift of Stacy, at -6 under par.

There are four players tied at -5 under par, they are, Gerina Piller, Catriona Mathew, Inbee Park and Amy Yang. These Ladies will need something special tomorrow if they want to contest this event.

World Amateur Number One Lydia Ko is currently tied for tenth place, with a whole host of players on -3 under par. Defending Champion is World Number One, Yani Tseng , sadly she is way back at even par for her first round, nine shots is a lot of ground to make up.

ISPS Handa Australian Womens Open, Jiyai Shin Wins

 

Jiyai Shin / Bruce Young

 

The ISPS Handa Australian Womens Open was won by Korean Jiyai Shin, at -18 under par, and a comfortable two shot margin over the field. The real turning point was the 14th, where Jiyai made a decision not to take a free drop away from an advertising hording, because the she had been left with a good lie, and chipped in for a birdie;

” “I’m really surprised, there are so many good players here, so I’m really happy to play well. I can’t explain at the moment. I just feel excited. The chip shot at the 14th was a very important shot, after that I felt more relaxed. I didn’t know Yani’s exact score but I knew with her length she would have a chance of getting on in two so knew I had to keep playing well. I enjoyed playing with Lydia though and am very impressed with how well she hits the ball and her putting is very good. She will win lots of tournaments in the future. Coming up the 18th hole was amazing with so many people, I feel very comfortable in Australia and have a lot of friends here. I want to be the Player of the Year this year, a Korean has not been named as that so it would be my goal to be Player of the Year.”

Yani Tseng, the World Number One,  made a late charge to finish at -16 under par, after her -7 under par last round;

” To finish 7 under, I’m very happy for whole week. I mean, last hole I just tried a little bit too hard. I had 240 to the pin, 210 to the front. I can easy hit my rescue there but it was gusting wind when I want to hit, so I kinda waited a little bit, but still pretty strong winds, but I just hit it too hard over to the left and didn’t make birdie there but I’m pretty happy with whole day; pretty solid round today.”

Lydia Ko, the World Amateur Number One,  had to settle for third place, with a tournament total of -14 under par;

“I mean I had a few struggles with my drives, but I mean, like I said, I can’t play good every single round. I came fourth?  I mean obviously there are points and aspects where I do need to learn. Like, to me, today I think I realised that you know, after a bad hole it kind of carried onto the next hole. Yeah, I mean, like you can see, Jiyai Shin didn’t really matter what she had on one hole, the next hole it was pretty fresh. So yeah, those are the kind of aspects I learnt. You know, I played with some big names out there this week, so yeah, I was very privileged to play with them.”