Asia’s top player, the world number seven, needed an hour and a quarter to advance as he booked a third victory against former French Open semi-finalist Gulbis, who was a lucky loser at the Ahoy Arena.

Nishikori will on Friday meet Hungarian Marton Fucsovics, who defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 7-6 (7/1), 6-1, for a place in the semi-finals.

Nishikori, who won his 12th ATP title in Brisbane earlier this year, earned his 10th victory of the season against a single loss — when he retired in the Australian Open last eight against Novak Djokovic.

“This was so much better than my first match,” Nishikori said. “I was returning well and putting him under pressure.

“The second set was tight for a while but I was not worried even after he got the break back.

“I was able to play good tennis today, I’m very happy with my level.”

Earlier, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won a lengthy opening set and then accelerated past Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor for a quarter-final place.

The Frenchman’s 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 victory was a match of two parts, with the labourious first set taking 53 minutes while the second lasted just 23.

Tsonga, the 2017 champion in Rotterdam, will keep up his bid for a second straight trophy after winning Montpellier at the weekend as he continues his comeback from a seven-month absence last season due to knee surgery and recovery.

The 33-year-old also looks set for another ranking rise from world number 140 as his comeback progress intensifies.

“At the start I played well, but he was solid also,” Tsonga said after seeing off the 211th-ranked Dutchman.

“I took care of my serve and stuck to the game plan. I had my opportunities and he may have missed one or two balls more in the tiebreaker. I took my chances there.”

Tsonga next faces fifth-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev who defeated Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco for the second time in three meetings, posting a 6-2, 7-5 win.

Medvedev, a Rotterdam quarter-finalist on his 2018 debut, has carried the momentum he gained from his fourth career title last weekend in Sofia.

The 23-year-old improved to 13-2 on the season.

Bosnian Damir Dzumhur followed up on his second-round upset of third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, advancing past Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).

Dzumhur will be playing his first quarter-final of the season when he takes on French crowd-pleaser Gael Monfils.

Visitors Chelsea desperately needed a response after back-to-back humiliating away losses, with last Sunday’s 6-0 thrashing by Manchester City following a 4-0 reverse at Bournemouth.

Ross Barkley took advantage of a defensive lapse by the home team to put Chelsea ahead on the half-hour mark, with Olivier Giroud adding a 58th-minute second before Malmo’s late goal gave them a glimmer of hope ahead of next week’s return match at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea face Manchester United in the FA Cup on Monday, before facing City again in the League Cup final on February 24.

“I am happy because we played with confidence and it wasn’t really very easy after the last match (the defeat by City),” Sarri told BT Sport.

“I think I am always confident but sometimes we had the wrong approach with matches so we need to be careful in every match.”

Sarri named a strong team, although he did leave Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard on the bench.

Chelsea found themselves up against a spirited Malmo outfit in the first half, roared on by a vociferous home crowd, but kept the Swedes at arm’s length before Barkley grabbed their first away goal of 2019.

Pedro swung over a cross which Lasse Nielsen should have headed away, but the defender failed with his attemped volleyed clearance and Barkley was on hand to control and stab into the net.

Uwe Rosler’s Malmo piled on the pressure at the end of the half, but Barkley twice produced crucial headers at the other end to keep Chelsea in front.

But the Premier League giants took total control of the tie in the 58th minute with a wonderful counter-attack.

Barkley led the charge before picking out Willian, and the Brazilian powered to the byline before cutting the ball back for Giroud to flick in a cool back-heeled finish.

The French striker has now scored five goals in six Europa League games this season, despite only netting once in 23 matches in domestic competitions.

But Malmo did grab the goal their efforts deserved in the 80th minute, as Anders Christiansen slotted past Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

– Arsenal beaten in Belarus –

Arsenal face an uphill battle to progress after a 1-0 defeat by BATE in a game which saw Alexandre Lacazette sent off for elbowing Aleksandar Filipovic with five minutes remaining.

Stanislav Dragun put BATE ahead just before the break in Barysaw and Arsenal never threatened an equaliser, with Lacazette’s late dismissal also ruling him out of next week’s second leg in London.

Unai Emery’s side have now won just two of their last nine away matches — last weekend’s victory over the Premier League’s bottom club Huddersfield and an FA Cup win against third-tier Blackpool.

Elsewhere, Napoli began life without record goalscorer Marek Hamsik with a 3-1 win in a fiery atmosphere at FC Zurich.

