Click here for complete groups and tee times for the opening round of the 2017 Kia Classic.
*All times are local
Lydia Ko, Stacy Lewis, Anna Nordqvist
Group 12 – 10th Tee - 7:55 a.m.
Defending champion Lydia Ko begins her title defense in Carlsbad alongside Stacy Lewis and Anna Nordqvist. The world No. 1 captured her first win of the 2016 season on the LPGA Tour at the Kia Classic before going on to win the ANA Inspiration the following week. Ko is coming off her third consecutive top-10 finish after a T-8 showing at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup. Lewis finished in a share of runner-up last week in Phoenix. She’s making her eighth career start at this week’s Kia Classic where she has twice finished in the top-10. Nordqvist, the winner of last week’s Bank of Hope Founders Cup, is also making her eighth appearance at the Kia Classic. She finished in a share of 10th in Carlsbad in 2016.
Inbee Park, Brooke Henderson, Brittany Lincicome
Group 14 – 10th Tee – 8:06 a.m.
Inbee Park returns this week to Carlsbad where she has four top-10s including two runner-up finishes. She carded a final round 67 on Sunday at the 2016 Kia Classic but was unable to catch Ko and instead settled for second. The Olympic gold medalist will play alongside Brooke Henderson and Brittany Lincicome on Thursday and Friday. Henderson is coming off a T-13 finish at last week’s Bank of Hope Founders Cup and looks to build on the T-10 showing she made in Carlsbad in 2016. This week, Lincicome makes her eighth start at the Kia Classic where she finished ninth in 2012.
Sung Hyun Park, Karine Icher, Gerina Piller
Group 16 – 10th Tee – 8:17 a.m.
Rookie Sung Hyun Park has taken the early lead in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the year standings with her strong start to 2017 after finishing inside the top-13 in her first three starts. This week marks her first appearance at the Kia Classic. She’ll play alongside Karine Icher and Gerina Piller. Icher is making her eighth start in Carlsbad after coming off a T-13 finish at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup – her best finish of 2017. After starting the season with a fourth place finish in the Bahamas, Piller hasn’t cracked the top-50. She could find a spark this week in Carlsbad where she finished T-6 last season.
Ariya Jutanugarn, Charley Hull, Suzann Pettersen
Group 35 – 1st Tee - 12:55 p.m.
World No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn seems to have picked up right where she left off in 2016 and enters this week’s Kia Classic off back to back runner-up finishes. That confidence will serve her well this week in Carlsbad where she hasn't found much success in the past - she missed the cut at the Kia Classic in 2015 and finished T-60 last season. Jutanugarn will play alongside Charley Hull and Suzann Pettersen during the first two days. This week, Hull makes her first start since the HSBC Women’s Champions where she was T-12 for the week. She’s making just her second start in Carlsbad where she finished T-43 last season. Coming off a missed cut last week in Phoenix, Pettersen is making her seventh start at the Kia Classic where she has four top-13 finishes.
Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda, Ha Na Jang
Group 37 –1st Tee - 1:06 p.m.
After a hot start to the season with runner-up and fourth place finishes, Lexi Thompson arrives in Carlsbad after missing the cut in Phoenix. She’ll have good memories to lean on at this week’s Kia Classic where she has two top-10s including a third place finish in 2014. She’s grouped with Jessica Korda and Ha Na Jang during the first two rounds. Korda is making her sixth start at the Kia Classic where she finished in a share of sixth last season. Korda hasn’t finished outside the top-16 this season and is coming off a season best share of 10th at last week’s Bank of Hope Founders Cup. Fresh off two top-5s, Jang arrives in Carlsbad already a winner in 2017 after winning the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. She could pick up a second win this week at the Kia Classic where she has consistently played well with two top-16 finishes.