The LPGA Tour headed to Las Vegas for the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Hosted by Shadow Creek, May 26 – 30. This inaugural event takes place on a par 72 layout of 6804 yards. A field of 64 in 16 groups of four battled for a purse of $1.5 million with 500 points up for grabs towards the Race to the CME Globe.
Round-Robin Day 1
In Group 9, Gerina Piller was 1-down to Hannah Green through six before winning five of the next six holes, winning 3 and 2. Azahara Munoz and Mel Reid were all-square through 14 before Munoz birdied 15th and secured a 1-up win with a birdie on 18.
Moriya Jutanugarn won six holes to Cheyenne Knight’s one in a 5 and 3 win in Group 8. The other match in the group saw Minjee Lee and Jaye Marie Green play to a tie.
Group 5 saw two blowout wins, one by Danielle Kang, disposing of Albane Valenzuela, 7 and 6. The other was a 5 and 4 win by Lizette Salas, who took five holes out of six on the back nine to secure the victory.
Number one player in the world Jin Young Ko took down Natalie Gulbis, a special invite, 4 and 2 in Group 1. Caroline Masson never trailed in her 3 and 2 win over Anna Nordqvist.
Two tight matches defined the say for Group 16. Ariya Jutanugarn and Lauren Stepheson tied on day when Jutunugarn shot five-under par. Sarah Schmelzel overtook Carlota Ciganda, 1-up.
In Group 12, Annie Park birdied the last to defeat Austin Ernst 1-up, while Amy Olson and Bronte Law battled neck-and-neck, ending in a tie. Group 13 saw Jennifer Kupcho in an easy 6-and-4 win over Christina Kim. Ally Ewing went 2-up through eight against Leona Maguire before losing the next four, falling 2 and 1.
The biggest upset of the day was in Group 1 when Jenny Coleman took down Brooke Henderson, 1up, despite losing the first three holes. The other match in the group saw Angela Stanford defeating Ashleigh Buhai 1-up.
Nasa Hataoka and Jasmine Suwannapura were victorious in Group 10, taking down Jing Yan and Mi Jung Hur, respectively. In Group 7, rookie sensation Patty Tavatanakit came back from 2-down against Sarah Kemp through 14 holes to tie the match. Stacy Lewis easily took down Mi Hyang Lee in the other match in the group, 5 and 4.
Sung Hyun Park won seven holes against Su Oh in her 3 and 1 win in Group 15. In the other match, Sophia Popov and Hee Young Park battled to a tie. In Group 2, Jennifer Chang was 2-up through nine in her quest to upset Inbee Park, but Park stormed back to earn a tie. Celine Boutier never trailed in her 4 and 2 victory over Gaby Lopez.
Group 6 featured two one-sided matches. Allison Lee won four straight holes in her 5 and 4 victory over Hyo Joo Kim. Megan Kang took down Jenny shin by the same margin. Eun-Hee Ji never trailed in her Group 11 win by 4 and 3 over Mirim Lee, while So Yoen Ryu was victorious, 3 and 1 over Ryann O’Toole.
Jeongeun Lee6 and PajareeAnannarukarn battled in a tight match all afternoon in Group 14, each settling for a tie. Also in the group, Brittany Lincicome won three of four holes late against Shanshan Feng in a 2 and 1 win. Two more tight matches went the distance in Group 3. Sei Young Kim and Ayako Uehara tied, while Brittany Altomare won three of the last five for a 1-up win over Yu Liu.
Round-Robin Day 2
In Group 12, Bronte Law went 2-up over Austin Ernst through 9, before Ernst go it to 1-down through 16. An ace on the par-3 17th by Law secured the win. In the other match, Amy Olson defeated Annie Park, 3 and 2.
Danielle Kang continued her winning ways in Group 5, taking down Madelene Sagstrom, 2 and 1. Lizette Salas was in a tight match with Albane Valenzuela through 12, before taking three of the next four holes to win, 3 and 2.
In Group 13, Ally Ewing handed Christina Kim her second loss with a 2 and 1 decision. Jennifer Kupcho was three up versus Leona Maguire through 12 before Maguire won four of the last six hole to tie the match.
The biggest disappointment over the first two days was the play of Brooke Henderson, who dropped to 0-2 in Group 4 after losing to Ashleigh Buhai, 1 down. Jenny Coleman improved to 2-0 with a 2 and 1 win over Angela Stanford.
Nasa Hataoka made quick work over Jasmine Suwannapura, winning 6 and 4. Also in Group 10 was a tie between Mi Jung Hur and Jing Yan. In Group 7, Patty Tavatanakit took down Mi Hyang Lee, 2 and 1. Stacy Lewis battled from two down to win the last two holes to tie the match against Sarah Kemp.
