Inbee Park wins third consecutive Women’s PGA Championship
Inbee Park (Scott Halleran/ Getty Images)
HARRISON, N.Y. – Inbee Park won her third consecutive Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday – and accomplished a whole lot more.
Park also regained the No. 1 ranking in the word, surpassed idol Se Ri Pak for the most majors by a South Korean player with six, tied the LPGA Tour record for the lowest score in a major in relation to par at 19 under and, in her own mind, cemented a place in women’s golf history.
“Obviously, putting my name alongside like Annika Sorenstam or Patty Berg, legends of golf, just being a part of history of this golf tournament, I feel extremely honored, and I can’t believe that I just did it,” Park said.
The 26-year-old Park closed with a bogey-free 5-under 68 at Westchester Country Club, finishing the season’s second major five strokes ahead of 22-year-old compatriot Sei Young Kim. Park had 22 birdies and only three bogeys in 72 holes.
“I played great the last three days,” she said. “I couldn’t believe myself. I made no bogeys for three days.”
Park and Sorenstam (2003-2005) are only players to win the event previously called the LPGA Championship three consecutive years. It also was Park’s fifth victory in the last 12 majors.
Park won the previous two years in playoffs in Pittsford, New York, taking the 2013 event at Locust Hill and the 2014 tournament at Monroe Golf Club.
Park birdied the par-5 final hole. She chipped her third shot to 5 feet, then sank the putt and threw her arms in the air as a fan yelled “Three-peat!”
It was her 56th consecutive hole without a bogey.
Kim, a two-time winner this season as a rookie, started the day two strokes back. She bogeyed the third and the fourth holes, then reeled off four consecutive birdies, holing a long putt on the eighth to pull within a shot of the lead.
That was as close as she would get.
A three-stroke swing on the ninth hole put Park in charge. She made a birdie putt, then watched as Kim three-putted for double bogey. Kim finished with a 71.
“Everything fell apart at the ninth hole,” Kim said through an interpreter.
Lexi Thompson was third at 12 under after a 66. She had eight birdies on her first 13 holes.
Thompson pulled within two strokes with her birdie on the 13th. But she missed a chance on the par-5 15th hole, hitting her tee shot well right and scrambled to make par. She then bogeyed the 16th to end her chances.
“(I) just take a lot of positives from it knowing that I can pull off a round on Sunday here,” Thompson said. “It means a lot and I’m going to take a lot of confidence going into my upcoming tournaments.”
Brittany Lincicome, the winner of the first major of the year at the ANA Inspiration, finished fourth at 11 under. She birdied the final hole for a 68.
Seventeen-year-old Canadian Brooke Henderson tied for fifth with Morgan Pressel at 10 under. Her $132,725 check will help in Henderson’s bid to earn a tour card for next year. She needs to either win a tournament or finish with the equivalent of the 40th player on the money list to avoid qualifying school after being denied an age exemption.
Fellow Canadian Alena Sharp signed for a final round 76 to finish tied for 65th.
The shot of the day came from Hyo Joo Kim with a hole-in-one on the 149-yard 14th hole. She finished with a 71 to tie for ninth at 8 under.
With No. 1 Lydia Ko missing the cut for the first time in 54 tries, No. 2 Park needed to finish just 29th or better to retake the top spot she last held in February. It will be her third stay at the top of the rankings. She was to the No. 1 for 59 weeks in 2013.
Park earned $525,000 for her third LPGA Tour victory of the season and 15th overall.
She joined Sorenstam, Pak, Patty Sheehan, Nancy Lopez, Kathy Whitworth and Mickey Wright as the only players to win the event at least three times. Wright won it four times.
“I think I always dreamed myself being a part of history, leaving my name, even before I die, there is my name on this trophy” Park said. “There’s a name on the U.S. Open trophy. There’s my name on great championships.”
Inbee Park shoots 66, leads after 3rd round at Westchester
Inbee Park (David Cannon/Getty Images)
HARRISON, N.Y. – South Korean stars Inbee Park and Sei Yong Kim added another chapter to their friendly rivalry on Saturday.
Park shot a 7-under 66 and overtook Kim on the final hole to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Kim, a rookie who came into the day with a one-stroke lead, shot a 69. The two had battled all afternoon each went into the final hole at 13-under par. But Park, who needed just 28 putts Saturday, made her seventh birdie of the day on 18, and Kim missed a 4-foot putt for par.
