Michelle Wie rallied to beat Angel Yin on Saturday in the Lorena Ochoa Match Play to join Ariya Jutanugarn, Sei Young Kim and Mi Jung Hur in the semifinals.

Four down after 11 holes at Club Golf Mexico, Wie twice rallied to tie the long-hitting Yin and won with a birdie on the par-5 20th hole.

“I think it was the definition of survival out there,” Wie said. “She played so good. She eagled two and six. I think she was 5 under in seven holes. She played great. I’m really proud of my caddie for motivating me and keeping me in my head. And we fought so hard out there.”

Match 59:@themichellewie makes birdie to defeat @angelyinlol after 20 holes & advance to the Semifinals @LOYMEXICO #WieVSYin #LOYCDMX pic.twitter.com/TtGs2ZKDHn

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 6, 2017

Wie set up a match against Kim, a 5-and-4 winner over Karine Icher in the event that switched from stroke to match play and moved from November.

Wie is winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. She won the then-Lorena Ochoa Invitational in stroke play in 2009 in Guadalajara for her first tour title.

The third-ranked Jutanugarn lost a 3-up lead to Cristie Kerr before finishing off the 39-year-old American with a par on the 19th hole. Kerr won three weeks ago in Hawaii and lost to Haru Nomura last week on the sixth hole of a playoff in Texas.

“The greens here are really hard to read, the speed, everything,” Jutanugarn said. “Cristie hit some really good putts, but they just didn’t go in. … My tee shot was pretty good all day, I just have to work on my putting.”

Hur had two 1-up victories, knocking off top-ranked Lydia Ko in the round of 16 in the morning and edging Shanshan Feng 1 up in the afternoon.

Yin had a 4-up lead after seven holes, and that was the margin after her birdie win on the par-5 11th. Wie won four of the next five holes – two with birdies, and two with pars – to tie it. Yin rebounded to win the par-5 17th, and Wie took the par-4 18th with a par to force extra holes.

“I knew how quickly things could end, so I just kind fought through,” Wie said.

The 19-year-old Yin, from Arcadia, California, is an LPGA Tour rookie after playing last season on the Ladies European Tour.

In the round of 16 in the morning, Wie topped Marina Alex 5 and 4; Yin beat Sandra Gal 3 and 2; Jutanugarn defeated Pernilla Lindberg 5 and 3; Kim edged Charley Hull 3 and 1; Feng beat Canadian Brooke Henderson 1 up; Icher topped Angela Stanford 1 up; and Kerr knocked out Cydney Clanton 3 and 2.

Ko advanced far enough in the tournament to keep the No. 1 ranking.

“I was struggling with ball-striking today and I was not good with my putt, either,” Ko said. “So, those two combinations, it was obviously not very good.”

The event is the LPGA Tour’s first match-play tournament since 2012. Tomorrow morning’s semi-final matches are listed below.

5 Mi Yung Hur KOR vs. 2 Sei Young Kim KOR

1 Ariya Jutanugarn THA vs. 9 Michelle Wie USA

The consolation match will tee-off at 12:30 CT and the championship match at 12:45 CT.

The full leaderboard can be viewed here

Ariya Jutanugarn won a sister showdown Friday in the Lorena Ochoa Match Play, and Lydia Ko, Michelle Wie and Cristie Kerr also advanced at Club de Golf Mexico.

The third-ranked Jutanugarn edged older sister Moriya 2 up in the second round.

“Today we had fun because we are sisters – and we always have fun,” Ariya said. “She plays so good. I can’t believe I beat her today because she’s so good.”

Ariya will face Pernilla Lindberg in the round of 16 in the event that switched from stroke to match play and from November to April.

Ariya never trailed against Moriya.

“We always say, ‘Just have a good day,”’ Moriya said. “We know that we both are going to try our best, play our games. We don’t try to be easy on each other. Hopefully, next time we are not on the same pool and don’t have to see each other so early in the week.”

Ko beat Jennifer Song 1 up to guarantee staying No. 1 in the world.

Wie topped Laura Gonzalez Escallon 3 and 2, and Kerr defeated Jenny Shin 4 and 3.

Wie eagled the par-5 second hole for the second straight day. She made a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 11 to take a 3-up lead.

