Lee Likes Her Position and More From Round Three in Chinese Taipei

Aussie Minjee Lee enters the final-round of the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA trailing Nelly Korda by three strokes. It’s a bit of déjà vu for Lee, who had a taste of trying to chase down a Nelly Korda lead at this event in 2018. Lee entered the final round in 2018 four shots behind Korda before closing with a 66 to finish as the runner-up just two strokes shy of Korda who closed with a 68. 

Memories from 2018 in Chinese Taipei aside, Lee is comfortable coming from behind as two of her five LPGA wins have come when she’s been chasing the leader.

“I think it's probably an easier position to be in just because you can -- I guess you have a little bit more motivation -- I don't know but obviously maybe Nelly will have motivation to win,” Lee said. “I think it's just a little bit easier to be in the mind-set of chasing than trying to like lead. So yeah, I mean, I've been in both positions before, so it's nothing new to me. I'll just take it as it comes.” 

As for Lee’s final-round strategy this year, she said it will depend on the weather conditions and the pin placements.

“I think pick your battles out there,” Lee said. “Obviously if there's water or hazard or wind, you're going to play more conservatively than like too aggressively. I think the LPGA does a good job of like kind of balancing out the weather and the pin positions, so hopefully they will put pins in spots that are fair but tricky at the same time. So yeah, hopefully it will be a fun day.”

KORDA’S CADDIE CONNECTION

Nelly Korda’s caddie Jason McDede has been on her bag since the beginning of the 2018 LPGA season, and he’s been by her side for both of her wins on Tour. Sunday might have a different feeling for the duo, as Jason is engaged to be married to Korda’s playing partner Caroline Masson. Caroline and Jason are due to be married in 2020, but Sunday will be the first time they’ve gone head-to-head vying for an LPGA title.

Korda joked about the unique situation: “I'm going to tell him that at the end of the day, I'm signing his paycheck -- no, I'm kidding. We are all good friends. It's going to be fun.” 

Masson said they always knew this could happen and is looking forward to the experience.

“It's a little bit strange maybe but at the same time, it's where we both want to be. It's what we work hard for and what we kind of support each other to be able to do. You know, it's just about embracing it. I know obviously he's Nelly's caddie and he's rooting for her and he's also rooting a little bit for me, so I think that's fun. 

“Yeah, I think we are just going to go out there. Solheim was even worse; we played against each other, so we're kind of used to it now. I think we'll be okay.” 

WITH A WIN…

With her third career LPGA win and second of the 2019 season, Nelly Korda would become the first American with multiple wins in 2019 

Korda would become the third player this season to successfully defend a 2018 title, joining Brooke Henderson at the LOTTE Championship and Danielle Kang at the BMW Ladies Championship 

Nelly Korda or Minjee Lee would become the seventh player to have multiple wins this season, joining Hannah Green (2), Brooke Henderson (2), Mi Jung Hur (2), Jin Young Ko (4), Sei Young Kim (2) and Sung Hyun Park (2)

Caroline Masson would earn her second career LPGA title, and Germany would be the 10th country to have a winner in 2019

Masson would become the first player from Germany with more than one LPGA win; Sandra Gal and Tina Fischer each have one LPGA win 

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 8 Nelly Korda (66-67-65)

• Korda hit 8 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
• Korda is making her third career start at the event, she won in 2018 and finished T27 in 2017
• This is the sixth time in Korda’s career she’s led/co-led through 54-holes; she has won twice in the previous five times
• In 2019, Korda has made 18 starts with 10 top-10 finishes including a win at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open
• Became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2018 Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA, which was played at the Ta Shee Golf and Country Club
• Korda and her older sister Jessica (five wins) are one of three sets of sisters in LPGA history to both win titles, joining Annika Sorenstam (72 wins) and Charlotta Sorenstam (one win), and Ariya Jutanugarn (10 wins) and Moriya Jutanugarn (one win)

Rolex Rankings No. 9 Minjee Lee (67-67-67)

• Lee hit 10 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens, with 31 putts
• Lee is making her fifth start at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA this week, in four previous appearances she has never finished outside the top 20 with a runner-up finish in 2018 
• In 2019, Lee has made 23 LPGA starts with seven top-10 finishes including a win at the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open and three runner-up results
• Lee is a five-time LPGA winner; only Karrie Webb (41), Jan Stephenson (16) and Rachel Hetherington (eight) have more LPGA wins among Australian players

