With heavy storms and strong winds anticipated from midday, the tournament was shortened to 36 holes, with a sudden death playoff scheduled in the morning between overnight leaders Ko and Lin, who were tied on 11-under-par.

In challenging weather conditions, the play-off took place on the 18th hole of the Hong Kong Golf Club. After missing her chance to win with a par putt on the first playoff hole, Lin held her nerve, sinking a spectacular 40-foot birdie putt to triumph on the second playoff hole to claim her first victory at the Aramco Team Series.

Xiyu Lin is happy to get her third LET win & especially doing it in Hong Kong ???#RaiseOurGame | #BringTheEnergy pic.twitter.com/KTO4TYQ35J

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) October 8, 2023

On that monster putt, Lin said: “I’m still a little in shock. I mean, everything happens for a reason. I didn’t hold my putt in the first playoff hole. I told myself to stay patient. And then it was another good drive and a good close shot. And, you know, making that putt is pretty phenomenal.”

Lin, who took home an Asian Games bronze medal last week, added: “With the rain and the wind, the hole played very differently. The last two days, I’ve been using my pitching wedge into the green, and today, I had 190 yards to the hole. It’s a great course, it’s a great-positioned hole. It’s a great stage for a playoff because this hole is very challenging.”

In the past two seasons, the world No. 12 has been in two playoffs, and lost on both occasions, at the Honda LPGA Thailand in 2022, and earlier this year at the JM Eagle LA Championship.

“That was one of my best putts! I have been in playoffs a lot of times in the past two seasons and I haven’t won one but I kept telling myself that I haven’t done anything wrong and my time is going to come,” the world No. 12 said

Lin added: “It’s my first Aramco Team Series and also my first time playing in Hong Kong in a long time. It means a lot, when you can capture a win in front of a field that includes the world number one and three. It was a pretty good feeling and also this week, I got so much support from the local fans and I feel really grateful. This means a lot to me and will always hold a very special place in my heart.”

The final leg of the Aramco Teams Series will take place at Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia, from October 27-29.

Main image: LET

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It was a flawless first day for world No. 3 Ko, who struck eight birdies at Hong Kong Golf Club.

The Korean star got off to a hot start birdieing the first hole before adding further birdies on four and five before she made three on the trot on holes seven through nine to make the turn in 30.

Ko added two more birdies on the back to seal an opening round of 65 and lead by two shots on eight-under-par.

Jin Young Ko moves shots clear at the top …#RaiseOurGame | #BringTheEnergy pic.twitter.com/nz6Of7Wftq

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) October 6, 2023

“I practised a lot in September, and I worked out a lot too, even though I wasn’t playing,” said the two-time Major champion. “I wanted to play in one of these events and I’m really happy to be in Hong Kong and playing in a team event.

“I hit just 20 balls today and sometimes I don’t practise before teeing off or I just do putting. In Hong Kong, it’s really hot so I just wanted to keep my energy for the tee off.

“If I could win, it would be my first win on the LET which would be an honour. That is motivating me and I have two more rounds to go, so I hope to get some more birdies.”

In the Team competition, it is Anne van Dam’s quartet at the top of the leaderboard on 16-under.

The quartet of Van Dam, Sophie Witt, Lydia Hall and amateur Andrew Hibbert began on the back nine and it was a good start for the team with Witt making an eagle on the 11th and the team were four-under after the 18th hole.

However, it was on their back nine where they really made in-roads producing a score of 12-under through their final 11 holes to reach -16 and lead by three shots.

“We all had plenty of birdies out there today, which was great,” said captain Van Dam. “The course is definitely scoreable which makes it fun to play and I had a super fun day playing with the team.”

Hall explained: “We ham and egged it a little bit, I was out on a couple of the holes and the girls took lead and did what they needed to do. They both played so well, especially Anne, she had it on a string and it was impressive to watch.”

Witt added: “We are playing with Anne! So, when I see all the par-5s, it’s a great opportunity for the team and we have a lot of chances as well.”

Sophie Witt sends TEAM VAN DAM to the top of the leaderboard on -15 ? #RaiseOurGame | #BringTheEnergy pic.twitter.com/rZz0RbOIH6

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) October 6, 2023

In the Individual competition, Van Dam is chasing a remarkable double as she sits in second place on six-under having fired a 67 in Hong Kong.

The Dutch star made an eagle on the ninth, as well as six birdies and two bogeys on her first day to put herself in contention in both competitions.

Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz sits in third on the Individual leaderboard on five-under-par having produced an opening round of 68 which included seven birdies and two bogeys.

Team Iturrioz is also doing well as they are one of four teams in a tie for second place on 13-under-par.

The quartet of captain Iturrioz, fellow Spaniard Maria Hernandez, Norway’s Maiken Bing Paulsen and amateur Xiao Guang Wu combined well on day one.

