Fore! Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina Hosts the 2018 LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey

Week eight of the LPGA Tour season brings the world’s best female golfers to Hawaii and the beautiful island of Oahu for the 2018 LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey from April 11 to 14, 2018, held for the seventh consecutive year at Ko Olina Golf Club in Kapolei with Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina as the Host Resort.

Defending champion Cristie Kerr leads this week’s field, which features seven of the top of the top 10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, including No. 1 Shanshan Feng, No. 3 Inbee Park, No. 4 Sung Hyun Park and No. 5 So Yeon Ryu. ANA Inspiration winner Pernilla Lindberg will tee off for the first time as a major champion, and Hawaii’s own Michelle Wie hopes to become the season’s first two-time winner, having captured the HSBC Women’s World Championship last month in Singapore.

The 2017 LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey saw Kerr blaze her way around Ko Olina, taking her 19th LPGA victory with a tournament-record 20-under 268. Her final-round 66, following a tournament-record 10-under 62 in the second round, earned her a three-stroke victory over Lydia Ko, In Gee Chun and Su-Yeon Jang.

What You Need to Know About Defending Champion Cristie Kerr

• Kerr’s 2017 victory at Ko Olina Golf Club was the 19th title of her LPGA career and her first of 2017; she went on to win the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia at age 40, making her the first LPGA winner over age 40 since 2011
• Coming into the LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey, Kerr has played in six events in 2018 and has yet to miss a cut; her best finish is T2 at the Kia Classic
• Kerr is competing in her seventh LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey; in addition to her win in 2017, she has three other top-10 finishes at Ko Olina Golf Club (T7 in 2015, T9 in 2014 and T4 in 2012)
• Kerr is five points shy of qualification for the LPGA Hall of Fame (22 of 27 points); a win would earn her one point
• Kerr is currently third on the all-time LPGA Career Money List with USD 19,371,997; she is USD 3,201,195 behind leader Annika Sorenstam and USD 807,512 behind second-place Karrie Webb

Hawaiin Win Started Great 2017 for Kerr

When Cristie Kerr won the 2017 LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey, it opened the flood gates for an incredible year. Kerr nearly won the following tournament in Texas, falling in a six-hole playoff to Haru Nomura at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout. She notched 10 top-10 finishes over her next 15 starts before again reaching the winner’s circle at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, where she became the Tour’s first winner over age 40 since 2011. Kerr also went 3-0-1 for the victorious USA Solheim Cup Team, becoming the winningest American player in Solheim Cup history, and even took victory at the Ladies European Tour’s Lacoste Ladies Open de France.

“I started off kind of rough actually, and going into the second day I was actually outside the cut line,” said Kerr of her week in Hawaii last year. “I found something in my swing and got some confidence and started making a lot of birdies. Had a magical round on Saturday and followed that up with a solid round on Sunday. It was a great week for me.”

Kerr is currently tied with Laura Davies for 26th on the all-time LPGA victories list with 20 wins. Should she successfully defend her title this week, she would join LPGA Founder Marilynn Smith, who turns 89 on Friday, with 21 wins.

"It's truly exciting to be part of the action at the 2018 LOTTE Championship," said Four Seasons Resort General Manager Charlie Parker, who teed off in the Pro Am.

Hang Loose Brother - LPGA Pros Enjoy Week in Hawaiian Paradise

While the 144 LPGA professionals at Ko Olina this week are here to compete, they’re also not shy about enjoying some fun in the sun during the LPGA’s lone week in Hawaii.  

“I like to run outside so I always really enjoy my morning run,” said World No. 5 So Yeon Ryu, who has competed in all seven playings of the LOTTE Championship. “I see a lot of people doing yoga this morning; I saw a group of people like singing and playing music instruments. That’s really fun to see.”

“It’s just a really relaxing week,” added Cristie Kerr, who likes to go to the beach to pick shells and bring them home to her 4-year-old son Mason. “Everybody has so many things they do off the golf course as well, which we don’t get to usually do. It’s a very good environment for the tour to be in.”

A peek through player Instagram feeds shows a breadth of Hawaiian experiences and cuisines. As expected, the LPGA’s resident surfer Tiffany Joh has been found catching some waves in the Pacific Ocean, while Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn paid a visit to the famed Dole Plantation. Foodies Michelle Wie and Danielle Kang have seemingly hit up every restaurant on Waikiki Beach, and they’re not the only players indulging in some beloved Hawaiian delicacies. 

“I love poke bowls, so that’s what I eat every night,” said Anna Nordqvist with a laugh. 

Now on the Tee - Notable First Round Groupings (All Times Local to Hawaii)

Three past champions of the LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey – Michelle Wie (2014), Sei Young Kim (2015) and Cristie Kerr (2017) – will take to the 10th tee at 7:44 am.

World No. 1 Shanshan Feng, who has been atop the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for 22 weeks, will join two-time major champion Anna Nordqvist and Amy Olson, who was in second after 54 holes at the ANA Inspiration, off the 10th tee at 7:55 am

Pernilla Lindberg, who last week won the ANA Inspiration for her first professional title, will be announced for the first time as a major champion when she tees off No. 1 at 12:39 pm, joined by fellow major winners Ariya Jutanugarn and Lydia Ko.

Top Rookies Featured in LOTTE Field Breakdown

Jin Young Ko is clearly the odds on favourite to win the prestigious Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award after her victory at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. Currently, Hannah Green, a Symetra Tour graduate, is in second place, but 137 points behind Ko. Emma Talley and Erynne Lee, both 2017 Symetra Tour graduates, are third and fourth while Georgia Hall is fifth.  

Three of the top five in the Rookie of the Year race standings are in the field, as Ko withdrew from the tournament on Monday and Hall is not entered. Ko already has four top-10 finishes in six starts, while Green’s big moment this year was a third-place finish at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. Talley and Lee also each have one top-10 finish.

For Bret Lasky’s full field breakdown, visit click here.