Rolex Rankings No. 49 Caroline Masson (68-68-66)

• Masson hit 8 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens, with 28 putts
• In 2019, Masson has made 23 starts with three top-10 finishes including two in her last four starts
• This is Masson’s seventh start at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA, her best finish is T15 at the 2014 event also held at the Miramar Golf Country Club
• Masson is in her seventh year on the LPGA Tour, she has one career win at the 2016 Manulife LPGA Classic

Rolex Rankings No. 22 Mi Jung Hur (66-66-71)

• Hur hit 8 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 30 putts
• Hur is making her sixth start at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA, her lone top-10 finish came in 2013 (T8)
• In 2019, Hur has made 21 starts with five top-10 finishes including wins at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open and the Indy Women in Tech Championship
• Hur is one of six players to have multiple wins this season, joining Hannah Green (2), Brooke Henderson (2), Jin Young Ko (4), Sei Young Kim (2) and Sung Hyun Park (2)

Rolex Rankings No. 38 In-Kyung Kim (69-65-70)

• Kim hit 11 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens, with 29 putts
• Kim is making her fifth career start at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA this week and first since 2016, her best finish was T15 in 2014
• This is Kim’s 14th start of the 2019 LPGA Tour season, she has posted one top-10 finish (T4 - ANA Inspiration)
• Kim is in her 13th season on the LPGA Tour; she has seven career victories, including a major championship at the 2017 AIG Women’s British Open

QUICK HITS

• World No. 1 Jin Young Ko withdrew during the third round of the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA due to injury
• The final grouping will see three different counties represented: Nelly Korda (USA), Minjee Lee (Australia) and Caroline Masson (Germany)

AON RISK REWARD CHALLENGE SCENARIOS

The season-long Aon Risk Reward Challenge highlight's the world's best professional golfers as they tackle the most strategically challenging holes across both the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR schedules. Players will take their best two scores from each Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole, with the winners having the best average score to par at the end of the regular season. The player from each Tour on top of the Aon leaderboard at the end of the regular season will receive a $1 million prize. 

Heading into the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA, only three players have a chance to catch Carlota Ciganda who leads the standings at -0.841 and is not playing the final two qualifying events. Ariya Jutanugarn who is in second at -0.800, In-Kyung Kimwho is in third at -0.750 and Hyo Joo Kim who is seventh at -0.706, all three are in the field at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA and the TOTO Japan Classic. 

Jutanugarn and In-Kyung Kim have the following three scenarios to catch Ciganda: Birdie, Birdie, Eagle, Eagle; Birdie, Eagle, Eagle, Eagle; Eagle, Eagle, Eagle, Eagle. Hyo Joo Kim must have four eagles to catch Ciganda.

The designated Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA is the par-4 8th. This hole has multiple teeing areas and presents a wonderful risk-reward opportunity for the player, depending on yardage for the day. It will be set up from the forward tee at just 255 yards for at least two of the four rounds. Two long bunkers guard the left side of the fairway, close to the landing area, while another bunker (short and right of the green) lies in wait for a poorly struck second shot. 

Here's how the players in contention have fared in the first three rounds: 

For more information about the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, visit www.lpga.com/statistics/aon-risk-reward-challenge.

RACE TO THE CME GLOBE NEARING THE FINISH LINE

Heading into the 30th week of the 2019 Race to the GME Globe, four-time winner Jin Young Ko leads the standings with 4,148 points. Two-time 2019 winner Brooke Henderson is second with 2,772 points, followed by Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Jeongeun Lee6 with 2,652 points.

The 2019 season brings a fresh face to the Race to the CME Globe. LPGA Members will accumulate points at each official LPGA Tour event leading up to the CME Group Tour Championship. The top 60 points earners and ties will then earn a spot in the CME Group Tour Championship, with the entire field competing for the $5 million purse and the $1.5 million winner’s check, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf.

At this week’s Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA several players are on the bubble of making it into the CME Group Tour Championship. In-Kyung Kim is projected to move from 71st to 66nd in the Race to the CME Globe standings as she heads into the final round in fifth, while Anna Nordqvist (T13) is projected to move from 63rd to 58th.

Players must finish in the top 40 and ties at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA to earn Race to the CME Globe points.