The final LPGA major of the year – the AIG Women’s British Open – will decide the winner of the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award and it’s a three-woman race involving Jin Young Ko, Jeongeun Lee6 and Hannah Green. Ko, the winner of last week’s Evian Championship, is in the driver’s seat.
With her win Ko, who also won the ANA Inspiration, now has 120 points while Lee6 has 70 and Green 60. If Lee6, who won the U.S. Women’s Open, takes the Women’s British Open and Ko finishes sixth they tie for the RAMA title. If Ko finishes fifth or higher, she wins.
If Green, winner of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, triumphs at Woburn Golf Club and Ko finishes outside the top 10 at AIG, they tie for the title. If Green wins the British Open and Ko in tenth or higher, she wins.
If there is a tie, the award goes to the player with the most majors but in this case both would have two. The next tiebreaker is the most second-place major finishes. If that is the same number they go to third-place finishes and so on until the tie is broken.
“The final-round charge by Jin Young Ko in the Evian Championship helped her clinch her second major of the year,” said ten-time major champion Annika Sorenstam, for whom the RAMA award is named.
“This puts her at the top of the Rolex Annika Major Award,” Sorenstam said. “Her solid play and consistent performance in the majors especially has made her not just No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings but also the player to beat this year.”
Hyo Joo Kim, who tied for second at Evian, is tied for fourth in RAMA points with Lexi Thompson at 42. Sung Hyun Park has 34 points and Se Yeon Ryu has 26.
“Jin Young is displaying all the attributes that the RAMA award represents,” Sorenstam said. “We look forward to this week’s AIG British Open and final major.”
Points are awarded as follows: 1st place - 60 pts.; 2nd place - 24 pts.; 3rd place - 18 pts.; 4th place - 14 pts.; 5th place - 12 pts.; 6th place - 10 pts.; 7th place - 8 pts.; 8th place - 6 pts.; 9th place - 4 pts.; 10th place - 2 pts.
The RAMA award has quickly established itself as a key component in evaluating a player’s career. So far, no one has won the RAMA twice, with Ariya Jutanugarn, Lydia Ko, Inbee Park, Michelle Wie and Ryu claiming the title first awarded in 2014. This year will have the sixth different winner.
“I am very proud to have this award with Rolex and the LPGA,” Sorenstam said. The RAMA extends a decades-long relationship between Rolex and the LPGA, adding it to the Rolex Player of the Year, Rolex Rookie of the Year and Rolex Rankings.
“Rolex began its association with women’s golf in 1980,” said Arnaud Boetsch, Director of Communication and Image for Rolex. “The establishment of the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award aligns perfectly with our philosophy of rewarding exceptional achievement.”
Season six of the RAMA will come to a close on Sunday at the AIG Women's British Open and it could be the most dramatic yet with the possibility it goes to a tiebreaker.
)
)
)
)
