RETURN OF TOP-RANKED LPGA PLAYERS MAKES FOR STRONG FIELD IN SCOTLAND
August 14, 2020
Six major champions and at least eleven LPGA Tour winners made their 2020 post-COVID-19 debut this week at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.
Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn, Georgia Hall, Nasa Hataoka, Hannah Green, and In-Kyung Kim are just a handful of names that might ring a bell. To say the field is strong this week, is an understatement.
Inverness Club and Highland Meadows Golf Club couldn’t have been more perfect for the restart of the LPGA, but nothing beats seeing some of the best golfers in the world take on links courses. Georgia Hall, a known admirer of links golf, opted out of the Ohio tournaments but has noted that she is overjoyed to be back.
“I’m so happy to be in Scotland, and to only just drive up for my first event, it’s great for me,” said Hall.
Hall will also play in the AIG Women’s Open, where she emerged victorious in 2018. After that, she will join her peers on the charter flight to resume play in the states.
LPGA fans around the world have anticipated the return of two sisters on Tour: Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn. While Mi Jung Hur may not be in Scotland to defend her ASILSO title, past champions Ariya and Mi Hyang Lee have come to defend theirs. Ariya has ten wins on Tour, including two majors. She’s ranked 16th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, and she always shows up to play.
Coming from down under, Hannah Green made the hike to compete in the current bubble the LPGA is located in that we like to call Scotland. At the ripe age of 23, the fierce competitor already has one major title and two total wins under her belt. Loved by many LPGA fans, the KPMG Women’s Championship winner finished her first round of the 2020 Women’s Scottish Open at 1-over par.
While some of the top-ranked South Koreans are still absent from the Tour, seeing LPGA standouts Mi Hyang Lee and In-Kyung Kim in the field is refreshing.
Other LPGA Tour winners and major champions making their restart in this week’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open include Catriona Matthew, Charley Hull, Hinako Shibuno, and Laura Davies.
The term “new normal” has been drastically overused in 2020, but the “new normal” for us that LPGA fans are looking forward to is when and where LPGA players will have their post-COVID-19 debut.