By: Max Bechtoldt
Yes. It’s early. Many of these rookies have only been able to play once and some of the most high profile ones haven’t yet hit the course. But we saw some great results at The Drive On Championship that points to a strong rookie class.
- Mone Inami – Inami is in first mostly by virtue of the only LPGA Tour rookie who qualified for the Tournament of Champions thanks to her win at the Japan Classic last November. Most known for winning the silver medal in her home country’s Olympics, Inami hits the ball dead straight and has two early top-20 finishes including eighth at the Drive On Championship.
- Auston Kim – Auston Kim is very intriguing. She hits the ball a country mile, after one week leading the LPGA in average driving distance at 286 yards. Kim finished T6 at the Drive On Championship, mostly thanks to her -7 64 in round three.
- So Mi Lee – The rookie from South Korea had a solid, yet disappointing finish at the Drive On Championship. Lee was -8 through the first two rounds, in legitimate contention to win, before a rough weekend where she shot +6. The success she had though was mostly because of her approach shots, placing top five in greens in regulation.
- Isabella Fierro and Mao Saigo – Fierro, the Mexico born, college teammate of Maja Stark at Oklahoma State, had a solid T32 finish at Drive On. Fierro putts well and shot -2 on each of the first two days before a poor weekend. Saigo is a player that many LPGA fans will recognize as she has been a fixture at the majors and on the Asian swing the last couple of years, had a similar fate shooting under par on Friday and Saturday before a +4 Sunday performance.