“I’m happy with how I played,” Wie said. “It was a fun but tough match. I am happy the way I’m playing, and just happy to survive.”

Kerr won three weeks ago in Hawaii and lost to Haru Nomura on Sunday on the sixth hole of a playoff in Texas.

Ko will play Mi Jung Hur, a 20-hole winner over Suzann Pettersen.

Wie set up a match against friend Marina Alex.

“We are already texting each other. We do dinner every night,” Wie said. “It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be a lot of gifs sent tonight or over in the course of the day.”

Alex beat Brittany Lang 5 and 4.

Kerr will face Cydney Clanton, a 19-hole winner over Caroline Masson.

Charley Hull beat Pornanong Phatlum 2 and 1, a day after a fainting spell midway through the back nine in her first-round victory over Nelly Korda.

“It was probably a bug in the morning and it got worse and worse in the afternoon, probably from dehydration,” the 21-year-old Englishwoman said.

Hull will play Sei Young Kim, a 3-and-2 winner over Danielle Kang.

Shanshan Feng outlasted Sarah Jane Smith in 22 holes. She will play Brooke Henderson, a 2-and-1 winner over Ryann O’Toole. Henderson was 2 down after 11.

“I knew I had some work to do,” Henderson said. “I was able to do make four birdies in a row that helped my momentum. I played great today … and she played great too. It was just an awesome match.”

“We both played really well — It was an awesome match” Brooke Henderson after she defeated Ryann O’Toole 2&1 @LOYMEXICO pic.twitter.com/Uch1I7mnV0

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 5, 2017

Angela Stanford beat Olympic champion Inbee Park 3 and 2.

Carlota Ciganda, the November winner in stroke play at Club de Golf Mexico in the then-Lorena Ochoa Invitational, dropped out with a 21-hole loss to Karine Icher. Stanford will play Icher.

Lindberg beat Brittany Lang 4 and 3.

The event is the LPGA Tour’s first match-play tournament since 2012.

Below are the match-ups for tomorrow’s round of 16. Click here for full leaderboard.

LORENA OCHOA BRACKET
7:30 a.m. – Lydia Ko, NZL vs. Mi Jung Hur, KOR
7:40 a.m. – Shanshan Feng, CHN vs. Brooke Henderson, CAN

ANNIKA SORENSTAM BRACKET
7:50 a.m. – Ariya Jutanugarn, THA vs. Pernilla Lindberg, SWE
8 a.m. – Cydney Clanton, USA vs. Cristie Kerr, USA

JULI INKSTER BRACKET
8:10 a.m. – Michelle Wie, USA vs. Marina Alex, USA
8:20 a.m. – Sandra Gal, GER vs. Angel Yin, USA

SE RI PAK BRACKET
8:30 a.m. – Angela Stanford, USA vs. Karine Icher, FRA
8:40 a.m. – Sei Young Kim, KOR vs. Charley Hull, ENG

Lydia Ko beat home favourite Ana Menendez, and the Jutanugarn sisters set up a second-round showdown in the Lorena Ochoa Match Play.

The top-ranked Ko edged Menendez 3 and 2 on Thursday at Club de Golf Mexico in the event that switched from stroke to match play and from November to April.

“I am going to try to give myself as many birdie opportunities as I can,” Ko said. “I think a big key going forward is that you need to have many birdies opportunities, because some of them will end up falling.”

Third-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn will face older sister Moriya in the second round.

“I think playing against her will be fun, because even if I don’t make a putt in that hole and she does I’ll feel happy for her,” Ariya said.

Ariya beat Amy Anderson 5 and 4, and Moriya topped Alena Sharp 2 and 1.

“Is a little too early this week to see my sister, but … tomorrow will be fun,” Moriya said.

Ko will face Jennifer Song, a 3-and-2 winner over Mi Hyang Li.

Ko took a two-hole lead with birdie win on the par-5 second and par-4 fourth. Menendez took the par-3 fifth with a birdie, and Ko rebounded with birdies on the par-4 seventh and eighth to make it 3 up. Menendez won the par-5 10th with a birdie, Ko took the par-3 14th with a par and ended the match with a birdie halve on the par-3 16th.

“Hopefully, that last birdie is good momentum going into tomorrow,” Ko said.

