Lewis wins 2020 #ASILSO in a four-way play-off

It was Lewis’ first victory since the 2017 Cambia Portland Classic and the first playoff win of her career, having previously gone 0-3 in extra holes. It was also her first win since giving birth to daughter Chesnee in October 2018. Within minutes of her victory, Lewis was on FaceTime with husband Gerrod Chadwell and Chesnee, who were back home in Texas watching their wife and mom hoist yet another trophy.

 

“I have been trying to get a trophy from the day she was born. That's been my goal,” said Lewis with a massive smile on her face. “I just called them, got to FaceTime with them. My husband said she was hitting the TV screen with her plastic golf clubs when I made that putt. So it's just pretty cool. I can't wait to get home with them in a week or so and celebrate. But he reminded me that with our Diamond Resorts tournament, we get to take her to Disney World now.”

 

Lewis got off to a hot start with birdies at holes 2 and 3, but her round nearly came unraveled with a double bogey at No. 11. After getting back on track, Lewis had two opportunities to seal the win in regulation, missing birdie putts at 16 and 17 that would have gotten her to -6. Instead, she settled for pars and reached the playoff with a two-putt par from 30 feet at No. 18.

 

“I was just very much in control and then hit a bad shot on 11 and it leads to double, and then really hit some good shots after that,” said Lewis. “Made the birdie on 14. 15 was a mess. 16, I should have gotten up and down. 17, I probably should have made that putt. It was frustrating that I had my chances, but at the same time with all the stuff that went on there in that back nine, I still had a chance to win the golf tournament. So I stayed very positive for me throughout the day, and just proud of the way I hung in there.”

 

Knight, who captured her first LPGA Tour victory at the 2019 Volunteers of America Classic, birdied the 16th hole to reach the playoff. She had a 10-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff but sent her attempt past the hole to give Lewis the victory.

 

“I'm really happy the way I hung in there today. The conditions were really tough,” said Knight. “It's all a learning experience. I kind of struggled starting the restart, so I feel really good about my game.”

 

Munoz began the fourth round with a one-stroke lead over Lewis but played her first nine in 4-over 40 to make the turn four strokes off the lead. With the field in front of her faltering, her back nine was a display of beautiful short-game prowess that kept her firmly in the competition. After blasting out from a green-side bunker to just inches from the hole at No. 16, she tapped in for birdie to reach -5 and get back into contention for her first win since 2012.

 

“It was a tough day and I didn't have a good start,” said Munoz. “I got pretty unlucky on No. 6. I got a plugged lie in the bunker, so I had to take an unplayable. But I fought really hard. I made some really nice putts coming in and all you can do.”

 

Pedersen started the day five strokes off the lead but jumped into the playoff with a solid 3-under round on Sunday that featured four birdies and one bogey. The Danish player lost her LPGA Tour card heading in the 2020 season and came up just short regaining Membership.

 

“I didn't know, actually, until 17, I didn't know I was up there kind of. So that made it kind of interesting,” said Pedersen. “I missed a few 3-, 4-foot putts up there, so that was a bit of a shame. But it happens, and I haven't played good in a while, so I'm happy to play some decent golf.”

 

Pedersen’s countrywoman Nanna Koerstz Madsen shot the tournament’s low round with a 6-under 65 on Sunday. She finished tied for fifth at -4 with Danielle Kang, who was seeking her third consecutive LPGA Tour victory. Jennifer Song has the solo lead at -8 through eight holes but played her last nine holes at +5 to tie for seventh at -3.

 

The Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open is the first of two consecutive events in Scotland. Next week, the Tour heads to Royal Troon for the season’s first major, the AIG Women’s Open.

 

STACY LEWIS LEARNING AS AN #LPGAMOM

As the saying goes, patience is a virtue. Since becoming a mom in October 2018, patience is something that Stacy Lewis is truly coming to appreciate.

 

“I think having a kid has brought me some more patience, I really do,” said Lewis. “You can't get worked up. When she starts crying, if I get worked up, it's going to make it worse. So if anything, Chesnee has taught me a lot of patience.”

