DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA, June 3, 2013 – Jennifer Johnson’s performance on the weekend at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic led to her first Tour victory and the Kia Most Compelling Performance Award for May. The 21-year-old American shot consecutive 65’s on Saturday and Sunday to become a Rolex First-Time Winner, holding off a group of players that included LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame member Karrie Webb and LPGA winners Jessica Korda and Anna Nordqvist.
Johnson is the fourth Kia Most Compelling Performance Award winner in 2013 following Yani Tseng (February), Stacy Lewis (March) and Inbee Park (April).
“It feels really special to win the Kia Most Compelling Performance Award for May,” Johnson said. “The 65’s were probably the best consecutive rounds of my life and it was so cool that it happened on the weekend in Mobile.”
VIDEO: Highlights of Jennifer Johnson Winning the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic
The 2013 Kia Most Compelling Performance Award winner will be announced at the season-ending 2013 CME Group Titleholders following an online fan vote (fan voting period is October 1-21, 2013). Performances may include a single tournament, multiple tournaments, single-round accomplishments or record-breaking performances. Winners of all the 2013 Kia Performance Awards will receive an all-new 2014 Kia Cadenza, premium sedan.
Johnson carded rounds of 67-70-65-65 to break the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic tournament record with a 21-under par 267 total and finished one stroke ahead of Pornanong Phatlum and Jessica Korda. A group of five players finished in a tie for fourth at 19-under par including Karrie Webb, Jiyai Shin, Ariya Juatnugarn, Chella Choi and Anna Nordqvist.
With her victory, Johnson jumped from 78th to 50th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.
The 2013 Kia Performance Awards are:
- Kia Power Drive – Won in 2012 by Brittany Lincicome; awarded to the player with the longest average driving distance
- Kia Drive to the Top – Won in 2012 by Stacy Lewis; awarded to the player with the most top-10 finishes
- Kia Most Compelling Performance – Won in 2012 by Inbee Park; recognizing a player with exceptional performances throughout the year; this award will be chosen by fans through an online vote
- Kia Community Assist – Won in 2012 by Angela Stanford; recognizing a player who makes exceptional contributions to charity organizations or community programs
Tseng earned the February Kia Most Compelling Performance Award for her Sunday surge at the Honda LPGA Thailand, where she fell just two strokes short of a “three-peat” following a final-round 63. Lewis was the March award winner on the heels of consecutive victories at the HSBC Women’s Champions and the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, where she took over as No. 1 on the Rolex Rankings. Park earned the April award for her victories at the Kraft Nabisco Championship – where she took over as No. 1 from Lewis – and the North Texas LPGA Shootout.