ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open Wednesday Pre-Tournament Notes

With 41 career LPGA victories (10th all-time), LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame member Karrie Webb is unquestionably Australia’s most accomplished professional golfer. On Wednesday, the five-time Australian Open champion reflected on comparisons to the level of fame achieved by the likes of Tiger Woods, Michelle Wie and Aussie legend Greg Norman.

Webb: “I definitely would not compare myself to Tiger or Michelle as far as the limelight is concerned. I dealt with a smaller period of that probably where it was every week. It’s not as intense as it used to be.  It took me a while. 

As a kid growing up, I looked up to Greg Norman and you look at the attention he got and you’re like, that would just be so cool; you get interviewed and win golf tournaments and all that, but you don’t really understand. 

I typically am a shy kid, I was a shy kid and so I had to learn to be able to sit here and express myself and be open and honest with you guys, in a way that you appreciated the stuff that was coming out of my mouth.

When I was younger, it did overwhelm me. It made me probably not enjoy all the good golf I played because I wasn’t used to the attention or being recognized if I went to the grocery store or something like that. It took me by surprise that I wasn’t really prepared for that.”

By now, it is well known that Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lydia Ko has undergone extensive changes to her golf game that include a new equipment partnership with Parsons Xtreme Golf as well as a new person carrying those clubs in Gary Matthews. The 19-year-old elaborated on what she and new coach Gary Gilchrist have been working on as she heads into her first start of the 2017 season.

“We didn't really rip the swing apart, especially I know it’s off season, but we don’t really have a long time where we’re going from something and making it to a totally different thing,” Ko explained. “We changed the set-up and I think the set-up has helped to make my take away a little bit different and I think those were the big things.”

It would be easy for Ariya Jutanugarn to look back on her dominant 2016 LPGA season in comparison as she progresses through 2017, but the reigning Rolex Player of the Year has her eyes firmly focused on the future.

Jutanugarn: “I’m not going to try to compare myself this year to last year, because this year, 2017 it’s not going to be like 2016.  I’m just going to try my best with everything and try to be more happy on the course and try to have fun.  That’s all I need to do.”

The current top two players in the world were paired together on the final day of the 2015 Australian Open at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Victoria. Ko (-9) shot a final round 71 for a two-shot victory over Amy Yang, while Jutanugarn’s 76 on Sunday resulted in a solo third place finish at 4-under.

Karrie Webb’s last LPGA win came at the 2014 JTBC Founders Cup, part of a two-win season that included her 2014 Australian Open victory. Webb has nine top-8 finishes on the LPGA since her last win including a runner-up performance at The Evian Championship in 2014 and a season-best third place finish at the 2016 Australian Open.

Karrie Webb ranks first among active LPGA players in wins (41; 10th all-time) and career money ($20,011,011; 2nd all-time). She became just the second player (joining Annika Sorenstam) in LPGA history to surpass the $20 million career earnings mark after a T38 finish at the 2016 TOTO Japan Classic.

Webb became the youngest player in LPGA history to complete the Career Grand Slam (26 years, 6 months, 3 days) at the 2001 McDonald’s LPGA Championship. She then became the first and only player to complete the Super Career Grand Slam by winning the 2002 Weetabix Women’s British Open (27 years, 7 months, 18 days).

Lydia Ko’s last victory came at the 2016 Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I after a four-hole playoff, where Ko outlasted Ariya Jutanugarn and Mirim Lee for her 14th career LPGA win.

Three players, two 20 or younger, won back-to-back tournaments on the LPGA in 2016 (Lydia Ko – 18 years old – Kia Classic, ANA Inspiration; Ariya Jutanugarn – 20 years old – Yokohama Tire Classic, Kingsmill Championship, Volvik Championship; Shanshan Feng – 27 years old – Blue Bay LPGA, TOTO Japan Classic). It was the first time the LPGA has had more than one player win consecutive tournaments since 2013 when Stacy Lewis (2 in-a-row), Inbee Park (3 in-a-row) and Suzann Pettersen (2 in-a-row) each accomplished the feat.

Lydia Ko became the youngest female ever to win two major championships with her win at the 2016 ANA Inspiration (18 years, 11 months, and 9 days). She became the second-youngest golfer (male or female) to two major wins and youngest since Young Tom Morris won the 1869 Open Championship.

Last season, Ariya Jutanugarn became the first player in Tour history to have the first three wins of her career come in consecutive tournaments (Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, Kingsmill Championship, Volvik Championship). She is also the first player since Inbee Park in 2013 to win three LPGA tournaments in a row.

With her win at the 2016 RICOH Women’s British Open, Ariya Jutanugarn became the first ever major champion (male or female) from Thailand.

In 2016, Ariya Jutanugarn became just the second player to win the Race to the CME Globe, Official Money title and the Rolex Player of the Year in the same season (Lydia Ko in 2015).