Christina Kim Defends
Already a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Christina Kim went winless for nine years before picking up the third win of her career at the 2014 Lorena Ochoa Invitational. Kim won it in style, defeating Shanshan Feng in a two-hole playoff. She’s back this week to defend her title in hopes of winning her first event of the season. She has yet to crack the top-10 this season, her best finish coming in a T-11 at the ANA Inspiration.
World No.2 Tops the Field
With world No.1 Lydia Ko withdrawing from the field in need of a break after the Asia Swing, world No.2 Inbee Park is the top ranked player in the field this week in Mexico. She’s joined by No.4 Lexi Thompson, in search of her third win of the season, as well as No.5 So Yeon Ryu and No. 7 Sei Young Kim, who clinched the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award following last week’s TOTO JAPAN CLASSIC.
Always a Winner
Four of the seven winners of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational are in the field this week looking for another shot at the title. 2008 winner Angela Stanford tees it up this week after losing in a playoff at last week’s TOTO JAPAN CLASSIC, 2012 winner Cristie Kerr is in the field for her first event since withdrawing from the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship with back pain. 2013 winner Lexi Thompson is also in the field, looking for her third win of the year.
Back For More
8 of the top-10 players who finished T-9 or better at last year’s Lorena Ochoa Invitational return again this year in hopes of hoisting the trophy, including Brittany Lincicome who finished T-4 last year with So Yeon Ryu. Azahara Munoz returns to action after withdrawing from last week’s TOTO JAPAN CLASSIC due to airport closures in Bali following a volcanic eruption. She finished T-7 here last year. Suzann Pettersen tees it up again this year after finishing T-11 last season.
Thanks For The Invite
Five players received sponsor invites to compete in this year’s event, including amateur Gaby Lopez, Alejandra Llaneza and Margarita Ramos. A senior at Arkansas, Lopez also played in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in June and finished T-23 at Stage II of LPGA Qualifying School. A rookie in 2013, Llaneza has made just one cut this season at the Kingsmill Championship where she was T-66. The Epson Tour’s Ramos finished T-23 in this event last year. Christina Kim and Candy Hannemann received the other two invites.
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