Lorenzo Insigne, who has replaced Hamsik as captain after the Slovakian’s move to China, scored the opening goal, with Jose Callejon and Piotr Zielinski also on target.

Celtic’s European adventures appear to be over for another season after being outclassed 2-0 by Valencia at Parkhead.

Denis Cheryshev and Ruben Sobrino got the goals as the Spaniards extended their recent unbeaten run to six matches.

Inter Milan claimed a 1-0 win at Rapid Vienna despite Mauro Icardi snubbing the trip after being stripped of the captaincy over a contract row, with Lautaro Martinez scoring the winner from the penalty spot.

Wissam Ben Yedder’s 22nd-minute strike helped record five-time winners Sevilla take a large step towards the last 16 with a 1-0 victory over Lazio in Rome, while Benfica backed up their 10-0 weekend thumping of Nacional by winning 2-1 at Galatasaray.

Salzburg, semi-finalists last season, lost 2-1 at Club Brugge, while 10-man Sporting Lisbon were beaten 1-0 by Villarreal in the Portuguese capital.

The 23-year-old from Okinawa produced five successive birdies from the second to sixth holes and added one more on the 10th to take a command in the ADT-ATGT co-sanctioned competed on the course where former Thai no 2 Thongchai grew up developing his golf skills.

“It was like a miracle on the front nine,” said Higa, winner of the ADT event in Bangladesh last year.

“I was very lucky with my putting. But on the back nine it was quite tough on the greens. I didn’t follow the lie well.”

The Japanese youngster, who also won a Japan Challenge Tour in Akita and a local Kyushu Open last year, opted to play in Thailand as it is now the off-season at home.

“It’s quite hot here and the course is quite tough with the greens not in good condition. I will have to play carefully tomorrow and hope to shoot three or four under,” Higa added.

Two strokes behind were Thai duo of three-time Asian Tour winner Chinnarat Phadungsil and one-time All Thailand Golf Tour winner Natthapong Niyomchon, who each carded a 66.

Chinnarat Phagungsilp 

Thirty-year-old Chinnarat, with six birdies against two bogeys, said he had to remain extra patient on this course, which was originally built for army officers but is now being used for an international event for the first time.

“The course is a perfect place to test your patience. You cannot be greedy or  get fuzzy as  you can lose a lot of strokes in one hole,” said the man from Chanthaburi, who is aiming to win an ADT title this year and break a four-year drought,

Natthapong Niyomchon

Natthapong, also 30, said: “The course is not long but it has narrow fairways. You have to keep hitting the fairways to stay in good position.”

Play ended early due to a brief thunderstorm so the first round will resume on Friday morning.

Who can fault him though for his feel-good attitude as he enjoyed three impressive top-5 finishes in the WGCs in 2018 which culminated with Kiradech becoming the first Thai golfer to earn a PGA TOUR card.

With the US$10.25 million WGC-Mexico Championship returning next week, the grip it-and-rip it Thai star is excited to return to Club de Golf Chapultepec from February 21-24, 2019 which provided the stage for his first career top-10 in a WGC a year ago.

The T5 finish sparked a glorious run of results as he qualified for the quarterfinals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, losing to eventual winner Bubba Watson, and later finished T4 in the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai in October.

“I was just playing well when I got to Mexico last year,” recalled Kiradech, a former Asian Tour No. 1.

“It showed that I can win one of these events. The way I’m putting in the work in my game, I think I’m not far off (from winning). I need to keep knocking on the door. To play well in three big events and get the results, it was good to show that. I also had a chance at the U.S. Open … I was right up there after the third-round last year (before finishing in 15^thposition).”

After missing the weekend rounds at the Farmers Insurance Open and finishing T33 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the burly Kiradech will tee up in this week’s star-laden Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club, California before heading to Mexico City.

The Thai remembers the challenge of adjusting his game due to the high altitude at Chapultepec, which is some 7,000-plus feet above sea level that results in golf balls traveling farther.

“It was difficult to control the distance initially but I had a fantastic week in Mexico. The goal now is always to aim for a top-10 every week. I think I already have a third of FedExCup points to keep my PGA TOUR card for next season (from his WGC-HSBC Champions result), so hopefully it makes my life a bit easier,” he said.

With four European Tour victories under his belt, Kiradech is obviously targeting a ‘W’ next on the PGA TOUR. He hopes to put to good use some lessons learned from the experience of contending in the WGCs.

