In record-setting fashion, Republic of Korea’s Mi Jung Hur took home her first LPGA win since 2014 on Sunday in North Berwick, Scotland at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open. With four players tied for the lead as the final group made the turn, it was Hur who turned it on during the back nine with six birdies to set the 72-hole tournament record at 20-under par and take a four-shot victory over runners-up Moriya Jutanugarn and Jeongeun Lee6.
“My goal for the day was just enjoy my golf and just stay dry from the rain and just keep focused on my game,” Hur said after rain soaked The Renaissance Club most of the day Sunday. “That was working really well today and it bring me a good result.”
Hur said it was a nine-yard birdie putt on No. 12, her third in a row, where she felt confident that she could bring home the win. She also said that having Scottish caddie, Gary Marshall, on the bag helped her to remain calm.
“He said on the first round, starting on No. 1, I made a birdie and made two bogeys after one birdie, and I was mad. And he told me on the 4th tee box, "Come on, MJ, you can win this tournament." And then he said that today, as well on the 4th, because I made a bogey on the third. I had a three putt. It helped me a lot to calm down and he talked about the wind and rain stuff.”
54-hole leader Jutanugarn was able to get back to even par after a birdie-double bogey-bogey start, but couldn’t get the putts to fall on the back nine. The runner-up finish is her best of the 2019 season, and she said she was pleased with her result.
“I was just trying to focus on myself and play my game and try and have fun,” Jutanugarn said. “Don't really focus on what's on the lead or anything. I just think if I play good golf, it should be a good chance…It's just been working on a lot of things, and since like everything is kind of tighted up, you know, it's a lot of good things to take from this week.”
2017 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open winner Mi Hyang Leefinished in solo fourth at 15-under par, while 2018 champion Ariya Jutanugarn was fifth at 13-under par.
LEE6 READY FOR A WEEK OFF
Playing for the first time on a links course, 2019 U.S. Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee6 was pleasantly surprised with her runner-up finish. The 2019 LPGA rookie posted a 1-under par 71 to collect her eighth top-10 finish of the season.
“You know, when I was in Korea, there's not a lot of links course and so I played it a lot differently this week,” Lee6 said. “Overall I'm pretty satisfied with all my scores and shots, and so I think this is kind of a good -- a lot of good memories and playing the first time on a links golf course.”
Lee6 was happy to have the Summer stretch of tournaments behind her, where she played 10 of 12 weeks, and was looking forward to heading to Canada in advance of the CP Women’s Open for some rest.
“Next week we are going to go to Canada and I'm going to have three days off, and going to go on a trip to Niagara Falls with my manager. So I'm going to have fun and just take a lot of good rest.”
TEAM EUROPE CLOSE TO FINALIZED
Team Europe Captain Catriona Matthew will name her four picks for the 2019 Solheim Cup and the full European team will be announced on Monday at The Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland.
The European team consists of the top three from the LET Solheim Cup points list, followed by the next five from the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and four captain’s picks.
Spain’s Carlota Ciganda had already locked in her position as one of the qualifiers from the LET Solheim Cup points list prior to this week. With a T6 finish in Scotland, Anne van Dam will hold her position in the LET Solheim Cup points to make her debut, while Caroline Hedwall earns the final spot in the LET rankings.
Georgia Hall, Charley Hull, Azahara Munoz, Caroline Masson and Anna Nordqvistwill make up the five team members from the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Leaving the four captain’s picks to be announced Monday.
Here’s how a few potential players for Team Europe finished in Scotland: Carly Booth (T9), Madelene Sagstrom (T17), Bronte Law (T24) and Celine Boutier (T24). Solheim Cup stalwarts Mel Reid and Suzann Pettersen missed the cut.
The U.S. Solheim Cup team will be announced on Aug. 25 following the conclusion of the last qualification event, the CP Women’s Open.
PLAYER NOTES
Rolex Rankings No. 79 Mi Jung Hur (66-62-70-66)
- Went 112 starts between her victory at the 2014 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic and today
- Becomes the 19th different winner this year on the LPGA
- Is the seventh different winner from the Rep. of Korea on the LPGA in 2019
- Became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2009 Cambia Portland Classic, defeating Suzann Pettersen and Michele Redman in a two-hole, sudden-death playoff
- Has one career victory on the Epson Tour
- Credits her father and watching Se Ri Pak win the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open, as most influencing her career
- With her win, Hur earns 500 points and is projected to move from 48th to 24th in the Race to CME Globe with 1,077 points
- With her win, Hur earns $225,000; she has earned $496,487 this season and $4,393,528 for her career
- 2019 for Hur in a nutshell: 15 events played, 13 cuts made, $496,487, one victory, two additional top-10 finishes
QUICK HITS
- Rolex Rankings Projections show that no player can overtake No. 1 Jin Young Ko and No. 2 Sung Hyun Park this week
CME GROUP CARES CHALLENGE – SCORE 1 FOR ST. JUDE
The CME Group Cares Challenge is a season-long charitable giving program that turns aces into donations. CME Group will donate $20,000 for each hole-in-one made on the LPGA Tour in 2019, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $500,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
There were three hole-in-ones at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open: Dame Laura Davies aced No. 5 from 152 yards using a pitching wedge on Friday, LET player Cajsa Persson also aced the fifth hole using a 9-iron during the second round and on Sunday Jacqui Concolino used an 8-iron from 137-yards to ace No. 5.
There have now been 21 aces recorded this season and a total of $420,000 raised thus far.
LEADERS TOP 10 COMPETITION
The LEADERS Top 10 competition awards a $100,000 bonus to the LPGA player with the most top-10 finishes through the completion of the event held immediately prior to the CME Group Tour Championship. In the event of a tie in total top-10 finishes, the award will go to the player with the most official wins, followed by most second-place finishes, third-place finishes, etc., until the tie is broken.
With top-10 finishes at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open,Jeongeun Lee6 and Ariya Jutanugarn move up into a tie for fourth with Brooke Henderson and Danielle Kang with eight top-10 finishes on the season.
TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS
18 holes: 62, Tiffany Joh, first round, 2018; Mi Jung Hur, second round, 2019
36 holes: 128, Mi Jung Hur, 2019
54 holes: 197, Moriya Jutanugarn, 2019
72 holes: 264 (-20), Mi Jung Hur, 2019
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