Piers Manktelow
Your Quick Weekly Round Up of Women's Golf From Around the World.

LPGA- HUGEL-JTBC LA Open
A fantastic tournament in LA saw Moriya Jutanugarn finally win on the LPGA Tour. This was her 156th start! Her victory also ensured that with her victory that the Jutanugarns join Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam as the only other sisters to win on the LPGA Tour.
It has been tough for Moriya as she has watched her younger sister win a major title and 6 titles on the LPGA. This win could be the breakthrough she needed to push on and really challenge at the top end of the LPGA. “It feels great," Moriya told Golf Channel after her round. “I keep doing what I’m doing and it finally has worked out pretty good. It was a pretty solid week and I’m pretty happy with it."

The 23-year old posted a final round 3-under par, to win at 12-under par, 2 strokes ahead of rookie Jin Young Ko and Inbee Park. Both of who have been unstoppable so far this year. Ko, has had 1 win and leads the rookie race while Park since coming back from injury is playing some of the best golf of her career, leading the money rankings and has just moved to the top of the Rolex rankings.

So Yeon Ryu ranked 5th in the world saw a welcome return to form with a 4th place finish, her best of the season. Equally, it was Emma Talley's best result on the LPGA in her rookie season, she managed a 5th place finish after a closing 67. Marina Alex, a player that almost certainly looks set to win her first event in the near future had another Sunday to forget while in contention. She closed with a 75, making it the 3rd tournament this year she has had a poor final round. However, we think she will continue to improve and continue to figure towards the top end of the leaderboard.


LPGA- HUGEL-JTBC LA Open 4th round highlights.
Next Event: LPGA MEDIHEAL CHAMPIONSHIP SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA APR 26-29
Rolex Ranking of Winner: Moriya Jutanugarn 17th, new ranking- 11th
Ladies European Tour- LALLA MERYEM CUP (Morocco)
What a great shame that playing on the next door course was a very low profile European Tour event that took all the TV coverage. How easy would it have been to share the event seeing all the resources were there on hand.
In a thrilling finish Jenny Haglund of Sweden claimed victory at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco.

Haglund finished the 72 holes tied with overnight leader, Australian Sarah Kemp and defending champion Klara Spilkova from the Czech Republic. All 3 players finished tied at -3 before heading back to the 18th. All 3 made par at the first attempt but it was Haglund who holed a 4ft birdie putt to clinch victory on the 2nd playoff hole.
This is the 24 year-old second season on the LET and her first victory on tour. Afterwards she said “It feels amazing! It’s been a great tournament and a great week and I’m very happy that it finished this way, The last drive was a bomb! I was just in the moment, I wasn’t shaking, but I was shaking after the ball was in.“It will definitely build a lot of confidence. I’ve been working on that part a lot so I’m very happy to be standing here and I’m very proud of myself.”
Sarah Kemp who has made well over 100 career starts over 13 years on the LET has never tasted victory so this 3rd runners up finish will hurt even more after being so close. With 8 holes to go on the back 9 Kemp held a 3 shot lead. She said: “I’m obviously a little disappointed. I didn’t play as well as I had the past few days, but my goal this week was to put myself in contention and I did that, so it’s my equal best finish out on the Ladies European Tour and all in all it’s been a great week".
It was a good week for Sweden as Lynn Carlsson, recorded her career best finish of fourth place and finished on two-under-par, after a final round of 75, while 17-year-old rookie Julia Engström finished T5th (one of our 10 to watch in 2018). Engstrom on Monday was the biggest riser in the world moving up 378 places to 653rd in the updated Rolex Rankings.
It was also a good week for another rookie Laura Fuenfstueck of Germany who finished in a tie for 8th place. Fuenfstueck won on the Sunshine Ladies Tour earlier in the year who then claimed she was only there to gain experience in playing in tournaments. She definitely looks like a player to keep an eye on in the future.
Next Event: 05/05/18 Golf Sixes (Special Event) Centurion Club
Rolex Ranking of Winner: Jenny Haglund 276th, New ranking: 204th
Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open Championship at Royal Troon
England’s Lily May Humphreys held off a home charge from Chloe Goadby and Shannon Mcwilliam at at Royal Troon to claim another title. Humphreys who is reigning English women’s amateur champion only turned 16 years old last month, claimed another prestigious prize with a narrow one-stroke win over Goadby.

It’s Humphreys’ sixth title in the last 10 months and it marks a welcome return to top form. Humphreys finished on nine under par after a superb closing four-under 68 in the breezy conditions, helped by a hat-trick birdies from the seventh, with two further birdies at 12 and 13 ultimately proving decisive.Humphreys said: “It means a lot as I had lost form and recovered it for this event. I didn’t know about Chloe’s score until the 11th, but saw her holing putts everywhere, so was pleased to hold on.“It’s great to have my game under control again. I think this is my biggest win, beating an international field. I felt if I could win this, then I had a chance for the Curtis Cup. My chances are up, but I don’t know whether I will get in.”
Defending champion Linn Grant from Sweden finished third on seven under par – with the Swedes taking the team title by a shot over Scotland
Humphreys now looks a certainty to be named in the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team, announced on Thursday

Korean LPGA- Saint Nine Masters 2018

Lee So Young claimed victory at the Saint Nine Master winning 92,000 Euros . She fired a brilliant final round of -5 (67) to claim victory by 2 shots from 4 players tied on -7. This was her first victory since July 2016 and she moves into 4th place on the money list. Jang Ha Na still leads the money list but now the top 5 are very close together.

One reason the Koreans have been so dominate in women's golf is their ability off the tee. One amazing stat from this weekend was that 47 players had a higher than 90% driving accuracy. That means 47 of the players hit 38 or more fairways out of 42 holes. This just shows the dedication to their games, that they can be so consistent off the tee.


Saint Nine Masters 2018 4th round highlights
Next Event: Creas F&C The 40th KLPGA Championship 26-29 April
Rolex Ranking of Winner: Lee So Young 143rd, New ranking 105th
Japan LPGA- Fuji Sankei Ladies Classic

Saki Nagamine claimed her first ever tour victory with a win at the Fuji Sankei Ladies Classic in Japan. Saki and Kikuchi Erika both finished on -10 to go back down the 18th. Saki eventually claimed victory on the 3rd playoff hole. After her victory she said " Winning is such a happy thing ..., I imagined this feeling many times before, but it will take a while to sink in"
Saki Nagamine moves to 20th position in the order of merit, while Kikuchi Erika rises to 6th place. World number 25 Ai Suzuki keeps top spot.
Next Event: Cyber Agent Ladies' Golf Tournament / Grandfields Country Club (Shizuoka), April 27 (Fri) - April 29 (Sun)
Rolex Ranking of Winner: Lee So Young 192nd, New ranking 142nd
Thai LPGA, 3rd SINGHA-SAT THAI LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Parinda Phokan claimed her 4th career victory on ther Thai LPGA with victory this weekend. The 21 year old fired rounds of 67,69 and 68 and eventually won by 3 shots claiming 3000 Euros in the process.
After her victory she said “I’m so proud that I can control in my game as I wanted. This fourth ThaiLPGA win will eventually boost my confidence to compete abroad, especially LPGA. I’m heading to the Volvik Championship this upcoming May. Thank you all the supports from my family, loved ones, and sponsors.” The win moves Parinda to the top of the order of merit.
Next Event: 4th SINGHA-SAT THAI LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP 2018, 1/5/18
Rolex Ranking of Winner: Parinda Phokan 293rd
The Rolex Rankings were updated on Monday and the big news is that we have a new world number 1!! Inbee Park replaces Shanshan Feng at the top of the table.

Predictions
LPGA- Brooke Henderson, Missed Cut
LET- Olivia Cowan, 22nd