Players to Watch
Sung Hyun Park – The Rolex Rankings world No. 1 player headlines the field at this week’s Bank of Hope Founders Cup. Park reclaimed the top spot following her win at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. She returns to action after the Tour’s two-week break, looking to continue the momentum she found in Singapore where she captured her sixth LPGA Tour title.
Ariya Jutanugarn – The world No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings is off to a slow start in 2019 with just one top-10 in four starts. Jutanugarn’s record at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup mirrors the consistency she shows week in and week out – she hasn’t missed a cut in her previous four appearances and has three top-17 results including runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2017.
Minjee Lee – After missing the cut in the ISPS Handa Vic Open, the world No. 3 has rallied with two runner-up finishes. Lee, who finished the 2018 season with a career-best 13 top 10s, including two victories, will be eager to earn her first win in 2019.
Back to Defend
Defending champion Inbee Park returns to Arizona looking to successfully defend her title and pick up her first win on Tour since capturing the Bank of Hope Founders Cup title last season. Park carded a bogey-free 5-under, 67 to claim her 19th LPGA Tour victory. She finished the week at 19-under, five shots clear of second.
Also in the field this week are former champions Anna Nordqvist (2017), Sei Young Kim (2016), Hyo Joo Kim (2015), Stacy Lewis (2013) and Yani Tseng (2012).
Quotable
“The reason that I am competing and playing is because I want to win and because I want to contend in golf tournaments. This week definitely proved to me that I can win,” Inbee Park said last year after picking up her 19th career victory.
Aon Risk Reward Challenge Hole: JW Marriott Desert Ridge, Wildfire Golf Club - Par 5, 15th Hole – 485 yards
For the longer hitters on Tour, this hole is a reachable par 5, but it will require precision and strategy on the part of the players to create scoring opportunities. The landing area is generous off the tee with a wide fairway, but danger lurks along the entire left side, where desert borders the hole. While the green is well protected, most players will be able to reach the green in two for a reasonable chance at birdie or eagle.
Numbers to Know
1 – American has won the event: Stacy Lewis (2013)
2 – Only Karrie Webb has won multiple Bank of Hope Founders Cup titles (2011, 2014)
5 – Countries have been represented by Founders Cup winners: Republic of Korea (2018, 2016, 2015), Sweden (2017), Australia (2014, 2011), U.S. (2013), Chinese Taipei (2012)
61 – Tournament-low score, most recently shot by Anna Nordqvist in the third round in 2017
261 – Tournament record 27-under par 72-hole score set by Sei Young Kim in 2016
About This Week's Event
Format – Players will compete in a 72-hole stroke play format for a purse of $1.5 million.
The Event – Each year, the Bank of Hope Founders Cup, which will always remember and respect the 13 women who founded the LPGA, also honors the pioneers of the LPGA - the women who have had the most significant impact on the LPGA Tour and women’s golf. These pioneers have worked hard to make the game what it is today.
This year, the event is paying tribute to one pioneer who not only excelled inside the ropes but who also helped advance the game of women’s golf as ambassadors who promoted the sport throughout her life. Laura Baugh is the 2019 honoree and is an excellent example of how an athlete can make an impact on those around them.
Baugh turned professional in 1973 at the age of 17 but had to wait six months until her 18th birthday to join the LPGA Tour due to the Tour’s age requirement. Her professional golf career spanned from 1973 through 2001, in which she earned 71 top-10s including ten runner-up finishes. She was also the 1973 Rookie of the Year.
How to Tune In – The Bank of Hope Founders Cup will air Thursday through Sunday from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on Golf Channel.
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