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Kingsmill Championship: Who To Watch Today

By Elizabeth Bethel

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Apr 3, 2015; Rancho Mirage, CA, USA; Morgan Pressel plays out of a greenside bunker on the 17th during the second round of the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills CC – Dinah Shore Tournament Course. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

About half the players are on the field for the second round of the Kingsmill Championship.  Although Joanna Klatten held the overnight lead at 6-under par, that’s not a secure lead at this point.  So Yeon Ryu, Pat Hurst, Alison Lee and Morgan Pressel are all at 5-under and only Ryu has teed off for the second round.

Lee and Pressel are definitely on my watch list.

Alison Lee. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Lee, a Tour rookie, is having a splendid year and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see her hanging around the top of the board through Sunday.  So far this season she’s played in eight events and made five cuts.  Her best finish so far was an impressive fourth place at the Kia Classic.

Lee had a solid first round, staying straight off the tee, scrambling effectively, and generally looking in control of the River Course.

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Pressel’s also looking very good.  Her game right now is as strong as it’s been in some time.  Since the ANA Inspiration earlier this spring, Pressel has finished in the top-20 of all four events, including third at ANA Inspiration and a second place finish at the Swinging Skirts LGPA Classic.

Pressel is playing with a new confidence this week as she looks for her first win since 2008 at the Kapalua LPGA Classic.  Her bogey-free first round has certainly gotten her started in the right direction to notch that win this weekend.

The Big Three

Stacy Lewis. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

On down the leaderboard Lydia Ko, Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis have started their weekly battle for hegemony.  Lewis’s first round 69 looks a little better than Ko’s even par 71 and Park’s one-over 72, but with 54 holes of golf to play those scores are fairly meaningless.  I look for all three to move up the leaderboard today.

Park could take over the top of the Rolex rankings with a win at Kingsmill if Ko finishes in a 3-way tie for 2nd place or worse.

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Ko, now in her 14th week at the top of the rankings, will hold on to the top spot if she finishes in a two-way tie for second or better even if Inbee Park wins or if Park finishes in a three-way tie for second or worse even if Ko misses the cut.

Although Lewis can’t get to the top of the rankings this week no matter who wins, she’s playing intently and consciously for her first 2015 victory.  I’m expecting Lewis to turn on the heat during the 2nd and 3rd rounds in Virginia.

Also Worth Watching

Five standout rookies — Minjee Lee, Hyo Joo Kim, Ha Na Jang, Sei Young Kim and Charley Hull — are also in the mix at this point.  Lee, who started her 2nd round at 3-under par, is holding steady about mid-way through her 2nd round.  The others, all starting at 1-under par, will need to turn up the heat under their putters, but they’re all capable of doing just that, so keep an eye on them.

I’m also watching Brooke Henderson.  The Canadian teenager had a slow start to the Kingsmill and mid-way through her 2nd round she’s dropped down to 2-over par, but we all know what she’s capable of doing.  She could easily turn the entire tournament around on her 2nd round back nine.

You can follow the 2nd round action at the Kingsmill Championship live through the LPGA electronic leaderboard and Golf Channel will provide a taped summary of the round beginning at 9pm ET Friday evening.

Follow me on Twitter @bethbethel and I’ll notify you when I publish updates and commentary on the Kingsmill and other golf news.

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