“It’s good vibes only in this team, it was great and a fantastic day,” said Iturrioz. “The amateur was really nice also, he played really well.

“I did my best, I tried. We played like a team because when someone missed the other was there. I’m really happy with them and let’s go for tomorrow.”

Hernandez explained: “Today wasn’t one of my best days but we’re lucky we had Nuria on the team and she led us, we had a great time. It was fun and we had a great day.

Paulsen added: “We had a great time today. The course is great. Maria and I are coming back stronger tomorrow but as a team, we did really good and we were cheering on each other, we made a couple of good saves and will be trying to do even better tomorrow.”

????? ?????? ???? ???? ????

The putt ?
The celebration ?
The positive vibe ?@nuriaitu signs for a 68 (-5) #RaiseOurGame | #BringTheEnergy pic.twitter.com/yw6coLpv0j

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) October 6, 2023

Team Iturrioz are joined in a share of second place on 13-under-par by Team Alonso, Team Gainer and Team Ciganda.

“I didn’t play good but Kirsten [Rudgeley] played really really good, so I’m happy for her,” said Carmen Alonso.

“I think she put a lot of effort in and myself and Flic [Johnson] tried to support her. Tomorrow, I hope it is going to be better and we can make more birdies and we can help her and do good as a team.”

Cara Gainer said: “Chloe [Williams] got our first eagle on the first hole, we played back to front, so an amazing iron in there and I luckily eagled the ninth hole, so really enjoyed it.

“I feel like we all didn’t have our A-games today, if we can all go out there with slightly better golf tomorrow then there’s plenty of birdie opportunities out there, especially with five par-5s. I’m really optimistic about tomorrow.”

Superb from Ciganda ?#RaiseOurGame | #BringTheEnergy pic.twitter.com/goxC9rVAH3

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) October 6, 2023

Solheim Cup winner and captain Carlota Ciganda said: “We had a very nice team, the amateur played amazing. She was great and she came in on a few holes and it was great that she was motivated and excited to be there. I like the course, I played good just too many bogeys and one double but six birdies, so we will see tomorrow.”

Team Pettersson and Team Davidson Spilkova sit one shot further back in a tie for sixth place, while there are five teams in T8 on 11-under.

On the Individual leaderboard, China’s Xiyu Lin and Australia’s Stephanie Kyriacou are in a share of fourth place on four-under behind Ko, Van Dam and Iturrioz.

While Italy’s Virginia Elena Carta, South Africa’s Nicole Garcia and Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom are one shot further back in a tie for sixth place.

There are 10 players in a tie for ninth place on two-under-par including 2021 Individual champion from Sotogrande Alison Lee, as well as 2023 LET winners Trichat Cheenglab and Lisa Pettersson.

Main image: Jin Young Ko. LET

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World No. 3 Jin Young Ko, Chinese star Muni He, Solheim Cup star Carlota Ciganda, Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan and Dutch star Anne van Dam are among the stars set to take to the course this weekend.

Ahead of the Aramco Team Series debut in Hong Kong later this week, Muni said: “I am so excited to be here this week. I love playing in the Aramco Team Series. I played it once two years ago in Spain, and it was so much fun, so I’m very excited to be back, especially in Hong Kong, a place very close to where I’m from. I used to come here with my parents when I was younger, so it feels really lovely to be back, and I’m very excited.”

The Hong Kong event brings together 28 teams, each comprised of three professional golfers and an amateur player, in a team competition that runs alongside an individual stroke play event. Over the course of three days, players will compete for a prize fund of $1 million, setting a record as the largest fund ever assembled for a ladies’ professional golf tournament in Hong Kong.

Main image: Aramco Team Series presented by PIF

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Wold No. 4 Jin Young Ko has added her name to a star-studded roster for the inaugural Aramco Team Series — Hong Kong, alongside world No. 2 Lilia Vu, and Chinese golf stars Xiyu Lin and Muni He.

The competition, at Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling from October 6-8, is sure to be a big draw, especially as the star-power factor keeps growing.

Sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour, the ATS returns to Asia after its successful debut in Singapore earlier this year. As the penultimate stop on this global golf series ahead of the finale in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the ATS event in Hong Kong will see 28 teams of four — three professionals and one amateur — competing over two days alongside a three-day individual stroke play contest for the 78-player field.

Jin is currently one of the biggest stars in golf, the two-time major winner continues to make her mark in the women’s game. In June, she set the record for the most career weeks at world No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, surpassing Lorena Ochoa’s impressive 13-year record of 158 weeks as the leading player in women’s golf.

Out of the 15 events the 28-year-old has contested this year, she has triumphed on two occasions. The first victory transpired in March at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, where she successfully defended her title and etched her name into the tournament’s history books as the first-ever back-to-back champion. Jin shone again at the Cognizant Founders Cup in May when she claimed victory, making her a three-time winner having previously captured the title in 2018 and 2019.

