Piers Manktelow
Your quick guide to last weeks golf from around the world!
Updated: Mar 28, 2019
What a week of golf! There were so many events taking place all around the globe. The below gives you a brief round up to what you may have missed!
LPGA Bank of Hope Founders Cup

Jin Young Ko birdied holes 14-16 to finish on -22 and clinch the Founders Cup by 1 shot from 4 players on -21. This was Ko's first win in the United States after winning on the LPGA in Australia and Korea.
The 23-year-old closed with bogey-free rounds of 64 and 65 to lead in the clubhouse. There were big charges from Nelly and Jessica Korda who closed with rounds of 66 and 64 respectively with Jessica eagling both the par 5's coming home. However, they would come up 1 short alongside third round leaders Carlota Cignada and Yu Liu of China. Liu, had a change to force a playoff on the 18th green but when she missed her 15-foot par putt on the par-4 18th the victory was Jin Young Ko's.

Ko has had three top-three finishes in her four events this year and afterwards Ko said "My friends told me, 'You can do it.' Also my manager and my parents, my caddie, all people say you can. I got lots of confidence for this year so i knew i could win"
The 23-year-old Liu missed a chance to follow Shanshan Feng as the second Chinese winner in tour history. "It was amazing week for me," Liu said. "First time being able to play in the final round, first time being in contention. Didn't handle the way I wanted to, but feel like there is always room for improvements."
Final Round Highlights 2019 Bank of Hope Founders Cup
Carlota Ciganda has been playing some amazing golf recently and after 9 holes on Sunday it really felt this would be when she picks up that win. In her last 10 starts she has had 6 top 10's including two runner up spots. She is really at the top of her game at the moment and a win should be a round the corner for Ciganda.

Japan LPGA- T point x ENEOS golf tournament

Mamiko Higa, Ai Suzuki and now Ueda Momoko have won the first 3 events of the 2019 Japan LPGA season. Not a bad list of names which really highlights the strength of the JLPGA.
It wasnt easy for Ueda who woke up before the final round thinking she had broken her finger, "Oh, that morning (the right hand middle finger) was so painful, no way it was possible to play, no way. Really no way, i started hitting some balls and it was painfull but i gave it a go and after i made birdie on 3 it was ok" said Ueda.

Ueda clinched the £124,000 after firing 3 consecutive rounds of 69.
It is the first time in 13 years that Japanese players have won three consecutive wins since the opening. "I think it's a very good thing. I play with the feeling that young people are growing and I will not lose yet. It's a synergy effect." said Ueda.

China LPGA- Hengqin Phoenix Tree Building Orient Golf Challenge

The Chinese LPGA got underway over the weekend and Renuka Suksukont from Thailand captured the first tournament of the season. The Thai survived a wild finish to win the Hengqin Phoenix Tree Building Orient Golf Challenge by two strokes.
With five birdies, four bogeys and a triple on her scorecard heading into the final hole with a one stroke lead, Renuka ensured her victory in the wet conditions by making a birdie three on the final hole to close with a 73. She finished on five-under 211 to earn RMB75,000.

“My feeling today is okay, good. Before hole 14, not so good. After that I feel like everything is so hard, but I try to just like make par,” said the 23-year-old Renuka who won her second career China LPGA Tour title.
“I want one more or two more wins this season. I feel like finally I made it. Before this I didn’t play so good. It was like going to be good but dropped. Last year, also, many times I was leading the first day but I couldn’t build on that.”
Sunshine Ladies Tour

Anne-Lise Caudall closed out a two-shot victory on four-under with a one-over-par 73 to end a seven-year winning drought at Glendower Golf Club. Dlamini from Swaziland carded 75 to finish second, while 14-year-old Kiera Floyd from South Africa returned a 73 to take the amateur honours with a third-place finish on level par.
The Victory earned Caudal a winner’s cheque worth R28 000, and 250 points that lifted her to fifth in the Investec Property Fund Order of Merit race and a start in the Jabra Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour in May.
It wasn’t pretty golf,” Caudal said. “Nobby hit a few bad shots off the tee, but she rallied with great par saves. I didn’t strike the ball as well as I did in the second round and I wasn’t in the best form with the putter, but I managed to make a bunch of pars to keep the momentum going.”
A recurring wrist injury hampered her comeback to the elite level in the sport, but Caudal believes she is back on an upward curve. “I feel like a winner again,” she said.
Caudal – the fifth new international champion on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this season – will go head-to-head with Dlamini again in the season-finale Joburg Ladies Open and the French golfer backs herself for more success at Soweto Country Club next week.
ALPG- Findex Yamba ALPG pro-am

Tahnia Ravnjak won the 2019 Findex Yamba ALPG pro-am at Yamba Golf Club, defeating West Australian Whitney Hillier in a sudden death playoff after both players had shot 3-under par rounds of 70.
Ravnjak secured a bumper payday, in the process also winning the 2019 ALPG ClubCar Series. Not only did Hillier and Ravnjak have the pressure of playing the playoff for the prestigious pro-am title, as it turned out whichever player won the playoff would also take out the 2019 ALPG ClubCar Series meaning the difference between winning and losing for both players was a cool $4000.
Italian Ladies Amateur Championship

Pauline Bouchard Roussin won the International Championship of Italy She beat Italian Alessia Nobilio (288 - 72 69 73 74, par) by one shot.
Swiss player Elena Moosmann and Emilie Alba Paltrinieri finshed on +2 while long time leader Lily May Humphreys of England finished in 5th.
Pauline also won the Portuguese amateur earlier in the year meaning she has now won two of the main amateur titles of 2019.
New Zealand Stroke Play Championship

Auckland’s Carmen Lim has claimed a breakthrough victory at the 2019 New Zealand Stroke Play Championship in style by a monstrous seven-shots at the Christchurch Golf Club.
Lim has completed a near-perfect week with rounds of 72, 70, 69 and 69 (par 74) to enter the winners circle after many years of threatening at the top level.
Starting the day four-shots ahead of runner-up and fellow Aucklander Vivian Lu, Lim never gave her a chance as they went shot for shot in the opening nine to both make the turn at four-under par.
Lim all but confirmed the win early in the back nine when she started with a birdie while Lu was unable to keep up with a double bogey, bogey start to end her run at the title.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment for some time now, so yeah it feels amazing,” beamed the 15-year-old.
She joins some big names in the world of golf, including her idol Lydia Ko who won back in 2011.
“It’s pretty cool to have your name on the same trophy as Lydia’s and it’s certainly a goal to join her on the LPGA Tour at some stage. It’s probably one of the best moments of my career and it hasn’t really hit home yet.”
Rolex Rankings 25/03/19
