KO’S REMARKABLE ROOKIE SEASON

Jin Young Ko has quickly made a name for herself on the LPGA Tour. Ko decided to take membership for the 2018 LPGA season after her first LPGA win at the 2017 LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship, and in the first start of her rookie season became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2018 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. She has a total of nine top-10 finishes this season and ranks second on Tour in scoring average (69.69) while also challenging several of the Tour’s largest season-long awards.

Georgia Hall gained some ground on Ko by winning the Ricoh Women’s British Open, but the 23-year-old from Republic of Korea still has a sizable 313-point lead in the 2018 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year standings. She could become the fourth consecutive Korean player to win the award at the end of the season, and 12th overall Korean player to win in the 57-year history of the award.

NEW COACH, NEW RESULT FOR JANE PARK

After missing her fourth cut of the season at the Ricoh Women’s British Open, Jane Park returned home to Georgia and found a new swing coach to help sort her game out. A few sessions with Scott Hamilton during the off-week seem to be working for Park as she fired a season-best 65 on Thursday.

“He just told me to kind of shallow up my swing a little more, and it's just a really simple little fix, but it makes all the difference. So, yeah, it's been nice to see it click so fast.”

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 27 Lizette Salas (1, -10)

Salas, 29, is from Azusa, Calif. and played collegiately at the University of Southern California
Salas tied her career-low round on Thursday (shot -10, 62 in the final round at the 2013 LPGA Lotte Championship) and set a new IWiT Championship competitive course record, besting Lexi Thompson’s 9-under par 63 in the first round in 2017
Salas’ round included eight birdies and one eagle on the par-5 second hole – she was a perfect 14 of 14 in fairways hit and led the field with 22 putts
Salas has one LPGA win (2014 Kingsmill Championship presented by JTBC) and 25 total top-10 finishes in her LPGA career, including three in 2018
Salas holds at least a share of the overnight lead for the first time since co-leading heading into the final round of the 2018 Kia Classic (finished T2)
At the 2017 IWiT Championship, Salas finished T5 which kickstarted a run of six straight top-13 finishes
Salas is a three-time member of the United States Solheim Cup team (2013, 2015, 2017)

Rolex Rankings No. 47 Angel Yin (T2, -8)

Yin, 19, is from Arcadia, Calif.
Yin’s 8-under 64 bests her previous career-low score by one stroke; she’s recorded a 65 three times, most recently in the third round of the 2017 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
Yin had nine putts on her front nine Thursday and birdied her first five holes
In 2018, Yin has made 12 cuts in 18 starts with a career-best T3 finish at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship in April
As a rookie in 2017, Yin was picked by Team USA Solheim Cup Captain Juli Inkster to compete and finished with an overall record of 1-1-1
Yin claimed her maiden professional title with a dramatic playoff victory over In-Kyung Kim at the Ladies European Tour (LET) 2017 season-ending Omega Dubai Ladies Classic

Rolex Rankings No. 15 Nasa Hataoka (T2, -8)

Hataoka, 19, is from Ibaraki, Japan
Hataoka tied her career-low 18-hole score to par on Thursday, her third round of -8 this season
Hataoka became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2018 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G
In 2018, Hataoka has made 14 of 17 cuts and has six top-10 finishes including her win and two runner-ups – she is currently ranked fourth on the 2018 Official Money List with $952,134
Hataoka will be a member of Team Japan at the 2018 UL International Crown
Hataoka was the medalist at the 2017 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn Priority Category 12 for the 2018 LPGA Tour season

Rolex Rankings No. 25 Danielle Kang (T4, -7)

Kang’s 65 on Thursday is her career-best opening-round score and is her lowest round since a 64 at the HSBC Women’s World Champions in March
Kang was a perfect 14 of 14 in fairways hit, and hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation on Thursday
Kang has one LPGA win (2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship) and 18 total top-10 finishes in her LPGA career, including four in 2018
Since finishing fourth at the U.S. Women’s Open in June, Kang has just one made cut - a T33 finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Rolex Rankings No. 13 Jin Young Ko (T4, -7)

On Thursday, Ko matched her lowest round to par of the 2018 season (shot -7 in the opening round of her win at the 2018 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open)
Ko is the current leader in the 2018 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year standings
Ko is a two-time LPGA winner and has nine additional wins on the LPGA of Korea Tour
In 17 starts this season, Ko has a win and eight additional top-10 finishes and ranks second on Tour in scoring average (69.69)

Rolex Rankings No. 80 Jane Park (T4, -7)

Park shot her lowest round of the 2018 season on Thursday
In 2018, Park has made 12 of 16 cuts with just one top-10 finish at the Kia Classic (T4)
After missing the cut at the Ricoh Women’s British Open, Park began working with a new swing coach, Scott Hamilton
A 2007 rookie, Park has two career runner-up finishes: 2008 SBS Open at Turtle Bay, 2008 P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship

Rolex Rankings No. 175 Caroline Hedwall (T4, -7)

Hedwall shot her lowest round of the 2018 season on Thursday
Hedwall, a 2011 LPGA rookie, has 11 top-10 finishes on the LPGA including a T9 at the 2018 Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I
Hedwall is a five-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, where she was the 2011 Rookie and Player of the Year, and has three wins on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour
On the international stage, Hedwall is a three-time European Solheim Cup team member and represented Team Sweden at the 2014 UL International Crown – she will be a member of Team Sweden again at the 2018 UL International Crown

QUICK HITS

Defending champion Lexi Thompson made her first start on Thursday after a month-long break from golf, she opened with a 4-under par 68
2017 IWiT Championship runner-up Lydia Ko, opened with a 6-under par 66
Giulia Molinaro withdrew from the IWiT Championship citing a back injury
First round play was suspended at 5:50 p.m. due to storms in the area and resumed at 7:07 p.m. for a delay of 1 hour 17 minutes.

Indy Women in Tech Championship Opening Round Notes

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