The event is the LPGA Tour’s first match-play tournament since 2012.

Carlota Ciganda, the November winner in stroke play at Club de Golf Mexico in the then-Lorena Ochoa Invitational, topped Mexico’s Gaby Lopez 5 and 3.

Michelle Wie routed Lizette Salas 6 and 5.

“I love match play,” Wie said. “It reminds me of Solheim Cup. It brings back lot of memories. I love it. I had fun today and Lizzete was a really good opponent. I chipped down for eagle twice.”

Wie will play Laura Gonzalez Escallon, the Belgian player who knocked off fourth-ranked In Gee Chun 2 and 1.

Cristie Kerr topped Brittany Altomare 2 and 1. Kerr won three weeks ago in Hawaii and lost to Haru Nomura on Sunday on the sixth hole of a playoff in Texas.

“I didn’t really have my full game today and I still got it done,” Kerr said. “I made some really clutched-outs coming in and I was able to get it done.”

Olympic champion Inbee Park beat Peiyun Chien; Shanshan Feng had a 7-and-5 victory over Laetitia Beck; and Brooke Henderson outlasted Katherine Kirk in 20 holes. Stacy Lewis dropped a 1-up decision to Ayako Uehara.

Second-ranked So Yeon Ryu, the ANA Inspiration winner, is taking the week off.

IRVING, Texas – Hara Nomura two-putted for birdie on the sixth playoff hole Sunday for her third LPGA Tour victory after Cristie Kerr briefly took the lead on the 72nd hole in the windy Volunteers of America Texas Shootout.

Nomura, the 24-year-old from Japan who lives in Hawaii, also birdied the par-5 18th hole at the end of regulation to force the playoff after giving up the lead for the first time with a double bogey at No. 17.

Kerr and Nomura finished regulation at 3-under 281 at Las Colinas Country Club, then played the 518-yard 18th six more times. There were five matching pars before Nomura finally won nearly 7 1/2 hours after starting her round, almost making an eagle before her tap-in and then the wait while Kerr’s 12-foot birdie chance slid left of the cup.

Kerr was trying to win consecutive tournaments. The 39-year-old American won in Hawaii two weeks ago, her 19th career victory coming nearly five months after knee surgery.

Nomura shot a 5-over 76. Kerr made the only birdie all day at the par-3 17th, and was leading by a stroke when she tapped in a par putt on 18 for a 74.

Nomura made the turn with a five-stroke lead before consecutive bogeys to start her back nine.

After Kerr birdied No. 17 with a 10-foot putt and was still playing the 18th, Nomura made double bogey at the par 3 for the second day in a row. That knocked Nomura out of the lead for the first time after also leading at the end of the second and third rounds, but her regulation-ending birdie got her into the playoff.

Jessica Korda shot a 73 to finish third at 1 under, a stroke ahead of Sung Hyun Park. Eun-Hee Ji, whose 70 was one of only two subpar rounds Sunday, tied for fifth with Angel Yin at 1 over.

It was the third consecutive day with challenging wind, but the most brutal with cooler temperatures in the 60s and winds steady over 20 mph with gusts of 40-45 mph. The scoring average Sunday for the 53 players left in the field was nearly 5 1/2 strokes over par.

While only two players finished the round under par, and none shot even-par 71, there were eight players who shot in the 80s. The day began with 16 players under par for the tournament, and that was cut to top three finishers.

Lexi Thompson tied for 17th at 4 over in her first tournament since a TV viewer-cited penalty imposed a day later cost her a likely victory in the LPGA’s first major of the season three weeks ago. She opened with a 69 before rounds of 72, 73 and 74.

Lydia Ko will remain the world’s No. 1 player for the 80th consecutive week, and for the 99th week in her career. She had to withdraw before the third round in Texas because of a swollen eye from an infection likely caused by allergies.

No. 2 So Yeon Ryu could have taken over the top spot in the world by finishing first or second, but had a closing 75 to tie for ninth. Ariya Jutanugarn, the third-ranked player who could have taken over No. 1 with a win, was a stroke off the 36-hole lead before consecutive weekend rounds of 76.

IRVING, Texas – Haru Nomura of Japan still had fun on another windy day on the LPGA Tour in North Texas.

Despite a 1-over par 72 with a late double bogey in the third round, she actually doubled her lead Saturday.

