By Keely Levins
For much of this season on the LPGA Tour, parity has been the driving storyline, a different player winning nearly every week. Six golfers have claimed titles for the first time in their careers in 2018, and 18 different women won the first 20 tournaments. It’s created an odd dynamic where anyone on tour could win at any time, while at the same time with so many different winners, it feels nearly impossible to stand out.

If there is one player, though, who might rise above the sea of talent and begin to take control, it’s Ariya Jutanugarn. With her one-shot win over Minjee Lee on Sunday at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, the 22-year-old from Thailand notched her third victory of the year, and the 10th of her career.

Jutanugarn closed with a five-under 66 at Gullane Golf Club in East Lothian, Scotland, making just one bogey to six birdies. The win was unexpected for Jutanugarn, as she doesn’t see links golf as a strength.

“It means a lot to me to win the tournament. I told the caddie this week, you know, what I really want to win on a links course, even one time in my life will be good. So right now my dream come true,” Jutanugarn said. (She won the 2016 Women’s British Open, but it was at Woburn Golf Club, a parkland course.)

Early in the week, it looked like another first-time winner might break out, tour veteran Tiffany Joh leading after the first two days after shooting a 62-67. But after a difficult, windy Saturday, Joh’s 80 dropped her back, and Jutanugarn emerged, a one-over 73 after rounds of 67-65 to start the tournament good enough to grab a share of the lead with Amy Yang. Lee sat one shot back.

Suffice it to say, the victory provides Jutanugarn plenty of confidence as she heads into the Ricoh Women’s British Open next week at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

“I feel like I’m pretty lucky this week and I don’t know about next week,” Jutanugarn said. “I know it’s going to be tough next week and especially a major, so just need to work on the same stuff.”

Jutanugarn’s first win of the 2018 season came in May at the Kingsmill Championship, where she won in a playoff. She then added the U.S. Women’s Open title, this time in a playoff after losing a seven-shot lead in the final round. She’s made the cut in all 19 events she’s played in 2018, and has finished in the top-10 eight times, not including the three wins. In the days following her win in Scotland, she’s projected to become World No. 1.

Now that she has proven herself on a links course, has withstood the roller coaster win of the U.S. Women’s Open, and has won more times than anyone else on tour this season, the next question is: Will Ariya Jutanugarn separate herself as a dominant player on this deeply talented tour?

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On the 471-yard 10th hole at Gullane Golf Club, Mickelson smoked an iron that barely got off the ground before running — and running some more — down the course’s baked fairway. Check out the shot that prompted NBC/Golf Channel’s David Feherty to crack, “That’s what we used to call a gnome molester.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlLmFSxjQ8H/?utm_source=ig_embed

Or we could just call it a stinger. In any event, we’re guessing even Tiger would be impressed.

And speaking of the 14-time major champ, this is totally Phil taunting Tiger into that potential $10 million match, right? Yes, this type of shot is perfect for links golf, but the timing of Mickelson (who missed the cut, by the way) showing it off is interesting. Maybe instead of worrying about having an undercard, these two should just have a skills competition.

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Gullane Golf Club in East Lothian was hit on Thursday with gale force winds caused by Storm Hector. One of the casualties was a hosptality tent, set up for the Scottish Open, set to be played at the links within the next month. Video captured the dramatic destruction of the tent, which turned over in the gusts.

New Scottish Open tent required at Gullane ? pic.twitter.com/Vdh3BTyjZX

— Craig Ronald (@Golfercraig) June 14, 2018

No one was reportedly injured in the incident.

Gullane last hosted the Scottish Open in 2015, won by Rickie Fowler. Gullane, which has three courses, ranked 17th on Golf Digest’s Greatest Courses in Scotland list.

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Successive 68s will see the second-placed Scot tee it up with Dutch leader Anne Van Dam and third placed Georgia Hall in the final, 3rd round threesome on Friday at the Omega Dubai Ladies Classic.

Like Hall, MacDonald is gunning for her maiden LET title but unlike the Englishwoman she has the added pressure of playing for her livelihood next season. The top-80 keep their cards and MacDonald came into the season-ender 91st, just shy of €3000 outside of safety. It means that while she’ll endeavour to close the two-shot gap on Van Dam, MacDonald must also guard against a slide down the leaderboard. That’s no easy feat with TV cameras suddenly thrust in your face.

“The thing is for me is that I’ve never really had the cameras, so I was quick on quite a few shots. The shots that they probably are going to show [on TV] are going to be terrible,” said the 27-year-old who mixed six birdies – four on the trot from the 15th – with two second round bogeys.

For context, MacDonald has barely made a cut this year, let alone contended. She arrived in Dubai on the back of four unwanted weekends off and with season earnings of just €10,808 – a sum that would barely cover the cost of one of those cameras.

How good is this by @K_Mac_59 @OMEGAGolfDubai ?? pic.twitter.com/KYSYkPom8R

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) December 7, 2017

“There were a lot of cameras on me, kind of entering my like, zone, personal space, and the way I hit shots, I’m very quick, so I kind of got a little distracted at times and maybe hit some poor shots today that I wouldn’t have previously. But I’ve got to just learn from that and if I’m in contention, it’s going to happen a lot.”

MacDonald credited McNicoll, a PGA assistant at men’s Scottish Open venue Gullane G.C. in East Lothian, for keeping “me clam and in the moment.”

McNicoll will endeavour to remain that “good influence” given what is at stake this weekend.

Two superb 68s by @K_Mac_59 put her in second place on -8 at the Omega Dubai Ladies Classic @EmiratesGC pic.twitter.com/XB4HvRxiHa

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) December 7, 2017

“I’ve not had the best of seasons, hard to get a bit of momentum,” said MacDonald. “But I love the course here. I’ve got good vibes from the last few years. So I came in with a lot of confidence and positivity. I just need to press on and enjoy my weekend.”

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