THIS WEEK ON THE LPGA TOUR
Week of June 1, 2015
Manulife LPGA Classic
Whistle Bear Golf Club
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
TOP STORYLINES
INBEE READY TO DEFEND
In 2014, after a year’s absence, Inbee Park picked a heck of a way to storm back into the winner’s circle Sunday, setting an LPGA fi nal round record for a winner with a blistering 10-under-par 61 to come from two strokes behind entering the final
round to secure her fi rst win of the season at the Manulife LPGA Classic.
Since her win at Manulife last year, Park has arguably been the best player in the world as in 23 events she has captured four titles and recorded nine additional top-5 finishes, including a T5 at ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer last week.
Thus far in 2015, Park has a pair of victories and leads the Tour in several statistical categories including scoring average (69.62)), top-10 finishes (7) and rounds under par (35 of 43).
OH CANADA
The Manulife Classic field features 10 Canadian players. Three - Alena Sharp, Rebecca Lee Bentham and Sue Kim - are full-time LPGA players. Six - Brittany Henderson, Brooke Henderson, Lori Kane, Jennifer Kirby, Sara-Maude Juneau and Augusta James - received sponsor invites and Natalie Gleadall made the field by shooting 72 in the Monday qualifier.
Brooke Henderson is the highest ranked Canadian golfer ranking 69th in the latest Rolex Rankings, while Alena Sharp is tops on the offi cial LPGA money list coming in at 84th with $52,095.
ROLEX RANKINGS NO. 1 LYDIA KO RETURNS TO ACTION
After taking the week of ShopRite off , Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lydia Ko will be back in action at the Manulife LPGA Classic.
The 18-year-old is off to a great start in her sophomore campaign as she leads the money list with a pair of victories and seven top-10 fi nishes in 10 events.
Ko has a solid history in Canada with her first two LPGA wins coming at the Canadian Women’s Open in 2012 and 2013 when she was just 15 and 16 years old respectively. In her lone Manulife start, Ko finished T4 last season.
NORDQVIST COMING OFF SHOPRITE VICTORY
Anna Nordqvist lined up her putt for the win on the 18th, looked straight ahead and saw her mother standing greenside Sunday for what is Mother’s Day in Sweden. As a present, Nordqvist poured in the bogey putt, hugged her mother, Maria, delivering her fi fth career LPGA win at the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer – the first time her mother or anyone in her immediate family has ever been in attendance to witness one of her victories.
“That was pretty special because my mom’s been there through thick and then,” Nordqvist said, “And you know, helped me through my downs and pushed me through my ups. So very special.”
This marks Nordqvist’s first win this season – but third in the last two seasons.
Nordqvist joined some esteemed company, becoming just the fourth player to record at least three wins over the past two season. The only other three: Lydia Ko, Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis.
NEW YEAR, NEW VENUE
The Manulife LPGA Classic has produced some remarkable finishes in its three season as an event. From the fi rst two installments being decided in playoff s, with Brittany Lang (2013) and Hee Young Park (2014) taking home titles, to Inbee Park’s remarkable 61 last year, the Waterloo Region has seen some great golf.
This year the great golf will remain the same but the venue changes to Whistle Bear Golf Club, a 6,613 yard track in Cambridge. Players seem to have taken notice of the new venue as nine of the top-10 golfers on the 2015 money list and 18 of the top-20 are in the fi eld this week.
WIE WD
Michelle Wie withdrew from the Manulife LPGA Classic last Friday, May 29, following her second round at ShopRite, due to a hip injury.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
61 - Inbee Park shot a final round 61 to come-from-behind and capture the 2014 Manulife Classic
6 – Defending champ Inbee Park has finished in the top five in six of her last 10 starts.
10 - Number of Canadians in the field this week
2 – The first two years of the event featured playoffs. Brittany Lang captured the first edition, while Hee Young Park captured the second.
3 – Morgan Pressel has three top three finishes in her last six starts.
5 – Anna Nordqvist’s number of career wins after her win at ShopRite
5 - In fi ve years, the LPGA Tour has gone from 23 events to 33 events
QUICK FACTS
Field: 144 professionals
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,613
Purse: $1,500,000
Winner: $225,000
TV Times
Golf Channel
June 4 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
June 5 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
June 6 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
June 7 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
All times listed are Eastern
Past Champions
2014 Inbee Park, 69-66-65-61=261 (-23)
2013 Hee Young Park, 65-67-61-65=258 (-26)*
2012 Brittany Lang, 69-65-67-67=268 (-16)*
* - won in playoff
Qualifiers (2)
Cindy LaCrosse 70 (-2)
Natalie Gleadall 72 (E)
Rookies in the Field (26)
Canadians in Field (10)
Brittany Henderson
Brooke Henderson
Natalie Gleadall
Augusta James
Sara-Maude Juneau
Lori Kane
Jennifer Kirby
Sue Kim
Rebecca Lee-Bentham
Alena Sharp
Sponsor Invitations (6)
Brittany Henderson
Brooke Henderson
Augusta James
Lori Kane
Jennifer Kirby
Sara-Maude Juneau
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