“I have fun, yeah,” said Nomura, who at 8-under 205 takes a two-stroke lead into the final round. “I like windy and tough conditions, and from fairway to green. Yeah, I love it.”

Namura, who led by only one stroke after 36 holes, leads by two over 17-year-old amateur Eun Jeong Seong (69), Cristie Kerr (70) and two-time Texas winner Inbee Park (71).

With winds of about 20 mph and a threatening storm creating difficult conditions for the second straight day, only three players shot in the 60s Saturday.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (70) was tied for 23rd at 1-over par after three rounds. Brooke Henderson (71) of Smiths Falls, Ont., was tied for 37th at 3 over.

Stacy Lewis had bogey-free 66 that pushed her from tied for 44th place after 36 holes up to fifth.

“I was excited about the early tee time because I knew getting out earlier would be an advantage to post a number and just see what happens,” Lewis said. “It’s playing really hard and you just have to be really patient.”

Lewis has 11 career victories, but hasn’t won since 2014, when the Texas event was the first of her three victories in a season when she was the LPGA’s top player.

Kerr won the LPGA Lotte Championship in Hawaii two weeks ago before the tour had last week off. That was her 19th career victory.

“I’m just staying in the moment. If I make a mistake, I’m not getting too caught up in it,” Kerr said. “I don’t feel like I’ve peaked this week yet. I’ve had some chances to shoot some low numbers, but just haven’t quite made the putts.”

The second-round leaders teed off nearly 3 1/2 hours earlier than scheduled Saturday, and in threesomes instead of twosomes. But play was finished without any rain.

Nomura had actually stretched her lead to four strokes before the double bogey at the par-3 17th when her tee shot went over the green and into a hazard.

“I had the perfect distance, but just landing low pretty hard,” she said. “So that’s unlucky. That’s golf.”

She managed to save par at the par-5 18th after her second shot went well left, bounced hard off a concrete cart path and ricocheted way past the green.

Ariya Jutanugarn started the day a stroke off the lead and with a win this weekend would take over as the world’s No. 1-ranked player. But the third-ranked Jutanugarn shot a 76 with six bogeys and settled in a group of five players, including her sister Moriya (74), who are five strokes off the lead.

Lydia Ko, ranked No. 1 for 79 straight weeks, withdrew before the third round because of an eye infection.

Her agent said in a statement that Ko has a swollen eye from an infection, likely caused by allergies that have been bothering her all week. A doctor advised Ko not to wear contact lenses until she got better.

The only other player who could overtake Ko at the top of the Rolex Rankings is No. 2 So Yeon Ryu, if she finishes first or second in Texas. Ryu shot a 68 on Saturday to get to 2-under 211.

After 79 players started play Saturday, there were 53 who made the secondary cut to advance to the fourth round.

IRVING, Texas – The stubborn winds of North Texas might frustrate some golfers. Not Haru Nomura.

Nomura shot a 6-under 65 on Friday for a two-round total of 133 and a one-shot lead in the North Texas LPGA Shootout.

“My mind was very calm today,” Nomura said. “I like windy and tough conditions.”

Ariya Jutanugarn is second following a 67 with Suzann Pettersen another shot behind. Moriya Jutanugarn, Ariya’s older sister, is fourth at 136 along with two-time tournament winner Inbee Park and Marina Alex.

Lexi Thompson, playing in her first tournament since a rules violation cost her a likely victory in the season’s first major three weeks ago, shot a 72 after birdieing three of the first five holes. She’s nine shots behind at 142.

First-round leader M.J. Hur also shot a 72 and trails by four strokes. Hur, who lives in McKinney, about 40 miles from the Las Colinas Country Club course, led after 18 holes last year and tied for second place.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (74) was the low Canadian, tied for 61st at 2-over par, while Brooke Henderson (71) of Smiths Falls, Ont., was tied for 67th at 3 over. Maude-Aimee Leblanc (74) of Sherbrooke, Que., and Calgary’s Jennifer Ha (80) both missed the cut.

Nomura’s best finish of the season is a tie for third at the opening Women’s Australian Open. She has two career wins in seven seasons on the tour.

