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How low really were scores at the LPGA Founders Cup? Try this low

March 20, 2017
kaylin-yost-bank-of-hope-founders-cup-lpga-2017-thursday.jpg

Steve Dykes

The LPGA Tour played its first 2017 event in the U.S. last weekend, the Bank of Hope Founders Cup at Wildfire G.C. in Phoenix. Long story short: the women absolutely tore the place up over their four rounds. Anna Nordqvist took the title by two strokes with a 25-under 263 total. The course was firm and fast, and, needless to say, not very penalizing. One caddie told us that every hole offered a birdie opportunity. And he meant that literally.

Of course, the conditions being ripe for red numbers is only part of the story. The players, themselves, have to take come to play to truly of the advantage of the situation. Suffice it say, they did.

Just how impressive was the scoring? We've compiled some of the more remarkable numbers here:

19 – The number of players who carded all four rounds under 70.

One – The number of players who shot four founds under 70 and finished in a tie for 35th. (We feel for you, Brittany Altomare. Four rounds in the 60s deserves better than that.)

29 – Lydia Ko’s back-nine score during her third round.

Six – The number of birdies in a row Ko made on the back nine en route to her 29 (she shot a 63 for the day).

61 – The new course record at Wildfire G.C., thanks to Anna Nordqvist’s stellar third round.

-5 – The cut at the Founders Cup, the lowest in LPGA history.

47 – Number of players in the field (out of 75 who made the cut) who shot at least one round of 66 or lower during the week.

67 – What Monday qualifier Kaylin Yost (above) shot in the first round of the Founder Cup, her first career LPGA event.

3 – The number of Americans to finish in the top 10.

-16 – 56-year-old Juli Inkster’s four-round score to par, which included an opening-round 65 and a closing-round 64.

-27 – The in relation-to-par record for the event, which was set last year and some how managed to hold up last week.