The 26-year-old Park said her experience in winning this tournament each of the last two years may give her a bit of an advantage Sunday over her 22-year-old countrywoman. Kim has won twice this season, but will be looking for her first major championship on Sunday.
“It feels like the first time is always hard, always hard to do and it puts extra pressure on yourself,” Park said. “But when you’re trying to do the second, third time in a row, it just feels like you’ve done your homework already. So you feel a little bit more relaxed and you kind of know how it feels like and how it’s going to play like.”
Kim said she plans to use the bogey on the 18th as “medicine” on Sunday to help her get better.
She also has a recent history that should give her some confidence. Kim beat Park at the Lotte Open in Hawaii by chipping in to force a playoff and holing out from 154 yards on the first sudden-death hole.
“Well, that’s a past story,” Kim said. “I want to write a new story tomorrow.”
A win here could allow Park to catch top-ranked Lydia Ko in the rankings. Ko missed the cut on Friday, ending her streak of 53 consecutive made cuts.
Park could also tie Annika Sorenstam (2003-05), who is the only golfer who has claimed this title in three consecutive years, an accomplishment Park would list among the most impressive in her career.
“I have to say it would be pretty close to winning three majors in a row,” she said. “That was my biggest accomplishment ever in my career, but if I’m able to do this tomorrow, I think that will definitely be like tied for first.”
Kim and Park will go into Sunday with some separation from the rest of the pack. Suzann Pettersen and 17-year-old Canadian sensation Brooke Henderson each shot a 71. They ended tied with Hall of Famer Karrie Webb for third place at 8-under par, six strokes back of Park.
Henderson is attempting to become the youngest winner of a major championship. She is also looking for a win that would assure her a spot on the Tour next year after being denied an age exemption.
“This year is definitely a learning experience for me,” she said. “It’s a year where I’m trying to play my best and get my card for next year … whether it’s the money list or the win this year, or go to Q-School. My goal is to have full status next year.”
At the other end of the spectrum is Webb. The 40-year-old is attempting to become the second-oldest winner in the 60 year history of the event. Webb was in second place to start the day, but had to overcome bogeys on her first two holes to shoot a 72. She will be trying to win her eighth major.
“If I had told you I was going to shoot 1-under today, I wouldn’t have thought I was going to be six behind,” she said. “It’s going to take a big round tomorrow from me and probably some help from the leaders.
Pettersen is on a hot streak after winning last week in Ontario, for her 15th tour victory, her first since October 2013.
Morgan Pressel is in sixth place. She went 5-under on the back nine to finish a round of 69, including an eagle after on 18.
“When I got to the 18th tee and I saw that the tee was moved up a little bit, plus it was downwind, I said to my caddie, I said definitely we can get there today if we hit a good drive and I did,” she said.
Brittany Lincicome, who won the first LPGA major of the year at the ANA Inspiration, moved into contention and a three-way tie for seventh place.
After dropping two strokes the first eight holes, she made five consecutive birdies on the ninth through 13 holes. The 29-year-old American picked up a sixth on the 15th hole and had a birdie putt lip out on No. 17. She finished with a 69.
“I always like to be coming from behind,” she said. “I don’t like leading after two or three rounds because it makes me more nervous, I have to do more interviews and there’s more attention, so if I’m coming from behind and chasing people, it seems to be more of my comfort zone.”
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot a 2-over 75 and is tied for 47th entering Sunday. Sharp is 2-over for the tournament.
HARRISON, N.Y. – Sei Young Kim of South Korea has already won twice in her rookie season on the LPGA Tour.
Now the 22-year-old is taking aim at a major title, making an eagle on the 15th hole for a 5-under 68 Friday and a one-shot lead after the second round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Kim overtook Hall-of-Famer Karrie Webb, who birdied the 18th for a 71. Kim, who turned pro in 2010 and played on the LPGA of Korea Tour, shot bogey-free golf to finish at 8-under 138 at the Westchester Country Club.
“My goal for this year is to become top five,” Kim said through an interpreter, “and if I win a major, I could be one step closer.”
Two-time defending champion Inbee Park (68) joined Webb a stroke back.
