Marathon Classic Preview, Pairings, and More

[tonyj5]

Before I get started with this week's topic, I want to give a big congratulations to Shanshan Feng for winning the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic. This one was a shootout that they would have been proud of at the O.K. Corral! Through the first 50 holes, Sung Hyun Park was an amazing 23 under par and looked as if she would shatter the LPGA record of 31 under par set last year by Sei Young Kim at this tournament. That wouldn't be the case though as Shanshan Feng and Ariya Jutanugarn made it a two player race going to the final holes. When Ariya birdied the 18th hole she pulled into a tie at 28 under par. Shanshan needed a birdie on the final hole to win. Her drive split the fairway perfectly, and then she put her approach shot to within three feet of the hole. When she sank the putt she had her 10th career LPGA victory, and first since 2017. For Sung Hyun Park (who won last week) it was a very disappointing finish, as she managed to shoot just even par her last 22 holes. Yealimi Noh, a Monday qualifier playing in her first LPGA event as a professional, finished in sixth place with a score of 23 under par. A record 22 players finished 20 under par or better.

 

This week the LPGA travels to Ohio for the playing of the Marathon Classic Presented by Dana.

Many of you may remember last year's exciting finish when Jasmine Suwannapura was victorious in a playoff over Brittany Lincicome. It was Suwannapura's first (and only) LPGA victory.

 

Jasmine holds up her 2019 Marathon Classic trophy.

 

This will be tournament # 19 of 32 on this year's LPGA schedule.

 

Here are the Key Details:

Course: Highland Meadows Golf Club

Location: Sylvania, Ohio

Defending Champion: Jasmine Suwannapura

Winning Score: 65-69-71-65 = 270 (-14)

History: This event began in 1984

 

Final Field: 144 players

Par: 34/37 = 71

Yardage: 6,550

Purse: $1,750,000

Race to the CME Globe: 500 points

Aon Risk/Reward Hole: 17th (Par 5)

 

My strength of field rating is 34% (up from 33% last year). Eighteen of the top 50 players from the LPGA Priority List, and 14 of the top 50 players from this week's Rolex Rankings will be teeing it up. The field will be led by top ten ranked players: Minjee Lee, Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson, and Jeongeun Lee6. Top players skipping the event this week include: Sung Hyun Park, Jin-Young Ko, Inbee Park, Nasa Hataoka, Ariya Jutanugarn, Danielle Kang, and both Nelly and Jessica Korda.

 

I will post the pairings as soon as they are made available.

 

Here are the television times:

July 11 - GC 7:30 PM- 9:30 PM ET (tape delay)

July 12 - GC 7:30 PM- 9:30 PM ET (tape delay)

July 13 - GC 6:00 PM- 8:00 PM ET (tape delay)

July 14 - GC 6:00 PM- 8:00 PM ET (tape delay)

 

Players Most Likely to Win: (Top players in the field)

1- Minjee Lee - No. 3 ranked player is top player in field this week.

2- Lexi Thompson - Well rested for this event.

3- Brooke Henderson - Will be looking for third win of the season.

 

Players to Watch Out For: (I'm feeling it this week)

1- Jeongeun Lee6 - Coming off of her first missed cut.

2- So Yeon Ryu - Has won here before.

3- Kristen Gillman - Coming off a top ten finish.

 

Longshot Picks: (Not likely, but not impossible)

1- Jennifer Kupcho - Played well here last year as a sponsor invitee.

2- Maria Fassi - Could shine against this weak field.

3- Brittany Altomare - Fighting to make Solheim Cup Team.

 

Other Tidbits:

Ariya Jutanugarn now has made the cut in each of her last fifty starts. No other player has made it to thirty.

Jeongeun Lee6 missed the cut for the first time as an LPGA member. It was her 13th start.

 

Rolex Rankings Movers of the Week:

Not much movement this week. Ariya Jutanugarn makes the most important move this week jumping two spots to No.7. Shanshan Feng rises from No. 26 to No. 17, while much further down the list Tiffany Joh leaps up from No. 211 to No. 159. On the downside, Jeongeun Lee6 drops down from No. 7 to No. 9.

 

Race to the CME Globe: (Top 60 point earners to compete for $1.5 million first place prize).

Jin Young Ko continues to lead with 2,412 points. Sung Hyun Park is next with 2,055, she is followed by Brooke Henderson with 1,975.

 

Aon Risk Reward Challenge: (1 million dollars)

Lee-Anne Pace is still out in front with a score of -0.800. She is followed by Hyo Joo Kim -0.750 and Ariya Jutanugarn -0.719.

 

Who's Hot:

Sung Hyun Park has finished 2nd, 1st, and 6th, in her last three starts.

 

Who's Not:

Georgia Hall has failed to record a top 25 finish in any of her last thirteen starts.

Ruixin Liu, who led the Symetra Tour in official earnings in 2018, has failed to see the weekend in ten of her 11 starts this year, and has missed the cut in her last nine. Her best finish is 55th place.

 

http://www.tonyslpgareport.com/

[MountainGoat]

Kupcho had better start making some cuts, or her LPGA career is going to be short.

[tonyj5]

> @MountainGoat said:

> Kupcho had better start making some cuts, or her LPGA career is going to be short.

 

I think she will be allright. She has just played in 5 events. The worse case scenario is she will go to Q-school where she will do fine and earn her card for next year. I don't think it will come to that though.