“I’m excited to compete in my first-ever Aramco Team Series event in a city I’ve yet to play in as well,” Jin said. “I’ve heard many exciting things about the innovative team and individual formats of the Aramco Team Series and can’t wait to have fun competing alongside top professionals and amateurs, and hopefully, I’ll be able to capture both titles in October.”

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Playoffs again, anyone? Megan Khang and Jin Young Ko faced off in the eighth playoff of the LPGA season after both finished at nine-under par Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver to settle the CPKC Canadian Women’s Open. Here is how the Massachusetts native walked away after a closing two-over 74 with her first career victory in a one-hole playoff to earn the $375,000 winner’s cheque.

Leaderboard
Khang (-9), Ko (-9)
Ruoning Yin (-7)
Sei Young Kim (-6)
Hannah Green (-6)

Quotable
“I think it crosses a lot of people’s minds,” Khang said of whether she’d ever win on the LPGA. “I know my game is kind of trending and it’s kind of matured over the past few years, and so I was more so like it’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of time.”

What it means
In her 191st start in her eight-year career, Khang, 25, finally earns her elusive first LPGA title. The talented American’s 34th career top 10, and fourth in 2023, lands Khang in the winner’s circle, punctuating the end of the US Solheim team’s qualifying period with another victory for an American.
Khang also surpassed $1 million in earnings this season, one of 18 players to do so, totalling $1,228,340.

How it happened
Khang, 25, held the first 54-hole lead of her career, three strokes over 13-time winner Sei Young Kim, with World No. 4 Jin Young Ko looming five strokes off.
That lead melted quickly as Ko, a two-time winner this year, went out with a bogey-free two-under opening nine to cut Khang’s lead to one.
Khang went birdie-free on her two-over front nine. Khang lost her lead on the 10th with her third bogey of the day to fall into a tie with Ko, setting up a roller-coaster finish between the two. Kim sat a stroke behind.
Ko gave a gift on the par-5 11th, the easiest hole of the final round, missing into the penalty area on the left to settle for her first bogey of the day, and only the fifth one the 11th gave up on Sunday. With the lead back in hand, Khang reached the green in two to post her first birdie of the day and keep Kim a stroke back.
Ko, again on a par 5, made a crucial mistake from the fairway on the 15th. From 80 yards away, she missed the green long, settling for an up-and-down par. She reached the front of the par 5 in two but could not extend the lead after missing an eight-foot birdie. Khang walked to the 16th with a one-shot lead over Ko and Kim, which wouldn’t last. Before Khang could tee off on the 16th, Ko birdied the par 4 to tie the lead again at nine-under.
Khang missed the 16th long from the fairway yet still crucially got up and down to salvage a key par and remain tied for the lead.
The par-3 17th proved challenging Sunday as only 30.4 per cent of the field hit the green in regulation. Ko found the putting surface and two-putted for par, a score Khang failed to match with a missed downhill five-foot par putt that spun out. The 15-time LPGA winner held the outright lead for the first time on Sunday with one to play.
It felt like Ko’s eight-foot par putt for a closing three-under 69 would be enough for her third win of the season on the 18th, forcing Khang to have to birdie the last to get into a playoff, walking it in with a fist pump. After all, the South Korean earned her par on the most difficult scoring hole on the course Sunday.
Khang sat at three-over for her final round in the left centre of the 18th fairway. Instead of Ko overcoming a five-stroke deficit to earn her second career Canadian Open victory, Khang answered, nestling her approach to five feet and jarring the biggest putt of her life to force a playoff with a birdie on the 72nd hole, posting a two-over 74 Sunday to go to extras.
They returned to the 18th for the playoff. Ko missed wide left off the tee and had to take an unplayable lie from the bushes. Khang watched in the middle of the fairway as Ko thwacked it out of the bushes into the front greenside bunker. Khang’s approach narrowly trickled off the left-hand side of the green.
Khang had extended viewing time again as Ko’s fourth from the bunker still had her outside Khang. Ko’s last-gasp 30-foot bogey putt just ran past the cup, allowing Khang three putts to win. It only took two for her to start celebrating her first career win.

Best of the rest
Andrea Lee, entering the week needing a T-13 finish to take the final US Solheim points spot, finished precisely where she needed to. Despite going four-over through the first 14 holes of the tournament, she recovered to a two-under performance for the Canadian Open to earn a T-13 finish, paying off a three-tournament run of a T-9 at the Women’s Scottish Open, a T-9 at the AIG Women’s Open, and this week to take the final US Solheim Cup points spot from Lexi Thompson.
Lee knew where she needed to finish going into the tournament thanks to scrolling Twitter on Saturday.
“I saw Grant’s [Boone, Golf Channel commentator] tweet last night, so thanks, Grant,” Lee joked.
Ruoning Yin’s six-under 66 was the day’s low round, moving the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner from T-11 to third place. The adjustment? Slowing down her tempo and taking her coach’s newfound nickname for Yin to heart.
“I feel like sometimes my swing tempo is a bit too fast, and today just right before the round he [Yin’s coach] text me, like, have a good day,” Yin explained. “Just be the tempo queen. I was like, okay. So today I just focus on my tempo and didn’t think about anything else.”
The swing change resulted in Yin’s fifth top 5 of her breakout sophomore campaign.