She was 10-under for the tournament on Friday going into the par-5 18th but put her second shot left of the fairway under some trees. Punching out left her with a par putt that curled to the right of the hole.

Ariya Jutanugarn has yet to win this season after claiming five titles in 2016 and being named player of the year.

“Just keep doing like what I did today and keep like playing my own game and just go have fun,” she said.

Moriya Jutanugarn, who is 16 months older than Ariya, aced the 135-yard 13th. Her best career result is a fourth-place finish at the 2013 Women’s Australian Open.

The sisters are staying together, and Moriya said she’s looking forward to competing against Ariya.

“I try to beat her; she tries to beat me,” Moriya said. “It makes golf more fun.”

Dori Carter’s 8-under 63 broke the tournament record by one shot. Carter, winless in seven seasons on tour, eagled the par-5 3rd hole with a sand wedge from about 70 yards. That highlighted a run of six straight sub-par holes.

“You see the ball, and all of a sudden you don’t see the ball,” Carter said. “And I hear the crowd. My parents are the crowd.”

Thompson’s 3-over back nine included a double bogey on the par-3 17th. Her tee shot landed 5 feet in front of the pin but rolled off the back of the green and into back water.

“It just wasn’t my day, I guess,” she said.

Park won at Las Colinas in 2013, when she was the player of the year, and again in 2015. After missing five cuts in 10 starts last season, she said she’s treating her 11th year on tour like it’s her first.

“I was getting a little too bored of the game and losing a little bit of concentration,” Park said. “I try to appreciate whatever is happening. It makes me a lot more happy.”

Defending champion Jenny Shin followed Thursday’s 71 with a 72, trailing by 10.

Eighty players made the cut, which was 3 over. There will be a second cut after Saturday’s third round to the top 50 and ties.

With rain forecast for Saturday afternoon and evening in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the third round will be played in threesomes beginning earlier than scheduled and sent off split tees.

IRVING, Texas – Lexi Thompson was pleased with her first LPGA Tour round since a rules violation cost her a likely victory in the first major tournament of the year. And her Thursday round even included a consultation with a rules official.

Thompson shot a 2-under 69, leaving her four strokes behind leader M.J. Hur in the North Texas LPGA Shootout.

“I’m glad to be back in competition,” Thompson said. “All I’m focused on is the tournament that I’m at right now out here in Texas. I’m going to Japan next week. I’m forgetting about it all. It’s time to move.”

Hur had a bogey-free 65 on a blustery, sunny day at Las Colinas Country Club. Ariya Jutanugarn and Michelle Wie were a stroke back along with Katherine Kirk, Jennifer Song, Sung Hyun Park, Sandra Changkija and Marina Alex.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was the low Canadian at 1-under 70, good for 32nd. Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was 2-over 73 to tie for 70th, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was grouped at 88th after a 3-over 74 round and Calgary’s Jennifer Ha was 4-over 75.

Three weeks ago in the ANA Inspiration in California, Thompson was given a four-shot penalty with six holes to play – two shots for replacing her golf ball in the right spot on the 17th green, and two more shots for signing an incorrect scorecard because it happened on Saturday and it wasn’t detected by a TV viewer until Sunday. She wound up losing in a playoff to So Yeon Ryu.

Golf’s ruling bodies just this week announced new limits on video evidence that could spare players from being penalized even if committing a violation.

Thompson started on the back nine early Thursday afternoon and made the turn at 2 under after birdieing the par-4 16th and par-5 18th. She bogeyed the par-4 first and birdied the par-5 seventh after leaving a 30-foot eagle putt a half-inch short.

The 540-yard par-5 seventh hole is the longest on the course. The 233-yard second shot by Thompson, who went into Thursday leading the LPGA Tour in driving distance at an average of 275.6 yards, came to rest just beyond the green in the fringe and between two sprinkler heads.

Thompson sought out the official, who confirmed that the local rule allows relief within two club lengths of the green. Thompson’s ball sat just beyond that distance.

“I might as well ask,” she said, “but it ended up not being in my way.”

Thompson’s one bogey was the one green that she missed.

“I hit a great second shot,” she said. “The wind just absolutely killed it. It looked like the ball was coming down backward.”

