The LPGA Tour stayed in Florida for the second straight week at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Raton, Florida. This 72-hole event is in its third year and it played on a par 72 layout of 6701 yards. Nelly Kordan won last year’s event for her fourth LPGA Tour title. It was her first on USA soil. The purse for the tournament is a lofty $2 million with 500 points toward the Race to the CME Globe for the winner.
First Round
Lydia Ko bolted out to the lead with a round of 63 that included nine birdies without a bogey. She held a two-shot cushion over Danielle Kang, whose round of 65 included eight birdies and a bogey. Aditi Ashok was within two of the lead before a bogey on 18, but she still finished with a round of 66. Jeongeun Lee6, Gerina Mendoza, Yuka Saso, and Charley Hull was four off the pace at 5-under. Jennifer Kupcho, Stacy Lewis, Brooke Henderson, Nelly Korda, and Gaby Lopez were in a logjam of 14 at 4-under. LPGA rookie Ayaka Furue was in a group of five at 3-under. Big names such as Lexi Thompson, Madelene Sagstrom, and PajareeAnannarukarn were bunched among 16 at 2-under par. Veterans Laura Davies, Karrie Webb, and Inbee Park were joined by Patty Tavatanakit at one-under. Notables that were well off the pace included AtthayaThitikul (Even), Celine Boutier, and Moriya Jutanugarn (one-over), Ariya Jutanugarn (3-over), and Mina Hariage (six-over).
Second Round
Lydia Ko shot a solid round of 70, but left room for others to close the gap. Daneille Kang went into a tie for the lead after posting a 4-under par round of 68. Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Yuka Saso were just a shot back at the halfway point. Morgane Metraux fired a round of 66 to get into a tie for 5th with Bronte Law, Nasa Hataoka, Charley Hull, and Aditi Ashok. Celine Boutier’s 67 put her into a tie for 10th along with Patty Tavatanakit and Brooke Henderson. The Korda sisters remained within striking distance at 4-under par, along with the likes of Jeongeun Lee6, Lexi Thompson, and Stacy Lewis. Gaby Lopez struggled to a 73 and dropped to a tie for 26th. Another player who struggled after a promising first round was Amy Yang, whose 74 dropped her into a group of five at 2-under. Notables that made the cut but were out of contention included AtthayaThitikul, Karrie Webb, and Jennifer Kupcho (1-under), and Gerina Mendoza (second round of 77 and Even). Prominent players to miss the cut include Moriya Jutanugarn, Ariya Jutanugarn, Maria Fassi, Cristie Kerr, and Yealimi Noh.
Third Round
High winds made scoring conditions brutal. Celine Boutier was the only player to shoot a round under 70, posting a 69 to pull to within three shots of the lead. Lydia Ko remained in the lead after a round of 72, while Danielle Kang’s 74 dropped her two off the pace. Charley Hull and Yuka Saso were four shots back at 7-under par. Nasa Hataoka remained within shouting distance after a one-over par 73 put her at 5-under for the tournament. Ayaka Furue, Stacy Lewis, and Hye-Jin Choi were another shot back, while Lexi Thompson, Ally Ewing, and Brooke Henderson led a group of seven at 3-under par. Morgane Metraux struggled to a 76 after a second round of 66 and was among four at 2-under. Nelly Korda’s 76 put her well off the pace, tied with AtthayaThitikul and nine others at even. Notables who couldn’t overcome the conditions include Jeongeun Lee6 (round of 77), Gaby Lopez and Madelene Sagstrom (rounds of 78), and Jennifer Kupcho (round of 79).
Final Round
Scoring was much better in the final round with numerous scores in the 60s. Yuka Saso tied for the round of the day with a 67, putting her in sole possession of third at 12-under par. Georgia Hall and Jennifer Kupcho also carded 67s in their final round. At the top of the leaderboard was Lydia Ko, who recorded three birdies and a bogey. Her final total of 14-under par was good enough for a one-shot win over Danielle Kang, who posted a round of 68. The win for Ko was her 17th on the LPGA Tour. Charley Hull and Celine Boutier tied for 4th, three shots back. Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson both shot rounds of 68 to finish tied for 6th, seven shots back. Maude-Aimee-Leblanc, Stacy Lewis, and Hye-Jin Choi rounded out the top ten. Notables include Patty Tavatanakit (4-under), Nelly Korda and Jessica Korda (both 2-under), Gaby Lopez (Even), Madelene Sagstrom (1-over), Karrie Webb (4-over), Jeongeun Lee6 (6-over), and Gerina Mendoza (13-over).
Coming Up
The LPGA remains in Florida for the third consecutive week for the inaugural LPGA Drive on Championship in Fort Myers. This 54-hole event takes place on at the Crown Colony Golf & Country Club, which is a par 72 layout of 6526 yards. The purse is $1.5 million and 500 points towards the Race to the CME Globe will be awarded to the winner.