Biggest disappointment
Lydia Ko’s third-round 10-over 82 pushed her to last place. While the Kiwi expressed appreciation for the fans’ passion for her on Instagram after her closing 73, she’s projected to fall to 90th on the tour’s CME points list, putting Ko in a perilous position to not qualify for the LPGA’s CME Group Tour Championship in November for the first time since 2013, as only the top 60 in CME points qualify.

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Jin Young Ko has had a heck of a season. The South Korean-born LPGA pro has two wins and five top tens. She’s currently the second ranked women’s player in the world and third in the season-long race to the CME Globe. It doesn’t compare to her scorching-hot 2021, when she won five times, including the tour championship, enroute to being named the Rolex Player of the Year, but it’s not too shabby.

Unfortunately Ko hasn’t won a major since 2019 and that comes with questions. Lots and lots of questions. On Wednesday at the AIG Women’s Open, Ko was asked one of those questions, specifically about her ambitions and expectations at the final major of the year. Her response couldn’t have been better.

Jin Young Ko: I don't have any goals for my golf. I just want to eat a lot of sausage rolls. pic.twitter.com/vioh4oOhqt

— Sean Zak (@Sean_Zak) August 9, 2023

Ko is just here to eat sausage rolls and kick butt, and she’s all out of sausage rolls. OK, so not exactly. There’s probably plenty of sausage rolls to go around — Ko admitted she’d already had three — but you get the idea.

Regardless, it’s a refreshing perspective to hear from a professional athlete. There are things in life that are bigger than sports, and sometimes those big things are actually the little things. It didn’t exactly pan out at Walton Heath on Thursday — Ko fired a one-over 73 — but she’s still firmly in the mix heading into Friday. With a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, perhaps another one of those legendary sausage rolls, she should be in contention all weekend long.

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At 8:50 a.m. local time Thursday, the trio of World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, No. 2 Nelly Korda and 11-time LPGA winner Lexi Thompson teed off on the 10th hole of the Pebble Beach Golf Links in the first round of the 78th US Women’s Open. About 15 minutes and 16 shots played later, the seaside links already had shown its bite. Korda opened the tournament by slicing her drive over the cliff and eventually made a double bogey. Ko drove into the left fairway bunker while Thompson hit into the left rough, and both made bogey.

Welcome to the first women’s major played on this famed course. Ko ended up shooting a shocking 79, Korda scored 76 and Thompson “won” the group with a 74.

“Hard,” Thompson said when asked how the course was playing. “I know there could be a lot more wind than there is today. It always plays difficult. Tee shots are hard, and bunkers have a lot of sand and the rough is up really thick. It’s definitely a major championship golf course.”

Pity the players who had to start in a light mist on the par-4 10th. The 428-yarder on the cliffs above Carmel Beach played as the hardest hole for the morning wave, at nearly a half-stroke over par (.46). Only 29 per cent of the first 78 players hit the green.

Don’t tell the players starting on 1 that they had it easy. The true opener played as the fifth-hardest hole, and in an example of how treacherous any misses at Pebble can be. Jennifer Kupcho hit her first tee ball in the afternoon wave into the left rough. She slashed her next shot only 47 yards, the ball being swallowed in the thick eyelashes of a bunker. Kupcho then all but shanked the third shot right and eventually made a double bogey.

The unknown of how the women would fare in major conditions at Pebble was a fascinating prospect heading into the championship. From the looks of early play on Thursday, as long as the conditions are benign, which they were on this morning, there are players who have answers for this test. But for those who aren’t feeling sharp, they will be absolutely exposed because of deep rough everywhere, along with finding and then putting on Pebble’s claustrophobic greens. Thirty-five players in the morning shot 76 or higher.

Xiyu Lin plays her second shot on the 10th hole during the first round of the 78th US Women’s Open. Ezra Shaw

China’s Xiyu Lin, a 27-year-old who tied for third in the recent KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltrusrol, managed the layout beautifully, suffering only a single bogey on her last hole, the ninth, to shoot a four-under-par 68 and take the clubhouse lead. Lin is not a long hitter and averaged only 254 yards off the tee in Round 1, but she was in the fairway most of the time (12 of 14) and gained nearly four strokes on the early competitors in putting.

Making strong pars at Pebble Beach is critical, and they don’t come better than Lin’s 4 at the No. 8. Her tee shot travelled only 172 yards, leaving her a daunting 217-yard shot to the over the cliffside chasm; She answered with near-perfect wood to 18 feet and two-putted for par.

