- It was only a matter of time before Hyo Joo Kim got her footing under her as a full time LPGA pro, and that time ended up being three events. Hyo Joo fired four brilliant rounds at the JTBC Founders Cup to win her second LPGA title, and her first as a card carrying member. Kim, whom I predicted would lead this historic rookie class, already has a major title to her name, so success was expected, but she still may have been flying under the radar for many casual golf fans. What may be most impressive about this victory is that Hyo Joo never really looked comfortable with the lead on Sunday. Several times, she had the opportunity to close the door on her competitors, and she made a few mistakes. Hyo Joo never let that affect her, however, and she was able to hold off the charge of some of the game's best by playing brilliantly down the stretch.
- Is there now a Big Four in women's golf? You could make the case that Hyo Joo Kim is as talented as any of the big name players in the sport today. Kim is coming off a season where she won six times on the KLPGA Tour, won a major on the LPGA Tour, and was in the top 10 in every LPGA Tour start she had in 2014. She has gone head to head with Inbee Park, Karrie Webb, and now Stacy Lewis, and has come out on top against all of them. She may not be as consistent as the other top players in the women's game, but she has every bit as much talent, and she will only become better as the year goes on. Perhaps Lydia Ko's hold on the Rolex Number One ranking isn't as secure as I once thought.
- Stacy Lewis has to be furious by now. For most players, being in the top 10 every week would be an amazing year, but Lewis has failed to cash in golden opportunities every week this season. At a certain point, either things will start rolling right for Lewis, or her time as a top player will start coming to an end, because no one can continue to come close without cashing in.
- Speaking of coming close, the nation of Thailand has to be wondering what they have to do to get an LPGA champion. Each week, a new Thai golfer comes close to cashing in, only for it not to be. At the start of the season, it was Ariya Jutanugarn who had several opportunities to win, only to have the trophy taken from her hands at the end of tournaments. This week, her older sister Moriya was in prime position until a final round 70 knocked her down the leaderboard. Finally, Pornanong Phatlum made a late rally to finish tied for third, but it was too little too late to walk away with a victory. Hopefully soon, Thailand can rejoice their victory, because this has to be agonizing.
- Some players are set up to win on some golf courses, and it appears as if Matt Every is set up to win at Bay Hill. After struggling following his maiden victory at the Land Of The King last year, Every put it all together once again to defend his Arnold Palmer Invitational title. Hopefully Every is able to use this success and translate it into better results this time around.
- Did the tournament officials cause Henrik Stenson the title? After being out of position for most of the final round, Stenson and playing competitor Morgan Hoffman were put on the clock on the 6th hole, and again on the 16th hole. Stenson claims that this causes him to rush his shots coming down the stretch, which meant he wasn't as comfortable as he should have been when he was trying to win a golf tournament. Everyone seems to hate slow play, but no one wants to see a player lose a golf tournament because of timing officials. It's a very fine line to walk, but if you want to eliminate slow play in golf, this may be a necessary evil.
- Who is the favorite to win the green jacket? Odds still favor Rory McIlroy, and he looked somewhat impressive in his first trip to Bay Hill, but there is still a lot more that has to go into Rory's game in order for him to complete the career grand slam. Rory is still the best player in the world, but those who expected a Tiger Woods-like dominance are getting fed up with Rory's ability to fade in and out of form, seemingly with no explanation.
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