EUN-HEE JI DEFENDING GIANT WIN
A dominant 17-under par performance gave the Republic of Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji her third LPGA title and a six-stroke victory at the 2017 Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship, tied for the largest margin of victory on the LPGA last season. The defending champion is back in Chinese Taipei as a now four-time LPGA winner after winning the 2018 Kia Classic in March.
Ji is one of seven players from the Republic of Korea to win on the LPGA in 2018, tied with the United States for the most different winners this year – Korea leads overall wins by country with nine titles on the season.
“I made win, beginning of this year, I think because of this tournament because I get more confidence from this tournament,” Ji said. “It's not quite where I want to be, so I keep trying to be working hard.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DEFENDING CHAMPION EUN-HEE JI
Ji, 32, is from Seoul, Republic of Korea
Ji’s recorded her third career LPGA win at the 2017 Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship
Ji won by a margin of six strokes, tied for the largest margin of victory on Tour in 2017
Before winning this event last year, Ji’s last victory came nearly eight years prior when she became a major champion at the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open
Ji recorded her fourth career LPGA win at the 2018 Kia Classic in March
In 2018, Ji has made the cut in 16 of 19 starts with four overall top-10 finishes
Ji also has two wins apiece on the KLPGA Tour and the Ladies Asian Golf Tour
Ji became an LPGA rookie in 2007 after she tied for 34th at the 2006 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn non-exempt status for the 2007 LPGA season
COMFORTABLE SETTING FOR LYDIA KO
Rolex Rankings No. 16 Lydia Ko is one of three past champions in the field this week, having won the 2015 Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship. Ko is fresh off of a T2 finish at last week’s Buick LPGA Shanghai, her second-best result of the year behind her 15th career LPGA victory at the LPGA MEDIHEAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
Ko has been rolling of late – she has finished no worse than T16 in her last six starts dating back to the first week in August when she placed T11 at the Ricoh Women’s British Open.
Ko is also a two-time winner of the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, played in San Francisco, and said of the title sponsor, “First of all, I don't think I've seen anyone that loves golf as much as they do. They travel all around the world for golf, and you know, what they have done to support girls in Taiwan and growing their games, it's quite inspiring and pretty amazing.”
YANI IS BACK
15-time LPGA winner, five-time major champion and two-time Rolex Player of the Year Yani Tseng returns to LPGA action this week for the first time in over two months after last appearing in the CP Women’s Open. Tseng, the winner of the inaugural Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship in 2011, is feeling refreshed and relaxed heading into a week where all eyes will be fixated on the former world No. 1.
“I feel really good,” said the 29-year-old Tseng. “My game is in great shape. I feel really good my mental. My putting is getting better and I feel like everything is on the right track. You know, if I didn't win this week or perform well this week, I'm still excited for next year.”
In 2018, Tseng has six made cuts in 19 starts with a best finish of T27 at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. Tseng’s last victory came at the 2012 Kia Classic, her third win in a three-win 2012 season, and her last top-10 finish was a T2 result at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship.
TOURNAMENT TO DONATE TICKET PROCEEDS TO TRAIN ACCIDENT RELIEF
On Monday, the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship announced that it will be donating all of the ticket proceeds from the week to disaster relief following the tragic train derailment accident that occurred in Chinese Taipei on Sunday.
Players, caddies and staff will also be wearing black ribbons this week in remembrance of the victims of this tragedy.
For more information on the Championship, visit http://www.sslpgataiwan.com/
TLPGA PLAYERS, AMATEURS GET SHOT AT LPGA
18 players from Chinese Taipei are in the field this week, and 15 of them are non-LPGA members ready to test their talents against the world’s best from the LPGA Tour. Six of those players are amateurs that were given sponsor invitations into the event.
The last non-LPGA member winner was Jin Young Ko at the 2017 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship (10/15/17). The last amateur winner was Lydia Ko at the 2013 CN Canadian Women’s Open (8/25/13).
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