Sophia Popov jumped out to a 5-up lead through nine against Su Oh in Group 15 and won 5 and 4. In the battle of the Parks, Hee Young overtook Sung Hyun, 2 and 1. In Group 2, Inbee Park won four straight holes in her 5 and 3 win over Celine Boutier, while Gaby Lopez disposed of Jennifer Chang, 4 and 2.
Ryann O’Toole and Mirim Lee battled to a tie in Group 11, while So Yeon Ryu overtook Eun-Hee Ji, 4 and 3. Two tight matches took place in Group 6. Jenny Shin and Hyo Joo Kim were all-square through 15 before Shin won the next two holes for the victory. Allison Lee recorded a birdie on 18 to win 1-up over Megan Khang.
In Group 14, Jeongeun Lee6 overtook Brittany Linciome, 5 and 3. Shanshan Feng went up three through 14 against PajareeAnannarukarn before losing the next three. A win by Feng on the last gave her a 1-up victory.
The matches were very tight in Group 3 with Sei Young Kim recording a birdie on the last hole to tie Yu Liu. Brittany Altomare won the last hole against Ayako Uehara for a 1-up win. Hannah Green nearly blew a 5-up lead through seven, but held on to win 1-up over Azahara Munoz in Group 9. Mel Reid one five straight on the back nine to overtake Gerina Piller, 3 and 2.
The Jutanugarn sisters were both victorious, Moriya 6 and 5 over Jaye Marie Green in Group 8, while Ariya took down Sarah Schmelzel 4 and 3 in Group 16. Minjee Lee defeated Cheyenne Knight 4 and 3 in Group 8, while Laura Stephenson won three of the last six hole to defeat Carlota Ciganda, 3 and 2.
In Group 1, Anna Nordqvist turned a tight match against Natalie Gulbis in her favor, winning four of the final five holes for a 5 and 4 win. Number one player, Jin Young Ko had all she could handle, narrowly defeating Caroline Masson, 1-up.
Round-Robin Day 3
In Group 3, Yu Liu defeated Ayako Uehara 4 and 3, but neither had a chance to advance. Sei Young Kim defeated Brittany Altomare 2 and 1 to force a playoff. However, Altomare defeated Kim on the first playoff hole to advance.
Danielle Kang defeated Lizette Salas, 4 and 3, to improve to 3-0 and advanced from Group 5. Madelene Sagstrom and Albane Valenzuela tied in the other match from the group.
In Group 9, Mel Reid came back from 3-down through 11 against Hannah Green for a 1-up victory. Azahara Munoz advanced to the playoff against Reid with a 2 and 1 win over Gerina Piller. Reid advanced to the knockout round with a birdie on the first playoff hole.
Minjee Lee advanced from Group 8 after defeating Moriya Jutanugarn, 4 and 3. In Group 10, Jin Yang took down Jasmine Suwannapura, 4 and 3 by winning five of the last six holes. Nasa Hataoka advanced after securing a tie with Mi Jung Hur.
Group 7 winner was Patty Tavatanakit, who advanced after a 5 and 4 win over Stacy Lewis. Su Oh defeated Hee Young Park, 2-up in Group 15, but the winner of the group was Sophia Popov, who won five of the last seven holes to defeat Sung Hyun Park, 6 and 5.
Inbee Park won five straight holes from 9 through 13 to help defeat Gaby Lopez 2 and 1. The win advanced Park from Group 2. Eun-Hee Ji met So Yeon Ryu in a playoff to decide Group 11. After both birdied the first hole, Ji advanced with a par on the second.
Jenny Shin took down Allison Lee, not once, but twice on this day. She won 2 and 1 after taking six of the last nine holes. The win forced a playoff with Lee, where Shin won with a birdie on the fourth playoff hole to advance.
Shanshan Feng lost to Jeongeun Lee6, who won three holes in a four-hole stretch to win 1-up. Despite the loss, Feng advanced from Group 14.
Ariya Jutanugarn lost a 2-up lead against Carlota Ciganda, but won the last to earn a tie. She advanced to a playoff against Sarah Schmelzel and defeated her on the first hole to advance.
Natalie Gulbis earned a tie with Caroline Masson after winning the last two holes. The winner of Group 1 was Anna Nordqvist, who took down Jin Young Ko 5 and 3 and then defeated Ko in the first playoff hole.
Bronte Law dominated Annie Park in Group 12, winning 6 and 5. Austin Ernst won six of the last seven holes to defeat Amy Olson. Law advanced to the knockout.
Over in Group 13, Ally Ewing defeated Jennifer Kupcho, 1-up and advanced to the knockout after Leona Maguire lost to Christina Kim. Jenny Coleman was the last to advance after securing a tie with Ashleigh Buhai.
Round of 16 Knockouts – Day 4
In the battle between Danielle Kang and Bronte Law, Kang went up two before Law evened the match through 14. Kang won the last two with par and birdie to advance to the quarterfinals. Minjee Lee dominated play against Mel Reid, winning six holes to one for Reid, in a 5 and 4 victory.
