It took a lot longer than we originally expected, but the LPGA has completed its first ten tournaments on the abbreviated 2020 schedule. In spite of all the obstacles that the tour has faced, each and every one of the tournaments that has been played so far this year has been filled with excitement.
We have seen:
• Seven of the ten tournaments decided by only one single stroke.
• Four of those tournaments went into a playoff to decide the winner.
• Two were won by first time winners (Madelene Sagstrom & Sophie Popov).
• The ten tournaments have produced winners from five different countries.
The LPGA statistical leaders for the first 10 tournaments of the 2020 season:
Official Money:
1- Danielle Kang – $698,612
2- Inbee Park – $ 632,853
3- Minjee Lee – $603,705
4- Austin Ernst – $594,079
5- Nelly Korda – $502,286
Rolex Player of the Year: (winner receives a Hall of fame point)
1- Danielle Kang – 75 points
2- Inbee Park – 60
3- Mirim Lee -60
4- Minjee Lee – 47
5- Stacy Lewis – 44
Scoring Average: (winner receives Hall of Fame point)
1- Sei Young Kim – 68.733 strokes per round
2- Danielle Kang – 69.567
3- Brooke Henderson – 69.647
4- Nasa Hataoka – 69.870
5- Inbee Park – 70.042
Race to the CME Globe
1- Danielle Kang – 1,524 points
2- Inbee Park – 1,125
3- Minjee Lee – 920
4- Austin Ernst – 849
5- Nelly Korda – 848
Most Victories
1- Danielle Kang – 2
2- Eight players with – 1
Most Top Five Finishes
1- Danielle Kang – 4
2- Inbee Park – 3
3- Minjee Lee – 3
4- Nine players tied with – 2
Most Wins By Country
1- United States – 4
2- Republic of Korea – 3
3- Three countries tied with – 1
Other LPGA Notes (In case you missed them)
- Due to the hazardous air quality caused by fires in the Pacific Northwest, the LPGA has reduced this week’s Cambia Portland Classic to three rounds.
- The Kia Classic has been taken off the 2020 LPGA schedule. It will resume in 2021.
- Brittany Altomare saw her cut streak come to an end at 39 when she missed the cut at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
- When Sophie Popov won the AIG Women’s Open last month, she jumped from No. 304 to No. 24 in the Rolex Rankings.
- Sei Young Kim’s streak of eight consecutive top ten finishes came to a halt this past week when she finished in 18th place at the ANA Inspiration.
- Bronte Law is going through the worst slump of her LPGA career. She has finished no better than 51st in her last seven starts, with five missed cuts.
Feature Photo: Danielle Kang at the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. | Photo by Ben Harpring