Jutanugarn Wins For First Time in Scotland
Ariya Jutanugarn, the 2016 Ricoh Women’s British Open champion at Woburn, has spoken openly about her dislike for links golf. But the way she played over the last week at Gullane Golf Club in Scotland, proved Jutanugarn can win even when the conditions don’t suit her game. Sunday, the Thai won the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open for her 10th career win on the LPGA Tour. She won by one stroke ahead of Australia’s Minjee Lee by carding a final round 5-under par, 66.
The win marks the third of the season for Jutanugarn, the most for any player in 2018. She also won the Kingsmill Championship and U.S. Women’s Open, both decided in playoffs. Jutanugarn is now 9 for 11 when holding a share of the 54-hole lead.
Jutanugarn On Top of the World
With her victory on Sunday, Jutanugarn is projected to replace Inbee Park at No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings. It’s a position Jutanugarn held once before during a two-week stretch in June 2017. She is the first player, male or female, from Thailand to become No. 1 in the world golf rankings.
Jutanugarn currently leads every major race and statistical category on the LPGA Tour this season. She leads the money list by more than one million dollars ahead of Nasa Hataoka. Jutanugarn also leads the Rolex Player of the Year race, the Race to the CME Globe standings and leads the Tour in scoring average. She's also the top ranked player in birdies made, putting average and top 10s.
Another Close Call for Lee
Minjee Lee picked up her seventh top 10 of the year on Sunday in Scotland, where she finished runner-up for the second time in 2018. Lee fired a final round, bogey-free 66 to give herself a shot at the final hole to win. Lee stuck her approach to within 3 feet but just missed the birdie putt at the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Jutanugarn. Lee is shaping up for a career best season on the LPGA Tour as she is currently third on the Tour’s money list, second in the Race to the CME Globe standings, third in the Player of the Year race and ranks fourth on Tour in scoring average.
Joh Records Fourth Career Top 10
Tiffany Joh, the first and second round leader at the Ladies Scottish Open, picked up her fourth career top 10 on Sunday. Joh struggled to a third round 80 but rebounded with a 1-under par, 70 in the final round to finish T8 for the week.
A Perfect Tune Up for Ricoh
Many players used the week in Scotland as, what they hope will be, a springboard to this week’s Ricoh Women’s British Open. In-Kyung Kim, the defending champion, recorded her fourth top 10 of the year with a seventh-place finish in Scotland. Hall of Famer Karrie Webb picked up her best finish of the year in Scotland where she was T11 and is in the field this week at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Rookie Jin Young Ko quietly climbed the leaderboard on Sunday with a 4-under par, 67 to finish T3 for her eighth top 10 finish of the year.
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