Others didn’t fare as well. There were 14 bogeys, two doubles and one 7 at No. 8 in the morning. Only three players made birdie.

The most shocking result came from Ko, a two-time major winner who has two victories this year. Among the pre-tournament favourites—and rightfully so, considering she spent more than a week practising at Pebble—the World No. 1 made six bogeys and a stunning double bogey on the par-3 17th when she hooked a wood into Stillwater Cove. That is a miss that a Pebble Beach golf tourist would cringe at. Ko’s 79 put her near last in the morning wave; she only beat 52-year-old Annika Sorenstam by one shot and tied Amy Olson, who is seven months pregnant.

The adage at Pebble Beach is that you have to make hay on the first seven holes before holding on eighth and onward. But that only played out in a minor way early, with the front playing three-quarters of a stroke easier, with the total score average of 74.63.

Beyond the 10th, the dogleg par-4 16th, playing at 377 yards, was the second hardest, yielding zero birdies and 22 scores of par or worse. The 429-yard ninth was playing predictably hard with an average of 4.35.

The easiest hole in the morning was the uphill par-5 sixth, which gave up 28 birdies, followed by the 308-yard par-4 fourth and 367-yard 15th. The little par-3 seventh, one of the most photographed holes in the world, was set at 113 yards and allowed 15 birdies but exacted 14 bogeys. And the 18th, as one of the greatest finishing holes in the game, was not laying down, playing at 5.14 average strokes.

Even in the more playable morning conditions., three of the top-four ranked players in the world (Ko, Korda and Lilia Vu) combined to shoot 18 over par, and Thursday morning’s “featured group” of Ko, Korda and Thompson traversed far more of the Pebble property than they hoped. It was if they fed off negative vibe instead of positive.

Lexi Thompson laid up with an iron on her 18th hole tee shot and eventually made a par. Ezra Shaw

Korda shot herself out of the KPMG Women’s PGA two weeks ago with rounds of 76-77, and with the tough double-bogey start at Pebble, the World No. 2’s body language was not promising. She bogeyed three more holes on her front before making a salvage birdie at 18. Korda rallied with birdies at 3 and 6 but gave the gains back with bogeys at 7 and 8.

In a wild statistical gap, Korda gained 6.47 strokes off the tee and lost 10.59 in short game.

Thompson, who has been struggling badly of late, managed the best score of her trio with a 74. Beyond the bogey at 10 to open, she made a double bogey at No. 1 and bogey at 7. Thompson, one of the longest drivers on tour, also made a curious decision at the 18th. She chose iron off the tee, hit it an impressive 263 yards, but after laying up to 135 yards, Thompson managed an approach to 20 feet and couldn’t make the birdie putt.

Apparently, that big body of water on the left can be very intimidating.

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On Tuesday, the USGA announced the groupings for the US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach and they are highlighted by LPGA rookie sensation Rose Zhang playing with two former major champions Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson. The threesome drew one of the later tee times for the first round—2:35 p.m. PT, which will put them into all of USA Network’s live coverage for Thursday’s first round. The group tees off at 8:50 a.m. on Friday.

Among the other featured groups:

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, No. 2 Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson.

Sei Young Kim, recent KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner Ruoning Yin and Megan Khang.

Yuka Saso, the 2021 US Women’s Open champion at Olympic Club, two-time major winner So Yeon Ru, and amateur Anna Davis, the champion of the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

And in the tournament’s most nostalgic group, 52-year-old Annika Sorenstam is paired with Michelle Wie West, who has said this will be her last event, and In Gee Chun.

All times Pacific

7 a.m. / 12:45 p.m. – (a) Kelly Xu, Claremont, Calif.; Haeji Kang, Republic of Korea; Lindy Duncan, Plantation, Fla.

7:11 a.m. / 12:56 p.m. – Miyu Sato, Japan; Jaravee Boonchant, Thailand; Amanda Doherty, Atlanta, Ga.

7:22 a.m. / 1:07 p.m. – Azahara Muñoz, Spain; Amy Olson, Fargo, N.D.; Emma Spitz, Austria

7:33 a.m. / 1:18 p.m. – Na Rin An, Republic of Korea; (a) Benedetta Moresco, Italy; Amy Yang, Republic of Korea

7:44 a.m. / 1:29 p.m. – Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Denmark; Hae Ran Ryu, Republic of Korea; (a) Jeneath Wong, Malaysia

7:55 a.m. / 1:40 p.m. – Jenny Shin, Republic of Korea; Jeongeun Lee6, Republic of Korea; Alison Lee, Los Angeles, Calif.