Hur, a South Korean who lives about 40 miles from Las Colinas in McKinney, hit the first 14 greens in regulation and 16 overall. The streak ended when her tee shot on the 390-yard, par-4 15th sailed right in the wind and landed in the water. She saved par with a 30-foot putt.

“Everything was really good today, and I really liked the putter,” Hur said. “The wind was swirling on every hole. It gave me a headache.”

She won the last of the two tour titles in 2014

Top-ranked Lydia Ko, who turned 20 on Monday, shot a 70 in her first round with the latest of 10 caddies since turning pro in 2014, Peter Godfrey. She recently dismissed Gary Matthews after only nine events.

“I kind of needed somebody with a little bit more positive kind of thing and more a nice, confident energy,” Ko said. “Hopefully, that will happen between Peter and I.”

Defending champion Jenny Shin bogeyed two of her three last holes for a 71.

IRVING, Texas – Lexi Thompson paused, tears welling up in her eyes, when asked about how difficult things have been since a viewer-cited penalty cost her what appeared to be a sure victory in the LPGA Tour’s first major of the year.

Thompson stopped for more than 30 seconds after starting to answer the question Wednesday, a day before teeing off in Texas for her first tournament since the ANA Inspiration in California.

“That’s one of my favourite tournaments, and it’s always a dream of mine to just see myself jumping into Poppie’s Pond,” said the 22-year-old Thompson, who got to do that after winning at Mission Hills in 2014. “I played amazing that week. I don’t think I’ve ever played better, and just for that to happen it was just, it was kind of a nightmare.”

On the 13th hole in the final round April 2, Thompson had a three-stroke lead before being informed that she was being penalized four strokes for an infraction on the 17th hole the previous day that was pointed out by a television viewer by email.

Thompson, in her first media session since losing in a playoff at the ANA, said she didn’t intentionally put her ball back down in the wrong spot before making the 15-inch par-saving putt on the Dinah Shore Course with absolutely perfect greens.

“I have seen the video and I can see where they’re coming from with it. It might have been, I guess, me rotating the ball,” she said. “I have always played by the Rules of Golf. … I did not mean it at all.”

Golf’s ruling bodies just this week issued a new decision that limits the use of video evidence and could spare players from being penalized even if they violated a rule. The decision went into effect immediately on all tours around the world.

Players can avoid a penalty if the violation could not be noticed with the naked eye. Rules official also can eliminate penalties if they feel players made a “reasonable judgment” in taking a drop or replacing their golf balls on the putting green.

Thompson said she hadn’t read too much into the changes, but said, “any rule that’s made to make the game more simple, I think, is great for the game of golf.”

The U.S. Olympian also hadn’t spoken to any LPGA Tour rules officials about the new rule, and didn’t know if she would have been penalized had the new standards been in effect three weeks ago.

On the placement that got her penalized, Thompson said she was trying to take her time and make sure she made that putt after a birdie attempt that came up short on the 27th of 28 holes she had to play that Saturday at Mission Hills because she also had to finish her second round.

“I got up to it and thought about tapping it in, but I was pretty mad after my first putt because I put a terrible stroke on it,” she said. “My dad always told me I’ve missed a lot of putts by just going up and tapping them in. I’ve stubbed a few, done all that. I was just like ‘Lexi, just relax, mark the putt, it’s a major championship, you don’t need to go up and miss this little putt.”

So Thompson marked her ball, took a practice stroke, took a deep breath and made sure she made the putt.

Thompson, the fifth-ranked women’s player in the world, has three top-four finishes in her six starts on the LPGA Tour this season.

“I’m very excited. I’m happy to be here in Texas,” she said. “I’m really focused on this week to just get back playing again. My game is in a great spot. … I’ve been working hard the last three weeks, so I’m excited to tee it up and get this all behind me.”

With less than two months until the Manulife LPGA Classic, the application period has officially opened for the Manulife Ladies Classic Award. One high-achieving female amateur golfer will be selected by Manulife for a unique opportunity to play with some of the world’s best golfers in the Manulife LPGA Classic from June 8 – 11, 2017 at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, Ontario.

“The Manulife LPGA Classic is one of only two LPGA tour stops in Canada, so the more Canadian golfers we have participating, the better,” said Marianne Harrison, President & CEO, Manulife Canada. “We are looking for a standout amateur golfer who demonstrates consistently high-performance in the sport, and an individual who sets a positive example of active, healthy living and community engagement.”

