(GettyImages）
Golfer Ariya Jutanugarn claimed the No. 1 spot in the world ranking
without hitting a shot on Saturday.
Jutanugarn, who took last week off, replaced Lydia Ko atop
the ranking when So Yeon Ryu missed the cut at the Shoprite LPGA Classic.
Ko, who also skipped the event, was guaranteed to lose the top spot to Jutanugarn or Ryu,
and Jutanugarn got the position when Ryu failed to finish solo third or better.
Ko has been ranked world No. 1 since Oct. 25, 2015.
Meanwhile, at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, Paula Creamer and In-Kyung Kim topped
the leaderboard. They each shot a 4-under 67 to reach 9 under.
Anna Nordqvist, who led after the opening day, shot a 71 to drop to two strokes behind along
with Moriya Jutanugarn and Jeong Eun Lee.
“Today was definitely different wind than yesterday,” Creamer said.
“There were some good pins out there that we had to kind of think about a bit.
I played solid. I hit some good putts that didn’t go in and made some good putts that went in.
“I feel good. I feel prepared. I knew there was a time I was going to kind of break through.
It just shows these last two days have been good golf. We’ll continue.
Whatever happens tomorrow happens, but I feel like my golf game is in a good place.”
Ryu had her second straight 74 to miss the cut by three strokes.
Kim won the Reignwood LPGA Classic late last year in China for her fourth tour title.
“I just love coming here,” Kim said. “I have good relationship with Special Olympics New Jersey,
and it’s my treat to come here and spend time with them.”
[More from Excelle Sports: Anna Nordqvist takes early lead at LPGA Classic]
Nordqvist had two birdies and consecutive bogeys on Saturday in an attempt to win the event for the third time.
“Overall, I feel like I played a little bit better than I scored,” Nordqvist said.
“I’m still in it. It was just a hard afternoon with the wind.”
Excelle Sports writer. Previously hockey and college sports writer at Sports Illustrated, and high school sports reporter at The New York Daily News. Twitter: @NickForrester13
