Inbee Park (click to enlarge)
It was a dream final round scenario for the LPGA; the three best players in the world at the top of the leaderboard fighting it out for the 2015 HSBC Women’s Champions title. In American Stacy Lewis, they had the reigning Player of the Year. In South Korean Inbee Park, they had the previous Player of the Year who matched a 53-year old record by Babe Zaharias. In Kiwi Lydia Ko, they had perhaps the greatest prodigy in their history. When the dust settled, it was consistent flawless play from Inbee Park that would win the day. It was important for Inbee or Stacy to make an early season statement by halting Lydia’s momentum. Ko came in on a two tournament winning streak, winning the Women’s Australian Open and the New Zealand Women’s Open (both sponsored under ISPS Handa, but the New Zealand event is not an LPGA tournament). A trifecta at HSBC and maybe Lydia starts to run away from the field early. Despite being denied her third straight win, Lydia still might. She didn’t win on this day, but she will win on a lot of days to come. She is truly special and everybody knows it.
Stacy Lewis and caddie, Travis Wilson (click to enlarge)
Stacy Lewis couldn’t quite make a move on Sunday, matching two birdies with two bogeys. The highlight of her day might have been a fantastic putt from edge of the fringe to save par on 12 after getting her ball lost in a tree. Like Lydia, Lewis is a an exceptional talent who will continue to win as long as she wants to put in the work. However, this time Sunday belonged to Inbee Park. She didn’t torch the course in the final round. Her 2-under over 18 holes was very good to be sure. But it was her spotless play over four rounds, carding 15 birdies against zero bogeys, that earned her winner’s honors. She needed to be that good as her 15-under overall score bested Lydia Ko by 2 shots. For Inbee, it’s her 13th LPGA win. In addition to her prizemoney for winning, Inbee picked up an extra $7500 dollars betting her dad $500 per birdie vs -$1000 per bogey. Hopefully, she will let her dad off the hook for that one. LOL!
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1 INBEE PARK (-15)
2 LYDIA KO (-13)
3 STACY LEWIS (-11)
T4 SO YEON RYU (-10)
chasing Inbee Park’s caddie, Brad Beecher
T4 AZAHARA MUNOZ (-10)
T4 SHANSHAN FENG (-10)
T8 ANNA NORDQVIST (-8)
T8 HYO-JOO KIM (-8)
T12 LEXI THOMPSON (-7)
T18 JESSICA KORDA (-4)
T21 YANI TSENG (-3)
T21 DANIELLE KANG (-3)
T51 MICHELLE WIE (+4)
Her caddie, Duncan French, being named “Caddy of the Year” at the HSBC Women’s Champions
| Pos | Name | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Today | Total | Strokes | Purse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inbee Park | 66 | 69 | 68 | 70 | -2 | -15 | 273 | $210,000 |
| 2 | Lydia Ko | 68 | 70 | 67 | 70 | -2 | -13 | 275 | $133,258 |
| 3 | Stacy Lewis | 69 | 69 | 67 | 72 | E | -11 | 277 | $96,669 |
| T4 | Shanshan Feng | 70 | 71 | 68 | 69 | -3 | -10 | 278 | $61,406 |
| T4 | So Yeon Ryu | 70 | 69 | 69 | 70 | -2 | -10 | 278 | $61,406 |
| T4 | Azahara Munoz | 70 | 67 | 70 | 71 | -1 | -10 | 278 | $61,406 |
| 7 | Caroline Masson | 71 | 68 | 72 | 68 | -4 | -9 | 279 | $41,221 |
| T8 | Ilhee Lee | 72 | 72 | 71 | 65 | -7 | -8 | 280 | $31,372 |
| T8 | Hyo-Joo Kim | 70 | 74 | 69 | 67 | -5 | -8 | 280 | $31,372 |
| T8 | Carlota Ciganda | 69 | 66 | 74 | 71 | -1 | -8 | 280 | $31,372 |
| T8 | Anna Nordqvist | 69 | 70 | 68 | 73 | +1 | -8 | 280 | $31,372 |
| T12 | Lexi Thompson | 69 | 75 | 70 | 67 | -5 | -7 | 281 | $23,273 |