“I feel my game is improving. It’s all about my mental game now, and course management. When the moment comes again, I will have to control myself better and plan a bit better. Sometimes I need to back off from a shot and realise that I don’t have to hit the target every single time,” said Kiradech.

Pochettino’s side had been under the cosh as Dortmund dominated the first half at Wembley, but Hugo Lloris kept them level with a series of fine saves.

That set the stage for a sublime second half from Tottenham, who were sparked into life by a fine finish from South Korea forward Son Heung-min.

Son’s fourth goal in his last four appearances took him to 16 for the season, but none have been as priceless as this one.

Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen capped his own powerful performance when he swept in their second goal in the closing stages and substitute Fernando Llorente’s late third put the seal on a remarkable result.

Insisting his players deserved all the praise after emerging from a gruelling schedule with their best result of the season, Pochettino said: “I want to congratulate my players one more time. It was a fantastic game, a massive effort.

“My players are heroes. They deserve a lot of praise for the effort they are doing this season. It is amazing.”

Although Tottenham still have to survive the second leg at Signal Iduna Park on March 5, they have a golden opportunity to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2011.

“3-0 is a very good result but it is only the first leg. When you have a team in front of you like Dortmund you need to respect them,” Pochettino said.

It was an especially impressive success for Pochettino given he was without the injured Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Danny Rose and Ben Davies.

Pochettino devised a clever game-plan that eventually frustrated Dortmund and secured Tottenham’s first ever Champions League knockout-round win at home.

With Rose and Davies sidelined, Pochettino deployed centre-back Vertonghen out of position at left wing-back and switched to a three-man defence that stifled the Bundesliga leaders.

“It is my job to prepare the strategy. Maybe today everyone will say it was a fantastic decision. If it was a different result, people might say I’m the worst coach in the world,” he said.

“The first half was very difficult. We didn’t feel the confidence to play.

“We were a little bit lucky because when Son scored it was a massive boost to our confidence.”

Dortmund boss Lucien Favre bemoaned his team’s collapse, saying: “The start of the second half we gave it away.

“We should have got the ball forward rather than played from the back for their first goal. That was a gift.

“After that we played a bit too hastily. The pressing was intensive from Tottenham.”

Lucas Moura gave Tottenham an early spark when he latched onto Davinson Sanchez’s header and smashed a volley just wide from the edge of the area.

Juan Foyth gifted Dortmund their first sight of goal when he dwelt on the ball too long and was alertly dispossessed by Christian Pulisic.

But Lloris spared Foyth’s blushes as he blocked Pulisic’s shot at the near post.

– Perseverance rewarded –

Dortmund’s rapier attacks were led by teenager Jadon Sancho, who left Manchester City to join Dortmund in 2017 without ever playing for the Premier League team.

England winger Sancho hit top gear on several occasions in a mesmerising first-half display, leaving two Tottenham midfielders for dead and linking with Pulisic, whose shot was blocked at the last minute.

Lloris made a superb save to deny Dortmund on the stroke of half-time as Dan-Axel Zagadou met Sancho’s cross with a header that the Tottenham captain clawed out at full stretch.

Despite being pushed back for much of the first half, Tottenham had refused to surrender and their perseverance was rewarded in the 47th minute.

When Vertonghen swung over a cross from the left, Dortmund’s defence were out of position for the first time all night and Son timed his run perfectly behind Zagadou to caress a fine volley past Roman Burki.

Suddenly, Dortmund had no answers to Tottenham’s high-tempo pressing and it was Vertonghen who was the hosts’ unlikely hero in the 83rd minute as he volleyed home from Serge Aurier’s cross.

Tottenham were rampant and Llorente completed a memorable night when he glanced a close-range header past Burki from Christian Eriksen’s corner three minutes later.

The 33-year-old fighter, winner at Lumpini Muay Thai in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2013, will feature in one of the 12 bouts in the martial arts event, the fourth stop of the One Championship series this season.

“I am really confident I can beat him,” said Nong-O, adding that he had been in intensive training for the world title clash.

“I have trained for three months in Singapore. To strengthen my body, sports science has been used and it works very well. I can say that I am 100 percent ready for the fight. I am now mentally and physically fit.”

The Sakon Nakhon boxer admitted that his Chinese opponent should not be underestimated since he has faced several Thai boxers, including Tuktahong Petchpayathai, Saengmanee Saengmaneemuaythaigym and Muangthai P.K.Saenchaimuaythaigym.

“He [Han Zi Hao] has practised Muay Thai since he was a child. He can speak Thai. I know he has worked hard for this fight. I cannot underestimate him at all,” said Nong-O.

