Jutanugarn eyes title defense at Kingsmill Championship (May 17, 2017)

Published May. 18, 2017 11:05 p.m. ET

The season's top overall field will tee it up at the Kingsmill Championship Presented by JTBC beginning on Thursday in an attempt to create some momentum heading into the LPGA Tour's longest and most demanding stretch of events.

Oh, and winning here in Williamsburg, Va., is pretty special as well.

There will be 12 tournaments -- including three majors -- over the next dozen weeks on the LPGA Tour, so it's put-up-or-shut-up time as the weather gets warmer and the stakes are raised.

The Tour has had 10 winners in its 10 events this season -- and none of the tournaments has been captured by either New Zealand's Lydia Ko, the world's top ranked women's golfer, or Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, the reigning LPGA player of the year.

A field of 144 golfers will test the 6,430-yard, par-71 River Course designed by Pete Dye in a chase for the winner's share of the $1.3 million total purse and the 500 Race to the CME Globe points that accompany the victory.

The list of competitors includes 20 of the top 25 players in the Rolex Rankings, 87 of the top 100 players on the 2017 LPGA Tour money list and six past Kingsmill champions. It also includes 21 of the 37 2017 LPGA Tour rookies, the most to tee it up at a tournament this season.

The Kingsmill Championship is Jutanugarn's first title defense because the Yokohama Tire Classic, site of her first LPGA victory the week ahead of this event last year, is no longer on the Tour schedule. She shot a final-round 67 to claim the second of her five tournament titles in 2016.

Jutanugarn carded all four rounds in the 60s and finished at 14-under par, one shot clear of rookie Su Oh of Australia. Gerina Piller and Sei Young Kim of South Korea finished tied for third at 12-under par.

In 10 starts in the 2017 season, Jutanugarn has posted eight top-nine finishes, including three runners-up (HSBC Women's Champions, Bank of Hope Founders Cup and the Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Match Play).

"I have a great memory here last year," said the 21-year-old Jutanugarn, who is in her third season on Tour. "I like everything here. I love to come back here. I love the course. The course always in a great shape."

Ko, who has never finished outside the top 20 in three starts at this event, said the course has a great blend of holes that keep players on their toes.

"There are some longer holes, some shorter ones where you can play aggressive and a par-5 on which you can get home for two," Ko said. "It's a great stretch of holes. They're not easy and anything can happen. The course is normally in really good condition. I think that's why a lot of top players are here. That's why it's been a really top field the majority of the years here."

This week's Kingsmill Championship Presented by JTBC is the 11th event in the LPGA Tour's season-long Race to CME Globe.

ANA Inspiration champion and World No. 2 So Yeon Ryu holds a narrow lead in the current standings with 1,605 points, with Jutanugarn just behind at 1,525 points. Cristie Kerr (1,211) and Inbee Park of South Korea (1,082) are in third and fourth place, respectively.

This is the 13th edition of the Kingsmill Championship. The 18-hole scoring record is 62, most recently shot by In Gee Chun in the second round in 2016. The tournament record 19-under-par 265 for 72 holes was set by Annika Sorenstam of Sweden in 2008.

Kerr is the only player to have won the Kingsmill Championship multiple times (2005, 2009 and 2013). Her victories have come four years apart, meaning a win this year would keep that trend alive.