MEET MY FRIEND: PAR
Lake Merced Golf Club has proved to be a challenge for LPGA competitors over the years. The combination of Poa Annua grass in the rough and on the greens along with playing in the Bay Area elements have created an environment where low rounds are rare and pars are your friend.
Five-time LPGA Tour winner Jessica Korda, who shares the first-round lead at 4-under par, put “position golf” on top of her list of keys to playing well on this week’s par-72 layout.
“You want to be on the right side of each pin and hit as many fairways as you can because it is cold so the ball’s not flying as far so you’ve got a little bit longer clubs in than usual,” said Korda.
Lydia Ko, who won two of the previous three LPGA tournaments at this venue, called the wind the biggest factor at Lake Merced.
“I think the course itself is playing pretty similar, but I think the wind is a huge factor where we’ve played this golf course in super windy conditions and when it’s been calm, so we just kind of get a whole variety of playing conditions,” Ko noted.
Ko’s score of 12-under in 2014 was the lowest winning score in three years at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. Only once did the ultimate winner in that event hold the first-round lead (Ko in 2015) and no player put together four rounds in the 60s in the history of the previous LPGA tournament held here.
Nine-time LPGA winner Lexi Thompson was able to overcome a bogey on the first hole and the afternoon wind to collect four birdies on the day and head into Friday’s second round tied for sixth at 3-under par. Thompson made two starts at Lake Merced Golf Club when the LPGA was last in Daly City (she finished T6 in 2016 and T53 in 2015), and she knows how important it is to capitalize on birdie chances.
“This course is very challenging, especially when the wind picks up, and it’s chilly out here so it’s a little longer of a course, “ Thompson said. “ Some of the par 5s are reachable so you try to take advantage of that, but pars were good and just take the birdie chances as you can get them.”
Third-year LPGA player Su Oh was one of just three players to go bogey-free on Thursday. She’s tied for the lead at 4-under par, and said her past experiences at Lake Merced Golf Club helped her prepare for this week.
“I feel more comfortable and it’s a very - you’ve got to get the lines right on this course, it’s pretty tight,” Oh said. “So I think knowing and playing - being able to play it a few times definitely helps. I know you’ve got the prevailing wind as well, so you kind of have some sort of expectation and you kind of know what happens.”
NOTABLE QUOTES
Jessica Korda, USA (68, -4), on the Bay Area:
“I haven’t been able to do much this week, but in the past I’ve gone to Alcatraz, I’ve done the food tour. Basically, Yelp is my favorite thing here. We’ve Yelped so many great food places and I’ve seen a lot.”
Lydia Ko, New Zealand (68, -4), on turning 21 years old on Tuesday:
“I say hey, I’m probably like if it was at midnight I’m only like a second older than I was the day before. That’s just being way deep there. No, I don’t think I feel a huge difference, but I know turning 21 is a huge thing in the U.S. so I’m legal and I can do some fun things now.”
Caroline Hedwall, Sweden (68, -4), on adding the ability to draw the ball to her game:
“I normally play a fade, but like now I can actually hit a draw, too, if I want to. So some of the tee shots here you really need a draw to get around those trees and get in the fairways. I feel way more comfortable with that now than I did in the past.”
Lexi Thompson, USA (69, -3) on the LPGA returning to San Francisco:
“It’s so great to have this tournament back here. This is one of our best courses that we play and I was bummed to hear that we lost it last year, so it’s amazing that MEDIHEAL came in, sponsored this event and we have it back in San Francisco. Hopefully get a lot of people out here to support us this weekend and hopefully we have this tournament out here for even a longer time.”
OF NOTE
Five players are tied for the lead following Thursday’s first round, representing five different countries: Australia (Su Oh), New Zealand (Lydia Ko), Sweden (Caroline Hedwall), USA (Jessica Korda), and Republic of Korea (In-Kyung Kim)
Lydia Ko won the 2014 and 2015 Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic at Lake Merced Golf Club; also in 2012, Ko made it to the semifinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior at Lake Merced
Ko’s title in 2014 at Lake Merced kickstarted her record-setting rookie campaign where she ultimately won three tournaments to become the youngest-ever Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year at age 17; she also captured the inaugural Race to CME Globe in 2014
Ko successfully defended her title at Lake Merced Golf Club in 2015; her only successful title defense of her 14 tournament titles
In 2018, Ko has four top-20 finishes in eight starts; she is looking for her first top-10 finish of the season
Ko is making her 44th start this week since her last victory at the 2016 Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I
In five starts this season, Jessica Korda has a win (Honda LPGA Thailand) and two additional top-10 finishes; her scoring average of 68.850 is the lowest on Tour
Korda finished T27 the last time the LPGA played Lake Merced (2016 Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic)
Entering this week, Korda leads the LPGA in eagles with six; on Thursday at Lake Merced Golf Club she was one of eight players to score an eagle with hers coming at the par-5 fifth hole
In-Kyung Kim was one of two players, alongside Shanshan Feng, to record an LPGA-leading three victories in 2017
Kim is a seven-time LPGA winner and a major champion, capturing last year’s Ricoh Women’s British Open
Kim is making her fifth start of 2018 and is looking for her second top-10 finish – her best result this year is T4 at the Kia Classic
Caroline Hedwall is making her fifth start of the 2018 season this week – she has made just one cut at the Kia Classic where she finished T18
Hedwall, a three-time European Solheim Cup Team member, posted her best finish with a runner-up result at the 2014 Reignwood LPGA Classic – she hasn’t recorded a top-10 finish since 2016
2016 LPGA rookie Su Oh’s 4-under par 68 tied her season-best round, it is just her fourth under par round in 22 rounds played this season
Oh was one of just three players to go bogey-free on Thursday: Ryann O’Toole and Karine Icher both posted bogey-free rounds of 70
Oh previously has played at Lake Merced Golf Club in the 2012 U.S. Girls’ Junior, and in the 2016 (T19) and 2015 (MC) Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic
Oh represented Australia at the 2016 UL International Crown, but is on the outside looking in for the 2018 event right now; she is No. 101 in the Rolex Rankings behind No. 17 Minjee Lee, No. 53 Katherine Kirk, No. 77 Hannah Green and No. 90 Sarah Jane Smith
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park had one birdie and one bogey on Thursday to shoot even par in her first round back on top of the world rankings
LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member Juli Inkster shot even on Thursday in front of her hometown fans; in four starts this year Inkster has not made a cut yet
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