Lee Mounts Title Defense

Minjee Lee returns to Ko Olina this week looking to defend the second title of her LPGA career. At the age of 19 last year, Lee became the fifth player in LPGA Tour history to capture multiple victories before her 20th birthday joining a list which includes Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson, Marlene Hagge and Sandra Haynie (Brooke Henderson joined this list with her win at the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship).

Her final round 64 matched the best round of her career and allowed her to hoist the first of two trophies she would claim in 2016 (also won the 2016 Blue Bay LPGA) and perform her first ever hula dance.

“The first nine I wasn’t really thinking about too much,” Lee explained. “I was just playing my game. I think I had like 4-under the front nine, and then the back nine, from 13, I think I had a really good finish.”

There's No Place Like Home

For obvious reasons, the LOTTE Championship Presented by HERSHEY ranks as the Honolulu’s own Michelle Wie’s favorite event on Tour. This week, Michelle gets the chance to stay at home, play in front of friends and family on the course she grew up playing and show her fellow Tour players “just what Hawaii is all about.”

“I’m just really excited to be home,” Wie said. “It’s just always I look forward to this event more than any other event just because I get to come home and I get to my friends and eat all the good food and play at Ko Olina.”

Wie has now played in five events without missing a cut, finishing inside the top 35 in each of her last five starts including a sixth place finish at the ANA Inspiration, her best finish in a major since winning the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. 2014 was also the year Wie became the only American to win the LOTTE Championship.

The start to her 2017 has drawn similarities to three years ago - Wie had three top-10s heading into Hawaii in 2014, including a runner-up finish the tournament before at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. She has two top-10 finishes this year and was again in contention in her last start at ANA.

“There is a lot of great memories to draw upon from that season (2014). You know, coming here, feeling confident, I think it’s always a good thing.”

The last time Wie made the cut in more than five consecutive starts was a streak of seven consecutive tournaments to end her 2015 season.

Inbee Happy To Be Back in Form

A year ago, Inbee Park walked off of the 18th at Ko Olina Golf Club finishing T68. What the golf world would come to learn was that Inbee was dealing with a left thumb injury that would cause her to withdraw from her next couple of events, miss the cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and then miss the remainder of the 2016 season.

Miraculously, Inbee was able to capture Gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but she didn’t return to LPGA play until the 2017 Honda LPGA Thailand. Then in just her second start since Rio at the HSBC Women’s Champions, the LPGA Tour Hall of Famer captured the 18th career LPGA win. She has three top-5 finishes in five starts so far this season.

Park talked to the media on Tuesday about being able to truly enjoy the game after spending some time off.

“I had some really good times and bad times, but it was a very good time for me to realize what I have to realize and be able to appreciate what I am doing, what I didn’t appreciate before as much as now.”

Bounce Back

Brooke Henderson missed the cut for the first time in 20 starts at the Kia Classic and nearly missed making the weekend at the ANA Inspiration, but made the cut right on the 2-over line. The 19-year-old Canadian rebounded by playing Saturday and Sunday in Rancho Mirage at 7-under par and will look to carry some momentum from those final rounds into Ko Olina where she finished T10 in her lone LOTTE Championship appearance last year.

Henderson only has one top-10 finish in 2017 after ranking second in that category in 2016 (15 top-10s in 31 starts).

“I feel like I gave myself a lot of good momentum for the rest of the season by coming here to Hawaii, so hopefully kick start something again in my season this year,” Henderson said.

What Does It Take To Be No. 1?

This week at the LOTTE Championship presented by HERSHEY So Yeon Ryu can become the No. 1 player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings if she wins AND Lydia Ko finishes 5th or worse. Ryu must win for a chance at the top spot. If Ryu wins, Ko remains No. 1 with a second, third or fourth place finish.

Ariya Jutanugarn cannot become No. 1 this week even with a win.

There are several scenarios for Ariya to become No. 2 again depending on the finish position of Ariya and So Yeon this week, which will be something to monitor as the rounds progress, but Ariya must finish ahead of So Yeon to pass her. Ko does not play a factor in Jutanugarn returning to No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings.

Quotable

“It’s the paradise. Once you come here you forget about all the worries.”

- In Gee Chun on playing in Hawaii this week

Quick Hits

Minjee Lee was one of nine players with multiple wins on the LPGA Tour in 2016, and one of three teenagers to win last season (Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson).
Minjee Lee recorded her best career finish in a major in her last start with her T3 result at the 2017 ANA Inspiration.
Minjee Lee crossed the $1 million mark in career earnings following last year’s victory at the LOTTE Championship. Lee was one of 15 LPGA players to surpass $1 million in season earnings in 2016 (12th on money list with $1,213,902) which set a new LPGA record.
Michelle Wie is the only American to win the LOTTE Championship (2014). Five different nations have been featured in the winner’s circle in this event’s five-year history.
Michelle Wie has two top-10 finishes through six starts this season - Wie had one top-10 finish in 25 starts last season.
The last time an LPGA player won in their home state came when Cristie Kerr won the 2015 CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, FL.
LOTTE Ambassador and three-time LPGA winner Hyo Joo Kim made her first LPGA start as an amateur at the LOTTE Championship - she finished T12 for her best career result in the event.
Hyo Joo Kim’s last victory came at the 2016 season-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic.
The Republic of Korea currently leads the LPGA in wins by country with five wins in 2017 (five different players). The United States and Sweden are the only two countries represented with one win apiece.
In Gee Chun (T2) and Brooke Henderson (T10) both finished in the top-10 in their first career appearance at the LOTTE Championship last season.
Inbee Park is tied for 28th all-time alongside Cristie Kerr, Hollis Stacy and Meg Mallon with 18 career LPGA victories.

Lee Ready To Defend, Wie Happy To Be Home and More From LOTTE Championship Presented By HERSHEY

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