In this week’s Stats and Stuff, Ward Clayton recaps the recent play on Tour.
Miyazato’s scoring average
Ai Miyazato has not won on the LPGA thus far this season, but she leads the LPGA in Scoring Average. In three starts, the 26-year-old Japanese star has finished second twice – both times behind Yani Tseng – and tied for sixth. In 12 rounds thus far, she has recorded nine rounds in the 60s, with a low of 65, and just one round over par (73). Her scoring average is 68.31. The Scoring Average leader at the end of the season receives the Vare Trophy.
The top five in Scoring Average thus far this season:
| 1 | Ai Miyazato | 68.31 |
| 2 | Yani Tseng | 68.95 |
| 3 | Na Yeon Choi | 69.06 |
| 4 | Shanshan Feng | 69.50 |
| 5 | So Yeon Ryu | 70.13 |
Tseng’s fast start
Yani Tseng’s fast start should be a concern for her competitors on the LPGA Tour. Since becoming a member of the LPGA in 2008, Tseng has won four times in her first four starts on the season (16 tournaments total). This year, she has won twice in the first four starts for her best career start to a season.
A look at Tseng’s first four tournament starts annually:
2008: 0 wins, 2 top-10 finishes
2009: 0 wins, 3 top-10 finishes
2010: 1 win, 3 top-10 finishes
2011: 1 win, 3 top-10 finishes
2012: 2 wins, 4 top-10 finishes
Close finishes continue
With last week’s one-stroke victory by Yani Tseng at the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, the 2012 season is off to a historic competitive start, matching the 2002 season. The first four events this year have been determined in two playoffs and two with one-stroke victory margins. The 2002 season began with two playoffs and then had four consecutive tournaments won by one-stroke margins.
Another similarity between 2002 and this year is the dominance of one player. Annika Sorenstam won two of the first four events in 2002 on the way to an 11-win season. Tseng has won two of the first four tournaments this year.
A look at the 2002 start:
| Tournament | Winner | Margin |
| LPGA Takefuji Classic | Annika Sorenstam | First hole of 2-player playoff |
| PING Banner Health | Rachel Teske | Second hole of 2-player playoff |
| Welch’s/Circle K Championship | Laura Diaz | 1 stroke |
| Kraft Nabisco Championship | Annika Sorenstam | 1 stroke |
| The Office Depot Challenge | Se Ri Pak | 1 stroke |
| Longs Drugs Challenge | Cristie Kerr | 1 stroke |
Lincicome’s streak
Brittany Lincicome missed the cut at last week’s RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup. That was a rarity for the 26-year-old from Seminole, Fla. The last time Lincicome missed the cut was at the 2010 Kia Classic, a streak of 45 consecutive made cuts. During that time period, Lincicome has the following results:
• 2 wins (both in 2
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