Ko and Lee share 4th place on Hainan Island
Lydia Ko – shared 4th with Minjee Lee
Minjee Lee and Lydia Ko shared 4th place behind the first-time winner Bailey Tardy at the LPGA Blue Bay event on Hainan Island off the southern coast of China.
Ko was tied in the lead through 54 holes with Tardy and Sarah Schmelzel but struggled to the turn in the final round before a late recovery saw her share 4th with Lee whose final round of 68 saw her improve significantly on her 29th place finish in Singapore last week.
Gabi Ruffles was the only other player from Australia or New Zealand to make the cut when she finished tied for 15th.
For the winner, 27 year old Bailey, the win is just reward for a career which, to date, has seen her battle through secondary tours and q schools over several years before gaining LPGA Tour access just over a year ago.
Tardy did not play the first two events on the Asian swing but the weaker field in this week’s event saw her gain a star and perhaps change her career forever.
“Yeah, getting to the LPGA wasn’t an easy path for me I don’t think, said Tardy referring to her journey thus far. “You know, I think played the 2019 year and COVID hit. Didn’t play great in 2019. So our status was the same for 2021. Ended up playing really well in 2020 and they gave out five cards, and missed the card by one spot. That happened, basically, the next two years for me.
“So, yeah, it was a lot of self-reflecting trying to figure out if I was even good enough to be on the LPGA, if I wanted it enough. The life on the road is not for everybody, and so I just didn’t know if this was the profession for me.
“Now that I’m an LPGA winner I’m so happy I stuck to it. This is a dream come true.”
Following its Asian swing the LPGA Tour now heads back to the USA where its schedule resumes at the Fir Hills Se Ri Pak Championship in California on March 21st
