Competitive field assembles as LPGA Tour returns in Thailand

Golf

Published: 22 Feb. 2023, 16:07 Updated: 22 Feb. 2023, 17:42

Competitive field assembles as LPGA Tour returns in Thailand

Amy Yang watches her tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the LPGA Pelican Women's Championship at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida on Nov. 13, 2022. [AP/YONHAP]

The LPGA Tour resumes this Thursday with the second tournament of the 2023 season — Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand.

A total of 72 golfers are headed to the Old Course at Siam Country Club, with 12 Koreans joining the field.

Reigning champion Nanna Madsen of Denmark will look to defend her title, with three-time champion Amy Yang of Korea hoping to take her fourth title, four years after she took the last one.

Yang first won the tournament in 2015 with 15-under-par, 273, and added two more titles with 22-under-par, 266, in both 2017 and 2019.

The Honda LPGA 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, making the 2021 tournament the next in the sequence. She finished third in that tournament.

Sequentially speaking, 2022 should have been Yang’s year, but she failed to win the title as she tied for fourth in a particularly competitive field, at 23-under-par, 265.

Madsen took the trophy last year with a score of 26-under-par, 262.

The Danish golfer’s score last year in the competition was also the best in the last five years. The 2018 champion Jessica Korda of the United States recorded a score of 25-under-par, 263, while Yang managed 22-under-par, 266 in 2019, and 2021 champion Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand managed 22-under-par, 266.

Yang’s best score yet as a winner in the tournament is also 22-under-par, 266.

Former champion Ariya Jutanugarn is part of the Thai contingent at this year's event, competing alongside her sister Moriya Jutanugarn, world No. 4 Atthaya Thitikul, Pajaree Anannarukarn, Moriya Jutanugarn, Patty Tavatanakit and Pornanong Phatlum, as well as sponsor exemptions Chanettee Wannasaen, Wichanee Meechai, Jaravee Boonchant, Arpichaya Yubol and Natthakritta Vongtaveelap.

Former champion Anna Nordqvist of Sweden is also in the field. Nordqvist won in 2014 with a score of 15-under-par, 273.

Alongside Yang, the Korean contingent includes world No. 5 Ko Jin-young, currently the highest-ranked Korean on the official Rolex World Ranking after a particularly quite year for Korean golf last year.

Ko Jin-young waits to putt on the first green during the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, N.J on on June 12, 2022. [AP/YONHAP]

World No. 8 Chun In-gee is also competing in Thailand, as is No. 9 Kim Hyo-joo. Completing the Korean contingent are Choi Hye-jin, Kim Sei-young, An Na-rin, Kim A-lim Ji Eun-hee, Lee Jeong-eun6, Chella Choi and Jenny Shin.

Hall of Famer Park In-bee, who previously won the Honda LPGA in 2013, is not taking part this year because she is pregnant. She has not competed in any tournaments since last August.

Former world No. 1 Ko arrives in Thailand having not won a tournament since the 2022 HSBC Women’s Championships in Singapore in March last year. Ko has been recovering from a wrist injury over the winter, sitting out the Tournament of Champions last month while she focused on her recovery.

That injury ultimately forced her to cede the No.1 spot that she had held for about two years to Lydia Ko of New Zealand.

The Honda LPGA is especially important to Ko Jin-young as it tees up her attempt at a title defense next week when the LPGA continues its Asian swing with the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore.

Meanwhile, Chun starts her 2023 season having stayed true to form last year, winning the Women's PGA Championship and finishing second at the British Open. Chun's game has always favored major tournaments like the PGA Championship and British Open — three of her four career LPGA wins come from majors.

Chun In-gee walks on the third green during the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida on Nov. 18, 2022. [AFP/YONHAP]

Both Kim and Choi finished last season on a strong note, tying for third place at the BMW Ladies Championship.

This is Choi’s second year on the LPGA Tour. She made her debut last year and racked up a number of top 10 finished during her rookie tour.

With a $1.7-million purse, the Honda LPGA has attracted all of the top golfers to Thailand to compete.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko leads the field alongside No. 2 Nelly Korda of the United States, No. 3 Minjee Lee of Australia and Thitikul of Thailand.

The Honda LPGA is technically the second tournament on the 2023 LPGA Tour, but it is the first event open to all ranking golfers. The Tour officially kicked off last month with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, but that tournament is only open to former champions from the previous season.

This year's Honda LPGA tees off Thursday and runs through Sunday. There will be a cut after the first two rounds.

Yang will be the first Korean off the mark on Thursday, teeing off in the very first group on the first hole at 8 a.m. with Maja Stark of Sweden and Yuka Saso of Japan. Chun In-gee will tee off on the first hole an hour later alongside Hinako Shibuno of Japan and Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand. Ko Jin-young follows in the next group, teeing off at 9:12 a.m. with Leona Maguire of Ireland and Wichanee Meechai of Thailand.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]