In the women’s atomweight mixed martial arts bout (52.2kg), the Kingdom’s Thai-Japanese sweetheart Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige,  is set to square off against Nou Srey Pov of Cambodia. Ishige, one of the most prolific female athletes in the One Championship, said it was an honour to compete on such a big stage in Bangkok, and that Nou Srey Pov was one of the most experienced and skilled opponents she would face in her career.

“The One Women’s atomweight division is very deep and there are a lot of exciting young talents, including myself,” Rika said. “I plan to climb up the ladder this year and defeat whoever is in front of me to bring me closer to the World Title.”

Other Thai athletes on Saturday’s card include Kongsak P.K.Saenchaimuaythaigym, who takes on 3-time IFMA World Champion Alaverdi Ramazanov in a bantamweight Muay Thai contest (65.8kg), and Superlek Kiatmoo9, who faces Lao Chetra of Cambodia in a flyweight Muay Thai contest (61.2kg).

Having claimed his third ADT victory at the season-opening Boonchu Ruangkit Championship in January, just two weeks after securing his Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School, the 25-year-old Thai is eyeing for more glory this week.

The popular event, hosted by Thai star Thongchai Jaidee, will offer a prize purse of ฿4million (approximately US$123,000) and will be held at the 13th Military Circle Golf Course in Thongchai’s hometown of Lopburi, which is hosting an international event for the first time.

Itthipat will spearhead the local charge alongside former ADT Order of Merit champions Pannakorn Uthaipas and Pavit Tangkamolprasert, as well as veterans Boonchu Ruangkit and Thaworn Wiratchant.

Reigning Order of Merit champion Miguel Carballo of Argentina, Tour winners Kazuki Higa of Japan, American Sam Gillis and Wang Wei-lun of Chinese Taipei will all feature in the cosmopolitan 156-man field from 19 countries.

Itthipat, who missed out on his Asian Tour card by just two rungs after finishing ninth on the 2018 Merit rankings, made up for the disappointment when he regained his playing rights at the Asian Tour Qualifying School where he came in third following a grueling 90-hole battle.

“I was struggling for a bit the last couple of years. But now that I have won again on the ADT, I feel really confident heading into the new season on the Asian Tour.

“I don’t think there is added pressure of performing well again after a win because I just need to stick to my routine. Everything else is an added bonus,” said the amiable Thai.

Itthipat, who turned professional in 2014, started plying his trade on the ADT in 2015, where he claimed his breakthrough victory in the Philippines which was only his sixth start on the region’s secondary circuit that year.

He went on to secure a second ADT victory at the season-opener in Singapore in 2016 before finishing fourth on the money list that year to earn his Asian Tour card for the first time.

“After playing on the ADT for so many years, I think I have become more mature in the mental aspect of my game. I used to be so focused on results and now, I just try not to overthink,” added Itthipat.

Thongchai, Thailand’s number one Golf Ambassador who has been helping to promote international awareness of the Kingdom as a world-class golf destination, is thrilled to be hosting the fourth edition of his event on the course which he started playing since he was 16.

The 49-year-old hopes to share the rich history of his hometown and at the same time bring attention to his charitable foundation which was formed in 2009 to give back to the underprivileged.

“The whole town will be wearing traditional costumes and I think it is a great opportunity to share my culture with the players by encouraging them to wear the traditional costumes during the welcome dinner and at the pro-am tournament,” said Thongchai, the only player to have won the Asian Tour Order of Merit on three occasions – 2001, 2004 and 2009.

The Thongchai Jaidee Foundation 2019 will also be held in conjunction with the King Narai Reign fair, a 10-day event organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in Lopburi to pay homage to King Narai the Great, who lived from 1580–1655.

During his reign, King Narai turned Lopburi province as well as Thailand into the centre of culture, religion and diplomatic relations.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive a minimum of six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

MELBOURNE –  U.S. Team Captain Tiger Woods has announced Fred Couples, Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker as three of his captain’s assistants for the 2019 Presidents Cup, which will return to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia for a third time from December 9-15, 2019. Woods has the option to name one final assistant prior to the competition.

Couples led the U.S. Team as captain three consecutive times (2009, 2011, 2013) and is set to serve as a captain’s assistant for a third time after being tabbed by captains Jay Haas and Sticker in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Woods and Couples were Presidents Cup teammates in 1998 and 2005 and partnered up in Woods’ first-ever match where the two defeated Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, 5 and 4, at Royal Melbourne.

