Honda LPGA Thailand 2012
Siam Country Club, Pattaya Old Course
Chonburi, Thailand
February 13-19, 2012
This week’s top-three stories on the LPGA Tour - Honda LPGA Thailand 2012
What a difference a year makes. Last season, Yani Tseng entered the Honda LPGA Thailand with less than a one point lead over four other players in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings race. Twelve months later, she boasts more than a six point lead over Suzann Pettersen as the clear Rolex Rankings No. 1. What changed over the past year? Seven LPGA victories - including two major championships - and 14 total top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour helped. What will we be saying about Yani a year from now? Can she complete the Career Grand Slam with a win at the U.S. Women's Open? Will she earn enough points to qualifying for the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame (she currently has 21 of 27 points needed)? Time will tell.
| Rolex Rankings - Feb. 14, 2011 | ||||||
| Rank | Change | Name | Country | Events | Total Pts | Avg Pts |
| 1 | 1 | Yani Tseng | TPE | 53 | 548.26 | 10.34 |
| 2 | -1 | Jiyai Shin | KOR | 58 | 590.33 | 10.18 |
| 3 | 1 | Suzann Pettersen | NOR | 41 | 388.22 | 9.47 |
| 4 | -1 | Cristie Kerr | USA | 45 | 424.98 | 9.44 |
| 5 | 0 | Na Yeon Choi | KOR | 52 | 488.54 | 9.40 |
| Rolex Rankings - Feb 13, 2012 | ||||||
| Rank | Change | Name | Country | Events | Total Pts | Avg Pts |
| 1 | 0 | Yani Tseng | TPE | 50 | 790.72 | 15.81 |
| 2 | 0 | Suzann Pettersen | NOR | 42 | 378.03 | 9.00 |
| 3 | 0 | Na Yeon Choi | KOR | 52 | 467.35 | 8.99 |
| 4 | 0 | Cristie Kerr | USA | 44 | 378.44 | 8.60 |
| 5 | 0 | Paula Creamer | USA | 37 | 272.40 | 7.36 |
Is it time for back-to-back American winners? The LPGA has truly lived up to its "Golf Global Tour" moniker in recent years as U.S.-born players have not won consecutive official money tournaments since August/September 2008 - a span of 85 tournaments - when Cristie Kerr won the Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi and Angela Stanford won the Bell Micro LPGA Classic. Additionally, U.S.-born players have not won consecutives events to open a season since 2007, when Paula Creamer won the SBS Open at Turtle Bay and Stacy Prammanasudh - who will miss this week's Honda LPGA Thailand following the birth of her son, Ryp, in January - won the Fields Open in Hawaii. Following Jessica Korda's victory last week at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open, will we see another U.S. player step up? Keep in mind that Michelle Wie finished second and Paula Creamer finished fifth at last year's Honda LPGA Thailand.
All About Ryu! So Yeon Ryu (pronounced Soh Yun Yoo) is off to a hot start in 2012 with back-to-back ties for second at the RACV Australian Ladies Masters - an event sanctioned by the ALPG Tour and the Ladies European Tour - and the LPGA's season-opening ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open last week at Royal Melbourne. The 2011 U.S. Women's Open champion is searching for her second victory on the LPGA Tour - and first as a member of the LPGA - this week at the Honda LPGA Thailand. She currently leads the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race with 80 points.