Suzann Pettersen rallied with seven birdies for the best round of the day at 66 and tied Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson (73) at 6 under. Overnight leader Jenny Shin (75) and third-ranked Stacy Lewis (71) were three shots behind the leader.
Pettersen improved her score from the opening round by eight shots, making seven birdies from No. 5 to No. 15. Coached by Butch Harmon, Pettersen was coming off a win in Canada.
“I felt my speed of the greens was a little bit off yesterday. But stuck to the game plan,” she said. “I didn’t practice much after. I’m right where I want to be.”
Top-ranked Lydia Ko (76) missed the cut, which was 2 over, ending her streak of 53 consecutive made cuts. She had a double bogey on No. 2 to start her day and finished with four bogeys and three birdies.
“I just made a double and just couldn’t get anything turned around,” said the 18-year-old from New Zealand. “I missed a lot of 9-footers. I made two good putts the last two holes; it was already kind of too late.”
Kim won LPGA Tour events in the Bahamas and Hawaii this year. She said she likes the West Course, and watched a talented male pro play on the longtime home of the PGA Tour event now called The Barclays.
“I was inspired by Tiger Woods, how he was able to make shots and shot-making,” Kim said.
The 40-year-old Webb had three birdies and a bogey on the par-3 16th on another steamy day with temperatures in the 80s, which helped dry the greens. She hit her pitch shot within 5 feet on the par-5, 525-yard final hole.
“Nice to finish with a birdie on the last,” Webb said. “It was a little bit more difficult today. I think the greens really dried out a little bit. It was still quite challenging to get the ball close to the hole.”
The 17-year-old Henderson had five birdies and five bogeys in an up-and-down round with her father Dave as caddie. After three-putting on her final hole Thursday to finish a shot behind Shin, she bogeyed two of the first five holes on Friday.
She hit her approach shot at No. 17 within 8 feet for a possible birdie putt and a tie for the lead, but it ran past on the right.
“I didn’t have my A game,” said Henderson, playing in her fourth major. “I hit a lot of shots just really close to being really good but would just roll off the back because the greens. Just one of those days you have to learn from and move on.”
Henderson, who turned pro in December, is playing on a sponsor exemption because she is below the LPGA Tour’s age requirement of 18.
“It’s really exciting seeing my name up there with Stacy Lewis and Karrie Webb and all the big names,” she said. “It’s awesome. I think I just have to stay patient, stay consistent and keep working on my game and I think good things will happen.”
After shooting a bogey-free, 7-under 66 Thursday for a one-stroke lead after the opening round, Shin needed nine more shots on Friday. The 22-year-old Shin, who is seeking her first major, started on No. 10 and eagled the par-5, 525 yard 18th hole. But she had bogeys on Nos. 2, 4, 6 and 8, with a birdie on No. 7, to finish the front nine at 39.
“I wanted to shoot under par and try to get away from everybody as much as possible and do the Jordan Spieth and win by like 10 shots,” Shin said. “But I was so frustrated, and I think that’s one of the reasons why I made so many bogeys.”
Lewis recovered from a double bogey on No. 2 with consecutive birdies on the sixth and seventh holes and capped her round with a tap-in birdie at the 18th.
“I think the officials didn’t quite like the 7 under they saw yesterday, so the golf course was set up a lot tougher,” said Lewis, a two-time major winner. “It played more like a major, which I like.”
Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, and British teenager Charley Hull were in a group at 4 under. Hull, tied for the lead at 8 under at the 12th, bogeyed four of the last six holes to finish at 74.
Michelle Wie, bothered by ankle and hip injuries, birdied the 18th for a 72 to make the cut.
Canadian Alena Sharp shot a 1-over-par 74 today to make it to the weekend. Rebecca Lee-Betham shot a round of even par today but missed the cut along with fellow Canadian Sue Kim.
Canadian Women’s Tour heads to Smiths Falls, Ontario
(Chuck Russell/ Golf Canada)
The 14th Canadian Women’s Tour continues with its second stop of the season heading to Smiths Falls, Ont. at the Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club from June 15-17.
Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Brooke Henderson – the highest ranked Canadian professional – and her older sister Brittany will headline the competition to be contested at their home club. The younger Henderson is the defending champion of the Canadian Women’s Tour’s Ontario stop, having won last year’s event as an amateur in Niagara Falls. The 17-year-old went on to claim the Tour’s finale at the 2014 PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.
