*All Tee Times Are Local Time
Brooke Henderson, Michelle Wie, In Gee Chun
Wednesday – 7:44 a.m. – 10th tee
Thursday – 12:39 p.m. – 1st tee
Michelle Wie, who captured this tournament in 2014, is playing the best golf since that 2014 season. She’s notched two top-10 finishes already, including a solo sixth at the ANA Inspiration two weeks ago. Wie should have some strong support this week as a Hawaii native. Henderson, meanwhile, hasn’t got off to the start she has hoped (a year ago she finished in the top 10 in eight of her first nine events) with a T4 being her best result of the year so far. The Canadian finished tied for 10th here a year ago. In Gee Chun has had a tremendous start to 2017, sitting fourth on the Race to the CME Globe thanks to four top-15 finishes in five events, including a tie for second at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup.
So Yeon Ryu, Lydia Ko, Ariya Jutanugarn
Wednesday – 12:39 p.m. – 1st tee
Thursday – 7:44 a.m. – 10th tee
For all the talk about Lydia Ko and Ariya Jutanugarn heading into the 2017 season, it’s Ryu’s start that has eclipsed them all. The winner of the ANA Inspiration two weeks ago, the year’s first major, hasn’t finished outside the top seven at any tournament so far this year. She’s got two runner-up finishes to her credit, along with the win. We all know what both Ko and Jutanugarn are able to accomplish on the golf course, though, which should make this pairing an exciting one for the first two rounds. Ko has three top-10 finishes so far this year and finished T21 here a year ago. Jutanugarn, meanwhile, has three top-3 results in 2017, and was tied for 15th here last year.
Inbee Park, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome
Wednesday – 12:50 p.m. – 1st tee
Thursday – 7:55 a.m. – 10th tee
With a win under her belt already this year, Inbee Park is rounding into Hall-of-Fame form. Park, who finished tied for third at the ANA Inspiration, finished tied for 68th at the 2016 LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey as the final event before missing most of the rest of the year due to injury. Kerr comes into the week having finished in the top 10 two tournaments in a row. Lincicome missed the cut last week at the ANA Inspiration, but did capture the season-opening Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic to get her year off on the right foot.
Moriya Jutanugarn, Minjee Lee, Paula Creamer
Wednesday – 1:01 p.m. – 1st tee
Thursday – 8:06 a.m. – 10th tee
The defending champion, Minjee Lee, comes into the week with some momentum, having finished tied for third at the ANA Inspiration. Lee hasn’t finished outside the top 15 at the LOTTE Championship, so look for her to contend again this week. Creamer, meanwhile, has been working on her game since the end of 2016 and is hoping to build off her season-best finish of a T30 at the HSBC Women’s Champions. Jutanugarn, hoping to follow in the footsteps of sister Ariya, has had a very steady start to 2017. She’s made every cut this year and has finished outside the top 16 only once, notching two top 10s.
Ai Miyazato, Brittany Lang, Jenny Shin
Wednesday – 1:12 p.m. – 1st tee
Thursday – 8:17 a.m. – 10th tee
2017 marks the five-year anniversary of Miyazato’s win at the LOTTE Championship, and she’s hoping to take advantage of some good vibes in Hawaii, as her best finish in 2017 is only a T40 at the ANA Inspiration. Shin, meanwhile, hasn’t missed a cut in 2017. She finished tied for 7th here in 2015. Like Shin, Lang hasn’t missed a cut this season, and finished T23 at the LOTTE Championship a year ago.
)
)
)
)
