Nelly Korda tops LPGA T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek golf
Ayaka Furu has reached the championship match of the T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek the past two years. If it hopes to bounce back next week it will have to overcome the best field in tournament history.
Nelly Korda, Celine Boutier, Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee and many of the LPGA Tour's top players are officially in the field after entries closed on Friday afternoon. It is a mix of current stars, rising players and 21 major championship winners in the 96-player field.
Topping the list is Korda, who is playing in Las Vegas for the first time in the tournament's four-year history. The world's top-ranked player has won her last two starts on the LPGA Tour and is competing at the halfway point of the Ford Championship outside Phoenix this week, making it possible she could chase four consecutive wins next week.
Three of the tour's most popular players – Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson and Rose Zhang – will all be at Shadow Creek. Henderson has been a regular at the tournament, while Thompson and Zhang are making their debut. The last time Thompson played in Las Vegas, she tried to make the cut at the PGA Tour's Shriners Children's Open.
In addition to Zhang, four other players from Las Vegas will be in the tournament, which begins with three days of stroke play on Wednesday and two days of match play over the weekend. Veterans Danielle Kang, Jenny Shin and Alison Lee return for the fourth time, while UNLV junior Mackenzie Hall is playing an LPGA event for the first time due to a sponsor invitation.
Young stars in the field include Andrea Lee, Alison Corpuz, Sarah Schmelzel, Alben Valenzuela and Megan Khang, while experienced major championship winners include Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Angela Stanford and Anna Nordquist.
Pajari Annarukarn, who defeated Furue 3 and 1 in the championship match last year, is back to defend her title.
Top players sidelined in Las Vegas include No. 2 Lilia Wu, who is dealing with a back problem, and No. 6 Jin Young, who has previously expressed a dislike of playing matches.
Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. Contact him at grobertson@reviewjournal.com.
T-Mobile Match Playground
at shadow creek
Wednesday-April 7
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priest annarukaran
Aditi Ashok
Ashley Buhai
Celine Borge
celine botier
Matilda Castren
peiyun chien
hye-jin choi
in ji chun
Carlota Ciganda
Jenny Coleman
Alison Corpuz
Lauren Coughlin
Paula Creamer
Daniela Darkia
Perrin Delacour
Gemma Dryburgh
ally ewing
Maria Fassi
isabella fierro
ayaka furue
Kristen Gilman
Lynn Grant
McKenzie Hall
nasa hataoka
brooke henderson
esther henseleit
money reward
just like that
jiwon jeon
Ariya Jutanugarn
Moriya Jutanugarn
Danielle Kang
minji kang
Minami Katsu
sarah kemp
Megan Khang
auston kim
hyo joo kim
sei young kim
cheyenne knight
to lydia
Nelly Korda
jennifer kupcho
Stephanie Kiriakou
Agathe Laisen
Maud-Amy LeBlanc
alison lee
andrea lee
mi hyang lee
minji lee
jeongyun lee6
brittany lincicome
Pernilla Lindberg
Roberta Leighty
yan liu
yu liu
Nanna Koerstz Madsen
leona maguire
Caroline Mason
stephanie meadow
vichani michai
Azahara Munoz
Anna Nordqvist
Ryan O'Toole
Bianca Pagdanganan
Alexa Pano
Hee Young Park
Emily Christine Pedersen
Sofia Popov
Paula Reto
gabriella ruffels
surprised ryu
Madeleine Sagstrom
Yuka Saso
sarah schmelzel
Jodi Ewart Shadoff
Hinako Shibuno
jenny shin
maja stark
Linnea Strom
Jasmine Suvannapura
elizabeth sokol
Angela Stanford
Bailey Tardy
lexi thompson
Yani Tseng
alben valenzuela
Chaneti Vanasen
Lindsey Weaver-Wright
angel yin
Powerisa Yoctuan
Rose Zhang
*One location TBD
