Primer: Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship

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So Yeon Ryu

The LPGA Tour’s Asian Swing heads to Chinese Taipei for the seventh-annual Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship.

World No. 1 So Yeon Ryu, and World No. 2 Sung Hyun Park, headline the 81-player field at Miramar Golf Country Club for the second of five tournaments in Asia (the AliSports in China was canceled).

It marks the fourth straight year the tournament has been contested at Miramar.

Following the Taiwan event, the LPGA will head to Malaysia, Japan and China before returning to the U.S. for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla.


THE SKINNY

Tournament: Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship
Golf Course: Miramar Golf Country Club
Where: New Taipei City, Chinese Taipei
Distance: 6,425 Yards, Par 72
Purse: $2,200,000
Winner: $300,000
Defending Champion: Ha Na Jang (Korea)


GOLF CHANNEL COVERAGE

ROUND 1: THU 12:30 – 5:00 PM
ROUND 2: FRI 12:30 – 2:30 PM
ROUND 3: SAT 12:30 – 2:30 PM
ROUND 4: SUN 12:00 – 2:30 PM


DEFENDING CHAMPION

The 2016 Swinging Skirts (then titled the Fubon) was won by Ha Na Jang of South Korea. The former LPGA Tour star edged China’s Shanshan Feng by one stroke. It was the third victory of the season for Jang, who, in 2017, returned to her homeland to play full time.

Three past champions of this event – Jang (2016), Lydia Ko (2015) and local legend Yani Tseng (2011) – will also be teeing it up this week, as well as past runners-up Feng (2016), Eun-Hee Ji (2015), Stacy Lewis (2014), Azahara Munoz (2013, 2011), Ryu (2015) and Amy Yang (2011).


PAST CHAMPIONS

2016: Ha Na Jang, 69-69-62-71 (-17)
2015: Lydia Ko, 69-67-67-65 (-20)
2014: Inbee Park, 64-62-69-71 (-22)
2013: Suzann Pettersen, 68-69-73-69 (-9)
2012: Suzann Pettersen, 69-65-66-69 (-19)
2011: Yani Tseng, 68-71-67-66 (-16)


THE FIELD: BY THE NUMBERS

2017 LPGA Winners (15)

Brooke Henderson (Meijer LPGA Classic, McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open)
Sung Hyun Park (U.S. Women’s Open Championship, CP Women’s Open)
So Yeon Ryu (ANA Inspiration, Walmart NW Arkansas Championship)
Brittany Lincicome (Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic)
Ha Na Jang (ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open)
Amy Yang (Honda LPGA Thailand)
Haru Nomura (Volunteers of America Texas Shootout)
Cristie Kerr (LOTTE Championship)
Sei Young Kim (Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Match Play)
Shanshan Feng (LPGA Volvik Championship)
Ariya Jutanugarn (Manulife LPGA Classic)
Danielle Kang (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship)
Katherine Kirk (Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic)
Mirim Lee (Kia Classic)
Stacy Lewis (Cambia Portland Classic)

2017 Solheim Cup Team USA Members (8)

Danielle Kang, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lang, Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Lizette Salas, Michelle Wie, Angel Yin

2017 Solheim Cup Team Europe Members (7)

Carlota Ciganda, Charley Hull, Karine Icher, Caroline Masson, Anna Nordqvist, Madelene Sagstrom, Jodi Ewart Shadoff

2017 LPGA Rookies (9)

Aditi Ashok, Nicole Broch Larsen, Peiyun Chien, Laura Gonzalez Escallon, Nelly Korda, Olafia Kristinsdottir, Sung Hyun Park, Madelene Sagstrom, Angel Yin


Credit: LPGA Communications, Getty Images


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