This year’s event will open with the sisters’ inaugural charity Pro-Am – the “Magenta Mortgage Pro-Am presented by Mike Fair Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac Ltd. in support of the Team Henderson 110% Club” on Monday, June 15 before a field of 86 Canadian and international professionals and amateurs tee off for the 36-hole competition on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The purse for the tournament is set at $60,000 with a $10,000 share awarded to the winner. The champion will also receive an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open taking place August 17-23 at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C.
“Golf Canada is thrilled to bring the Ontario stop of the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour to Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Tournament Director for the event. “We will have a strong and experienced field with a number of players looking to impress friends and family in attendance. With an exemption into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open for the taking, it should be a very exciting tournament on a beautiful course.”
The Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club will test the talented athletes with a variety of elevation changes, well-protected greens and a winding layout through sprawling forests of mature cedar, spruce and evergreens.
Among those in contention will be Corona, Calif., native Michelle Piyapattra, who won the Tour’s first stop earlier this month at Calgary’s Glencoe Golf & Country Club. It was the second consecutive year in which she emerged victorious on the Tour’s first leg. Piyapattra is currently in her rookie season on the Symetra Tour.
A number of former Canadian Women’s Tour champions will be joining Piyapattra and the Henderson sisters, including Jessica Boris née Shepley. The Oakville, Ont., product has registered multiple victories on the Tour and has claimed two PGA Women’s Championship of Canada titles. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., and Kirby Dreher of Fort St. John, B.C., will also set their sights on returning to the winners’ circle of the Canadian Women’s Tour.
Canada’s national teams will be well-represented at the competition. Joining Brooke Henderson from the Young Pro Squad will be Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Richmond Hill, Ont., who finished tied for fourth at both the 2011 and 2012 Tour stops in B.C. The four members of Canada’s National Amateur Team – Calgary native Jennifer Ha, Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., and Allen, Tex. product Maddie Szeryk who is coming off a strong freshman year at Texas A&M – will also vie for the prized exemption into the 43rd playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.
The final stop on the tour, the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, is scheduled for July 20-22 at Burlington Golf & Country Club in Burlington, Ont.
The champions of each Canadian Women’s Tour event will earn entry into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Also joining the field will be the top two competitors on the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit who are not otherwise exempt, provided they play in at least two of the three events.
The five highest ranked players on the Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit will also be awarded direct entry into the second stage of LPGA Qualifying School.
For more information please visit the tournament’s official website.
Henderson shoots 67, sits one-shot back at Women’s PGA Championship
Brooke Henderson (David Cannon/Getty Images)
HARRISON, N.Y – South Korean Jenny Shin kept moving up the leaderboard, chasing Hall-of-Famer Karrie Webb.
Shin eventually caught her, shooting a bogey-free, 7-under 66 Thursday for a one-stroke lead after the opening round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the second major of the season.
“I was chasing the leaderboard all day, and I was surprised that Webby was at 6 under at one point,” said the 22-year-old Shin. “I got there and was like `Maybe I can get one more on the 18th hole,’ and I did.”
Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson had a three-putt bogey on her final hole at the ninth to drop a shot back after Shin birdied No. 18 at the Westchester Country Club.
“I hit it well all day, I’m disappointed with the finish on the last hole,” said the 17-year-old Henderson, who was playing on a sponsor exemption.
Webb birdied three of the first four holes and finished at 68. The 40-year-old Webb started her round in hazy conditions at No. 10 and shot a 4-under 33 on the opening nine. She had a bogey-free round until she dropped a shot on the seventh when she missed the fairway left and hit the front bunker.
“I hit a wedge to a foot and a half on 10 and that settled me in,” Webb said. “Hit the green in two on 12 and had about a 15-footer for eagle. I really put some very solid swings on it early on.”
Shin had five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 15th. She spoke to her sports psychologist on Wednesday night to help calm her nerves.
“I was freaking out for this round, so I tried to play as comfortable as I can, just like any other tournament,” Shin said. “I tried not to think of it as a major and it turned out great. I had a couple of bogey-free rounds last week, so I think I’m on a good run.”
Americans Brittany Lincicome, Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr and Stacy Lewis were in a large group that finished four strokes back at 70 in steamy temperatures that reached the mid-80s. Lincicome, the winner of the first major at the ANA Inspiration in April, eagled the par-5 15th and followed with a birdie on 16.
Two-time defending champion Inbee Park shot a 71. Top-ranked teenager Lydia Ko was another stroke back, and Suzann Pettersen, coming off a win in Canada, finished at 74. Michelle Wie, bothered by a hip injury, shot 75.
Shin, who is seeking her first major, had three birdies on the front nine to gain on Webb, a seven-time major winner.
Henderson, who turned pro in December, is below the LPGA Tour’s age requirement of 18. But she made the most of her sponsor exemption.
Henderson birdied No. 10, her opening hole, and added birdies at Nos. 3, 5, 6 and 15. For her eagle on the par-5, 274 yard 12th hole, she hit a 7-wood 204 yards and the ball landed three feet from the cup.
Then came the three-putt on her final hole, where she “tried to hit it a little too hard and had an 8-footer to save par.”
The 29-year-old Lincicome, who is seeking her third major, is one of the longest hitters on the tour. She used a 4-iron from 203 yards out and got within 30 feet for her eagle on the par-5, 497-yard 15th.
“The putt, if I hadn’t hit the hole, it probably would have gone off the green,” she said. “(My caddie) asked if I had dented the cup.”
Park finished with a birdie on 18, one of five on the day along with a bogey. The South Korean has won five majors, including three straight in 2013.
Kerr had a bogey on the par-5, 551-yard fifth hole and four birdies on the West Course that she often plays when in New York. She’s familiar with the sloping greens at the longtime home of the PGA Tour event now called The Barclays.
“The front nine, I had a bunch of chances and a couple putts lipped out,” Kerr said. “I just tried to stay patient and got off to a great start on the back nine.”
Alena Sharp carded a 1-under 72, while fellow Canadians Sue Kim and Rebecca Lee-Bentham both posted rounds of 78.
BIRDIES: Annika Sorenstam, a winner of 10 majors and three Women PGA Championships, said she walked the course. “It’s a tough course, the greens and some blind holes where you really have to commit yourself. The scores are not that low, not many birdies. It will be a typical grinder week.” … Lincicome ran into Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza at the Mets game on Tuesday night and got a picture with him. … Playing with Kerr and Jessica Korda, Lincicome bet $5 for every birdie after a slow start. “Korda birdied the last, so we were tied, unfortunately,” Lincicome said. “We just kind of needed something to motivate us to get back in it. We didn’t let Kerr in because she was already making too many.”
Brooke Henderson’s solid results on the golf course recently not only has provided a solid indication of a bright future ahead for the 17-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont. but has also generated huge excitement, with many now taking notice of her game.
Her breakthrough performance came at the 2015 Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic in April when the youngest member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Program set a new 36-hole record; and held the outright lead heading into the final round.
The following weekend, at the Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout, Henderson once again found herself on top of the leader board after shooting a second round 6-under 65.
Henderson – who is currently in her first full season as a pro – has not only caught the attention of fans and those in the media, but also the attention of the game’s biggest star, Lydia Ko.
“She’s obviously playing great; really solid. I got to play with her recently at the Kingsmill Championship and she’s a really strong player mentally,” said the current world No. 1 at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic about Henderson.
“I’m sure she’s going to keep shooting low scores and it’ll be great to have her as a full-time member soon,” added the 18-year-old New Zealander, who is a seven-time winner on the LPGA Tour.
Despite coming up short in her efforts to win an LPGA tournament thus far, Henderson says her stellar results have done a lot for her confidence.
“It was awesome and definitely a huge confidence booster leading two weeks in a row on the weekend which was really exciting,” said the former world No. 1 amateur.
“The experience taught me a lot about myself, and my game and also about competing on the LPGA; and it’s something I can continue to use in each tournament,” added the 17-year-old Canadian.
Currently as a player without status on the LPGA Tour, Henderson’s entry into additional LPGA events requires her to either successfully go through a pre-tournament qualifier or be granted a sponsor exemption.
Just this week, it was announced that she has been offered a sponsor exemption into the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which is the LPGA’s second major on the 2015 schedule.
However, one event that the talented young golfer from Smith Falls, Ont. has guaranteed herself entry into is the U.S. Women’s Open – which will be held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in July.
“I’m excited about it; I didn’t have to go through the 36-hole qualifier which is always nice and it’s pretty close to home; so I’m hoping that a lot of family and friends will be able to make it out,” said Henderson, who finished runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and earned entry into this year’s event U.S. Women’s Open as a result.
The week following the LPGA’s third major, she will be representing Canada at the Pan Am Games along with four-time LPGA Tour winner, Lori Kane.
“It’s an honour to play for my country,” said Henderson. “And it’ll be fun; Lori is a great player and I think we’ll have a lot of bonding timing which is always good with such a legendary player with such great experience.”
Another successful Canadian LPGA veteran that Henderson has bonded with and gained valuable insight from is Alena Sharp.
“I like it that she asks me for advice. I just tell her things that she needs to know and I’m happy that she’s not afraid to talk to me,” said the 34-year-old from Hamilton, Ont. when asked for her input on Henderson’s progress and maturity as a golfer.
“I think she’s got all the talent and she’s just a nice girl. She’s really humble and we’re becoming good friends, which is cool,” Sharp added.
With strong and highly capable mentors willing and eager to provide guidance on her journey towards success, the future appears to be very bright for the talented young golfer from Smith Falls, Ont.
And while the talented young golfer lists gaining her full LPGA Tour card and earning a spot on the 2016 Canadian Olympic team as her two top goals over the next year, Henderson also understands the future is now.
The mature 17-year-old says that the best way to reach her longer term goals is simply to continue taking care of business in the busy summer ahead.
“I try not to look too far ahead but just trying to take it week by week; I’ve had great weeks out there recently, and in my mind, I know my game is right there,” said Henderson.
“I just have to stay patient,” she added. “Because I know great finishes and a win will come soon.”
Cheyenne Woods tees off the 13th hole during the first round of the Manulife LPGA Classic (Vaughn Ridley/ Getty Images)
CAMBRIDGE, Ont. – Cheyenne Woods, Cristie Kerr and P.K. Kongkraphan matched the course record at 9-under 63 on Thursday to share the first-round lead in the Manulife LPGA Classic.
Woods, Tiger Woods’ niece, and Kerr tied the Whistle Bear Golf Club record set by Matt Bettencourt and Jon Mills, in the Web.com Tour’s 2005 Canadian PGA Championship. The tournament is in its first year at Whistle Bear after three years at Grey Silo in Waterloo.
Woods had an eagle, eight birdies and a bogey in calm morning conditions.
“It wasn’t very windy today,” Woods said. “I thought it played a little shorter than it had the past few days because maybe the wind was down. So, I think there are a lot of birdies out there. The par 5s are birdie-able, eagle-able, so I think it’s playing pretty good. It’s a nice course.”
The 24-year-old LPGA Tour rookie made a 50-foot eagle putt on the par-5 ninth.
“I played really solid all day,” said Woods, who won the Ladies European Tour’s Australian Ladies Masters last year for her biggest victory. “I had one bogey, which was a stupid three-putt, but overall I played solid. And I think the biggest thing, we were just having fun out there, Jaye Marie (Green) and I were talking the whole day and it was very relaxed, very relaxed atmosphere while we were playing. That’s sometimes when I play my best.”
The 37-year-old Kerr had 10 birdies and a bogey, playing her opening nine in a career-best 7-under 29. She won the Kia Classic in California in March for her 17th LPGA Tour title.
“The course has pretty generous fairways and, I mean, our tour is so good with talent that I knew somebody was going to shoot a low number,” Kerr said. “Maybe I thought not as many people would shoot such low numbers, but there were definitely birdies out there today.”
Kongkraphan, from Thailand, also had 10 birdies and a bogey.
“I hit the ball very solid today,” Kongkraphan said.
Israel’s Laetitia Beck and Germany’s Sandra Gal were a stroke back.
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, the winner Sunday in New Jersey in the ShopRite LPGA Classic, topped the group at 65 along with South Korea’s Sei Young Kim, a two-time winner this season.
Second-ranked Inbee Park, the winner last year at Grey Silo, opened with a 69. Third-ranked Stacy Lewis had a 70, and top-ranked Lydia Ko shot 71.
“Hopefully, tomorrow there will be many more birdies,” said Ko, a two-time winner this year.
