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ORLANDO, Fla. – The last player off the back nine Saturday morning at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club, Ariya Jutanugarn had a clear range at her back as she hit balls. Tom Petty’s hit “Free Fallin’” blared from a nearby speaker, somewhat apropos considering the former world No. 1 has slid to No. 77 in the Rolex Rankings and was to begin the day at 17 over, 12 shots behind her closest competitor.
When she had finished her full-swing warmup, less than 10 minutes before her tee time, Jutanugarn headed to the short-game area, dropped four balls at her feet and chipped them all to the nearest flag.