The LPGA Tour headed to the Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas for the Volunteers of America Classic. The 72-hole event is played on a par 71 layout of 6475 yards with a purse of $1.5 million and 500 points towards the Race to the CME Globe. In last year’s event, Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu, and Yealimi Noh entered the final round with the lead. Angela Stanford, who lives less than an hour from the course, came from behind to claim her seventh LPGA victory and first since winning the 2018 Evian Championship.
First Round
Jin Young Ko posted a 29 on her final nine and eight-under over her last 11 including an eagle on the 17th. She finished at eight-under par and held a one-shot lead over In Gee Chu and Jeongeun Lee6, who went five-under on her back nine. Min-G Kim and Emma Talley were only two shots back, while Matilda Castrin and five others lurked at five-under par. Isi Gabsa was among four at four-under par and Stacy Lewis and Jenny Coleman were among a large group of 17 at three-under par. Angela Stanford was six shots back after a roller coaster round that included a bogey and double bogey. Among those at one-under were Lizette Salas, Sei Young Kim and an unlikely name in Natalie Gulbis. Scoring was excellent in the first round with 70 players breaking par. Some notables didn’t fare as well. Anna Nordqvist and Jenny Shin were even, while Paula Creamer and Carlota Ciganda were at one-over par.
Second Round
Matilda Castrin bolted to the lead after a round of 66 put her at 10-under par. She held a one-shot lead over Jin Young Ko, who struggled with three bogeys on the front nine. She rebounded for a round of 70. Jeongeun Lee6 also posted a 70 and was two shots behind Castrin. Gaby Lopez made a move with a round of 66 and was tied with Celine Boutier, three strokes off the lead. In Gee Chun fell to four off the lead, while Hyo Joo Kim’s 68 put her in a group of six at five-under par. Lee Lopez got into the mix after recording four birdies over the last five holes. Her 65 put her at four-under par along with 12 others including Sei Young Kim and Yu Liu. Angela Stanford made the cut in her quest to repeat, but was seven shots off the pace. Notables that survived for the weekend include Lizette Salas, Jenny Coleman, Carlota Ciganda, Anna Nordqvist, Albane Valenzuela, Mirim Lee, and Paula Creamer. Natalie Gulbis was looking good to make the cut after her front nine, but shot a 42 on the back and finished at seven-over par.
Third Round
Esther Henseleit posted the round of the day with a 64 that included an eagle on the par 4 15th. She was at 13-under par along with Matilda Castrin. However, they were a shot off the lead held by Jin Young Ko, who also had an eagle on the 15th in her round of 66. Jeongeun Lee6 was still in contention at 10-under and Angela Stanford made a move after a round of 65 put her four-shots back along with Ana Belac heading into the final round. Another shot back was a group led by Stacy Lewis, In Gee Chun and Gaby Lopez. Five more players were bunched at seven-under while Mirim Lee’s 64 including six-under on the last nine, put her seven shots behind. Notables that are out of the mix include Yu Liu (three-under), Lizette Salas (two-under), Jenny Shin (even), Carlota Ciganda (one-over), Anna Nordqvist (two-over), and Paula Creamer (four-over).
Final Round
Emma Talley proved there were low rounds out there on the course, recording birdies on five of the last six holes for a round of 63. She finished tied for fourth at 12-under par with Ana Belac and Esther Henseleit. Another stellar round was turned in by Gaby Lopez, whose 65 vaulted her from 7th to 3rd, finishing at 14-under par. Matilda Castrin and Jin Young Ko battled is out, but it was Ko, who recorded pars on each of the last eight holes, to come out on top by a single shot. Jeongeun Lee6 posted a round of 70 and finished 7th at 11-under par. Rounding out the top ten was Hyo Joo Kim, Celine Herbin, Min-G Kim, and Celine Boutier, all finishing at 10-under. Stacy Lewis and last year’s champion, Angela Stanford, finished another shot back at nine-under. Another highlight came from Jackie Stoelting, who birdied five of the last six holes in her round of 66. Jin Young Ko had a disastrous day, which included bogey and double bogey on the first two holes, followed by a quadruple bogey 9 on the sixth. She finished with a 76 and tie for 47th. Notables included Yu Liu (eight-under), Nanna Koertz Madsen (five-under), Lizette Salas (three-under), Jenny Shin (two-under), and Anna Nordqvist (one-under).
Coming Up
The LPGA Tour heads to the Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio July 8-11 for the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana. The tournament, which began in 1984, is played on a par 71 layout of 6555 yards. The purse is a hefty $2 million with 500 points up for grabs towards the Race to the CME Globe. Aided by a double bogey from Lydia Ko on the 18th, Danielle Kang stormed back from five shots down with six holes to play to win last year’s event.
