The first round pairings have been released for the JM Eagle LA Championship. Take a look at the most notable ones to look out for:
Nelly Korda, Hannah Green, Madelene Sagström
Obviously this is the strongest group there is. Nelly Korda is the No. 1 player in the world and easily the biggest star on the tour. Hannah Green has won the JM Eagle the last two seasons and Madelene Sagström is the most recent winner on the LPGA Tour, winning the Shadow Creek Match Play. This is a star-studded group.
Minjee Lee, Yealimi Noh, Hyo Joo Kim
Yealimi Noh has been spectacular this season, grabbing her first LPGA win and being so consistent with three top-10 finishes so far this year. Minjee Lee has bounced back well this season, her long putter has improved her short game with two top-five finishes in five starts. Hyo Joo Kim is the most recent stroke play winner on the LPGA Tour with a win in Arizona.
Jeeno Thitikul, Nasa Hataoka, Lexi Thompson
Jeeno is of course one of the best players in the world. She finishes in the top 10 almost every week she plays, currently ranked No. 2 in the world. Nasa and Thompson have teamed up before in the Dow Championship, forming a super powerful team. Jeeno is in the best position to win here, but don’t count anyone from this group out.
Haeran Ryu, Brooke Henderson, Jin Young Ko
This group features one of the most consistent figures of the 2020’s Haeran Ryu, who already has two wins and 19 top-10 finishes in just over two years. She is playing with Ko and Henderson, who both have double digit wins and two majors. This is one of the great modern players in a group with two modern legends.
Ayaka Fure, Celine Boutier, Lauren Coughlin
This group includes the last two winners of the Evian Championship, one of the majors in the women’s game. Furue and Boutier are both great players, but Coughlin has a lot of momentum. This group represents the consistency of the LPGA Tour, as all three consistently play well, and each have two or more wins in their career.