| T12 | Na Yeon Choi | 71 | 74 | 67 | 69 | -3 | -7 | 281 | $23,273 |
| T12 | Lizette Salas | 70 | 72 | 69 | 70 | -2 | -7 | 281 | $23,273 |
| T12 | Suzann Pettersen | 71 | 68 | 68 | 74 | +2 | -7 | 281 | $23,273 |
| T16 | Sei-Young Kim | 73 | 73 | 70 | 67 | -5 | -5 | 283 | $19,480 |
| T16 | Mo Martin | 68 | 72 | 73 | 70 | -2 | -5 | 283 | $19,480 |
| T18 | Brittany Lincicome | 74 | 71 | 67 | 72 | E | -4 | 284 | $17,413 |
| T18 | Jenny Shin | 68 | 70 | 73 | 73 | +1 | -4 | 284 | $17,413 |
| T18 | Jessica Korda | 72 | 67 | 70 | 75 | +3 | -4 | 284 | $19,480 |
| T21 | Catriona Matthew | 72 | 72 | 71 | 70 | -2 | -3 | 285 | $15,321 |
| T21 | Danielle Kang | 70 | 70 | 72 | 73 | +1 | -3 | 285 | $15,321 |
| T21 | Yani Tseng | 66 | 75 | 71 | 73 | +1 | -3 | 285 | $15,321 |
| T21 | Karrie Webb | 68 | 70 | 74 | 73 | +1 | -3 | 285 | $15,321 |
| T25 | Haru Nomura | 70 | 70 | 75 | 71 | -1 | -2 | 286 | $13,680 |
| T25 | Beatriz Recari | 72 | 74 | 70 | 70 | -2 | -2 | 286 | $13,680 |
| T27 | Chella Choi | 73 | 70 | 73 | 71 | -1 | -1 | 287 | $12,403 |
| T27 | Karine Icher | 74 | 71 | 70 | 72 | E | -1 | 287 | $12,403 |
| T27 | Mina Harigae | 73 | 73 | 69 | 72 | E | -1 | 287 | $12,403 |
| T30 | Jane Park | 73 | 71 | 72 | 72 | E | E | 288 | $10,798 |
| T30 | Jodi Ewart Shadoff | 70 | 69 | 75 | 74 | +2 | E | 288 | $10,798 |
| T30 | Pornanong Phatlum | 75 | 71 | 69 | 73 | +1 | E | 288 | $10,798 |
| T30 | Minjee Lee | 70 | 73 | 75 | 70 | -2 | E | 288 | $10,798 |
| T34 | Belen Mozo | 72 | 71 | 72 | 74 | +2 | +1 | 289 | $9,338 |
| T34 | Christina Kim | 73 | 75 | 69 | 72 | E | +1 | 289 | $9,338 |
| T34 | Mi Hyang Lee | 73 | 72 | 70 | 74 | +2 | +1 | 289 | $9,338 |
| T37 | Angela Stanford | 67 | 74 | 74 | 75 | +3 | +2 | 290 | $7,328 |
| T37 | Hee Young Park | 69 | 76 | 70 | 75 | +3 | +2 | 290 | $7,328 |
| T37 | Meena Lee | 71 | 70 | 76 | 73 | +1 | +2 | 290 | $7,328 |
| T37 | Mirim Lee | 75 | 75 | 68 | 72 | E | +2 | 290 | $7,328 |
| T37 | Mariajo Uribe | 68 | 76 | 74 | 72 | E | +2 | 290 | $7,328 |
| T37 | In Gee Chun | 74 | 71 | 74 | 71 | -1 | +2 | 290 | $7,328 |
| T37 | Julieta Granada | 74 | 74 | 72 | 70 | -2 | +2 | 290 | $7,328 |
| T37 | Austin Ernst | 73 | 72 | 75 | 70 | -2 | +2 | 290 | $7,328 |
| T37 | Gerina Piller | 71 | 74 | 75 | 70 | -2 | +2 | 290 | $7,328 |
| T46 | Morgan Pressel | 73 | 72 | 70 | 76 | +4 | +3 | 291 | $5,544 |
| T46 | Cristie Kerr | 73 | 74 | 71 | 73 | +1 | +3 | 291 | $5,544 |
| T46 | I.K. Kim | 74 | 70 | 74 | 73 | +1 | +3 | 291 | $5,544 |
| T46 | Jing Yan | 72 | 73 | 73 | 73 | +1 | +3 | 291 | $5,544 |
| T46 | Line Vedel | 78 | 69 | 73 | 71 | -1 | +3 | 291 | $5,544 |
| T51 | Michelle Wie | 73 | 70 | 74 | 75 | +3 | +4 | 292 | $4,742 |
| T51 | Q Baek | 77 | 69 | 73 | 73 | +1 | +4 | 292 | $4,742 |
| T51 | Amy Yang | 71 | 72 | 76 | 73 | +1 | +4 | 292 | $4,742 |
| T51 | Pernilla Lindberg | 73 | 73 | 74 | 72 | E | +4 | 292 | $4,742 |
| T55 | Eun-Hee Ji | 72 | 74 | 72 | 75 | +3 | +5 | 293 | $4,304 |
| T55 | Paula Creamer | 74 | 71 | 74 | 74 | +2 | +5 | 293 | $4,304 |
| T57 | Brittany Lang | 72 | 75 | 71 | 76 | +4 | +6 | 294 | $4,013 |
| T57 | Haeji Kang | 72 | 74 | 74 | 74 | +2 | +6 | 294 | $4,013 |
| 59 | Lee-Anne Pace | 72 | 70 | 79 | 76 | +4 | +9 | 297 | $3,794 |
| 60 | Caroline Hedwall | 75 | 76 | 66 | 81 | +9 | +10 | 298 | $3,648 |
| 61 | Sandra Gal | 73 | 71 | 78 | 78 | +6 | +12 | 300 | $3,576 |
| 62 | M.J. Hur | 78 | 71 | 76 | 76 | +4 | +13 | 301 | $3,502 |
| 63 | Sock Hwee Koh | 79 | 77 | 76 | 75 | +3 | +19 | 307 |
Fairways and Forehands 