Blog

The LPGA Tour headed to Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii for ninth year of the Lotte Championship. The course is a par 72 layout of 6397 yards. Brooke Henderson successfully defended her title last year. In doing so, she tied Sandra Post's record for most LPGA victories by a Canadian with eight. The purse for this year's event is $2 million with 500 points up for grabs towards the CME Race to the Globe.

First Round

The course was playing very easy, as 82 players shot rounds under par. Brittany Altomare and Yuka Saso were in the lead at eight-under par. Altomare recorded seven consecutive birdies and Saso had eight birdies without a bogey. They held a one-shot lead over So Yeon Ryu, Nelly Korda, and Ally Ewing. Stacy Lewis was two off the pace after a round of 66. Only three back was a group of seven including Lydia Ko, Jessica Korda and amateur Rose Zhang. Brooke Henderson was in a group of seven at five-under that included Lexi Thompson, Danielle Kang, and Jennifer Kupcho. Notables include Jeongeun Lee6 at there-under, Cristie Kerr at one-over, and Ariya Jutanugarn at two-over par.

Second Round

Yuka Saso vaulted to the lead after her second consecutive round of 64. She held a two-shot edge over Lydia Ko, who recorded nine birdies in her stellar round of 63. A surprise on the leaderboard was Luna SobronGalmes, who torched the course with ten birdies for a round of 64. She was five shots back, along with Nelly Korda, and Hyo Joo Kim. Another 64 was shot by A Lim Kim who was one of three still in the mix at ten-under par. Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang were bunched in group of six at nine-under, while Brooke Henderson had work to do to defend her title at eight off the pace. Notables that made the cut include Inbee Park and Jessica Korda at seven-under, and Jeongeun Lee6 at three-under. Both Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn missed the cut, along with Cristie Kerr.

Third Round

After a round of 65, Lydia Ko put herself in position to win for the first time in nearly three years. At 21-under par, she held a one-shot lead over the charging Nelly Korda, who recorded ten birdies in a round of 63. Yuka Saso dropped four back after a relatively pedestrian round of 71 that included four birdies. Leona Maguire was at 16-under after a round of 65. Amy Yang was six back after a 64 and Lexi Thompson, Sei Young Kim, and Hyo Joo Kim were all seven shots behind entering the final 18 holes. Brook Henderson's chances at a third straight win were all but gone after falling nine off the pace, along with Inbee Park. All told, 45 players broke 70 as scoring conditions continued to be excellent.

Final Round

Inbee Park shot the round of the day. Her 63 included seven birdies and an eagle, and a stretch of six-under par over the last six holes. She finished 21-under par along with Sei Young Kim, Leona Maguire, and Nelly Korda, who finished with a disappointing round of 71. Jenny Shin blistered the front nine with a 30 and also finished with a 63. She finished in a four-way tie at 19-under par. At 18-under par were A Lim Kim and Amy Yang. Lexi Thompson had four birdies and an eagle, but her inconsistent play included four bogeys and she was never a threat at 16-under par. Brooke Henderson shot two-under par on the final day and finished tied for 26th. But the day belonged to Lydia Ko, who cruised to a 65 and a seven-shot win at 28-under par. Her victory was the 16th of her LPGA Tour career.

Coming Up

The LPGA Tour heads to Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, California for the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open. The event is played on a par 71 layout of 6450 yards. Minjee Lee is the defending champion of the tournament which plays for a $1.5 million purse and 500 points towards the CME Race to the Globe.