Two years ago, Marina Alex was a 90-1 (+9000) longshot to win the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship, but she ultimately outlasted the No. 1 player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Jin Young Ko, on Sunday to earn the title. Last year, I was backing Georgia Hall (+2200) to take home the trophy at Palos Verdes Golf Club, and she finished second, one stroke behind Ruoning Yin.
The event has transitioned through a couple of sponsors, but once the LPGA Tour started coming to this venue, they just can’t stay away. The par-71 layout runs through the rolling hills of the Pacific Coast, and you can see the Pacific Ocean from 13 holes. At 6,258 yards, players think they can attack this course and overpower the terrain, but once they get on property, those game plans become delusions of grandeur. Severe elevation changes, 74 bunkers and incredibly small greens (3,952 sq/ft average) keep the golfers on tilt throughout the tournament.
After two events at Palos Verdes Golf Club, the average winning score is 13-under. Looking back at the last two top-10 finishers on the leaderboard, those players averaged even par on the four par 3s, even again on the 11 par 4s and under par on (4.5) on the par 5s. Yuka Saso, Georgia Hall, Patty Tavatanakit and Carlota Ciganda are the par-5 scoring leaders in the field. Do they have an edge? Well, there’s a little more to it.
Fairway accuracy is extremely important at Palos Verdes Golf Club. Ayaka Furue, Rose Zhang, Allisen Corpuz and Hyo Joo Kim are the best in the field those at the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship. Zhang has not played here as a professional, but last March, she won a collegiate tournament at this venue, so watch out for the budding superstar as her name might slip your mind since she doesn’t have much LPGA Tour history here.
From the fairway, you can attack these green complexes much more efficiently. Your greens in regulation leaders in the field are Zhang, Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda and Megan Khang. Khang is also third in the field for strokes gained tee to green and is the only player with two top-13 finishes in the field at Palos Verdes Golf Club. When you consider Khang, you also have to think of short-game acumen. She ranks third around the green alongside Tavatanakit, Korda, Khang and Ally Ewing. Each of the contenders will need a couple of timely up and downs over the weekend.
George Thomas and Billy Bell designed a fantastic test for the event that honors one of the LPGA’s finest champions, Se Ri Pak. Her 25 wins and five major championships set the standard for all future foreign players from both the Republic of Korea and Asia at large. Pak would have been a favorite to tame this track. Her incredible iron play reminds me of Alison Lee, Khang, Thompson and Nasa Hataoka, who can all create endless birdie opportunities on approach.
Expect another entertaining week alongside the Pacific Coast at Palos Verdes Golf Club, and make a pick or two of your own. A full set of selections can always be found at Read The Line. Hit the link below if you want to learn more about the course, field and conditions these women face each week on the LPGA Tour. It’s fun breaking down the action and trying to predict who will win!
Keith Stewart is an award-winning PGA Professional. He covers the LPGA and PGA TOUR for Golf Digest, The Sporting News, LPGA, and PGA of America. If you are looking to raise your golf acumen and love inside information about the game, check out his weekly newsletter called Read The Line.
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