Two events in and the hype is legit.
With eight rookies in the top 100 in the Rolex World Rankings heading into the season, there's no doubt the rookie class was going to make noise but not sure anyone guessed just how loud the noise would be though so far. The 2014 season proved the Tour isn’t just veteran dominated when Lydia Ko and Mirim Lee both won twice, and this 2015 crop of rookies could be even deeper.
Among a three-way playoff Sunday at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA, two of the competitors – Sei Young Kim and Ariya Jutanugarn – were rookies. Kim went on to win. Jutanugarn lost but notched a tie for second to go with a tie for 11th at the season opener.
It looked like a rookie might win the season opener, too, when rookie Ha Na Jang, No. 19 in the Rolex Rankings, led after the second round and was one back of the lead on the back nine on Sunday at the Coates Golf Championship Presented by R&L Carriers. Jang finished in a tie for second, but the rookie movement was established. The three currently sit in the top six on the money list through two events.
It’s more than just those three, too. Minjee Lee, the 18-year-old Australian co-medalist at LPGA Qualifying Tournament, has two top-20 finishes to her credit. Kelly Shon, the third Ivy League graduate in LPGA Tour history, finished in a tie for 11th at the Pure Silk Bahamas in her first LPGA start.
Five rookies currently sit in the top 40 in the Rolex World Golf Rankings and eight in the top 70. The two highest ranked rookies – Hyo Joo Kim (No. 7) and Q Baek (No. 11) – in the Rolex Rankings have been quiet so far. Kim is waiting for the Tour to head overseas to start her season and Baek has yet to find her footing with a tie for 71st as her best finish in two starts so far. Charley Hull, No. 39 in the world and first on the Ladies European Tour’s Order of Merit in 2014, hasn’t made her rookie debut yet either but showed she’s got the game to win on the LPGA Tour in 2014 with a tie for seventh at the Kraft Nabisco Championship and a tie for third at the Airbus LPGA Classic.
Expect more noise surely to come from this banner group of rookies.
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