The LPGA Tour headed to Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, California for the Palos Verdes Championship Presented by Bank of America. This inaugural year for the event was 72 holes played on a par 71 layout of 6450 yards. The purse was $1.5 million with 500 points towards the Race to the CME Globe for the winner.
First Round
Minjee Lee bolted to the first-round lead after an eight-under par round of 63. Jin Young Ko birdies five in a row and was just a shot off the pace. Charley Hull, Moriya Jutanugarn and Jennifer Chang were lurking at six-under par, while Gemma Dryburgh and Albane Valenzuela were in the mix at five-under. A group of five players only four shots back included Megan Khang and Hannah Green. Ryann O’Toole was the notable at three-under par. Among 17 players at two-under were Lydia Ko (six birdies, four bogey), Lexi Thompson, Patty Tavatanakit (four-under front nine), and Nanna Koerstz Madsen. Danielle Kang squeaked in under par with a round of 70, while Ariya Jutanugarn, Jennifer Kupcho, Inbee Park, and AtthayaThitikul came in at even. Notables that finished over par were Celine Boutier (two-over), Leona Maguire (three-over), Brooke Henderson and Yuka Saso (four-over), and Yealimi Noh (five-over).
Second Round
Hannah Green took over the lead at the midway point in large part to a five-under par front nine. At nine-under par she was three clear of Lydia Ko, Megan Khang, Jin Young Ko, and Minjee Lee. Maude-Aimee Leblance, Annie Park, and Jennifer Change were four shots off the pace. Big names were lurking at four-under par, including Inbee Park and Nanna Koerstz Madsen. A shot further back including Moriya Jutanugarn, who was nine-under through seven before a six-hole collapse on the back nine that included a triple bogey. She finished at three-under par. Charley Hull struggled to a 75 after a 65 in the first round and was at two-under along with Madelene Sagstrom and ten others. AtthayaThitikul made the cut at one-under, while Lexi Thompson, Celine Boutier, Jennifer Kupcho, and Patty Tavatanakit made the weekend at even par. Notables that missed the cut included Yuka Saso (four-over), Brooke Henderson (five-over), Leona Maguire (six-under), Ariya Jutanugarn, and Yealimi Noh (seven-over).
Third Round
The leaderboard tightened at the top when Hannah Green posted an up and down round of 72 that included an eagle and five bogeys. At eight-under par, Green held a one-shot lead over Lydia Ko, who posted a round of 70. Lexi Thompson shot a 31 on the front nine and finished with a 66, putting her in a group of five-under, along with notables Inbee Park, Megan Khang, and Minjee Lee. After four birdies and an eagle, Sarah Kemp pulled to within five along with Jin Young Ko, who struggled to a round of 73. Bronte Law and Maria Fassi posted rounds of 66 and 67 respectively, and were in at three-under par. Ashleigh Buhai posted her best round of the tournament and was at two-under. Notables further off the pace were Patty Tavatanakit (even), AtthayaThitikul (one-over), Celine Boutier (two-over), and Charley Hull (four-over).
Final Round
Low scores continued in the final round with 23 players posting rounds under 70. AtthayaThitikul had the round of the day with a 65, which including eight birdies and two bogeys. She finished tied for 13th at five-under along with Lexi Thompson and Minjee Lee. Jin Young Ko recorded an eagle during her round of 66 and finished in sole possession of second at nine-under par. The day belonged to Marina Alex, who shot a round of 66, with no bogeys and six birdies from the fifth hole on. She walked away with her second LPGA Tour win and first since September 2018. Megan Khang and Lydia Ko finished tied for third at eight-under par. Hannah Green posted a round of 72 and dropped to a tie for fifth. Jennifer Kupcho and Inbee Park were among five at four-under par. Notables include Patty Tavatanakit (two-under), Nanna Koerstz Madsen (two-under), Celine Boutier (one-under), Charley Hull (four-over), and Moriya Jutanugarn (five-over).
Coming Up
The LPGA Tour heads to Clifton, New Jersey for the Cognizant Founders Cup from May 12-15. This 72-hole event is in its 10th year and is played at the Upper Montclair Country Club, which is a par 71 layout of 6,656 yards. Jin Young Ko, who won the event in 2019, successfully defended her title last season after posting a score of 18-under par at the Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, New Jersey. The purse is $3 million with 500 points towards the Race to the CME Globe for the winner.
