JOH HAPPY TO BE HOME AND HEALTHY

The Kia Classic always feels like a home game for Tiffany Joh, who grew up in San Diego and loves spending her free time surfing at Terra Mar, just one exit away from Aviara Golf Club.

“I snuck in a surf session yesterday,” said Joh with a smile. “I don't know if people appreciated me showing up to the course all salty, but I showered.”

But 2017 feels particularly special to the bubbly Joh, who in January was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma on her scalp. After receiving surgical treatment, she is cancer-free, and sees her life and her game in a new perspective.

“I think over the last few months I've really found a value in the relationships that I've had,” said Joh, a 2009 graduate of UCLA. “It's interesting, even like those long waits and practice rounds we complain about as players, it's such a great opportunity to build all these relationships. Like I've made so many great friendships out here.

And I think at a certain point when I was looking back on what the highlights of my life were, they weren't getting my card or first professional win. They were like the little moments in between where I was able to build all these friendships.”

QUICK HITS

Ariya Jutanugarn has spent 34 consecutive weeks ranked as the No. 2 player in the world. Since March 2016, she has not finished outside of the top 60 in an event and has recorded five wins. Seven months ago, the average points differential between No. 1 Lydia Ko and No. 2 Jutanugarn was 6.57 points. This week, the difference is now 1.5 average points.

Following her T19 performance at last week’s Bank of Hope Founders Cup, Nelly Korda moved into the top 200 players in the world and is the 34th-ranked American. Since the start of the 2016 season, she has played in a total of 23 events on the Epson and LPGA Tours, and has eight top-10 finishes.

Lydia Ko and Lizette Salas both returned four bogey-free rounds at last week’s Bank of Hope Founders Cup. Since 2011, only two other players have achieved that feat – Inbee Park (2015 HSBC Women’s Champions, an event she won) and Stacy Lewis (2013 Safeway Classic presented by Coca-Cola).

Defending champion Lydia Ko is competing in her fifth LPGA Tour event of 2017. She has notched three top-10 finishes: T8 at the Honda LPGA Thailand, T9 at the HSBC Women’s Champions and T8 at the Bank of Hope Founder’s Cup.

With 899 points, Ariya Jutanugarn currently holds the lead in the Race to the CME Globe. Jutanugarn won the 2016 race, earning the title of Race to the CME Globe Champion and the $1 million bonus. Ha Na Jang, who won the 2017 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, is second with 784 points, followed by 2017 Bank of Hope Founders Cup winner Anna Nordqvist, with 629 points.

Quick Hits From Kia Classic

Related Articles