The LPGA spends a second consecutive week in Canada as the Tour stops in Cambridge, Ontario for the Manulife LPGA Classic at Whistle Bear Golf Club.
Suzann Pettersen returns to the site of her 15th and most recent LPGA win where she outlasted 2012 inaugural champion and Manulife ambassador Brittany Lang by one-shot in 2015.
"I always love coming back to Canada," Pettersen said. "It's always great to come back to places you've done well on. Played really good here last year, had a nice battle coming down the stretch there. But I like the course. The course is in great shape again this year. So excited to get started."
The tournament is celebrating its fifth year anniversary this year and returns to Whistle Bear after being held at Grey Silo Golf Course from 2012-2014.
WHO’S IN THE FIELD
Past Manulife LPGA Classic Champions (2):
Suzann Pettersen (2015), Brittany Lang (2012)
Canadians (13:
Selena Costabile (a), Josee Doyon (a), Jennifer Ha, Brooke Henderson, Lorie Kane, Jennifer Kirby, Maude-Aimee
Leblanc, Samantha Richdale, Alena Sharp, Maddie Szeryk (a), Anne Catherine Tanguay, Vivian Tsui, Nicole Vandermade
Olympians (29):
Laetitia Beck (Israel), In Gee Chun (Korea), Carlota Ciganda (Spain), Sandra Gal (Germany), Julieta Granada
(Paraguay), Brooke Henderson (Canada), Charley Hull (Great Brittan), Karine Icher (France), Ariya Jutanugarn
(Thailand), Sei Young Kim (Korea), Lydia Ko (New Zealand), Minjee Lee (Australia), Stacy Lewis (USA), Xi Yu Lin
(China), Pernilla Lindberg (Sweden), Alejandra Llaneza (Mexico), Gaby Lopez (Mexico), Caroline Masson (Germany), Catriona Matthew (United Kingdom), Stephanie Meadow (Ireland), Giulia Molinaro (Italy), Azahara Munoz (Spain), Su Oh (Australia), Suzann Pettersen (Norway), Paula Reto (South Africa), Alena Sharp (Canada), Ashleigh Simon (South Africa), Kelly Tan (Malaysia), Mariajo Uribe (Colombia)
Amateurs (3):
Selena Costabile, Josee Doyon, Maddie Szeryk
LPGA NUMBERS TO KNOW
21.26 - Average age of winners in 2016
21 - Thru 23 events, 21 were won by players 23 years old or younger
3 - Three teenagers have won on the LPGA Tour in 2016 (Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson, Minjee Lee)
7 - In the current Rolex Rankings, seven of the top-10 players in the world are 24 years old or younger
5 - In the current Rolex Rankings, the top-5 players hail from five different countries
8 - Players from eight different countries have won on the LPGA Tour in 2016
2016 LPGA LEADERS
Wins - 5 (Ariya Jutanugarn)
Top-10s - 12 (Lydia Ko)
Money List - $2,326,617 (Lydia Ko)
Scoring Average - 69.239 (Lydia Ko)
Race to CME Globe - 4,104 pts (Lydia Ko)
Rolex Player of the Year - 241 pts (Lydia Ko)
Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year - 867 pts (In Gee Chun)
MANULIFE HAS HEART: MORE THAN $1.2 MILLION IN DONATIONS
In July 2015, the Manulife LPGA Classic donated a total of $361,294 to St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation thanks to Manulife and Sports Properties International (SPI), marking the largest single-year donation in the tournament’s history. A total of $1,211,550 has gone to St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation since the tournament was introduced in 2012, surpassing the million dollar mark within four years.
For the third consecutive year, Manulife will match individual donations through the Manulife Match campaign. Alena Sharp helped promote the cause during this year’s Media Day Charity Challenge. Footage from the day can be viewed here.
On Friday, September 2, the Manulife LPGA Classic will support Women’s Heart Health with an all-you-can-wear-red dress code. Rock that red!!
RACE TO CME GLOBE ENTERS THE HOME STRETCH
The Race to CME Globe is entering its home stretch with 9 events left to decide who will be competing for the $1 million dollar first prize at the CME Group Tour Championship.
The top 72 LPGA Members and those tied for 72nd on the Race to the CME Globe Points Standings, ranked in the order of their position on the standings at the conclusion of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational Presented by Banamex will have earned their way into field at CME.
Once the players have qualified for the event the points will reset. After the reset, the players in the top-3 positions on the Race to the CME Globe Points Standings will be able to win the Race to the CME Globe with a win at the Tour Championship. Additionally, the players in the top-9 positions will have a mathematical chance to win the race based on various scenarios.
Lydia Ko (4,104 pts) has a narrow lead on Ariya Jutanugarn (3,856 pts) for first place through 23 events in 2016. Several notable players currently sit on the outside of the top-72 on the Race to CME Globe standings including Cheyenne Woods (101), Michelle Wie (118) and Yani Tseng (135).
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