 

Patience was extra critical in Sunday’s final round of the Aberdeen Standard Investment Ladies Scottish Open. All three players in the final group struggled at times on Sunday and the urge to get worked up crept into Lewis’ mind. But with Chesnee’s favorite song, Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” running through her head, Lewis kept her temper in check and channeled that patience toward her 13th career LPGA Tour victory.

 

“On this golf course, you're going to hit good shots and they are just not going to end up where you want them to. That's links golf. That's this type of golf,” said Lewis. “The patience was tested today. There were moments there on the back nine where I wanted to go at pins but knew I couldn't. So I really just tried to wait for my opportunity and just kept hanging in there.”

 

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN’S INTERESTING FINAL DAY AT THE #ASILSO

Emily Kristine Pedersen didn’t realize how close she was to the top of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open leaderboard until No. 17 on Sunday, as she played in the third-to-last grouping. As she signed for a final-round 69, the Dane went to the putting green to wait on a possible playoff. After the final players came through the last hole, Pedersen went back to No. 18 for the first playoff hole of the evening with Cheyenne Knight, Azahara Munoz and Stacy Lewis, looking for her first LPGA Tour victory.

 

After a long putt from the right edge of the green missed for birdie, Pedersen watched as Lewis holed a 23-foot putt to win the tournament. Though disappointed in the result, Pedersen said there’s plenty of positives to take away from the week. “I missed a few 3-, 4-foot putts up there, so that was a bit of a shame. But it happens, and I haven't played good in a while, so I'm happy to play some decent golf,” said the 24-year-old.

 

Today was the first time that Pedersen had her boyfriend, Olly Brett, in the same grouping. Brett caddies for Danielle Kang and was on the bag for the Rolex Rankings No. 2’s back-to-back wins in Ohio. Pedersen said it was a different kind of experience for the couple.

 

“It was a little weird. Because normally when he's there and we play, we chat a lot, and I don't think we said anything to each other today. It was a bit weird,” said Pedersen. “They make a good team and I respect the work. At the end of the day, this is my job and it's his job and we are both professionals. We just to learn to deal with it. I think the first time is always a little odd.”

 

CME GROUP CARES CHALLENGE – SCORE 1 FOR ST. JUDE

The CME Group Cares Challenge is a season-long charitable giving program that turns aces into donations. CME Group donated $20,000 for each hole-in-one made on the LPGA Tour in 2019, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $500,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which is leading the way in how the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

 

There were no holes-in-one at the 2020 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open. The 2020 season has seen five aces, for a total of $100,000 donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

 

The 2019 LPGA Tour season saw 32 aces from 31 different players, for a total of $620,000. This more than covers the average cost of $425,000 needed to treat a pediatric cancer patient.

 

PLAYER NOTES
Rolex Rankings No. 96 Stacy Lewis (71-66)

• She hit 11 of 13 fairways and 13 of 18 greens, with 31 putts
• This is Lewis’ 12th season on the LPGA Tour; she has 12 career victories, including major wins at the 2011 ANA Inspiration and the 2013 AIG Women’s Open
• This is Lewis’ sixth event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is a tie for ninth at the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana 
• This is Lewis’ second appearance in the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open since it became an LPGA Tour event in 2017; she tied for 33rd in 2017
• Ranks eighth on the LPGA’s Career Money List with nearly $13 million in career earnings
• Represented the USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, where she tied for fourth
• Her last victory came at the 2017 Cambia Portland Classic, where she donated her entire $195,000 winner’s check to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, matched by her sponsor KPMG
• Has held the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for 25 weeks in her career
• A four-time U.S. Solheim Cup Team member (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) with a 7-12-2 overall record; served as a vice captain in 2019 after being forced to withdraw with a rib cage injury
• A two-time member of Team USA at the UL International Crown (2014, 2016) with a 3-3-1 overall record
• A 2008 graduate from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Finance and Accounting
• Gave birth to daughter Chesnee in October 2018