NEWS
12 players to watch at the LPGA Volvik Championship
ANN ARBOR -- Some of the world's best golfers will be in Ann Arbor from May 24-27 competing in the third annual LPGA Volvik Championship at Travis Pointe Country Club.
Of the top 25 ranked professionals on the LPGA Tour, 12 have committed to participate in the tournament, including last year's winner Shanshan Feng, who is ranked No. 2 in the world.
Here are some of the top-ranked golfers out of the 144-player field, along with others to keep an eye on.
*Stats from last weekend's Kingsmill Championship are not included
Shanshan Feng (China)
Age: 28
Rolex ranking: No. 2
Money list ranking: No. 10
Official money: $397,617
Bio: Shanshan Feng has moved up the rankings after entering last year's tournament No. 6 in the world. She been an LPGA Tour member since 2008 and has earned $10,133,005. She has nine career victories, with three coming in the past year. She has 82 top-10 finishes, including four of her eight events in 2018.
Sung Hyun Park (South Korea)
Age: 35
Rolex ranking: No. 4
Money list ranking: No. 16
Official money: $291,765
Bio: Park has three career victories, including the Volunteers of American LPGA Texas Classic this year. She has earned $2,627,648 since joining the tour two years ago.
Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand)
Age: 22
Rolex ranking: No. 6
Money list ranking: No. 2
Official money: $576,390
Bio: She won the Volvik Championship in 2016, one of her seven career victories. She hasn't won any of her 11 events this year, but has finished in the top 10 seven times.
In her young four-year career, she already has earned $5,159,722.
In-Kyung Kim (South Korea)
Age: 29
Rolex ranking: No. 7
Money list ranking: No. 55
Official money: $106,737
Bio: She has only played in five events this year, finishing in the top 10 once. She has seven wins and has earned $8,901,995 since joining the tour in 2007.
Jessica Korda (U.S.)
Age: 25
Rolex ranking: No. 9
Money list ranking: No. 6
Official money: $500,587
Bio: Korda is having a fantastic year so far and has rocketed up the world rankings. She won the Honda LPGA Thailand in February, one of her four top-10 finishes this year.
Moriya Jutanugarn (Thailand)
Age: 25
Rolex ranking: No. 11
Money list ranking: No. 3
Official money: $570,848
Bio: Jutanugarn has been busy this year, playing in 11 events already. She won the Hugel-JTBC LA Open last month, her first career victory, and has four top-10 finishes this year. She has earned $3,209,267 since her rookie year in 2013.
Anna Nordqvist (Sweden)
Age: 30
Rolex ranking: No. 12
Money list ranking: No. 53
Official money: $110,626
Bio: Nordqvist has struggled this year with just one top 10 finish in eight events. She has missed the cut in two of her last three tournaments but still has one of the most decorative careers on the LPGA Tour. She has eight career victories and 63 top-10 finishes, earning $8,285,598 since 2009.
Minjee Lee (Australia)
Age: 21
Rolex ranking: No. 14
Money list ranking: No. 8
Official money: $419,466
Bio: Lee is a rising star on tour and has had a strong year thus far. She has three top-five finishes in 2018, including a second-place finish in the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship on April 26.
Eun-Hee Ji (South Korea)
Age: 32
Rolex ranking: No. 19
Money list ranking: No. 9
Official money: $400,185
Bio: Ji won the Kia Classic in March by finishing 16-under par, her fourth career victory. She has earned $5,920,685 since turning pro in 2007.
Sei Young Kim (South Korea)
Age: 25
Rolex ranking: No. 21
Money list ranking: No. 31
Official money: $157,963
Bio: Kim has had a rough start this year, falling from No. 8 to No. 21 in the world rankings. Still, she is one of the top young golfers on tour. She has six career victories and 32 top-10 finishers, earning just under $5 million.
Danielle Kang (U.S.)
Age: 25
Rolex ranking: No. 23
Money list ranking: No. 28
Official money: $188,788
Bio: Kang started off the year strong with top-five finishes in her first two tournaments, but she hasn't finished higher than 50 in five events since. Her only career win was a major last year.
Charley Hull (England)
Age: 22
Rolex ranking: No. 25
Money list ranking: No. 15
Official money: $292,927
Bio: Hull is another high-profile young player on tour. She has three top-10 finishes this year and 16 in her four-year career, including a victory at the CME Group Tour Championship in 2016.
Local connections
Jennifer Song (U.S.)
Age: 28
Rolex ranking: No. 46
Money list ranking: No. 18
Official money: $268,183
Bio: Song was born in Ann Arbor and grew up in South Korea. She finished tied for 11th at the Volvik Championship at 13-under. She was sixth heading into the final round.
Ashley Kim
Kim, a freshman on the University of Michigan golf team, will be competing in her first LPGA event after receiving a sponsor's exemption. The Redondo Beach, California native tied the second lowest round in program history with a six-under 66 in the second round of the Ruth's Chris Invitational on Oct. 13-15. Her sister, Megan Kim, who also golfed at Michigan, will be her caddie during the tournament.