PARK PRIMED FOR KPMG TITLE DEFENSE
The tears that streamed down Sung Hyun Park’s face said it all. When she captured the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship with a birdie on the second playoff hole, the emotions that she had kept tamped down through an up-and-down season that included three consecutive missed cuts.
“Last year right before the KPMG, it was a tough time for me as I didn't make the cut at the U.S. Open, so the win at KPMG last year was like a present to me,” said Park, speaking with vivid clarity of that moment. “That's why right after the game I burst into tears and hugged my caddie, and right now it's so fresh in my memories.”
Park’s golf journey began as a 9-year-old in the Republic of Korea, when she spent several years honing her game in an indoor practice facility rather than taking to a golf course. She points to that dedication as something that helped her develop what is considered one of the finest and most powerful swings in the women’s game.
This week, Park returns to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship amid yet another rollercoaster year. She has a win at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, but has only one other top-10 finish and a missed cut in Los Angeles. As she takes to the beast that is Hazeltine National Golf Club, she sees parallels between this course and Kemper Lakes Golf Club.
“Playing in the pro-am yesterday, I thought it was a little similar to last year,” said Park, who begins her title defense at 2:33 p.m. at No. 1 with fellow past champion Anna Nordqvist and Danielle Kang. “The greens are firmer and drier, and keeping it in the fairway is going to be a little difficult. So I think although it is similar from last year, I feel like it is a little more difficult this year.”
BROOKE HENDERSON STILL RIDING WINNING HIGH
There’s still a big smile on Brooke Henderson’s face. The 21-year-old Canadian won last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give and in taking her ninth LPGA Tour victory, she became the winningest Canadian player in the history of the PGA and LPGA Tours.
“There's been so many talented players come before me from Canada. To get my eighth win to tie the record in the spring was so meaningful, meant a lot,” said Henderson, who moved past Sandra Palmer, Mike Weir and George Knudson with her win in Grand Rapids. “I was hoping my ninth win would sort of come quickly so I wouldn't have that kind of hanging over me. I'm happy to break through the record and just to be a part of history is pretty sweet.”
Henderson tasted her first major success in 2016, when she won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and became the youngest winner in championship history. This championship has proven to be one of Henderson’s favorites, a fact that clearly shows in her results. In addition to that victory, she has never finished worse than T6 in her four championship appearances.
“I think coming in here I'm always so excited because the venues are so historic and so many great memories from them from other events. They're amazing golf courses,” said Henderson, who will play her first two rounds with Pernilla Lindberg and Charley Hull. “I think sort of the excitement level leads into that as well as they always play long and I think being not the longest hitter by far but one of the longest hitters on the Tour, that can kind of be an advantage, and especially if I'm hitting it straight.”
NELLY KORDA LOOKING FOR MAJOR SPARK
After a blazing 2019 start that included a win at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open and five straight top-10 finishes, Nelly Korda has cooled off a bit. After missing the cut at the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open in April, she finished outside the top-20 in back-to-back starts at the Pure Silk Championship (T35) and the U.S. Women’s Open (T39). At last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic, Korda seemed to find her groove again, posting four rounds in the 60s for the first time since March and ending the week by collecting her seventh top-10 finish of the season.
In just her third year on the LPGA, Korda says she’s still figuring out how to best approach major championships.
“I think your mindset obviously changes,” said Korda. “Everyone puts a bit more pressure on themselves, and you just, I think, concentrate a bit more, you practice a bit more. It's such an important week. The golf courses usually play really hard, as well. Obviously you're putting more time into everything.”
Korda has one top-10 finish in 16 major championship starts (T10 at the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open), and is trying for a second top-10 showing this week.
“It's a really pure track,” Korda said of Hazeltine National. “It's going to play difficult and long. I have a bunch of 7- irons and 6-irons into greens, and the greens are definitely firming up. It's going to be hard to hold them, and yeah, I think it's just going to be a challenge this week.”
DANIELLE KANG TAKES ON ‘UNEXPLAINABLE’ HAZELTINE NATIONAL
Two-time LPGA winner Danielle Kang isn’t afraid of a little challenge this week at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Kang, the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA champion, is excited to tee it up this year at Hazeltine National and relishes the challenge presented to the 156-player field.
“I do think part of the game, part of a Major Championship is to have those tough lies, have those tough shots and being able to produce what you need to produce or something close to it and have the 6, 7-foot par putts that you have to make,” said Kang ,who captured her first major win two years ago at Olympia Fields Country Club. “That's what's fun for me because of the pressure, because of the stress, and I enjoy it.”
Known for her brazen grit and fire on the golf course, Kang is sure to play Hazeltine National with her best foot forward.
“I tell people you have to see the KPMG Women's PGA Championship because we play golf courses that's are unexplainable, Olympia Fields, Sahalee Country Club, Hazeltine National,” said Kang, who is making her ninth start of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. “The fact that we are playing that high of caliber golf course is very honoring for us because women's golf has come a long ways to be here and able to play such prestigious golf courses.
LEE6 DELIVERS HER PROMISE FROM U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN
LPGA Tour rookie Jeongeun Lee6 qualified for the LPGA Tour after winning medalist honors at the 2018 LPGA Q-Series. Since she made the leap to travel on the LPGA Tour without her parents, she has captured her first LPGA Tour career victory at the U.S. Women’s Open, jumped from No. 12 to No. 5 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking, earned more than $1 million and leads the 2019 Official Money List and the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year rankings.
Among those accolades came an emotionally raw moment during the trophy ceremony of the U.S. Women’s Open. Lee6 actually offered an apology to the crowd, saying, “I’m sorry I can’t speak English. Next time I win, I will speak English.”
Almost three weeks later, on the eve of her second KPMG Women’s PGA Championship start, Lee6 opened her press conference with an English response to the first question. When asked, “what are your thoughts on the golf course,” Lee6 said in perfect English, “The course style is amazing. And KPMG tournaments seems like PGA tournament style.”
Though the interview wasn’t after a win, Lee6 is certainly trending to deliver her promise. She will tee off at 8:35 a.m. on No. 10 with Maria Fassi and Shanshan Feng.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE KPMG WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
- The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship began in 1955 as the LPGA Championship and is the second-longest running tournament in LPGA history, behind only the U.S. Women’s Open
- In 2015, the LPGA Tour, PGA of America and KPMG entered into a partnership to continue and elevate the tradition of the LPGA Championship
- This is the 65th KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the third of the LPGA Tour season’s five major championships
- The 2019 purse is $3.85 million, up from $3.65 million last year; the winner’s portion is $577,500
- Hazeltine National Golf Club is this year’s host venue; in addition to the 1966 and 1977 U.S. Women’s Open (won by Sandra Spuzich and Hollis Stacy, respectively), the club has hosted the 1970 and 1991 U.S. Opens, the 2002 and 2009 PGA Championship and the 2016 Ryder Cup, as well as numerous other professional and amateur major tournaments
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