Jutanugarn Defends, Solheim Update and More from Ricoh Women's British Open

WORLD’S BEST PLAYERS TAKE TO KINGSBARNS

For the first time in its 42-year history, the Ricoh Women’s British Open takes to Scotland’s Kingsbarns Golf Links, bringing the major championship back to St Andrews and the Home of Golf. While this is the first time the world’s best female golfers will visit Kingsbarns, the course, which sits just six miles southeast of the Old Course, is no stranger to hosting elite-level golf. Since 2011, Kingbarns has joined the Old Course and Carnoustie as host courses of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and counts Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie and Martin Kaymer among its champions. 

The Ricoh Women’s British Open is in its 18th year as an LPGA major championship. In 2016, Ariya Jutanugarn captured her breakthrough first major victory at England’s Woburn Golf and Country Club, where she took a three-stroke win over Mirim Lee and Mo Martin. It was the fourth of Jutanugarn’s five victories in 2016, and made her first player from Thailand, male or female, to win a major championship. 

This week is the culmination of 12 consecutive weeks of play on the LPGA Tour. It also marks the final event before the USA and Europe teams are named for the 2017 Solheim Cup. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE RICOH WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN

• Catriona Matthew is the only player from Scotland to win the Ricoh Women’s British Open; she won the 2009 championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, which will again host the event in 2018
• Since the Ricoh Women’s British Open became a major in 2001, three Americans have won the title: Sherri Steinhauer (2006, Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, England); Stacy Lewis (2013, the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland); and Mo Martin (2014, Royal Birkdale Golf Club, England)
• The great Japanese player Ai Miyazato has received a special exemption into the 2017 Ricoh Women’s British Open in honor of her impending retirement from professional golf, expected at the end of the 2017 LPGA season
• Dame Laura Davies advanced through Monday’s final qualifier, surviving a sudden-death playoff to earn a berth in her record 37th Ricoh Women’s British Open appearance 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 2016 CHAMPION ARIYA JUTANUGARN

• In 17 starts in 2017, Jutanugarn has one win (Manulife LPGA Classic, which she won with a birdie on the first playoff hole over In Gee Chun and Lexi Thompson), one runner-up finish (Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Match Play presented by Aeromexico and Delta, where she fell in the final to Sei Young Kim) and six additional top-10 finishes
• Currently No. 3 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, and held the No. 1 spot for two weeks in June 2017
• In 2016, she led the LPGA Tour with five wins and recorded 11 additional top-10 finishes
• In 2016, she became the second player to win the Rolex Player of the Year, Race to the CME Globe and the LPGA Official Money Title in the same season, joining Lydia Ko (2015)

WHO’S IN THE FIELD

Past Ricoh Women’s British Open Winners (7):

Karrie Webb (1995, 1997, 2002), Catriona Matthew (2009), Yani Tseng (2010, 2011), Stacy Lewis (2013), Mo Martin (2014), Inbee Park (2015), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016)

2017 LPGA Winners (19):

Brittany Lincicome (Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic), Ha Na Jang (ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open), Amy Yang (Honda LPGA Thailand), Inbee Park (HSBC Women’s Champions), Anna Nordqvist (Bank of Hope Founders Cup), Mirim Lee (Kia Classic), So Yeon Ryu (ANA Inspiration, Walmart NW Arkansas Championship), Cristie Kerr (LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey), Haru Nomura (Volunteers of America Texas Shootout presented by JTBC), Sei Young Kim (Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Match Play presented by Aeromexico and Delta), Lexi Thompson (Kingsmill Championship presented by JTBC), Shanshan Feng (LPGA Volvik Championship), In-Kyung Kim (ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer, Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning & O-I), Ariya Jutanugarn (Manulife LPGA Classic), Brooke Henderson (Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give), Danielle Kang (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship), Katherine Kirk (Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic), Sung Hyun Park (U.S. Women’s Open Championship), Mi Hyang Lee (Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open) 

USA SOLHEIM CUP UPDATE

The Ricoh Women’s British Open is the final event before the 2017 Solheim Cup returns to U.S. soil at Des Moines Golf & Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 18-20, 2017. The U.S. leads Europe, 9-5, in Solheim Cup competition following their historic comeback win in September 2015 at St. Leon-Rot Golf Club in Germany. The Americans trailed 10-6 heading into Sunday’s singles matches and overcame the largest deficit in the event’s history to win by a score of 14½ to 13½, the closest in the Cup history. 

Teams USA and Europe will both be named immediately following Sunday’s conclusion of play. With players who finish in the top 20 receiving double points, the stakes have never been higher. On the USA side, only 35 points separate spots seven through 12. Captain Juli Inkster will also have two captain’s selections to make, adding to what will surely be an exciting Sunday evening at Kingsbarns. 

THOMPSON REACHES NO. 2 IN THE ROLEX WOMEN’S WORLD GOLF RANKINGS

For the first time in her professional career, Lexi Thompson has reached No. 2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Thompson moved up after Ariya Jutanugarn finished outside of the top 5 at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open. So Yeon Ryu remains at the top of the rankings, with Jutanugarn (No. 3), Sung Hyun Park (No. 4) and Lydia Ko (No. 5) rounding out the top five.

Thompson’s performance over the rolling two-year ranking period consists of 26 top-10 finishes in 45 events, including four wins (three LPGA, one JLPGA) and seven runner-up finishes (six LPGA, one JLPGA). Since her first major championship win at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship, Thompson has finished in the top 10 in three of her last five major appearances. Her best finish at the Ricoh Women’s British Open is a tie for eighth in 2016. 

ROLEX ANNIKA MAJOR AWARD UPDATE

The Rolex ANNIKA Major Award recognizes the player who, during a current LPGA Tour season, had the most outstanding record in all five major championships. Points are awarded at all five major championships to competitors who finished among the top-10 and ties. To take home the award, a player must also win at least one of the five majors. 

Through the season’s first three majors, ANA Inspiration champion So Yeon Ryu leads with 78 points. She is followed by major champions Danielle Kang (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship) and Sung Hyun Park (U.S. Women’s Open Championship), who are tied for second with 60 points apiece. 

TWENTY-TWO WEEKS INTO THE RACE TO THE CME GLOBE

This week’s Ricoh Women’s British Open is the 22nd event in the season-long Race to the CME Globe. World No. 3 Lexi Thompson currently leads the standings with 2,554 points, followed by World No. 1 So Yeon Ryu (2,504 points) and World No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn (2,177 points). 

In 2017, the reset points for the Race to the CME Globe will be modified slightly. As a result of these modifications:

• The top five finishers entering Naples will control their own destiny at the CME Group Tour Championship
• If a player in the top five wins in Naples, she will also win the $1M CME Globe
• The top 12 finishers entering Naples will have a mathematical chance to win the $1M CME Globe
• Please note that previously, the top three controlled their destiny and top nine had a mathematical chance.