Jutanugarn closes gap on Ko
Two golfers have gone different directions since last year’s ANA
Lydia Ko remembers holding her arms above her head in a heart shape when she leaped into Poppie’s Pond last year. The New Zealand teenager had to watch the video to learn she also held her nose for the winner’s traditional plunge at the ANA Inspiration.
“I might be one of the only players to hold my nose,” the world No. 1 said with a grin. “I must have been scared of the water going up my nose.”
Ariya Jutanugarn didn’t get to make that leap because she blew a two-stroke lead with bogeys on the final three holes of the Dinah Shore Course last year.
Yet that major disappointment propelled Jutanugarn to where she sits now: Right behind Ko in the overall rankings, with a chance to rise at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage this weekend.
“I think I’m really lucky that last year (happened),” Jutanugarn said, recalling the thoughts that ran through her head. “‘I’m never going to win my first tournament. I’m never going to win my first major.’ I feel really happy that happened last year. After that tournament, I just said ‘OK, just go have fun.’ ”
Jutanugarn might be having a bit more fun than Ko lately, but the top two players in the world are leading a packed field. They’re competing for the $2.7 million purse at the first major of the year in the desert just outside Palm Springs. Ko became the youngest player to win two majors when she took the trophy here last year with a birdie on the 72nd hole, while Jutanugarn remained winless on the LPGA Tour with her collapse.
So much has changed for both young pros since that fateful Sunday.
Jutanugarn has won a whopping five events since, including the British Open. With a newfound confidence and a steady demeanor, she has been ranked No. 2 in the world for 34 straight weeks.
Ko has been consistently solid, but she hasn’t dominated the tour — and she shockingly missed a cut last week at Carlsbad for only the second time in 95 LPGA starts.
Ko has been No. 1 in the world for 75 weeks, but Jutanugarn’s 21st-place finish in Carlsbad allowed the big-hitting Thai to close the gap to the smallest it has ever been.
Peninsula’s Li earns major reward: Lucy Li, 14, of Redwood Shores, won the ANA Junior Inspiration last weekend to earn a place in the LPGA Tour’s ANA Inspiration, the season’s first major. Li won the event by four strokes with a twoday total of 141. Concord’s Yealimi Noh tied for eighth at 147.
Li at 11 years old was the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open three years ago. Li will be paired with former Stanford student Michelle Wie in the first two rounds.
Stanford freshman Albane n Valenzuela withdrew from the ANA Inspiration with an injury. Valenzuela and freshman teammate Andrea Lee received amateur invitations to play in the championship.
Woodland copes with loss of 1 twin: Gary Woodland withdrew from last week’s Match Play because his wife had complications with her pregnancy that resulted in the loss of one of their twins.
Woodland said doctors will monitor his wife and surviving twin the rest of her pregnancy. He said at this point he still plans to play the Masters next week.