Woods competed on each team that Couples captained, including the 2011 event at Royal Melbourne where Woods was a captain’s pick. The two were both captain’s assistants for Stricker in 2017 at Liberty National.

“I’ve enjoyed being a captain’s assistant for the past two Presidents Cups, and to support Tiger in his first captaincy is going to be a very special experience,” Couples said. “Plus, to return to one of my favorite venues, Royal Melbourne, is going to be a real treat. The fans in Australia really know their golf and create an unbelievable atmosphere for the players, so I’m excited to return and help this team win.”

Couples is a four-time Presidents Cup participant (1994, 1996, 1998, 2005) with an overall record of 9-5-2. He helped lead the U.S. Team to victory as a player in the first two editions of the Presidents Cup in 1994 and 1996, where Couples combined for a 6-1-0 record at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

“Freddie and I go way back in the Presidents Cup,” Woods said. “And we’re basically coming full circle at Royal Melbourne. He and I teamed up in one of our matches in ’98, I was a captain’s pick in ‘11 and now we get to return there as two leaders of this team. We’re going to have some fun, but we’re there to win.”

Johnson will join the U.S. Team as a captain’s assistant for the first time with four Presidents Cup appearances of his own (2007, 2009, 2013, 2015); he was a teammate of Woods in the 2007, 2009 and 2013 events. Johnson owns an overall Presidents Cup record of 10-6-1 and delivered his most impressive performance in 2015 with a 3-0-1 record, which included two victorious Four-ball matches with partner Phil Mickelson and a Singles win over International Team stalwart Jason Day.

“To be named a captain’s assistant in the Presidents Cup for the first time is a real honor,” Johnson said. “Having competed with Tiger in the Presidents Cup in the past, I’ve always admired the pride he takes in these team events. I’m thrilled he’s chosen to trust me with this important role, and I look forward to doing my part to help the team succeed.”

 

Johnson is a 12-time PGA TOUR winner with his last victory coming at the 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews.

“Zach brings a lot of passion and energy to the team,” Woods said. “He’s so well respected among his peers and we’ve grown close on Tour throughout our careers. I value his advice, and he can help me make important decisions during the week.”

Fresh off captaining the victorious 2017 U.S. Presidents Cup Team at Liberty National, Stricker will join Woods in Australia for his second stint as a Presidents Cup captain’s assistant (2015) after he selected Woods as an assistant in 2017. A five-time Presidents Cup competitor (1996, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013), Stricker boasts a 14-10 record and finished with a 2-2 record the last time the Presidents Cup was played at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 2011.

“I can’t say enough about the opportunity to serve as an assistant for Tiger’s first captaincy,” Stricker said. “Tiger was such a valuable member of our team in 2017 and I’m humbled that he sees me as an asset to the 2019 team. I look forward to helping him in any way he may need with his captaincy just like he helped me in 2017.”

Stricker and Woods were on the same Presidents Cup team four times (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013) and accumulated four total points as partners. All four points were earned in the 2009 Presidents Cup at TPC Harding Park, where Stricker and Woods became the first-ever partnership to win four points in a single Presidents Cup.

“Stricks was an incredible leader in 2017 and I took a lot away from the way he served as captain that I hope to emulate in Melbourne,” Woods said. “We have always shared a high level of trust and mutual respect, which will be important in helping us guide this team.”

Stricker, 51, owns 12 PGA TOUR titles and was a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR Champions in 2018.

11 in the men’s Official World Golf Rankings. With that honor certainly comes the pressure of living up to expectations, especially when playing on home turf.

“I’m not sure if you want to call it a burden but obviously there’s some expectation there,” said Lee, who hopes to join Karrie Webb, Jane Crafter and Jan Stephenson as Aussies to win their national championship. “I want to play well because it’s my country’s Open. Probably more expectation on myself more than anything.”

Lee grew up in Perth, nearly 1,700 miles from The Grange Golf Club. Nevertheless, Lee knows that the support here in suburban Adelaide will be strong.

“The crowds are a little bigger here than when I’m playing anywhere else. But I like that,” said Lee, who tees off Thursday at 7:55 a.m. with Amy Yang and Celine Boutier. “I like how everybody comes out and supports you. It’s just a really great feeling.”

