LPGA TRAVELS TO SOUTHEAST ASIA FOR WEEK FOUR OF THE 2019 SEASON
The world’s best female golfers head to Chonburi, Thailand for the 2019 Honda LPGA Thailand, held at Siam Country Club Pattaya’s Old Course. This week marks the third consecutive week of tournament action and the first of a two-week stretch in Asia.
The international 70-player field represents 15 different countries and includes nine of the top 10 players on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. No. 2 Sung Hyun Park and No. 3 So Yeon Ryu from Republic of Korea are both making their 2019 season debuts this week.
Defending champion Jessica Korda announced earlier this week on social media that she is unable to defend her title in Thailand and withdrew from the event due to injury. “Unfortunately, my recovery from my forearm injury has taken longer than we expected.” Korda hopes to kick off the 2019 season when the LPGA returns stateside for the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in Phoenix, Ariz.
Korda earned her fifth LPGA Tour victory at the 2018 Honda LPGA Thailand, setting the 72-hole tournament scoring record with a score of -25 at Siam C.C.’s Old Course. Her four-stroke victory over Moriya Jutanugarn and Lexi Thompson came not too long after a traumatic jaw surgery.
PLAYERS MODEL MODERN THAI SILK DRESSES
Opportunities to get dolled up don’t come as frequently as one may think for LPGA Tour major winners Paula Creamer, In Gee Chun, Georgia Hall and sponsor invites Muni He, Suzuka Yamaguchi, and Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras, who played a little dress up in modern Thai dresses, custom designed and fitted for each player.
The dresses were fashioned by Thai silk designer Passa Jeeranuntakij, known for her stylish silk dresses and swimwear. Each dress was form fitting and adorned each player, displaying magnificent colors and silk designs that enhanced their natural grace and poise.
LPGA PLAYERS GIVE BACK TO LOCAL THAI SCHOOL
As a part of Honda’s ongoing commitment to social responsibility, the LPGA Tour’s Shanshan Feng, Nasa Hataoka, Benyapa Niphatsophon, kid-loving Ariya Jutanugarn and Thai amateurs Atthaya Thitikul, Ribka Vania visited Klet Kaeo Elementary School on Tuesday to deliver educational materials to a group of students. The players spent their time interacting with children and painting the playground with a fresh coat of paint.
Players will also participate in various charitable activities throughout the week, such as “Beat the Pro,” which will generate proceeds that will go toward the organization’s CSR programs. Players have also donated items for the tournament’s Charity Night, which aims to generate proceeds for the Siriraj Foundation, benefitting Siriraj Hospital.
DESIGNATED HOLE FOR AON RISK REWARD CHALLENGE
The season-long Aon Risk Reward Challenge will highlight the world’s best professional golfers as they tackle the most strategically challenging holes across both the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR schedules. The player from each Tour on top of the Aon leaderboard at the end of the regular season will receive a $1 million prize. The scoring system is identical on both the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR, and players will take their best two scores from each Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole, with the winners having the best average score to par at the end of the season. Players must play a minimum of 40 rounds throughout the season. The Challenge runs across regular season tournaments (29 LPGA Tour; 36 PGA TOUR).
The designated Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole at the Honda LPGA Thailand is the 15th, a drivable par four depending on setup which offers players a strong risk-reward opportunity. It will be played at just 265 yards for two of the four rounds during the tournament with accessible hole locations for a possible eagle or albatross. Weather permitting, the hole will be set up as drivable on Friday and Sunday. Aon Insight - Since the first playing of the Old Course in 2007, 33 eagles have been made here so an aggressive game plan from the forward tee can pay dividends
For more information about the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, visit www.lpga.com/statistics/aon-risk-reward-challenge.
RACE TO THE CME GLOBE UPDATE
Last week’s ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open winner Nelly Korda leads the 2019 Race to the CME Globe with 690 points, followed by 2019 winners Celine Boutier in second with 549 points and Eun-Hee Ji in third with 500 points.
The 2019 season brings a fresh face to the Race to the CME Globe. LPGA Members will accumulate points at each official LPGA Tour event leading up to the CME Group Tour Championship. The top 60 points earners and ties will then earn a spot in the CME Group Tour Championship, with the entire field competing for the $5 million purse and the $1.5 million winner’s check, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf.
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