ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ
Playing on the LPGA Tour allows the world’s best female golfers to explore a new city nearly weekly, and two players who routinely take advantage of that opportunity are Ryann O’Toole and Mariajo Uribe. On Friday night, the pair took to the infamous Alcatraz Island for an evening tour in what O’Toole called a “fascinating” experience and a “good distraction from golf.”
“It’s really important,” O’Toole said of keeping a balance between golf and life off the course. “I think sometimes we can get consumed with it. Sometimes you’ve got to think what’s your mental checkouts. I mean, even with like working out during tournament weeks and stuff like that, like it’s always trying to find a balance.”
It could just be coincidence…but Uribe and O’Toole both shot up the leaderboard Saturday afternoon, finishing as two of four players tied for fourth at 6-under par for the tournament.
The sun sets later in the spring, so the duo weren’t still at the former military prison in the dark for more than 20 minutes, which was just fine by Uribe, who said “I didn’t want to be there like later than that.”
WITH A WIN...
With a 15th LPGA title, Lydia Ko would tie Suzann Pettersen, Yani Tseng and Sally Little for 36th most all-time
With a winner’s check of $225,000, Ko is projected to move from 21st to 18th on the LPGA’s career money list with $8,915,059; $129,000 behind World Golf Hall of Fame member Meg Mallon
It would be Ko’s fifth LPGA title won in the state of California (2014 and 2015 Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, 2016 Kia Classic, 2016 ANA Inspiration)
Ko would win in her 44th start since her last win at the 2016 Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I
Jessica Korda would be the first player to capture multiple wins in 2018; in the 2017 season, nine players won two or more tournament titles
Korda would record multiple wins in a season for the second time in her career; in 2014 she won the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic and the Airbus LPGA Classic Presented by JTBC
Korda would record her sixth career LPGA victory and second in six starts in 2018
Korda would win on U.S. soil for the second time, joining the 2014 Airbus LPGA Classic presented by JTBC (Mobile, Alabama) – four of Korda’s previous five wins came outside the U.S.
Minjee Lee would notch her fourth career LPGA victory, placing her alone in fourth among Australian players on the LPGA All-Time Winners list behind Karrie Webb (41), Jan Stephenson (16) and Rachel Hetherington (Teske) (8)
Lee would have at least one victory in three of her first four LPGA seasons since her rookie campaign in 2015
Lee would be the first Australian player to win in 2018 and the first since Katherine Kirk at the 2017 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic
Mariajo Uribe or Ryann O’Toole would become the second consecutive Rolex First-Time Winner (Moriya Jutanugarn) and fourth overall of the 2018 season (Jin Young Ko, Pernilla Lindberg, Jutanugarn)
Moriya Jutanugarn would be the first back-to-back winner since Shanshan Feng won the 2017 TOTO Japan Classic and the 2017 Blue Bay LPGA
Annie Park would be the third Monday qualifier in LPGA history to go on to win the event; the last time a player who Monday qualified won was Brooke Henderson at the 2015 Cambia Portland Classic; Laurel Kean is the only other Monday qualifier to win an LPGA event in history (2000 State Farm LPGA Classic)
NOTABLE QUOTES
Lydia Ko, New Zealand (68-70-67, -11) on lucky breaks:
“Sometimes getting that friendly bounce or where you hit the tree and it comes out on the fairway, you take them. I felt like I haven’t been having the greatest luck at a few of the events and it’s been nice to kind of hit the tree and still be able to play from there.”
Jessica Korda, USA (68-67-71, -10) on putting herself in the final group Sunday:
“Oh, it feels great. Today was definitely tough, the wind was picking up in the afternoon. I’m not sure what golf course Lydia was playing, but she played great. I’m excited for tomorrow.”
Ariya Jutanugarn, Thailand (71-72-68, -5) on playing next to Juli Inkster on Saturday:
“Had so much fun. She’s like my idol, so I like look at her all the time.”
Minjee Lee, Australia (70-70-68, -8) on her position on the leaderboard:
“Yeah, I think it’s fun. I don’t know what the conditions will be like tomorrow, but I’m sure either way it’s going to be an exciting finish. Yeah, I think I’m in a great position.”
OF NOTE
Lydia Ko (-11, 205) has either held the lead or a share of the third-round lead 11 times in her career with five resulting in wins; the last time she held the third-round lead was the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open where she finished T3
Ko’s 54-hole score of 205 (-11) is her lowest mark since the 2017 Meijer LPGA Classic
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
In 2018, Ko has four top-20 finishes in eight starts; she is looking for her second top-10 finish of the season
In five starts this season, Jessica Korda (-10, 206) has a win (Honda LPGA Thailand) and two additional top-10 finishes; her scoring average of 68.850 is the lowest on Tour
Korda (two in 2014) is one of five American players with multiple wins in a season on the LPGA in the last five years alongside Lexi Thompson (two in 2017, two in 2015),Cristie Kerr (two in 2017, two in 2015), Michelle Wie (two in 2014) and Stacy Lewis (three in 2014)
Korda finished T27 the last time the LPGA played Lake Merced (2016 Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic)
Minjee Lee (-8, 208) won the 2012 U.S. Girls Junior that was held at Lake Merced Golf Club
The three-time LPGA Tour winner Lee has four top-10 finishes in seven starts in 2018
Lee is making her 36th start this week since her last victory at the 2016 Blue Bay LPGA
Last week’s HUGEL-JTBC LA Open winner Moriya Jutanugarn (-6, 210) is T4 heading into the final round; in her last three starts Jutanugarn has a win and two top-10 finishes
Through 54-holes Ryann O’Toole has the fewest number of bogeys in the field with just two; Mariajo Uribe has had only three, while Ko has the next fewest with four
Nine countries are represented by 13 different players in the top 10: New Zealand (Lydia Ko), USA (Jessica Korda, Ryann O’Toole, Annie Park, Mo Martin), Australia(Minjee Lee), Colombia (Mariajo Uribe), Thailand (Moriya Jutanugarn, Ariya Jutanugarn), England (Charley Hull), India (Aditi Ashok), China (Shanshan Feng), Japan (Nasa Hataoka)
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