Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn wins LPGA player of the year

[webfact]

Jutanugarn wins LPGA player of the year, Hull wins finale

By TIM REYNOLDS

 

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Ariya Jutanugarn was unable to accept the CME Globe trophy when it was first being presented to her, needing both hands to hold a big plastic cube stuffed with $1 million in cash.

 

That's a great way to end a season.

 

Jutanugarn's breakout year ended with a haul of prizes Sunday at the CME Group Tour Championship— the LPGA Tour's player of the year award, the money title and the season-long Race to CME Globe points competition that comes with a $1 million bonus.

 

A winner of five tournaments in a year that started slowly with a major meltdown in the California desert and turned around with her winning three consecutive starts in May, Jutanugarn held off Lydia Ko for all three of those trophies.

 

"I never expected like that much," Jutanugarn said. "I just really wanted to win my first tournament this year."

In Gee Chun made a 10-footer for birdie on the final hole to win the scoring title by the slimmest of margins, making her the first player since Nancy Lopez in 1978 to win both the Vare Trophy and rookie of the year in the same season. If Chun's final putt had not fallen, Ko would have won the Vare for the first time.

 

"It's still been a very cool season for me," said Ko, the world's No. 1 player, who wrapped Jutanugarn in a big hug when their rounds were complete before heading off to sign dozens of autographs.

 

Combined, Ko and Chun took more than 11,500 swings over 166 rounds — and the scoring title came down to one putt.

 

"It was big pressure for me," Chun said. "I just tried to enjoy my last putt. ... It was a big honor for me, to have my name next to legends."

 

Add her to the list of young stars on the LPGA Tour. She's 22, Jutanugarn turns 21 later this week and Ko doesn't even turn 20 until early next year.

 

Add Charley Hull to that list as well. She's a tournament winner now.

 

Another 20-year-old — youth is most definitely served in this era of women's golf — Hull looked like a savvy veteran as she stalked what would become her first win. Hull finished two shots ahead of So Yeon Ryu, that margin coming after they had a two-shot swing at the 17th. Ryu's approach came to rest along a 3-foot face of a bunker, forcing her to play off to the side and wind up settling for bogey.

 

Hull made birdie there, then coolly two-putted on the 18th to prevail. She shot 66-66 in a bogey-free weekend, with 12 birdies and 24 pars in her final 36 holes of the season.

 

"I was pretty calm," Hull said. "I went on the golf course and tried not to think about golf."

 

There were tournaments within the tournament, with many things decided in the season's final minutes. Player of the year was settled first, when it became evident that Ko — who needed a win and nothing less to take that title — was not going to catch Hull. The Race to CME Globe came next, with this being the first time in that award's three-year history that it wouldn't go to Ko.

 

The scoring title then came down to Ko's and Chun's final putts, and about a half-hour later, Hull finished off the week and the season by making her first win the tour championship.

 

"It's a pretty cool feeling," Hull said. "Hasn't quite sunk in yet."

 

Hull finished at 19-under 269. So Yeon Ryu (67) was second, Jennifer Song (68) followed at 15 under, and Jutanugarn (69) was 14 under with Mo Martin (68) and Beatriz Recari (68). Chun (70) was seventh at 13 under.

 

DIVOTS: Ko shot a 10-under 62 on Friday, but her other rounds this week were 70, 73 and 72. She tied for 10th at 11 under. ... Shanshan Feng of China finished her season with a birdie and ended this week 12 under. She had won her last two starts and was eighth or better in her final seven events of 2016. ... Former world No. 1 Stacy Lewis is 0 for 63 since winning midway through what was her second player-of-the-year campaign in 2014. She shot 76 and tied for 42nd. ... Defending champion Cristie Kerr (72) tied for 22nd, 12 back of Hull.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-11-21

[bark]

Great  golfer, Needs weight clinic.

[ramrod711]

Congratulations khun Ariya, well done. Not just a wonderful golfer but also a great representative for Thailand.

[irwinfc]

49 minutes ago, Basil B said:

No mention off what actual sport she was participating in or what the acronym LPGA stands for... 

yeah. it would have been good to mention golf at least once. i suppose the author was quick to assume that all readers are familiar with LPGA and all the golf-related terminologies.

 

congratulations to Ms. Ariya "don't-need-a-driver-in-my-golf-bag" Jutanugarn

[Sakeopete]

1 hour ago, bark said:

Great  golfer, Needs weight clinic.

You sir need therapy to deal with your low self esteem, you seem to suffer from classic Freudian Sour Grapes. Ariya seems to have no issues golfing at her current body weight.

[Upnotover]

1 hour ago, Basil B said:

No mention off what actual sport she was participating in or what the acronym LPGA stands for... 

 

There are some clue words in the story....."birdie", "par", "bogey", "putt"....oh, and "golf".

[ratcatcher]

1 hour ago, Basil B said:

No mention off what actual sport she was participating in or what the acronym LPGA stands for... 

LPGA : Ladies Professional Golf Association.

[Basil B]

6 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

LPGA : Ladies Professional Golf Association.

 

Yes, I already googled it...

 

But what I was getting at when the acronym was used it would be a good practice to "word" it out when first used.

 

P.S. This is not Thai's translating to English, this came from AP who one would think could do better.

 

 

[anon467848]

Impressive, the female Tiger Woods? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariya_Jutanugarn

[ChrisY1]

2 hours ago, Basil B said:

No mention off what actual sport she was participating in or what the acronym LPGA stands for... 

Basil B......never owned a hotel in the UK did you?

[KBsinter]

Saw ARYIA AT THE hONDA IN  Pattaya about 5 yrs ago

nearly won ,but cocked the 18th up came second, she was 

only about 16/17 yrs old, took a long time  for her 1st win

hits the ball a "mile" ...............

[Skeptic7]

NOT only LPGA Player of the Year, but she also won the Race To The CME Globe, which gives her a $1,000,000 bonus...ß35,000,000!!! CONGRATULATIONS on a stellar season Ariaya!  

[Skeptic7]

4 hours ago, merlin2002 said:

Impressive, the female Tiger Woods? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariya_Jutanugarn

Hardly. Impressive for sure, but she has a LONG way to go to catch a younger 19 y.o. golfer from New Zealand named Lydia Ko. Ko is currently #1 in the world of women's golf and has been for 75 of the past 94 weeks. She has 19 professional wins...14 of them on the LPGA tour. While Ariya has 7 professional victories...only 5 on the LPGA tour. 

 

While both great young golfers, they both have LONG ways to go to catch the likes of Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sörenstam and the comparison should be to Jack Nicklaus...NOT Tiger Woods. Jack is by far the greatest golfer of all time. Woods very arguably a very distant second.  

[lamyai3]

12 hours ago, Basil B said:

 

Yes, I already googled it...

 

But what I was getting at when the acronym was used it would be a good practice to "word" it out when first used.

 

P.S. This is not Thai's translating to English, this came from AP who one would think could do better.

 

 

 

Very true, LPGA...  LGBT... kind of presumptuous to assume everyone is familiar with all the new acronyms bandied about these days. 

[metisdead]

Troll posts have been removed. 

[bark]

16 hours ago, Sakeopete said:

You sir need therapy to deal with your low self esteem, you seem to suffer from classic Freudian Sour Grapes. Ariya seems to have no issues golfing at her current body weight.

No one watches women's golf for the skill of the players.