KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: Who’s hot and who’s not?
Henderson, Lee, Park, and Yin could challenge if the stars are aligned
Defending champion Brooke Henderson has had a relatively slow start to her 2017 season but with her victory at Meijer LPGA Classic she delivered the game she needs to mount a proper and effective defense this week. If she can sustain the momentum she ignited in Michigan, Henderson certainly has the game to contend.
With five top-10 finishes this year (that would have been six but for an inadvertently unsigned final scorecard) Minjee Lee is certain to be a threat to the likely leaders at Olympia Fields this week. While she’s still looking for her first 2017 victory, with 3 top-10s in her last four starts, Lee is definitely trending in the right direction to challenge the field for her first major championship title.
Sung Hyun Park is leading the Tour’s Rookie of the Year race because she’s an outstanding golfer. Park, who tied for third in her first U.S. Women’s Open appearance last year, and who also recorded top-10s at the 2016 ANA Inspiration and Evian Championship, also has four top-10 finishes this year. Given the level of her game, it’s only a matter of time until she notches her first Tour victory. She could easily get dialed in and challenge for the win this week.
Like Park, Angel Yin is also playing her rookie year and while Yin’s game is not quite as matured as Park’s, she’s shown flashes of the player she will become. If she manages to sustain one of those flashes this week we’ll be treated to some fine golf and a high finish.