8:06 a.m. / 1:51 p.m. – Ariya Jutanugarn, Thailand; Mina Harigae, Monterey, Calif.; Gaby Lopez, Mexico

8:17 a.m. / 2:02 p.m. – Minjee Lee, Australia; (a) Saki Baba, Japan; Ashleigh Buhai, South Africa

8:28 a.m. / 2:13 p.m. – (a) Amari Avery, Riverside, Calif.; Ally Ewing, Fulton, Miss.; Angel Yin, Arcadia, Calif.

8:39 a.m. / 2:24 p.m. – Lilia Vu, Fountain Valley, Calif.; Danielle Kang, Las Vegas, Nev.; Charley Hull, England

8:50 a.m. / 2:35 p.m. – So Yeon Ryu, Republic of Korea; (a) Anna Davis, Spring Valley, Calif.; Yuka Saso, Japan

9:01 a.m. / 2:46 p.m. – Yuri Yoshida, Japan; Paula Reto, South Africa; Ryann O’Toole, San Clemente, Calif.

9:12 a.m. / 2:57 p.m. – Milagros Chaves, Paraguay; Harukyo Nomura, Japan; Aya Kinoshita, Japan

Thursday (July 6), Hole #1 / Friday (July 7), Hole #10

12:45 p.m. / 7 a.m. – (a) Krissy Carman, Eugene, Ore.; Laura Sluman, Panama; (a) Farah O’Keefe, Austin, Texas

12:56 p.m. / 7:11 a.m. – Ayako Uehara, Japan; Amelia Garvey, New Zealand; Therese Warner, Kennewick, Wash.

1:07 p.m. / 7:22 a.m. – Maria Fassi, Mexico; (a) Grace Summerhays, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Xiaowen Yin, People’s Republic of China

1:18 p.m. / 7:33 a.m. – Alice Hewson, England; Kana Mikashima, Japan; (a) Emilia Migliaccio, Cary, N.C.

1:29 p.m. / 7:44 a.m. – (a) Chizuru Komiya, Japan; Jenny Coleman, Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.; Hana Wakimoto, Japan

1:40 p.m. / 7:55 a.m. – (a) Jess Baker, England; Pajaree Anannarukarn, Thailand; Chella Choi, Republic of Korea

1:51 p.m. / 8:06 a.m. – Andrea Lee, Hermosa Beach, Calif.; Anna Nordqvist, Sweden; Cheyenne Knight, Aledo, Texas

2:02 p.m. / 8:17 a.m. – Madelene Sagstrom, Sweden; Hyo Joo Kim, Republic of Korea; Miyu Yamashita, Japan

2:13 p.m. / 8:28 a.m. – Ayaka Furue, Japan; Hannah Green, Australia; Linn Grant, Sweden

2:24 p.m. / 8:39 a.m. – Jennifer Kupcho, Westminster, Colo.; Atthaya Thitikul, Thailand; Leona Maguire, Republic of Ireland

2:35 p.m. / 8:50 a.m. – Brooke Henderson, Canada; Rose Zhang, Irvine, Calif.; Lydia Ko, New Zealand

2:46 p.m. / 9:01 a.m. – Mirim Lee, Republic of Korea; Teresa Toscano Borrero, Spain; (a) Angela Zhang, Bellevue, Wash.

2:57 p.m. / 9:12 a.m. – Brooke Matthews, Rogers, Ark.; (a) Julia Misemer, Overland Park, Kan.; Marissa Chow, Honolulu, Hawaii

Thursday (July 6), Hole #10 / Friday (July 7), Hole #1

7 a.m. / 12:45 p.m. – (a) Sadie Englemann, Austin, Texas; Gabriela Ruffels, Australia; Charlotte Thomas, England

7:11 a.m. / 12:56 p.m. – Bronte Law, England; Grace Kim, Australia; (a) Monet Chun, Canada

7:22 a.m. / 1:07 p.m. – Brittany Lang, Mckinney, Texas; Jill McGill, Denver, Colo.; Angela Stanford, Saginaw, Texas

7:33 a.m. / 1:18 p.m. – Patty Tavatanakit, Thailand; (a) Áine Donegan, Republic of Ireland; Sung Hyun Park, Republic of Korea

7:44 a.m. / 1:29 p.m. – (a) Zoe Campos, Valencia, Calif.; Moriya Jutanugarn, Thailand; Haruka Kawasaki, Japan

7:55 a.m. / 1:40 p.m. – Lizette Salas, Azusa, Calif.; Jodi Ewart Shadoff, England; (a) Yana Wilson, Henderson, Nev.

8:06 a.m. / 1:51 p.m. – Sei Young Kim, Republic of Korea; Ruoning Yin, People’s Republic of China; Megan Khang, Rockland, Mass.

8:17 a.m. / 2:02 p.m. – Carlota Ciganda, Spain; Xiyu Lin, People’s Republic of China; Hye-jin Choi, Republic of Korea

8:28 a.m. / 2:13 p.m. – Annika Sorenstam, Sweden; Michelle Wie West, Honolulu, Hawaii; In Gee Chun, Republic of Korea

8:39 a.m. / 2:24 p.m. – Celine Boutier, France; Georgia Hall, England; Nasa Hataoka, Japan

8:50 a.m. / 2:35 p.m. – Jin Young Ko, Republic of Korea; Nelly Korda, Bradenton, Fla.; Lexi Thompson, Delray Beach, Fla.

9:01 a.m. / 2:46 p.m. – Albane Valenzuela, Switzerland; Momoko Ueda, Japan; (a) Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Australia

9:12 a.m. / 2:57 p.m. – Yuna Nishimura, Japan; Pernilla Lindberg, Sweden; Annie Park, Levittown, N.Y.

Thursday (July 6), Hole #10 / Friday (July 7), Hole #1

12:45 p.m. / 7 a.m. – Bailey Tardy, Norcross, Ga.; Dottie Ardina, Philippines; (a) Kaili Xiao, Republic of Korea

12:56 p.m. / 7:11 a.m. – (a) Sarah Edwards, Jay, Fla.; Dewi Weber, Netherlands; Aline Krauter, Germany

1:07 p.m. / 7:22 a.m. – Mackenzie Hahn, Spring Grove, Ill.; (a) Sophie Linder, Carthage, Tenn.; Kumkang Park, Republic of Korea

1:18 p.m. / 7:33 a.m. – Ruixin Liu, People’s Republic of China; Daniela Darquea, Ecuador; (a) Minori Nagano, Japan

1:29 p.m. / 7:44 a.m. – Perrine Delacour, France; (a) Lauren Kim, Canada; Manon De Roey, Belgium

1:40 p.m. / 7:55 a.m. – DaYeon Lee, Republic of Korea; Minami Katsu, Japan; Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, Thailand

1:51 p.m. / 8:06 a.m. – A Lim Kim, Republic of Korea; Hinako Shibuno, Japan; Eun Hee Ji, Republic of Korea

2:02 p.m. / 8:17 a.m. – Allisen Corpuz, Kapolei, Hawaii; Jiyai Shin, Republic of Korea; Marina Alex, Wayne, N.J.

2:13 p.m. / 8:28 a.m. – (a) Tinghsuan Huang, Chinese Taipei; Chisato Iwai, Japan; Minji Park, Republic of Korea

2:24 p.m. / 8:39 a.m. – Mao Saigo, Japan; Maja Stark, Sweden; So Mi Lee, Republic of Korea

2:35 p.m. / 8:50 a.m. – Gemma Dryburgh, Scotland; Aditi Ashok, India; Akie Iwai, Japan

2:46 p.m. / 9:01 a.m. – Beatrice Wallin, Sweden; Joy Chou, Chinese Taipei; (a) Celeste Dao, Canada

2:57 p.m. / 9:12 a.m. – Allysha Mae Mateo, Mililani, Hawaii; Jing Yan, People’s Republic of China; (a) Megan Propeck, Leawood, Kan.

The post Highlights from US Women’s Open tee times: Rose Zhang playing with Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson; Sorenstam and Wie West paired appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

There was no missing the smile on Jin Young Ko’s face as she stood on the 18th green at Sentosa Golf Club on Sunday in Singapore, victorious for a second straight year at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. But there was no missing the tears, either. The 12-month odyssey to win once more and claim her 14th career LPGA title was one that pushed the 27-year-old South Korean star unlike any other time in her impressive professional career. And the normally stoic Ko couldn’t hide her emotions.

“[I tried] to listen to the birds and feel the wind and rain,” she said. “But it was really hard to keep my poker face.”

Tears of joy ?

Jin young Ko wins the 2023 @HWWCGolf! ? pic.twitter.com/gWzPE46jIA

— LPGA (@LPGA) March 5, 2023

Ko shot a final-round 69 for a 17-under 271 to fend off challenges from two American stars, Nelly Korda (second at 15 under) and Danielle Kang (T-3 at 14 under), as well as Japan’s Ayaka Furue (T-3 at 14) and American Allisen Corpuz. Ko overcame yet another rain delay, the three day out of four where play was interrupted, with just three holes remaining and a victory in her sights.

Danielle Kang made a charge on Sunday, but a closing 68 wasn’t enough to pass Jin Young Ko. Lionel Ng

The stoppage helped Ko focus again. She’d started the final round with a two-shot edge on Korda, but saw the lead shrink to one as Kang, who shot a second-round 63 to hole the halfway lead, made five birdies on her first 13 holes to make a charge. But Ko counted with her fourth birdie on the day at 13th just as Kang made bogey on the 16th, to hold back Kang. And when Korda bogeyed the 14th while playing beside Ko in the final group, Ko could breathe easier even while stymied by the rain.

