As the LPGA takes a break this week following the Asian Spring Swing of its 2015 schedule, let’s take a look at some of the noteworthy streaks that are in place:
Inbee Park’s bogey-free streak: Park played the entire HSBC Women’s Champions last week without a bogey. Her last bogey came on the 16th hole in the third round of the previous week’s Honda LPGA Thailand, pushing her bogey-free streak to 92 holes.
The streak can be attributed to a friendly wager with her father. In assessing her chances of winning last week, Park said the Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore was difficult for her. Park’s father challenged her that he would pay $500 for every birdie last week and Park would owe double that for every bogey. After making 15 birdies and no bogeys, Park’s father is $7,500 in debt.
“I don’t think he will pay me today,” Park said on Sunday. “He ran out of money since yesterday.”
Lydia Ko’s under-par streak: The top-ranked player in the world has gone 23 consecutive rounds under par after her runner-up finish at the HSBC Women’s Champions. She began the run with a 2014 LPGA season-ending victory at the CME Globe Championship and includes the New Zealand Women’s Open on the Ladies European Tour two weeks ago. She has finished in the top nine in nine consecutive starts, including three wins, a second, a T2 and a third. She also shot her career low round, a second-round 61, in winning in New Zealand.
South Korean surge continues: With South Korean Inbee Parks victory last week in the HSBC Women’s Champions, players of Korean heritage have won nine consecutive and 13 of the last 15 LPGA events. That number includes 10 players who currently claim South Korea as their home country, Korean-born New Zealander Lydia Ko (two wins) and Korean-American Christina Kim.
Best of first five weeks
- Eight players have played all five season-opening events and made every cut. They include Mina Harigae, Karine Icher, Christina Kim, Jessica Korda, Ilhee Lee, Pernilla Lindberg, Jenny Shin and Mariajo Uribe.
- Mo Martin has missed only 22 fairways this season (234 of 256, 91.4 percent). Julieta Granada and Chella Choi are tied for second at 87.5 percent.
- Yani Tseng has displayed a return to contention early this year with good finishes. Her power is also back, as she leads the LPGA in Driving Distance (277.6). Rookie Ariya Jutanugarn is second with a 275-yard average. Brittany Lincicome, the LPGA’s longest driver three of the last four years, is fourth at 267.5.
- The statistic that best shows the best player may be Greens in Regulation: Inbee Park is currently first at 83.3 percent and Lydia Ko is second at 82.6.
Etc.
Inbee Park has won 13 times in seven years on the LPGA, tied with Rosie Jones and Liselotte Neumann for 36th on the all-time wins list. Suzann Pettersen is just ahead of Park with 14 career wins. … The LPGA will play in the Western United States for five consecutive tournaments through late April, beginning next week at the LPGA Founders Cup in Phoenix before traveling to California and Hawaii. … Stacy Lewis won three times within a seven-tournament, two-month span in the middle of the 2014 season to rise to No. 1 in the world. Since her June 29 victory at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Lewis has recorded eight top-10 and three runner-up finishes.
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