Jenny Coleman and Ally Ewing were even through most of the match. After both players won four hole, the match was extended. Ewing won on the first playoff hole with a par to advance to the quarterfinals.
The match between Ariya Jutanugarn and Anna Nordqvist was all-square through six. Jutanugarn got to 2-up through 10 after back-to-back birdies. She sealed the match with three consecutive birdies, winning 4 and 3.
Brittany Altomare dueled with Shanshan Feng with neither player gaining more than a 1-up advantage. Patty Tavatanakit impressed in a complete domination over Nasa Hataoka, winning seven of the 14 holes in a 6 and 4 triumph.
Inbee Park looked comfortable through 13 holes against Sophia Popov, going 2-up. Popov recovered and tied the match with birdies on the 14th and 16th holes. All-square through 18, both players recorded par on the first playoff hole before Popov birdied to advance on the second playoff hole.
A back-and-forth battle between Jenny Shin and Eun-Hee Ji was all-square through 12. Shin won three of the next four holes with birdies and appeared to be in control. Ji stormed back with birdies on 17 and 18 to force a playoff. Ji advanced with a par on the first playoff hole.
Quarterfinals – Day 4
Despite struggling with fatigue, Ariya Jutanugarn was in control in her match against Minjee Lee, going 2-up through three holes. Jutanugarn won four straight holes from 7 through 10 to go 5-up. After a miscue on the 11th that led to a bogey, Jutanugarn closed out the match three holes later to advance to the semifinals, 5 and 4.
Danielle Kang entered her match with Ally Ewing having not trailed at any point during the first four matches. Ewing hit come key putts and both players won four holes heading to the 14th all-square. Ewing won the 14th to go 1-up. Kang won the 15th and the 17th, with Ewing taking the 16th . On the 18th with the match all-square, Kang missed a 15-footer for birdie. Ewing drained her putt from less than half that distance to win the match. She advanced to face Ariya Jutanugarn in the semifinals.
Sophia Popov went 1-up over Patty Tavatanakit through two holes and never trailed. She extended her lead to 3-up through 10. Tavatanakit’s only win was on hole 11. Popov closed out the match when both players recorded par on the 15, winning 3 and 2.
Popov will play Shanshan Feng in the other semifinal match. Feng was down 1 through seven holes before winning three of the next four holes to take a 2-up lead over Eun-Hee Ji. After two birdies from Ji over the next four holes, the match was all-square. Feng won on the first playoff hole with a birdie.
Semifinals –Day 5
In the first semifinal match, Ally Ewing got off to a quick start against Ariya Jutanugarn, winning the first hole with a birdie. After Jutanugarn birdied the second to even the match, both players won another hole and the match remained all-square through six. It appeared the effects of fatigue from Saturday showed with Jutanugarn, who went five over par on the next six holes. The result was a commanding 4-up lead for Ewing. Jutanugarn birdied the 15th but failed to get closer. Ewing moved to the finals with a 3 and 2 victory
Sophia Popov entered the other semifinal match against Shanshan Feng with a 4-0-1 record. Feng took a 1-up lead with a par on the first hole. Popov evened the match at the third before Feng won three of the next five holes to go 2-up. After Feng recorded back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13, the match was all-square. Both players recorded pars on the next three holes. A bogey by Feng and par by Popov on the 17th move Popov to a 1-up lead. A birdie by Feng on the 18th forced Popov to birdie as well. She did to win the match and advance to the final to face Ewing.
Finals – Day 5
After losing in the semifinals to Popov, Shanshan Feng withdrew, meaning the Consolation Match automatically went to Ariya Jutanugarn, who finished 3rd with a record of 4-1-1.
In the Championship Match, Ally Ewing took a 1-up lead with a par on the 2nd hole against Sophia Popov. The two tied the next three holes with par-birdie-par before Ewing increased the lead to 2-up with a birdie on the 6th. After pars by both players on 7 and 8, Ewing left the door open with bogeys on 9 and 10. However, Popov struggled as well, recording a bogey on each to remain 2-down. A third-straight bogey by Ewing and a par from Popov narrowed the margin after 11. Both players birdied the 13th before Popov increased her lead to 2-up with a birdie on the 14th. Popov missed another opportunity to close the gap on the 15th Ewing bogeyed. After both players recorded a par on the 15th, Popov needed to win the hole to extend the match. She had a golden opportunity when Ewing double-bogeyed, but she too failed to do better than a 5 on the par 3. Ewing won the match 2 and 1 for her second professional win.
Coming Up
The LPGA Tour heads to The Olympic Club (Lake Course) in San Francisco, California for the U.S. Women’s Open. The event, which began in 1946, takes place on a 6546-yard, par 71 layout. The purse is $5.5 million with 625 points at stake towards the Race to the CME Globe. A Lim Kim is the defending champion.
