Defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and South Korea’s Ryu So-Yeon take aim at the world number one ranking as well as victory at this week’s LPGA…
Defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and South Korea’s Ryu So-Yeon take aim at the world number one ranking as well as victory at this week’s LPGA Volvik Championship.
Both players could overtake top-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who is taking a break until mid-June, at the second-year event at Travis Pointe Country Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
South Korean-born Ko, who has topped the rankings for 83 consecutive weeks since October 2015, will take three weeks off before returning at the LPGA Meijer Classic on June 15-18.
That opens the door for second-ranked Ryu, who has 11 consecutive top-10 finishes and the longest active cuts made streak at 63 events, or world number three Ariya, a 21-year-old from Bangkok who won five titles last year and has eight top-nine showings in 11 starts this year. Three of those were runner-up efforts but none of them victories.
It will be Ariya’s second week in a row defending a title. She shared 18th last week at Kingsmill but said trying to repeat doesn’t make her nervous.
«Not really, » she said. «I got a little bit excited like before the first round, but after I played first few holes I feel OK, I feel comfortable to play, » Ariya said.
Ariya won without using a driver last year and she doesn’t plan to change that strategy this week.
«I just feel more confident if I hit 3-wood and I’ve been working with my driver, » Ariya said. «One day if I have really full commitment with my driver I’m going to use it.»
Ariya won last year’s LPGA Player of the Year, season money title and the season-long points crown, duplicating the sweep Ko managed in 2015.
The Thai star, who won last year at Ann Arbor by five strokes, spent 35 consecutive weeks ranked second before Ryu overtook her last month. They traded the spot back and forth and Ryu has now owned it for seven weeks this season.
Winning this event last year made Ariya the first LPGA player to win her first three career titles in consecutive events and the first LPGA player since Park In-Bee in 2013 to win three in a row.
Both Ariya and Ryu have eight top-10 efforts this season to lead the LPGA.
American Lexi Thompson, who won last week at Kingsmill, will try to win back-to-back titles for the first time in her career. She shared sixth last year at Travis Pointe.
