Top Ranked
World No.1 Ariya Jutanugarn is the top-ranked player in the field at this week’s Blue Bay LPGA. No. 2 Sung Hyun Park joins Jutanugarn as well as defending champion Shanshan Feng, who is currently No.11 in the Rolex Rankings.
Jutanugarn finished in a share of sixteenth in this event last year. The Thai native added two more accolades this season following the TOTO Japan Classic, clinching the 2018 Money Title and the LEADERS Top 10 competition. The 22-year old already earned Rolex Player of the Year honors following the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship presented by CTBC.
Returns for Title Defense
Shanshan Feng picked up her ninth career win and third victory of 2017 at last year’s Blue Bay LPGA and would love nothing more than to pick up her first win of the season in front of a home crowd. She has come incredibly close to winning throughout the 2018 season with five top-10s, four of which were top-five results. Besides her win in China last season, Feng has just two other starts at Blue Bay in 2015, when she finished tied for 14th and in 2014, when she finished tied for 7th.
Back For More
Two other Blue Bay LPGA champions are in the field this week in addition to defending champion Shanshan Feng. Sei Young Kim, who won in 2015, defeated Kim Kaufman, Stacy Lewis and Candie Kung for her third victory of 2015. Lee-Anne Pace won her first LPGA Tour title in 2014 and needed five days to finish 54 holes, holding off a charging Caroline Masson for a three-shot victory.
Take Two
13 of the top-23 players on the leaderboard who finished T-21 or better at last year’s Blue Bay LPGA return this year for another shot at the title, including defending champion Shanshan Feng. Runner-up Moriya Jutanugarn is in the field, as well as Ashleigh Buhai and Megan Khang who finished T-3 in 2017.
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