KO MISSES SECOND CUT OF PROFESSIONAL CAREER

It’s usually a safe bet to see Lydia Ko’s name somewhere on the leader board on Saturday and Sunday. This week, however, that won’t be the case.

For just the second time in her LPGA professional career, which spans 91 tournaments, the world’s No. 1 player missed the 36-hole cut and will have the weekend off.

“I tried my best out there to hopefully put myself in better position going forward, but I can't do anything about it,” said a rueful Ko, whose 2-over 74 on Thursday put her in an early hole.

Sitting at 2 under on the day through 15 holes, it looked like Ko was well on her way to making the cut. But her putter let her down over the last three holes, as she missed short putts at 16 and 17 and three-putted for bogey at No. 18 to finish at even-par 72

“Ball striking wasn't very good today,” said Ko, whose only other missed cut came at the 2015 KMPG Women’s PGA Championship. “I'm hitting my drives really well, but like the birdie opportunities I had I was missing quite a few of them. I was putting so much better today until the last few holes.”

CAN ARIYA CATCH LYDIA FOR NO. 1?

Ariya Jutanugarn has spent 34 consecutive weeks ranked as the No. 2 player in the world. Since March 2016, she has not finished outside of the top 60 in an event and has recorded five wins. Seven months ago, the average points differential between No. 1 Lydia Ko and No. 2 Jutanugarn was 6.57 points. This week, the difference is just 1.5 average points.

Even though Ko missed the cut at the Kia Classic, Jutanugarn can only further close the gap this week. However, a Jutanugarn victory next week at the ANA Inspiration, the season’s first major, would vault her into the top spot.

QUICK HITS

Mirim Lee has two career LPGA Tour victories – the 2014 Meijer LPGA Classic Presented by Kraft and the 2014 Reignwood LPGA Classic.
Of the four players tied for fourth, two have LPGA Tour victories and two are looking for their first win:
Mi Jung Hur has two career LPGA Tour victories – the 2009 Safeway Classic and the 2014 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
Austin Ernst is hoping to earn her second LPGA Tour victory, joining her win at the 2014 Portland Classic Presented by Cambia Health Solutions.
Jackie Stoelting’s best career finish is a tie for 52nd at the 2015 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
Karine Icher has not yet won on the LPGA Tour, though she has finished second three times. Her most recent runner-up finish came at the 2016 Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Invitational presented by Aeromexico and Delta.
Ernst currently holds the eighth and final automatic qualifying spot in the 2017 Solheim Cup Team USA points standings. The top eight players as of the completion of the Ricoh Women’s British Open (which ends Aug. 6) are automatic team selections.
Stoelting, who spent 2016 on the Epson Tour, made her first LPGA Tour cut since the 2015 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. Since her rookie season of 2014, she has made only four cuts, including this week.
Brooke Henderson missed her first cut of 2017, and her first since June 2016 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.
Rookie Peiyun Chien shot Friday’s low round of 66, which is also her lowest round of 2017. Her previous best round came last week at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup, where she shot a 68 in the second round.

QUOTABLE

“I would be happy both ways, yes. Leave it that. We won't talk about levels of happiness.” Mo Martin, on which she would prefer – earning her second career victory or seeing her alma mater UCLA win the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship

Ko Misses Second Cut of Career, Jutanugarn Closes In On No. 1 Ranking

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