How Low Will They Go at the Manulife LPGA Classic? (Video)

By Elizabeth Bethel | Jun 4, 2015

Cheyenne Woods is in the house at 9-under par after her first round at the Manulife LPGA Classic, but even with that astonishing score she’s only one shot ahead of Leatitia Beck and Sandra Gal. As I watched one birdie putt after another drop into the cups at Whistle Bear track today I began to speculate about Sunday’s leaderboard. What’s it going to take to win this one? Will 30-under get the job done or is it going to go even higher?

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This isn’t typically a question that occurs to me on Thursday, but this week feels different. I feel a blockbuster, or record-breaker, coming on.

With two more rookies setting a breakneck pace — Woods and Beck — and with Lydia Ko, Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis lollygagging around 7 and 8 shots back, it’s a curious leaderboard to contemplate.

Laetitia Beck, the Tour’s first Israeli golfer, explains how it worked for her today:

We’ll have a better sense after Friday’s round if today was a fortunate golf moment for Woods and Beck — neither of them has had a strong early season — or if, in fact, one of them may be poised to make a breakthrough.

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That question aside, there are some other first round performances that are signaling some real breakthrough possibilities.

Sandra Gal is on the top of the list. The 39th ranked golfer in the world hasn’t seen a win since her 2011 Kia Classic victory and she’s due one, even though she’s not been delivering a particularly strong game recently. But her top-10 finishes at the Honda LPGA Thailand and the Kia Classic earlier this spring, combined with her Solheim Cup aspirations, make Gal an early favorite for me.

I’m looking for Anna Nordqvist to also challenge the top of the board at the Manulife. She’s trailing the lead by two shots going into the 2nd round, but given the way the putts are dropping, that’s an insignificant gap, particularly given the fire in Nordqvist’s belly. Did you see her slam down her putter after she bogeyed 16 this afternoon?

I’m also putting Katie Burnett on my list of probable high finishers. I’ve been watching this 3rd year player all season. She missed a couple of cuts early in the year at the Coates Golf Championship and the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic and then she got down to work.

Burnett carded a 68 at the JTBC Founders Cup and then a 67 and a 68 at the Kia Classic. She followed that with a 69 at the North Texas Shootout and then a 68 at the Kingsmill Championship. She has a winning game in her bag and I get the feeling she’s figuring out how to put it all together into a single 72-hole event. Something exciting is going to happen for Burnett in 2015 and it could be this week. Let’s see what she does on Friday.

It’s early days at the Manulife LPGA Classic, but with Cristie Kerr and Sei Young Kim starting the second round with the top of the leaderboard in clear sight, and with Hyo Joo Kim and Mo Martin lurking just three shots off the lead, this is a wide open competition filled with possibilities.

Given the way the putts are dropping, even Charley Hull and Minjee Lee, who are starting the 2nd round trailing Cheyenne Woods’ lead by six shots, are within reach of the top of the board.

Friday will be interesting at Whistle Bear. Morgan Pressel and Stacy Lewis are going to need to hustle if they’re going to get themselves in the mix. If tomorrow follows today the leader will sign a card with a low 60s number on it.

Friday tee times at the Manulife LPGA Classic begin at 7:15 am and Golf Channel coverage begins at noon. (All times are ET.) ProGolfNow will provide ongoing commentary of the Manulife and other golf events this weekend, including the Memorial and the Nordea Masters. Follow us on Twitter @ProGolfNow and we’ll notify you as we publish new commentary and tournament updates.

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