Manulife LPGA Classic
Whistle Bear Golf Club
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
June 11, 2017
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn (-17)*
Rolex Rankings No. 4 Lexi Thompson (-17)
Rolex Rankings No. 5 In Gee Chun (-17)
*Won on first playoff hole
ARIYA JUTANUGARN CAPTURES HER FIRST TITLE OF THE YEAR
Ariya Jutanugarn didn’t expect to be in the winner’s circle Sunday, admitting she had problems with her driver all week. But anything can happen in golf, and it usually does.
Jutanugarn, who won five times last year, notched her first win of the year Sunday at Whistle Bear thanks to rolling in a 25-foot putt on the first playoff hole, winning by a shot over In Gee Chun and Lexi Thompson.
“I just can’t believe I win the tournament. I didn’t expect anything at all, because like when I got here I didn’t feel comfortable with my swing. I didn’t feel like -- my tee shots (were) not that good,” she said. “It’s like surprise for me. I never think I can win here.”
For Adam Stanley’s full recap of final-round action, visit http://www.lpga.com/news/2017-manulife-lpga-classic-final-round-notes-and-interviews
RACE TO THE CME GLOBE UPDATE
With her win, Ariya Jutanugarn earns 500 points and is projected to move from second to first in the Race to CME Globe with 2,128 points.
CME GROUP CARES WEEKENDS UPDATE
Players scored 11 eagles over the weekend at the 2017 Manulife LPGA Classic, raising $11,000 for charity. This brings the total to 138 eagles on the year, which translates to $138,000 dollars raised.
QUOTABLE
“Feel like I breakthrough. I feel like I wait for my first win this year for a while.”
- Ariya Jutanugarn on her first win of the season
“We have to drive to Grand Rapids, so my caddie going to drive and I’m going to sleep.”
- Ariya Jutanugarn on her celebration plans; she’ll be heading to the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give
“It’s really been an incredible week, and hopefully I can build on this and get ready for CP Women’s Open later this summer.”
- Brooke Henderson on playing in front of the friendly Canadian crowds
QUICK HITS
With the $255,000 first-place check, Ariya Jutanugarn has earned $954,279 this season and passes the $4 million mark with $4,242,753 in career earnings
Through 14 tournaments in 2017, Jutanugarn now has a win, nine top 10s and 13 top-25 finishes
Jutanugarn’s last two victories have come in Canada, with her win today and her win in August at the 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open; she made 20 starts in between victories
Jutanugarn is the 13th different winner on the LPGA Tour in 2017 and the first from Thailand
With her one-hole playoff victory, Jutanugarn’s playoff record moves to 1-1; Lexi Thompson is now 0-3, In Gee Chun is 0-2
At 21 years, 6 months and 18 days, Jutanugarn becomes the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour this season; the previous youngest winner was Kingsmill champion Thompson at 22 years, 3 months, 11 days
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Jutanugarn was the only one of the top three ranked players in the world playing in Ontario this week; the point differential between her and No. 1 Lydia Ko is .01 points; new Rolex Rankings will be released Monday
The Manulife LPGA Classic’s one-hole, three-way playoff marks the first three-way playoff of the season and the third playoff overall (ANA Inspiration, Volunteers of America Texas Shootout)
Sunday was Thompson’s fifth top-5 finish of the season; she now has eight top-25 finishes in 2017
In Gee Chun took last week off after missing the cut at the LPGA Volvik Championship; she bounced back on Sunday for her sixth top-10 finish in 11 starts this season, and her fourth runner-up finish
No tournaments have featured a Rolex First-Time Winner through 14 events in 2017; in 2016, nine events featured Rolex First-Time Winners, which was the most first-time winners since 2005 (10)
The Manulife LPGA Classic also marks the 14th event of 2017 and the Tour is still looking for the first repeat winner of the season; in 1991, there was not a multiple tournament winner until the 16th event of the year
Between 1991 and 2017, the Tour had its first repeat winner on the 10th try several times; 1991 is the last time it went more than 10 events to have a player reach two wins on the year
In 1985, the first repeat winner came in the 11th event, the only other time in history the Tour has gone this far without a repeat winner
Rolex Rankings No. 15 Brooke Henderson posted her best finish (T11) in six starts in her home country; fellow Canadian Alena Sharp was close behind at T15 while sponsor invite Brittany Marchand rounded out the Canadian contingent at T46
Rookie Laura Gonzalez Escallon posted her career-best finish on Sunday with a bogey-free 5-under 67 to tie for fifth
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