Stacy Lewis’s Sunday Challenge
Once again Stacy Lewis is going into a Sunday round looking at the top of the leaderboard and faced with chasing down a Tour rookie. For Lewis the stakes haven’t been this high since last summer when she lost a Sunday Shootout to Michelle Wie at the US Women’s Open on Pinehurst #2. What’s it going to take for Lewis, who’s still looking for her first 2015 victory, to claim the victory at the year’s first Major, the ANA Inspiration?
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Last month Lewis found herself in a very similar situation at the JTBC Founders Cup in Phoenix. She went into the final round at 14-under par and trailing Hyo Joo Kim, another of the standout rookies who populate the Tour’s 2015 rookie class, by two shots.
Hall of Famer Karrie Webb had already fallen victim to Kim’s championship game at the 2014 Evian Championship and Stacy Lewis took a tumble in Phoenix. Kim, apparently oblivious to Sunday round pressure, fired off 5 birdies on the back nine, held on to her lead and edged Lewis out of the win by three strokes.
Sei Young Kim. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Now Lewis is going into the Sunday round at Rancho Mirage trailing 21st ranked Sei Young Kim’s lead by three shots. Kim, who collected 5 victories on the KLPGA before she qualified for the LPGA Tour, has been delivering an outstanding game ar Rancho Mirage and Lewis will need her A Game on Sunday to close on Kim’s lead
Sei Young Kim led the KLPGA in driving distance in 2013 and 2014 and she’s averaging 250+ yards off the tee at Rancho Mirage, about 10 yards longer than Lewis. Advantage Kim.
But from the tee box the challenge for Lewis goes beyond distance. She’s been hitting 59% of the fairways on her drive and Kim’s been hitting fairways on 67% of her drives. Even though they both seemed to be softening on accuracy during the 3rd round, it’s still looking like another advantage for Kim.
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Lewis’s strength, however, is in her short game and her ability to deliver birdie putts. Kim has been getting to greens in regulation on 72% of her holes and is averaging 28.3 putts per round, or 1.6 putts per hole. Here Lewis has a small edge.
Still, although Lewis has been making 78% of the greens in regulation she’s been averaging 30 putts per round, 1.7 putts per hole. Another advantage to Kim.
If Stacy Lewis wants to take another leap into Poppy’s Pond Sunday afternoon she’ll need to stay out of trouble and hope that Kim finds the rough. That might balance out Kim’s greater distance off the tee. But more important, Lewis will need to make every putt count because she’ll need at least 3 more birdies than Kim just to get even and force a playoff.
Stacy Lewis has some work to do Sunday. She and Kim, playing together in the final group, tee off at 2:01pm local time. You can follow their round on the LPGA electronic leaderboard and on Golf Channel, which will begin live coverage of the final round at the ANA Inspiration beginning at 5pm ET.