Brooke Henderson, the 17-year-old Canadian who was third in the Swinging Skirts in April in California, had a 71. The crowd chanted “Go Canada Go!” and cheered loudly for Henderson
“It was different,” said Henderson, from Smith Falls, Ontario. “The crowd was more in my favor, which was amazing and such an awesome experience. I’m hoping that the next couple days I’ll play well enough so that the crowd’s not just there to see me play but to see me play really well.”
Sister Brittany Henderson opened with a 72.
Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., was the top Canadian at 5-under par 67.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. – Anna Nordqvist gave her visiting mother the perfect gift Sunday, which also happened to be Mother’s Day in Sweden.
The 27-year-old Nordqvist birdied the 16th and 17th holes to break out of the pack and win the ShopRite LPGA Classic by a stroke. She closed with a 2-under 69 in windy conditions to finish at 8-under 205 at Stockton Seaview’s Bay Course.
The former Arizona State player has five career LPGA Tour titles, winning twice each in 2009 and 2014. And none of those victories could have been any sweeter than Sunday’s, with mother Maria in the gallery.
“It’s the first time I’ve won on the LPGA Tour and one of my family members were there with me, so it’s definitely special,” Nordqvist said. “It’s Mother’s Day in Sweden, so I couldn’t have given her a better present than to spend the day with her.
“I’m just speechless right now. I fought hard today and I can’t believe I’m sitting here with the trophy.”
A stroke behind leader Morgan Pressel entering the round, Nordqvist made her move on the closing three holes – a stretch she played in 5 under the first two days.
She sank a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-4 16th to break a tie with Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands and get to 8 under. Nordqvist hit her tee shot on the short par-3 17th to 8 feet to the left of the hole and drained that putt as well to move to two strokes in front.
“I thought I hit a lot of good putts” all day, Nordqvist said. “Just knowing that I hit good putts helped me. I hit a real good putt on 16 and even on 17 to give me a little bit of space there at the last. I felt like I played really well and I put myself in a position to win.”
With Boeljon, winless in five years on the LPGA Tour, missing an 18-inch birdie putt at the 18th while playing in the group ahead, Nordqvist was not hurt by a bogey at the last. She finished her round, played in steady afternoon wind, with five birdies and three bogeys.
After she putted out, she was sprayed with champagne by some fellow players, and then looked for her mother.
“I tried to find her but it was quite a bit of people,” she said. “I saw her after 17 after I just made two straight birdies. And then on 18 I had a short putt to win and just in my line I saw my mom.”
Boeljon, who played for Purdue and was the second in the 2007 NCAA tournament, was a career-best second after a 68. Pressel, who fell out of the lead following a bogey-double bogey stretch on the front nine, tied for third at 5 under after a 73. Rookie Kelly Shon got within one stroke of the lead, but a tough finish dropped her to a 70 and a tie with Pressel.
Nordqvist picked up her first birdie of the day at the par-4 fourth with a 5-foot putt. She moved into a tie for first after Pressel bogeyed the sixth hole and lost the lead to Boeljon after she missed the eighth green and made bogey.
Nordqvist picked up two shots with birdies at the par-5 ninth and short par-4 10th, draining putts of 8 and 6 feet. She dropped back into a tie for first after a three-putt bogey on the difficult par-3 15th but surged into the lead for good with her birdie at 16.
Pressel, who birdied the par-5 third, ran into her worst stretch of the weekend at the sixth and seventh holes. After her approach at No. 6 ran into the collar, she chunked her chip shot and made bogey. Then at the par-3 seventh, she came up well short with her tee ball, hit a bad pitch and three-putted.
The three lost shots dropped her from 8 under to 5 under, trailing by two, and she never held as much of a share of the lead the rest of the day in her bid for her first LPGA Tour win since 2008.
“I just didn’t make anything today,” Pressel said. “I didn’t hit it quite as well. I certainly made a mess of 6 and 7 and got behind the 8-ball early, and these greens are just a little bit too bumpy to make a ton of putts out here, even with good strokes.
“I just had way too many putts and you’re not going to win a tournament hitting 2 over on Sunday.”
Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson of Smiths, Falls, Ont., tied for 23rd at 1 under after a final round 67.
Alena Sharp finished 2 over after a final round 72. The Hamilton, Ont., native tied for 51st.
TORONTO – The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Golf Canada have announced the four athletes who have been nominated to represent Canada at the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games from July 10 to 26.
