Complete Field for the 2019 Kia Classic
The Kia Classic celebrates its tenth year and returns to Carlsbad, Calif. featuring one of the LPGA Tour’s strongest fields. 88 players out of the 144-player field represent 27 countries outside of the United States. The action is set to begin on Thursday, March 28th at Aviara Golf Club.
A look at the Kia Classic 2019 Field:
- 45 of the top 50 players on the 2018 Official Money List
- 20 of the top 25 players on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings including-
- Nine of the top 10 players in the world: No. 1 Sung Hyun Park, No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn, No. 3 Minjee Lee, No. 4 So Yeon Ryu, No. 5 Inbee Park, No. 6 Nasa Hataoka, No. 7 Lexi Thompson, No. 9 Jin Young Ko, No. 10 Brooke Henderson
- Eight of the nine past Kia Classic champions are in the field: Eun-Hee Ji (2018), Mirim Lee (2017), Lydia Ko (2016), Cristie Kerr (2015), Anna Nordqvist (2014), Beatriz Recari (2013), Yani Tseng (2012), Sandra Gal (2011)
- Four 2019 LPGA Tour winners: Sung Hyun Park (HSBC Women’s World Championship), Amy Yang (Honda LPGA Thailand), Celine Boutier (ISPS Handa Vic Open), Eun-Hee Ji (Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions)
- 60 LPGA Tour winners for a total of 318 LPGA Tour wins, including 29 LPGA Tour major winners for a total of 57 majors
- 13 LPGA Tour rookies representing eight different countries: Youngin Chun (KOR), Isi Gabsa (GER), Kristen Gillman (USA), Becca Huffer (USA), Jaclyn Lee (CAN), Jeongeun Lee6 (KOR), Ruixin Liu (CHN), Sarah Schmelzel (USA), Klara Spilkova (CZE), Lauren Stephenson (USA), Linnea Strom (SWE), Elizabeth Szokol (USA), Charlotte Thomas (ENG)
- Four of five winners of the LPGA Tour’s majors in 2018: Pernilla Lindberg (ANA Inspiration), Ariya Jutanugarn (U.S. Women’s Open), Sung Hyun Park (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship) and Angela Stanford (The Evian Championship)
- 2019 Solheim Cup Team Captains: Juli Inkster (Team USA) and Catriona Matthew (Team Europe), including assistant captain Laura Davies (Team Europe)
- Four players that have had babies in 2018: Karine Icher, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Gerina Piller
- Two players that are expectant mothers: Brittany Lincicome (baby girl due September 2019) and Sarah Jane Smith (baby boy due July 2019)
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