“I had a one-shot lead the first 15 or 16 and I know Nelly is behind me. I thought it was just one or two shots, so it was close,” Ko said. “But after the delay, I rested in the dining, and I saw the TV and the scoreboard, and three-shot lead. But I had two more holes left, so thought, let’s make a par, like safe play. But it was really hard to make par 17, 18, but yeah, it was hard but I make it.”

After Ko’s win in Singapore a year ago, the then World No. 1 and reigning LPGA player of the year was looking like she would take her career to another impressive level. Her closing-round 66 was her 15th consecutive round in the 60s, a new LPGA record. It was her 29th round in the 60s over her last 30. But instead, the nagging wrist injury that she had learned to play through worsened, and suddenly Ko couldn’t perform. She had only four top-10 showings in her next 15 start, and in the summer she missed back-to-back cuts for the first time ever. She fell to fifth in the Rolex Women’s Ranking and sat out a start in Portland where she was the defending champion and returned to finish a disappointing T-33 at the CME Group Tour Championship.

Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz congratulate Jin Young Ko on the 18th green after her victory. Andrew Redington

But, finally, time off seemed to pay off, her wrist healed enough to train again with her coach in Vietnam. The first hint of a return to form came a week earlier with a Sunday 64 to finish T-6 at the Honda LPGA Thailand.

With the win, Ko has now claimed a title in a sixth straight LPGA season and defended a title for a third time in her LPGA career. Moreover, she has had the confidence return that appeared to be lost last summer.

“It’s the most important [win]. Because I had a tough year last year, and I fought with injury and not good game and mentally tough and everything, and then I won this week,” Ko said. “So it’s going to be more important to me and it’s going to be big momentum for me in my life.”

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When Jin Young Ko claimed the HSBC Women’s World Championship title a year ago, she left Singapore on top of women’s golf world. With her two-stroke win, it marked the sixth straight year in which she had grabbed an LPGA Tour victory. Her closing-round 66 was her 15th consecutive round in the 60s, a new LPGA record. It was her 29th round in the 60s over her last 30. The then Rolex Women’s World Rankings No. 1 seemed primed for another spectacular season, the potential to overtake Lorena Ochoa for the most weeks as the top player in the rankings was within her sights.

In hindsight, that Sunday in Singapore was no springboard, but rather a plateau that Ko is still coming to terms with. In the months to follow, the 27-year-old South Korean star suffered another wrist injury setback that caused her to endure the worst stretch of her tour career, one she’s still navigating.

“There were some tough times last year,” Ko said Tuesday during a pre-tournament press conference at Sentosa Golf Club. “But because of those times, I learned that I needed to practice the right away, what I needed to do, and what I needed to work on. It was an important year for me.”

Ko missed back-to-back cuts for the first time in her six-year career last August at the AIG Women’s Open and CP Women’s Open. She did not defend her title at the Cambia Portland Classic, resting her wrist instead.

Her return in October continued with wrist pain. Ko’s best finish over her last four tournaments came at the limited-field CME Group Tour Championship, a T-33. In the offseason, she returned to her old coach, Si Woo Lee, to find answers as Ko remained physically and mentally tired.

In a text exchange with Golf Digest, Lee noted that Ko’s body and rotation patterns “had broken a lot,” getting smaller compared to her swing in previous years. The two spent a month working together in Vietnam, emphasizing building stamina and fixing her swing mechanics. “So I keep asking her [to use her] upper and lower body turn rather than use of the wrist and arm.”

Ko saw some progress a week ago at the Honda LPGA Thailand, her first start of 2023, where she shot a closing 64 to finish T-6. Ahead of that event she shared that her wrist feels better and that she’s working out to protect it more. Her coach more precisely described where her injury is now, stating she’s at “70-80 per cent free from wrist injuries.”

While Lee and Ko have been working together to put a new swing in place, there’s also been working rebuilding Ko’s mental stamina. Judy Rankin once described the 13-time winner as being as good under pressure “as anybody we’ve ever watched.” To restore that, Lee and Ko have turned to meditation to start solving her mental exhaustion. Ko now meditates every morning and night. The routine alleviates some of the pressures the two-time player of the year has and helps keep her present on the course.

“All the players have high expectations, and that makes it [easy to become] tired,” Ko said. “So I don’t want to [put] high expectations myself. Just look the ball and just hit it and just walk and then hit again, that’s it.”

The proof started showing in her final round in Thailand. It’s was her lowest round from the now World No. 5 player since last May at the Palos Verdes Championship. The T-6 finish was her first top-10 since the Amundi Evian Championship in July.

“I don’t have word to describe what went down on that last round,” Ko said. “I feel that I’ve managed to show true moments and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.”

Putting more of those moments together can start returning Ko to where she was at the end of last year’s HSBC Women’s World Championship. Right at the top of her game.

The post How this LPGA star is trying to bounce back from a year of injuries and doubt appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.