While the teams have only seen a different nine each at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, every player that came to the media centre on Tuesday (US time) laughed at how much easier getting around the course is compared to the hilly Finca Cortesin nestled among the Estepona Mountains in Andalucia, Spain, a year ago.
Green fired a closing five-under 66 to win by three strokes from Sweden’s Maja Stark at Wilshire Country Club for the most convincing win of her career.
Perth’s Hannah Green is primed to defend the JM Eagle LA Championship, but her greatest threat is Sydneysider Grace Kim with whom she shares the 54-hole lead in Los Angeles.
Korda’s two-stroke victory over Maja Stark makes her one of three in LPGA history to win five straight starts, joining Hall of Famers Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-2005).
All eight players in line for automatic spots heading into the week held their places, while six of the eight qualifiers have previous experience in the Solheim Cup.
The 25-year-old Canadian had led after the first three rounds and seemed very much in control of her game en route to her 13th career LPGA title, despite the fact that only the previous weekend she figured out what clubs she was going to be using.
Maja Stark had some work to do if she was going to make the cut at last week’s Ascendant LPGA event after shooting an opening-round four-over 75 at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas. Unfortunately for her, she never got the chance.