The Canadian athletes nominated by Golf Canada for the Pan Am golf competition – which runs July 16-19 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. – were determined based on selection criteria and world ranking as of May 15, 2015.
On the women’s side, 17-year-old former world number one amateur Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. has accepted selection to the Pan Am golf team and will be joined by four-time LPGA Tour winner Lorie Kane of Charlottetown.
The men’s team will be comprised of 18-year-old Austin Connelly who resides in, Irving Texas, currently the 10th ranked player on the World Amateur Golf Rankings along with reigning Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont.
Golf Canada’s National Women’s Team Head Coach Tristan Mullally of Straffan, Ireland along with National Men’s Team Head Coach Derek Ingram of Winnipeg, Man will serve as coaches for the 2015 Pan Am Golf Team.
Selection criteria among those considered for the Canadian Pan Am Golf Team was based on competitive standing inside the top-500 on the World Golf Ranking for professional golfers as well as competitive standing inside the World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 15, 2015. Players that met the selection criteria had until April 28, 2015 to notify Golf Canada of their interest in being considered for the 2015 Pan Am Golf Team.
The field for the 2015 Pan Am Golf Competition will include 32 women and 32 men competing in a women’s individual, men’s individual and mixed team competition (low female and male score combined).
The Pan Am Games will be a historic event for Canadian golf as the sport will be included for the first time ever as part of the multi-sport Pan Am Games. In 2016, the sport of golf makes its celebrated return to the Olympic sport program for the first time since Canadian George S. Lyon won gold at the 1904 Olympic Games.
Canada will field the largest team in its Pan American Games history with over 700 athletes expected to be named to the Team at the Games in Toronto. With TORONTO 2015 providing a “Home Games” experience, as well as a number of qualification opportunities for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, these Games will offer a tremendous experience for Canada’s high performance athletes.
QUOTES
“Canada is proud to be hosting the first-ever Pan Am Games where golf is on the program. This is a fantastic opportunity for our talented golfers to showcase their ability to the Americas with a home soil advantage. Congratulations to all those who made it onto the team.” – Marcel Aubut, President, Canadian Olympic Committee
“I am incredibly excited for our Canadian golfers to be a part of Pan Am Games history. I am totally confident that this group will re-ignite Canadian success in multi-sport games after George Lyon’s gold medal in 1904. Congratulations to all of the golfers named to the team, I can’t wait to see you all tee off.” – Curt Harnett, TORONTO 2015 Team Canada Chef de Mission
“We are very excited about the composition of our team for the Pan Am Games and feel confident that they will be very competitive with the field in this event. Lorie and Brooke representing Canada provide a great combination of both youth and experience while Garrett and Austin are two of the top amateurs in the world and will give Canada a great chance over the four days of competition.” – Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer
“It’s an honour to be selected to represent Canada at the Pan Am Games. In a short time with the national team program I’ve been able to take advantage of great opportunities and I’m sure that the Pan Am Games will be a special golf experience.” – Austin Connelly, TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Athlete
“I am honoured and extremely excited to be playing for Canada again.I am excited about the quality of schedule I have this year with the Pan Am Games and RBC Canadian Open as well as the other great championships I’ll be competing in this summer.” – Garrett Rank, TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Athlete
“It is an absolute honour to have the opportunity to represent my country and the Canadian Olympic Committee with my selection to play for Canada at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. I have always proudly represented Canada while playing on the LPGA Tour, but wearing the maple leaf in acclaimed international competition is something I am extremely humbled by and excited about.” – Lorie Kane, TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games athlete
“It’s really exciting to have been selected to represent Canada in the first ever Pan Am games golf competition. I’ve had so many great experiences being a part of Golf Canada’s national team program since I was 14, and now in my first year as a pro, it’s a great honour to play for my country at the Pan Am Games.” – Brooke Henderson, TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Athlete
“Canada has a long tradition of excellence in golf, and we are very proud of the team that has been selected to represent our country as this sport makes its Pan Am Games debut this summer. Congratulations to all our golfers; Canadians will be following and encouraging you as you face the best athletes in the Americas at the 2015 Pan Am Games. Good luck!” – The Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport)
Click here to listen to an interview with Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Development Officer, Jeff Thompson, as he discusses team selection criteria for Canada’s golf contingent for the 2015 Pan Am Games.