Hyo Joo Kim, Pernilla Lindberg, Brittany Lincicome
Thursday - 7:49 a.m. – 1st Tee
Hyo Joo Kim will begin her title defense at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic alongside Pernilla Lindberg and Brittany Lincicome. Kim is in search of the spark she found on the island in 2016 when she won her third career victory on the LPGA Tour. Since her win, Kim has slid from No.4 to No.25 in the world. With some work on her game and increased exercise this off-season, Kim hopes to successfully defend her title this week. Lindberg is in search of her first win on Tour. In October, the Swede played well in similar conditions. She finished seventh at Blue Bay LPGA for her best finish of the year. Lindberg was T-30 in this event in 2016. Lincicome played well in this event last year, closing with an eight-under par, 65 on Sunday to finish in a share of eighth.
Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson, Yani Tseng
Thursday - 8:00 a.m. – 1st Tee
Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson and Yani Tseng will play together on Thursday and Friday. Thompson is looking to build on the success she’s had in this event over the past two years when she finished T-7 in 2015 and T-17 in 2016. Henderson is making her third start in this event. Her first three victories on Tour came on heavily tree-lined courses and a victory in the Bahamas would be a first of its kind for the Canadian. Henderson finished T-21 in this event in 2016. Tseng, formerly ranked as world No.1, is looking to make her first cut in this event. Tseng opened with rounds of 76-76 to miss the weekend in 2016.
Ariya Jutanugarn, Gaby Lopez, Charley Hull
Thursday - 8:11 a.m. – 1st Tee
The highest ranked player in the field this week, Ariya Jutanugarn, will play alongside Gaby Lopez and Charley Hull in the opening rounds of the Tour’s first event of the year. Jutanugarn has had mixed success in this event, having lost in playoff in her rookie season in 2015, she then missed the cut last year after a second round 78. The long-hitter won’t be using her driver this week, a decision she made throughout 2016 due to lack of confidence with the club, but says it will be back in the bag sometime this season. Lopez begins her second season on the LPGA Tour in 2017. She kicked off her rookie season in the Bahamas in 2016 and finished in a share of 31st. Hull, the last player to win on Tour at the 2016 CME Group Tour Championship, begins her season in the Bahamas in search of her second win on Tour. Hull held a share of both the first and second round lead in this event last season before ultimately finishing in a share of eighth.
Gerina Piller, Sei Young Kim, Morgan Pressel
Thursday - 12:15 p.m. – 10th Tee
Gerina Piller, Sei Young Kim and Morgan Pressel are grouped together in the opening rounds of the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. Piller makes her fifth start in this event this week and is in search of her first victory on Tour. She came close to winning throughout the 2016 season, which included nine top-10s. Piller finished seventh in the Bahamas in 2015. Kim captured this event in her first start as a rookie on the LPGA Tour, winning in a playoff for her first of three wins in 2015. Pressel is the third member of this group and is in search of her first win since 2008. Pressel finished runner-up twice on Tour in 2016.
Madelene Sagstrom, Nelly Korda, Michelle Wie
Thursday - 12:37 p.m. – 10th Tee
Epson Tour graduates Madelene Sagstrom and Nelly Korda will play alongside Michelle Wie on Thursday and Friday. Sagstrom was a three-time winner on the Epson Tour in 2016 and set a new single-season earning record. This week marks her third start on Tour, her best finish came in a share of 46th at the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open. Korda also earned her status on Tour by way of the Epson Tour. She’s making her fifth start on Tour this week. Her best finish came in a share of 59th at the U.S. Women’s Open in 2016. Wie is playing with a new set of clubs in the bag this year. With Nike opting out of the equipment business, Wie made the move to Callaway for 2017. She’ll look to continue the momentum she found at the end of 2016 when she posted her first top-10 of the year in similar conditions at the Blue Bay LPGA in October.
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