KARRIE WEBB, VISION 2025 INSPIRING NEXT GENERATION OF AUSSIE GOLFERS

At the 2018 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, Golf Australia kicked off its “Vision 2025” initiative, which set forward a plan to “generate greater female participation, involvement and inclusion in golf at all levels around the country.” Fast forward a year and the program is quickly picking up momentum at the nearly 1,500 golf clubs across Australia.

“We are seeing and we are role modeling the standards we want to see in the game, and we’re really excited about where things are heading,” said Chyloe Kurdas, the national female participation manager for Vision 2025.

Certainly, one of the brightest names in Australian golf is 41-time LPGA Tour winner Karrie Webb, who serves on the steering committee for Vision 2025. Long known for her dedication to the game through opportunities like her Karrie Webb Scholarship, Webb sees her work and that of Vision 2025 as building and inspiring the next generation of golfers, both professional and amateur.

“I think the legacy will be that we won’t know who to interview in this room that’s Aussie in the field, because we’ll have so many great Aussies playing, because we’ll have so many young girls playing and so many moms playing and women playing,” said Webb. “I think that will be the legacy. And there’s no time like the present for us to be concentrating on that, because there’s so many other sports in Australia that are. And if we don’t, we’ll be lost and the growth won’t continue at all. So I think it was definitely urgently needed.”

JIN YOUNG KO LOOKING FOR HAPPINESS ALONG WITH SUCCESS

The 2018 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open made for quite the auspicious LPGA Tour debut for Jin Young Ko. The Seoul native led wire to wire en route to a three-stroke victory and became just the second player in LPGA Tour history to win in her debut as a Member, joining Beverly Hanson at the 1951 Eastern Open.

But all her on-the-course success means nothing Ko is she’s not happy. Why? The answer is simple.

“Golf is my life,” said Ko, who went on to win 2018 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year honors. “Sometimes good playing, sometimes bad playing. It really doesn’t matter about finish. Finish top 10 or finish third or finish 20th or 30th, it doesn’t matter. I really try to be the happiest golfer on the course.

Ko does not quite have history on her side when it comes to a repeat victory Down Under. Only two players have won back-to-back Australian Women’s Open title – Yani Tseng (2010, 2011) and Karrie Webb (2007, 2008). Laura Davies is the only other player to win multiple titles, taking hers in 2004 and 2009.

DESIGNATED HOLE FOR AON RISK REWARD CHALLENGE

The season-long Aon Risk Reward Challenge will highlight the world’s best professional golfers as they tackle the most strategically challenging holes across both the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour schedules. The player from each Tour on top of the Aon leaderboard at the end of the regular season will receive a $1 million prize. The Aon Risk Reward Challenge takes the best two scores from every participating event in which a player competes, ensuring that all play is counted and providing a small advantage to those that make the cut with the overall winner having the best average score to par on the designated holes. Players must complete in a minimum of 40 rounds throughout the season.

The designated Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open is the 518-yard, par-5 13th where the green is reachable in two, given a well-placed tee shot. Players must navigate a central fairway bunker off the tee and choose whether to play over, left or right of the sand. Bunkering further down the fairway on the right influences the second shot, requiring players to decide whether to play it safe or go for the green. Bunkers are located on both sides of the green, placing a premium on accuracy if the player is to have a chance at an eagle putt.

In her 2016 Australian Women’s Open victory at The Grange, Haru Nomura made 10 birdies on the par-5 holes, including three at No. 13.

ZOEE DOLLING NAMED AWARD RECIPIENT FOR LPGA’S AXA XL LPGA VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD

The AXA XL LPGA Volunteer Service Award is a program launched in 2018 to recognize exemplary volunteers at each LPGA tournament. Zoee Dolling, who has managed the volunteers at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open’s for the last two years, is this week’s award recipient. Tournament organizers point to her people skills and her continual interest in improving service levels as two of the reasons she received this week’s award.

For more information on the AXA XL LPGA Volunteer Service Award, visit www.lpga.com/tournaments/axa-xl-lpga-volunteer-service-award.

TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS

Scoring records since the competition became an official LPGA Tour event in 2012

18 holes: 62, Chella Choi, third round, 2014 (par 72); 63, Lydia Ko, first round, 2012 (par 73)

36 holes: 133, Caroline Hedwall, 2014 (par 72); 131, Mariajo Uribe, 2013 (par 73)

54 holes: 203, Chella Choi, Minjee Lee, 2014 (par 72); 202, Lydia Ko, 2013 (par 73)

72 holes: 272, Haru Nomura, 2016 (par 72); 274, Jiyai Shin, 2013 (par 73)