Ariya continues bid to claim fourth title

SHANGHAI: Ariya Jutanugarn will be trying to win her fourth title of the season at the Buick LPGA Shanghai which begins today.

The 22-year-old from Bangkok is coming off her LPGA Tour-leading 14th top-10 finish of the season in her 24th start at last week’s Hana Bank Championship in South Korea.

World No.2 Ariya has won three tournaments this year including the US Women’s Open and finished tied for third in Incheon last week.

Ariya’s three-win season so far is two short of her record year in 2016 when she broke out for her first five LPGA victories. She has since won five more titles. “I feel a lot better,” Ariya said when asked how she felt today compared to three years ago.

“I mean, I never compare myself to two or three years ago but I feel a lot better. My goal this year, I finally won the US Open. It’s one of my dream tournaments to win.”

Seven of the top-10 players in the world rankings including four of the top five, highlight the field at the inaugural Buick LPGA Shanghai.

The top-three players in the world are all set to tee it up, with No.1 Park Sung-Hyun of South Korea spending her ninth consecutive week at the top of the rankings this week.

Chasing Park for the top spot are compatriot Ryu So-Yeon, who is ranked third, and Ariya, who leads the LPGA Tour in money, scoring average and Race to the CME Globe points.

The other three Thais in the US$2.1 million tournament are Ariya’s sister Moriya, Pornanong Phatlum and Thidapa Suwannapura.

Meanwhile, China’s top star Feng Shanshan is back on home turf with extra motivation as her title sponsor stages its flagship event in Asia.

The Guangdong native is no stranger to the host venue — Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Club.

In 2015 and 2016 Feng won back-to-back when the event was staged at the Dana Fry-designed layout in south Shanghai. The following year, she rose to world No.1, the first Chinese ever to reach such heights.

Since losing her top ranking in April this year, the now world No.9 said she hoped the good memories of Shanghai Qizhong would help her this week.

This year, the 29-year-old remains winless with five top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour.

“As a home player obviously a lot of people expect me to do well naturally, and I expect myself to do well. I’m looking forward to that. On the other hand, I’m a little bit nervous so I it’s not an expectation.”