FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
No tournaments have featured a Rolex First-Time Winner through 12 events in 2017. In 2016, nine events featured Rolex First-Time Winners, which was the most first-time winners since 2005 (10).
The ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer also marks the 13th event of 2017 and the Tour is still looking for the first repeat winner of the season. In 1991, there was not a multiple tournament winner until the 16th event of the year.
Between 1991 and 2017, the Tour had its first repeat winner on the 10th try several times, but 1991 is the last time it went more than 10 events to have a player reach two wins on the year.
In 1985, the first repeat winner came in the 11th event, which is the only other time in history the Tour has gone this far without a repeat winner.
NO. 1 FACTS:
9 - Nine different golfers have been No. 1 in their career since the Rolex Rankings started in 2006: Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, Jiyai Shin, Ai Miyazato, Cristie Kerr, Yani Tseng, Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park, Lydia Ko.
7 - Seven different countries have held the top spot: Sweden, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, United States, Chinese Taipei, New Zealand.
2 - South Korea (Jiyai Shin, Inbee Park) and the United States (Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis) each have had two players reach No. 1.
158 - The number of consecutive weeks Lorena Ochoa held the top spot from April 23, 2007 to May 2, 2010. Yani Tseng holds the second longest streak at 109 weeks. Third best is Lydia Ko’s current streak of 83 consecutive weeks starting from Oct. 26, 2015.
103 - Total number of weeks Lydia Ko has held the top spot. Two weeks shy of two full calendar years.
32 - Number of majors won by the nine players to hold the No. 1 spot. Annika Sorenstam won 10 major championships. Ai Miyazato is the only No. 1 player who hasn’t won a major in their career.
QUICK HITS
- Cristie Kerr became the second American to win on the LPGA Tour this year, as she posted a four-day total of 20-under 268 to break the LOTTE Championship tournament record for her 19th LPGA tournament title
- At the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout, Kerr lost in a playoff, just missing out on becoming the first player to win twice in 2017
- With her win at the LOTTE Championship, Kerr earned $300,000 – moving her into fourth on the 2017 LPGA Official Money List – pushing her over $18 million in her career (she sits third on the LPGA Career Money List)
- In 16 starts at Stockton Seaview, Kerr has racked up a win (2004) and six additional top-25 finishes
- In her nine starts in 2017, Ryu has finished worse than T10 only once and she won the season’s first major at the ANA Inspiration for her second career major win and fourth career victory
- Ryu’s season scoring average of 68.44 is the top mark on Tour, and she needs $90,527 to be the first to top the $1 million in single season earnings mark
- In three starts at the Stockton Seaview, Ryu has one top-25 finish coming back in 2012
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Yeah, there’s always good vibes, yeah. I’ve always loved this golf course. It suits my eye. You have to play well to win. I like coming back here.”
-Cristie Kerr on coming back to Stockton Seaview