Field Finalised for ANA Inspiration; the first Major of 2018

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA, March 26, 2018 – Defending champion So Yeon Ryu headlines this year’s 118-player ANA Inspiration tournament field, which includes 24 Ladies European Tour members representing 13 different countries. Ten other past champions and the top 20 players from the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings will join Ryu including world No. 1 Shanshan Feng and 2014 winner and world No. 2 Lexi Thompson.

Based on their finishes at last week’s Kia Classic, Aditi Ashok (T14) and Cindy LaCrosse (T18) played their way into the ANA Inspiration field via the Top-20 Current Money List category.

Two of the five winners on the 2018 LET this season will be in Rancho Mirage this week including Minjee Lee (Oates Vic Open) and Ashleigh Buhai (Investec South African Women’s Open). They are joined by all six winners on the 2018 LPGA Tour including Brittany Lincicome (Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic), Jin Young Ko (ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open), Jessica Korda (Honda LPGA Thailand), Michelle Wie (HSBC Women’s World Championship), Inbee Park (Bank of Hope Founders Cup) and Eun-Hee Ji (Kia Classic).

Fourteen-year-old Rose Zhang earned the final amateur exemption on Sunday with her victory at the ANA Junior Inspiration. Reigning U.S. Amateur Champion Sophia Schubert, 2017 ANA Junior Inspiration winner Lucy Li, Albane Valenzuela, Lilia Vu, Maria Fassi and Atthaya Thitikul, who won the 2017 Ladies European Thailand Championship and the recent Asia Pacific Amateur Championship, join Zhang as the seven amateurs competing in the major championship field.

LET MEMBERS IN THE FIELD (alphabetical order):

  1. Aditi Ashok, India
  2. Nicole Broch Larsen, Denmark
  3. Ashleigh Buhai, South Africa
  4. Carlota Ciganda, Spain
  5. Laura Davies, England
  6. Jodi Ewart Shadoff, England
  7. Sandra Gal, Germany
  8. Laura Gonzalez Escallon, Belgium
  9. Georgia Hall, England
  10. Charley Hull, England
  11. Karine Icher, France
  12. In-Kyung Kim, South Korea
  13. Olafia Kristinsdottir, Iceland
  14. Nanna Koertsz Madsen, Denmark
  15. Pernilla Lindberg, Sweden
  16. Caroline Masson, Germany
  17. Catriona Matthew, Scotland
  18. Azahara Muñoz, Spain
  19. Anna Nordqvist, Sweden
  20. Florentyna Parker, England
  21. Emily Kristine Pedersen, Denmark
  22. Mel Reid, England
  23. Madelene Sagstrom, Sweden
  24. Angel Yin, USA

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

118 players; 72 holes, stroke play; after 36 holes, the field will be cut to the top 70 and ties

PURSE

$2.8 million USD; winner’s portion is $420,000

SOCIAL MEDIA

Tournament: @ANAInspiration, #ANAinspiration, #InspirationStartsHere

LPGA: @LPGA, @LPGAMedia

US TV Times – Showtime in Primetime (all times EST on Golf Channel)

Tuesday, March 27: Live press conferences from 5-6 p.m.

Wednesday, March 28: Live press conferences from 5-6 p.m.; Pro-Am show from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Thursday, March 29: 12-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.

Friday, March 30: 12-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.

Saturday, March 31: 5-9 p.m.

Sunday, April 1: 5-9 p.m.

WHITELINE PAR AND YARDAGE

36-36–72, 6,763 yards (par and yardage are subject to change through the start of the tournament)

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONS AND RUNNERS-UP

2017: So Yeon Ryu, 274 (-14); defeated Lexi Thompson on first playoff hole

2016: Lydia Ko, 276 (-12); In Gee Chun and Charley Hull, 277 (-11)

2015: Brittany Lincicome, 279 (-9); defeated Stacy Lewis on third playoff hole

2014: Lexi Thompson, 274 (-14); Michelle Wie, 277 (-11)

2013: Inbee Park, 273 (-15); So Yeon Ryu, 277 (-11)

TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS

18 holes: 62 (-10) Lorena Ochoa, first round, 2006

36 holes: 133 (-11), Lorena Ochoa, 2006

54 holes: 203 (-13), Amy Alcott, 1988; Dottie Pepper, 1999

72 holes: 269 (-19), Dottie Pepper, 1999

PAST CHAMPIONS IN THE FIELD

Donna Andrews (1994), Juli Inkster (1984, 1989), Lydia Ko (2016), Stacy Lewis (2011), Brittany Lincicome (2009, 2015), Inbee Park (2013), Morgan Pressel (2007), So Yeon Ryu (2017), Lexi Thompson (2014), Yani Tseng (2010), Sun Young Yoo (2012)

ADDITIONAL FIELD STATS

  • 24 – nationalities in the field
  • 55 – number of major championship victories from 29 players in the field
  • 118 – number of Solheim Cup appearances from 30 players in the field