To apply, eligible golfers must complete the online application and submit a short video demonstrating their passion, including thoughts on why they should receive an opportunity to compete. The deadline for applications is May 11, 2017.

In 2015, Manulife and tournament owner Sports Properties International approached the LPGA to increase the size of the Manulife LPGA Classic field by six spots to 150 to encourage more Canadian golfers to compete. To deliver on that intention, Manulife created a Canadian-focused sponsor exemption strategy. One element of that strategy was the creation of the Manulife Ladies Classic Award. Last year, Thornhill’s Selena Costabile was the inaugural recipient of the award.

“It’s great to work with partners like Manulife who bring new ideas to the table and care about making a difference in an amateur golfer’s career,” said John Gaskin, Manulife LPGA Classic Tournament Director, Bruno Event Team. “It’s rare to see this kind of opportunity offered on the tour and we’re excited to see who will be joining us and the world’s best in just a few short weeks.”

For full contest details and eligibility, visit www.manulifeclassic.ca/classic-award

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Cristie Kerr won the LPGA Lotte Championship on Saturday for her 19th tour title, closing with a 6-under 66 for a three-stroke victory.

The 39-year-old Kerr broke the tournament record at 20-under 268, a day after shooting 62 at Ko Olina to match the event mark. She earned $300,000 to top $18 million in her career.

Kerr hadn’t won in 30 starts since the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in 2015. She was a pedestrian 4 under halfway through Lotte, then made a made a big move. She birdied seven of the last eight holes Friday, soaring into contention with the 62 and growing comfortable walking in her birdie putts before they fell in the hole.

“People think that I do it intentionally,” she said. “It never happens when I try to do it intentionally. It’s just that once I know it’s in, I walk after it.”

Kerr called it “epic” and began to count the ways. She had complications with knee surgery in November, keeping her from hitting a shot for eight weeks, and from playing the first tournament of the year.

“It feels so good to have overcome so many things to be sitting here,” Kerr said. “I played great the last couple weeks coming into here, and I just have a different perspective on life now. I felt it on the golf course today. I was able to keep going forward because I didn’t put that extra pressure on myself.”

The American overcame sponsor invite Su-Yeon Jang, the South Korean player who led after the second and third rounds and was five ahead of Kerr after three holes Saturday.

Jang had a 70 to drop into a tie for second with top-ranked Lydia Ko (64) and In Gee Chun (67). Jang’s first bogey of the week came at No. 6 and she suffered double-bogey two holes later, falling into a tie for first with Kerr.

Canadian Alena Sharp, looking for her first LPGA Tour win in her 241st start, bogeyed the final hole for a 70 to finish alone in fifth at 16 under. The Hamilton native finished one shot ahead of second-ranked So Yeon Ryu (67). Sharp was in pursuit of her first LPGA title; her best finish on Tour came last season with a fourth place result at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

Fellow countrywoman Brooke Henderson fired a final-round 68 to climb into a tie for 11th at 11-under par (70-69-70-68).

Third-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn (69) and Stacy Lewis (6) were 14 under.

Ko was too far back to really challenge Kerr.

“Going into the day eight shots behind there is a huge difference between eight shots and five shots,” Ko said. “I knew that it would take the round of my life versus a mediocre round by everybody else. With how the girls are playing, it’s just really hard to mend the gap. Considering where I was after the first day (73), I’m pleased with where I finished.”

Kerr, who was a rookie the year Ko was born, has Top 10s in her last three starts.

“I can’t remember in 2 1/2 days that I had made so many birdies in my life,” she said. “That (first) day and a half that I had struggled a little with my swing feel it was an unbelievable run.”

She has four Top 10s at Lotte, and is the second American to win in the tournament’s six years here, after Hawaii’s Michelle Wie. Kerr also is the second American to win on the LPGA Tour this year.

“Experience is huge,” Kerr said. “Very few players are lucky enough like I am to have a career as long as I’ve had and be competitive as long as I’ve been competitive. Having that experience and being competitive, it’s an advantage.

“I felt like I didn’t have it on the first four or five holes, I didn’t worry, I didn’t rush, and soon as I made my first birdie it was kind of like off to the races. So experience definitely helps.”