Ariya Jutanugarn needed a playoff victory over Lexi Thompson and In Gee Chun at last week’s Manulife LPGA Classic but the 21-year-old six-time LPGA Tour winner finally overtook Lydia Ko and a computer bug to attain the top spot in the Rolex Rankings.
Ariya Jutanugarn finally surpasses Lydia Ko for No. 1 ranking — for real this time
Jutanugarn ends Ko’s 85-week reign as world No. 1 with a playoff win over Lexi Thompson and In Gee Chun in Canada.
Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
Five shots back of Thompson to start the back nine in Sunday’s finale, Jutanugarn’s 3-under 69 got her to 17-under for the week and into the playoff with Thompson (72) and Chun (70). Thompson had a two-stroke lead with just two holes left but faltered down the stretch with four bogeys in her final seven holes, including two straight to finish the tourney, while Chun birdied 15 and 16 and made two pars coming home.
Meanwhile, Jutanugarn put together a two-birdie (Nos. 10 and 11), seven-par back nine to join the fray for the sudden death playoff. She buried a 25-foot birdie putt on the first hole of overtime to complete her comeback.
The W, her first since prevailing five times last year, astounded Jutanugarn.
“I just can’t believe I win the tournament,” said the 2016 Player of the Year who “didn’t feel comfortable” with her swing or her drives, which she characterized as “not that good … It’s like surprise for me. I never think I can win here.”
Jutanugarn had quite the ride up the rankings leaderboard. She began 2016 ranked No. 62 and went on a five-win tear that included her first major championship at the Women’s British Open. She joined Ko (2015) to become just the second player to win the PoY award, Race to the CME Globe, and money title in the same season.
Jutanugarn has nine top-10 finishes in 13 starts this season, including three runner-ups and her win on Sunday. The victory put her in first place on the 2017 money list with $954,279, part of her $3,987,753 in career earnings.
The newly installed No. 1 came into the event just .01 average world ranking points behind the absent Ko, who held the Rolex lead for 85 straight weeks. A bug in the projection tool had Jutanugarn overtaking Ko last week but there was no snafu this time around.
Career weeks at Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings Number One Position (Graphic via LPGA)
“Feel great. Feel like I breakthrough,” said Jutanugarn, who had not had time to process her rise to world’s best. “I think I’ll feel it on Monday. To be honest, I didn’t pay attention to the ranking.”
For Thompson, who remained at No. 4, it was a tale of her flat stick gone cold.
“Just struggled with the putter,” said Thompson, who three-putted No. 17. “I made everything, it seemed like, all week, and then, the last three holes, I had like a 5-footer, 6-footer, and about a 4-footer and missed them all.”
Jutanugarn, Thompson, Ko, and Chun (No. 5) will tee it up this week at the Meijer LPGA Classic, while world No. 3 So Yeon Ryu will skip the event in Grand Rapids, Mich.
