Posted on April 2, 2017 in News.
ANA Inspiration: Lexi Thompson at the head, Karine Icher 7
Thompson, racing for her second ANA Inspiration title
Will Lexi Thompson take the shock this time? The tall American, 22 years old and 1,83 m, could not resist the emotion during the 2016 edition of ANA Inspiration. Leader at -10 after three laps, she had, on Sunday, recorded three bogeys on the first leg of the Dinah Shore Golf Course to finish 5th at -9 overall while Lydia Ko, world number 1, snatched the title with a fabulous birdie at 18. The years go by and are not alike since Ko, 11th at -5 after three laps, should not worry Thompson this Sunday in California. Except to pull out the same record lap of 62 (ten strokes under the par) as the Mexican Lorena Ochoa in 2006!
Confronted tonight with the Koreans, Pettersen and Jutanugarn
After three cards of 69, 67 and 67, Lexi Thompson, -13, is therefore two strokes ahead of the Norwegian Suzann Pettersen, 2nd at -11, and three strokes ahead of the South Korean Inbee Park, Minjee Lee , So Yeon Ryu and Mi Jung Hun, 3rd tied at -10. A margin that allows the Floridian of Coral Springs to think of a second victory at the Mission Hills Country Club. Because she had already won the ANA Inspiration there in 2014 (then called Kraft Nabisco Championship)… Being already the leader after three laps! To date, it is still the only major victory in a Major by the American, who has ten successes in all on the LPGA Tour.
Karine Icher set to beat her Majors record
Can Karine Icher join the fight for victory tonight in California? Being 7th tied at -8 after three laps, the Frenchwoman is five strokes behind Thompson… But she is in any case in a position to sign a very good performance. Thanks to its cards of 67, 73 and 68, Icher is in the peloton of the best. She will play with Ariya Jutanugarn, the Thai leader of the 2017 season on the LPGA Tour and probably future world number 1. Departure at 22:31 p.m. (in France) to target its best brands in Major: 6th in the US Open in 2005, 10th in the British Open in 2006 and, more recently, 11th in Ana Inspiration in 2015.
By Nathalie Vion
See the leaderboard:http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard