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Updated: 12 years 40 weeks ago

Refresh Your Game With Michelob ULTRA: Cats & Dogs Exercise

Fri, 04/01/2011 - 6:45am
Michelob ULTRA Ambassador, Natalie Gulbis, is joined by Caroline Nichols, director of the LPGA Sports Medicine Program, to demonstrate specific golf fitness tips to help Refresh Your Game. Watch the video below or read the instructions that follow. Be sure to come back for a new tip each month.

 

CATS & DOGS

Caroline Nichols: This exercise is to increase range of motion in your spine and hopefully decrease the risk of injury to your back.


     


- Get on all fours.

- First arch your back up like a cat.

- Then you're going to sink down and lift your head into neutral like a dog.

 

- Then reverse back into the cat position.

- Continue back and forth for a total of ten times.


LPGA legends to play fresh&easy Dinah Shore Charity Pro-Am

Fri, 04/01/2011 - 4:59am

Hall of famers, LPGA legends to play fresh&easy Dinah Shore Charity Pro-Am 

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif., March 28, 2011 – Hall of famers, past Kraft Nabisco Championship winners and stars of the LPGA will come together to honor Dinah Shore and celebrate 40 years of the Kraft Nabisco Championship during the inaugural fresh&easy Dinah Shore Charity Pro-Am on April 2, 2011, at Mission Hills Country Club, Palmer Course, in Rancho Mirage, Calif.  The field includes eight Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame members as well as players who represent 15 Kraft Nabisco Championship wins and a total of 460 LPGA victories.

Players scheduled to play in the fresh&easy Dinah Shore Charity Pro-Am are among the who's who in women's golf: Amy Alcott, Donna Andrews, Susie Berning, Jane Blalock, Pat Bradley, Donna Caponi, JoAnne Carner, Beth Daniel, Cindy Figg-Currier, Rosie Jones, Betsy King, Meg Mallon, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, Alice Miller, Liselotte Neumann, Alison Nicholas, Sandra Palmer, Nancy Scranton, Patty Sheehan, Hollis Stacy and Kathy Whitworth, the winningest golfer of all time.

The fresh&easy Dinah Shore Charity Pro-Am was created by Alcott, a three-time Kraft Nabisco Championship winner and member of the LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame, and Tim Mason, CEO of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market and Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Foundation.  

“I am so excited with the overwhelming support of the players who will join us for the inaugural fresh&easy Dinah Shore Charity Pro-Am,” said Alcott.  “Having this incredible field of players for our event is such a wonderful tribute to Dinah (Shore) and a true testament to the importance of the Kraft Nabisco Championship in all of our Tour careers.”

Shore was a pioneer; her support of the LPGA in the early 1970s helped propel the LPGA to new heights and enable it to be recognized on a global stage.  She became the first Hollywood celebrity to host an LPGA Tour event (1972), which helped ensure network broadcast coverage.  In 1982, the event became the first LPGA event to have national television coverage of all four rounds.  In 1983, the LPGA named the event one of the LPGA's major championships.  Today the Kraft Nabisco Championship, which awards the Dinah Shore Trophy and is played on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills, is recognized as the LPGA's first major championship of the season as well as the longest-running event hosted at the same venue.  Shore supported the LPGA and its players in the spirit of the LPGA's founders: she gave unwavering support and persevered to follow her dreams of promoting the great players and personalities of the women's golf.

 “From the moment Amy (Alcott) discussed the concept of this event with me, I could see her desire to put a spotlight on the 40 wonderful years of the players and milestones of the Kraft Nabisco Championship as well as to create an opportunity to help children in some way, our shared passion,” said Mason.  “To now see the support of these great players – hall of famers, tournament champions, LPGA legends – continues to strengthen our commitment to the event, which also gives us a tremendous opportunity to raise important funds for LA's BEST and Park Century Schools, two very worthy beneficiaries.”

The fresh&easy Dinah Shore Charity Pro-Am will feature foursomes being led by a past Kraft Nabisco Championship champion or LPGA st

Quick 18 with Natalie Gulbis - 2011

Thu, 03/31/2011 - 5:16am
1. Tell me something most people don't know about you? I love to cook. 2. What would you like to do for a living if you are not a pro golfer? Be a Prosecuting Lawyer. 3. If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Bill Gates. 4. Is there anything you're addicted to? Or can't live without? My iPhone. 5. Is there anything you won't eat? Snake. 6. Is there a song that you like to sing when no one is around like in the car or the shower? Shania Twain - Feel Like a Woman. 7. Who would be in your dream foursome? Leonardo Da Vinci, William Shakespeare, and Bill Gates. 8. What is your favorite activity you do when you want to relax? Go out to the ocean, river, or lake - anything on the water - to jet ski, kayak, or anything on a boat. 9. What is your favorite time of year? Summer. 10. Favorite quote or saying? "You can't direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails." 11. What beauty product can you not live without? My Bobbie Brown tinted sunscreen. 12. What is your favorite store to shop in and why? Apple... There is always a new product, program, or something I can learn from the Apple techs. 13. Do you have a favorite TV commercial? The Budweiser Frogs. 14. What is one item of clothing you couldn't live without? Comfy or cute robes. 15. Name one thing you always keep stocked in your refrigerator? Michelobe Ultra - I will always have Michelob Ultra in my fridge or extras in the garage. 16. What invention do you wish you had thought of? The cell phone. 17. Favorite way to stay in shape? Dancing and running. 18. If you could posses any super human power what would it be? See into the future.

Pressel tells her story on Golf Central

Thu, 03/31/2011 - 4:56am
Morgan Pressel was recently featured on Golf Channel's Golf Central. Pressel talked about winning the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship and the rough road she's had in life.

Tools of a Champion: Sandra Gal at Kia Classic

Thu, 03/31/2011 - 4:50am
Sandra Gal Opens Her Bag Sandra Gal outlasted Rolex Rankings No. 2 Jiyai Shin to earn her first LPGA victory at the Kia Classic. Gal hit a wedge from 83 yards to two feet for birdie on the 18th hole to defeat Shin by a stroke and become the only Rolex First-Time winner of 2011. Gal, a native of Dusseldorf, Germany, started playing golf at the age of 6 and her father was her first golf coach. She had an accomplished amateur career, representing Germany at the European Team Championships from 2003-07 and winning the German National Girls Championship in 2003. Gal attended the University of Florida where she was a 2007 first team All-American and won four tournaments. In 2007, Gal won the Czech Invitational Championship and was the top-ranked amateur in both the European and German ranks. Gal turned professional in 2008. Gal is the second German to record a victory on the LPGA Tour. The first was Tina Fischer in 2001. Gal's best career finish prior to her win at the Kia Classic had been a tie for fifth at the LPGA Corning Classic in 2009. With the victory, Gal earns $255,000. Sandra Gal's bag at the 2011 Kia Classic Driver Titleist Pro V1x Fairway Woods Callaway Diablo Edge Tour 3-wood (13 degree) and Callaway Diablo Edge Tour 5-wood (15 degree) Hybrid Callaway RAZR X Tour (24 degree) Irons (5-PW) Callaway RAZR X Wedges Callaway X-Series JAWS (50, 54 and 58 degree) Putter Odyssey White Ice DART Blade

Kraft Nabisco Championship - Pre-tournament Notes and Interviews

Wed, 03/30/2011 - 2:50pm
Kraft Nabisco Championship Mission Hills Country Club, Dinah Shore Course Rancho Mirage, Calif. Pre-tournament notes and interviews March 29, 2011 Yani Tseng, Rolex Rankings No. 1 Karrie Webb, Rolex Rankings No. 8 Michelle Wie, -9 Rolex Rankings No. 9 Kraft Nabisco Championship: The year's first major is set to take place this week at Mission Hills Country Club, Dinah Shore Tournament Course. A field of 113 players will compete for a total purse of $2 million and a first-place prize of $300,000. Defending champion and Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng will attempt to win her fourth career major championship at the 40th anniversary of the prestigious championship. Tseng has already won four times world-wide in 2011 including the season-opening Honda LPGA Thailand. Tseng fired rounds of 69-71-67-68 at the 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship for a one-stroke victory over perennial Kraft contender and Rolex Rankings No. 5 Suzann Pettersen. Tseng is looking to make history in 2011. She became the youngest player in LPGA history to win three majors by capturing the 2008 LPGA Championship, 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship and the 2010 RICOH Women's British Open. A victory at this year's U.S. Open will complete Tseng's quest for the Career Grand Slam. Karrie Webb looks to maintain her 2011 momentum and notch her 39th career victory and eighth major title. The LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame member has earned victories at this year's HSBC Women's Champions and RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup. She has taken the leap into Poppy's Pond twice after claiming victories at the 2000 and 2006 Kraft Nabisco Championships. Michelle Wie enters the Kraft Nabisco Championship coming off a tie for seventh at last week's Kia Classic. Wie's best finish in 2011 is a runner-up at the Honda LPGA Thailand. A senior at Stanford University, Wie has played in three events in the 2011 season. Her previous best finish at the Kraft Nabisco Championship came in 2006 when she finished tied for third. As an amateur, Wie tied Caroline Keggi for the record of best finish by an amateur after finishing fourth in 2004. Another dramatic finish! The 18th hole on the Dinah Shore Course has provided plenty of drama throughout the tournament's 40-year history. In recent years, Brittany Lincicome won the 2010 championship with an eagle on the par-5 finishing hole after reaching the difficult green in two. Morgan Pressel became the youngest player in LPGA history to win an LPGA major with an emotional one-stroke victory over Brittany Lincicome, Catriona Matthew and Suzann Pettersen at the 2007 Kraft Nabisco, while Karrie Webb holed a spectacular wedge on the 72nd hole of the 2006 championship which led to a play-off win against Lorena Ochoa. Eight former Kraft Nabisco champions are in the field this week - Yani Tseng (2010), Brittany Lincicome (2009), Morgan Pressel (2007), Karrie Webb (2006, 2000), Grace Park (2004), Pat Hurst (1998), Helen Alfredsson (1993) and Juli Inkster (1989). Six amateurs will compete this week - Kristen Park, Cydney Clanton, Ariya Jutanugarn, Danielle Kang, Lisa McCloskey and Meghan Stasi. The best finish by an amateur in Kraft Nabisco Championship history is a fourth-place finish recorded by Caroline Keggi in 1998 and Michelle Wie in 2003. Eleven players gained entry into this week's field via their performances at the Kia Classic including Marcy Hart who fired a final-round 65 to tie for seventh in only her second start after giving birth to her first child, LPGA Tour rookies Christel Boeljon and Stephanie Sherlock, and Mindy Kim who posted two top-10 finishes in her last two starts. Yani Tseng THE MODERATOR: We are here with defending champion and Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng. Can you just talk a little bit about how it feels to come back after your tremendous win last year here? YANI TSENG: I feel really excited to come back. Especially walking on the 18th hole I see my name was on the walk of champ

Golf Central takes you inside Yani Tseng's home

Wed, 03/30/2011 - 12:05pm
Golf Central takes you inside the home of Rolex Rankings No.1 Yani Tseng. Tseng talks about being approachable, her friendship with Annika Sorenstam, and how she relaxes off the course.

Golf Channel to Air Exclusive Coverage of the Kraft Nabisco Championship

Wed, 03/30/2011 - 4:26am
Twenty Hours of Live Coverage of the LPGA's First Major in High Definition ORLANDO, Fla. (March 27, 2011) – Karrie Webb's bid to join Hall-of-Famers Amy Alcott, Betsy King and Annika Sorenstam as the only three-time champions of the Kraft Nabisco Championship will be seen exclusively on Golf Channel this week, when the cable network delivers 20 hours of live, exclusive coverage of the LPGA Tour's first major of the year. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Kraft Nabisco Championship will host an elite field, headlined by current World No. 1 and defending champion Yani Tseng. Also, former World No. 1s Jiyai Shin, Cristie Kerr and Ai Miyazato, U.S. Women's Open champion Paula Creamer and LPGA stars Michelle Wie, Suzann Pettersen, Morgan Pressel and Brittany Lincicome are entered in the field. In total, 40 out of the top 50 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings are scheduled to compete at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Golf Channel will provide six hours of daily live coverage Thursday and Friday from Noon-3 p.m. ET and 6:30-9:30 p.m. ET. Weekend coverage will air live from 4:30-8:30 p.m. ET. Terry Gannon will anchor Golf Channel's coverage as play-by-play host of the telecast, joined by LPGA Hall-of-Famer Judy Rankin as lead analyst. Tom Abbott and Phil Parkin will call the action from on-course tower positions, with Jane Crafter and Jerry Foltz reporting from the course. Rich Lerner will serve as show host and will conduct interviews. Golf Channel's tournament coverage – produced in high definition – also will feature the network's signature production elements, including conducting on-course interviews with players as they are walking the fairways and making the turn during all four rounds. Kraft Nabisco Championship Live Airtimes (All Times Eastern) Thursday: Noon-3 p.m. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday: Noon-3 p.m. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday: 4:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday 4:30-8:30 p.m.

U.S. Solheim Cup Points Update - Kia Classic

Tue, 03/29/2011 - 6:33am
- Cristie Kerr extended her lead in U.S. Solheim Cup points with her T3 finish at the Kia Classic. - Michelle Wie jumped one spot over Paula Creamer with her T7 finish at the Kia Classic. - Juli Inkster is now one spot inside the top-10 at #9 after her T10 finish at the Kia Classic. - Amanda Blumenherst inched closer to the top-10 after her T12 finish at Kia Classic. She now sits in 13th. The U.S. Solheim Cup Team is made up of top-10 from U.S. Solheim Cup points list and two captain's picks.

Kraft Nabisco Championship Tournament Preview

Tue, 03/29/2011 - 5:05am
It's a Major! LPGA Tour action continues this week at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the year's first major championship. A field of 113 players will battle it out for the honor of hoisting the Dinah Shore Trophy and taking the celebratory dive into Poppy's Pond. Defending champion and Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng will attempt to win her fourth career major championship at the 40th anniversary of the prestigious championship. Tseng has already won four times world-wide in 2011 including the season-opening Honda LPGA Thailand. Tseng fired rounds of 69-71-67-68 at the 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship for a one-stroke victory over perennial Kraft contender and Rolex Rankings No. 5 Suzann Pettersen. Pettersen has posted three runner-up finishes in three of the last four editions of the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Tseng and Pettersen will be joined by the world's best players including top-ranked American and Rolex Rankings No. 3 Cristie Kerr, Rolex Rankings No. 8 and two-time 2011 LPGA Tour winner Karrie Webb and last week's Rolex First-Time Winner Sandra Gal. Kerr is searching for her first Kraft Nabisco title to add a third leg in her quest for the LPGA career Grand Slam, while Webb looks to notch her eighth career major championship title. The field is packed with powerful challengers including Rolex Rankings No. 2 Jiyai Shin, Na Yeon Choi, Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, Laura Davies and LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame member Juli Inkster. Players will compete for a total purse of $2 million and a first-place prize of $300,000. Another dramatic finish! The 18th hole on the Dinah Shore Course has provided plenty of drama throughout the tournament's 40-year history. In recent years, Brittany Lincicome won the 2010 championship with an eagle on the par-5 finishing hole after reaching the difficult green in two. Morgan Pressel became the youngest player in LPGA history to win an LPGA major with an emotional one-stroke victory over Brittany Lincicome, Catriona Matthew and Suzann Pettersen at the 2007 Kraft Nabisco, while Karrie Webb holed a spectacular wedge on the 72nd hole of the 2006 championship which led to a play-off win against Lorena Ochoa. Eight former Kraft Nabisco champions are in the field this week - Yani Tseng (2010), Brittany Lincicome (2009), Morgan Pressel (2007), Karrie Webb (2006, 2000), Grace Park (2004), Pat Hurst (1998), Helen Alfredsson (1993) and Juli Inkster (1989). Six amateurs will compete this week - Kristen Park, Cydney Clanton, Ariya Jutanugarn, Danielle Kang, Lisa McCloskey and Meghan Stasi. The best finish by an amateur in Kraft Nabisco Championship history is a fourth-place finish recorded by Caroline Keggi in 1998 and Michelle Wie in 2003. Eleven players gained entry into this week's field via their performances at the Kia Classic including Marcy Hart who fired a final-round 65 to tie for seventh in only her second start after giving birth to her first child, LPGA Tour rookies Christel Boeljon and Stephanie Sherlock, and Mindy Kim who posted two top-10 finishes in her last two starts.

Prudential Rock Solid Performer: Gal wins Kia Classic

Mon, 03/28/2011 - 6:21am
Sandra Gal was named the Prudential Rock Solid Performer of the week after her win at the Kia Classic. Sandra Gal outlasted Rolex Rankings No. 2 Jiyai Shin to earn her first LPGA victory at the Kia Classic. Gal hit a wedge from 83 yards to two feet for birdie on the 18th hole to defeat Shin by a stroke and become the only Rolex First-Time winner of 2011. Gal, a native of Dusseldorf, Germany, started playing golf at the age of 6 and her father was her first golf coach. She had an accomplished amateur career, representing Germany at the European Team Championships from 2003-07 and winning the German National Girls Championship in 2003. Gal attended the University of Florida where she was a 2007 first team All-American and won four tournaments. In 2007, Gal won the Czech Invitational Championship and was the top-ranked amateur in both the European and German ranks. Gal turned professional in 2008. Gal is the second German to record a victory on the LPGA Tour. The first was Tina Fischer in 2001. Gal's best career finish prior to her win at the Kia Classic had been a tie for fifth at the LPGA Corning Classic in 2009. With the victory, Gal earns $255,000.

Kia Classic -- Final-round notes and interviews

Mon, 03/28/2011 - 5:30am
Sandra Gal outlasted Rolex Rankings No. 2 Jiyai Shin to earn her first LPGA victory at the Kia Classic. Gal hit a wedge from 83 yards to two feet for birdie on the 18th hole to defeat Shin by a stroke and become the only Rolex First-Time winner of 2011. Gal, a native of Dusseldorf, Germany, started playing golf at the age of 6 and her father was her first golf coach. She had an accomplished amateur career, representing Germany at the European Team Championships from 2003-07 and winning the German National Girls Championship in 2003. Gal attended the University of Florida where she was a 2007 first team All-American and won four tournaments. In 2007, Gal won the Czech Invitational Championship and was the top-ranked amateur in both the European and German ranks. Gal turned professional in 2008. Gal is the second German to record a victory on the LPGA Tour. The first was Tina Fischer in 2001. Gal's best career finish prior to her win at the Kia Classic had been a tie for fifth at the LPGA Corning Classic in 2009. With the victory, Gal earns $255,000. Shin rallied on the back nine Sunday but missed a four-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have forced a playoff with Gal. Shin, whose nickname is "Final-Round Queen," recorded three bogeys on the front nine but made three birdies on the back nine to keep herself in contention until the final hole. Shin, who had led after the second and third rounds, finished alone in second place with a 15-under-par 277. The final round featured a few of the top players moving up the leaderboard late in the day. Cristie Kerr, Rolex Rankings No. 3, shot a 7-under 66 to move into a tie for third place with Rolex Rankings No. 7 I.K. Kim. Both finished the tournament at 11-under-par 281. Golden ticket winners: Sandra Gal, Jiyai Shin and I.K. Kim punched their "Ticket to Titleholders" at the Kia Classic. By virtue of their top three-finishes, Gal, Shin and Kim each earned a spot in the season-ending CME Group Titleholders event, which will be held Nov. 17-20, 2011 at Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando, Fla. The inaugural CME Group Titleholders, a season finale with a field made up of three qualifiers from every LPGA Tour tournament, is a format never previously used in professional golf. Gal is going to Canyon Ranch. With her victory at the 2011 Kia Classic, Sandra Gal earned an all-inclusive stay for two at a Canyon Ranch resort. In a combined effort to promote health and overall well-being among Tour players, Canyon Ranch will provide every winner of an LPGA event with one all-inclusive stay at one of Canyon Ranch's two destination resorts. Welcome to the Kraft: The top 10 finishers and ties at the Kia Classic who were not otherwise qualified for next week's Kraft Nabisco earned spots into the LPGA's first major of the year. The 11 players who earned entry into the tournament with their finishes this week are: Marcy Hart, Mindy Kim, Paige MacKenzie, Reilley Rankin, Christel Boeljon, Pornanong Phatlum, Jane Park, Kris Tamulis, Becky Morgan, Pernilla Lindberg and Stephanie Sherlock. It's a small world: When Kia and the LPGA got together last year for the inaugural Kia Classic, unbeknownst to LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan, LPGA Chief Marketing Officer Jon Podany and VP of Marketing and Communications for Kia Motors America Michael Sprague, it was also a college reunion. The trio all graduated from Miami of Ohio in 1987 and even lived together at Dennison Hall their freshman year. "We didn't know this until we all came together," Sprague said. "Here's three guys from completely different backgrounds who all lived in the same residence hall 28 years ago, and we came back together for a golf tournament." Of Note…Marcy Hart delivered the round of the day on Sunday with an 8-under 65 to move her into a tie for seventh. It marked Hart's first top-10 finish since 2006…Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng shot a 6-under 67 in the final round to finish in a tie for fifth place with Na

2011 Fan Diary: Kia Classic

Mon, 03/28/2011 - 5:28am
One of our loyal fan diary writers, Fred, checks in from the first round of the Kia Classic. Fan Diary – Kia Classic 3/24/11 The LPGA is in town!!! Kia Classic on the NCGOA Golf Course of the Year at The Pacific Palms Resort. What could be better? For the first time in a long time, Joni and I had the day off to go to the opening day of a local LPGA event. We normally only make it for the weekend rounds. The fun part of going on the first day is that everyone is there, whereas on the weekend you are only going to see the ladies who made the cut. While we all like to see those who are playing well, getting to see everyone means that you are treated to some great shots even from those who might not make it to the weekend. In spite of dire predictions from the weatherman, Thursday, while chilly and sometimes a bit windy was not the rainy mess it was predicted to be. However, because of the unseasonable rains throughout the previous week, the ladies were playing “lift, clean and place” in the fairways. While this usually leads to some really low scores, the small greens, extreme elevation changes in the golf course, and the subtlety of the greens themselves kept scores from getting out of hand. Of course, that didn't stop Amanda Blumenherst from shooting a 7-under 66 to start the tournament, or Sandra Gal from only trailing by one stroke when the round was over. However, for the vast majority, the combination of weather and course conditions kept everyone at 3-under or less. Amanda hit 15 greens, had 24 putts and basically made everything she looked at, including a birdie on the VERY difficult finishing par 5. As usual in a full field event, there was a morning and afternoon wave off both the front and back nines. This allowed Joni and me to park ourselves in the stands at # 13 soon after our arrival and get to see the majority of the ladies come through without having to wait for everyone to finish the front nine first. The 13th is a relatively short downhill par 3 with a subtle green with a false front. The green slopes back to front with several ridges in it. As usual, watching the Golf Channel Telecast after we got home, the camera flattens out the contours on the greens and the subtleties are not apparent. However, sitting next to the green the undulations were obvious. After we had watched several threesomes come through, we could tell from where a tee shot was left whether anyone had any chance at all of making a birdie putt. I don't know where the hole ranked for the day, but we never saw a birdie there although several ladies managed to get the ball all the way back to the pin and have a run at a deuce. The most common shot was left short of the flag by about 10 feet and consequently would roll back down into the front of the green leaving a nasty uphill putt with about 18-24” of break. Three feet right of the hole and the putt would die left at the cup. Three feet left of the hole at the same distance below the cup, the putt would die to the right as it slowed. Nasty and hard to read. There were several great par saves from players going left of the pin into the rough surrounding the green. Anna Nordqvist and Katie Futcher both got up and down from about 8 feet off the green pin high, left. Katie, of course, has been a friend of ours since we played together in the KNC Pro-Am in 2009. We waited for her at 13 and got a quick hello and followed her through 18. On 15, which is another par 3, this time over a lake, she pulled her tee shot into tall rough left of the green and made a brilliant up and down, sinking a 8 foot putt to save her par. While Katie is not the only one who does this, it is a pleasure to see her interact with both the fans and the course workers and volunteers. She always says “Thank you” out loud when she is applauded by the fans, and always says “Hello and Thank you” to the course workers, volunteers and marshals on her way around the course. It doesn't matter if she is

Final Results: Kia Classic

Sun, 03/27/2011 - 6:41pm
2011 KIA CLASSIC Final Tournament Summary Sunday, March 27, 2011 Purse: $1,700,000.00 PACIFIC PALMS RESORT Par: 38 35 - 73 Yardage: 6716 POS NAME SCORES TOTAL TO PAR OFFICIAL MONEY 1 Sandra Gal 67-68-70-71 276 -16 $255,000 2 Jiyai Shin 70-64-70-73 277 -15 $158,182 T3 Cristie Kerr 74-70-71-66 281 -11 $101,759 T3 I.K. Kim 70-69-72-70 281 -11 $101,759 T5 Yani Tseng 71-73-72-67 283 -9 $64,953 T5 Na Yeon Choi 73-72-65-73 283 -9 $64,953 T7 Marcy Hart 73-73-73-65 284 -8 $43,446 T7 Michelle Wie 68-75-71-70 284 -8 $43,446 T7 Mindy Kim 74-66-73-71 284 -8 $43,446 T10 Suzann Pettersen 72-73-71-70 286 -6 $33,775 T10 Juli Inkster 75-70-69-72 286 -6 $33,775 T12 Sun Young Yoo 71-70-77-69 287 -5 $27,626 T12 Chella Choi 72-68-75-72 287 -5 $27,626 T12 Paige Mackenzie 71-71-72-73 287 -5 $27,626 T12 Amanda Blumenherst 66-74-73-74 287 -5 $27,626 T16 Mika Miyazato 70-73-74-71 288 -4 $23,123 T16 Anna Nordqvist 71-70-71-76 288 -4 $23,123 T18 Reilley Rankin 70-76-72-71 289 -3 $19,601 T18 Sophie Gustafson 72-73-72-72 289 -3 $19,601 T18 Inbee Park 71-75-71-72 289 -3 $19,601 T18 Katie Futcher 76-70-70-73 289 -3 $19,601 T18 Kristy McPherson 72-73-71-73 289 -3 $19,601 T18 Beatriz Recari 72-73-69-75 289 -3 $19,601 T24 Christel Boeljon 75-71-73-71 290 -2 $15,935 T24 Pornanong Phatlum 73-72-74-71 290 -2 $15,935 T24 Stacy Lewis 72-73-73-72 290 -2 $15,935 T24 Ai Miyazato 72-72-74-72 290 -2 $15,935 T24 Pat Hurst 73-71-72-74 290 -2 $15,935 T29 Catriona Matthew 70-73-77-71 291 -1 $13,597 T29 Jane Park 71-75-73-72 291 -1 $13,597 T29 Shanshan Feng 72-73-73-73 291 -1 $13,597 T32 Kris Tamulis 74-73-75-71 293 +1 $10,488 T32 Paula Creamer 74-74-73-72 293 +1 $10,488 T32 Katherine Hull 73-71-76-73 293 +1 $10,488 T32 Amy Hung 70-74-76-73 293 +1 $10,488 T32 Becky Morgan 75-72-73-73 293 +1 $10,488 T32 Mina Harigae 73-73-73-74 293 +1 $10,488 T32 Momoko Ueda 74-73-72-74 293 +1 $10,488 T32 Song-Hee Kim 76-69-73-75 293 +1 $10,488 T32 Pernilla Lindberg 72-75-71-75 293 +1 $10,488 T32 Stephanie Sherlock 77-71-69-76 293 +1 $10,488 T42 Maria Hjorth 74-72-75-73 294 +2 $7,816 T42 Amy Yang 73-72-76-73 294 +2 $7,816 T42 Morgan Pressel 75-71-73-75 294 +2 $7,816 T42 Leta Lindley 74-72-71-77 294 +2 $7,816 T46 M.J. Hur 74-73-79-69 295 +3 $6,359 T46 Jimin Kang 73-75-75-72 295 +3 $6,359 T46 Azahara Munoz 75-72-74-74 295 +3 $6,359 T46 Lee-Anne Pace 77-69-75-74 295 +3 $6,359 T46 *Julie Yang 73-74-74-74 295 +3 T46 Brittany Lincicome 73-74-73-75 295 +3 $6,359 T46 Moira Dunn 74-70-74-77 295 +3 $6,359 T46 Meaghan Francella 72-74-71-78 295 +3 $6,359 T54 Stephanie Louden 73-75-76-72 296 +4 $5,456 T54 Ji Young Oh 76-69-78-73 296 +4 $5,456 T56 Christina Kim 71-76-77-73 297 +5 $5,023 T56 Michele Redman 76-71-77-73 297 +5 $5,023 T56 Danah Bordner 73-74-72-78 297 +5 $5,023 T59 Sarah Lee 76-72-76-74 298 +6 $4,504 T59 Silvia Cavalleri 75-72-75-76 298 +6 $4,504 T59 Angela Stanford 74-71-76-77 298 +6 $4,504

Kia Classic -- Third-round notes and interviews

Sat, 03/26/2011 - 7:10pm
Third-round notes    Rolex Rankings No. 2 Jiyai Shin leads by a shot entering the final round of the Kia Classic. Shin bogeyed the 18th hole to give her a one-shot lead at 15-under-par 204 over Sandra Gal. Shin carded five birdies and two bogeys for a three-under-par 70 on Saturday. An eight-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Shin is seeking her first victory of the season at the Kia Classic and is quickly approaching the $4 million mark in career earnings. This is Shin's fourth LPGA event of the season and her best finish so far in 2011 is a tie for 11th at the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore.   Sandra Gal is chasing the leader Shin by one stroke, after shooting a 3-under 70 in the third round. Gal finished up her second round on Saturday morning when play resumed at 7:30 a.m. and went 3-under on the back nine to put her within a stroke of Shin entering the third round. Gal kept herself within a stroke of Shin by tallying four birdies and one bogey in Saturday's third round. Gal's career best finish is a tie for fifth at the LPGA Corning Classic in 2009.   Some of the LPGA's top players are also in pursuit of Shin entering Sunday's final round. Na Yeon Choi, who is currently No. 4 in the Rolex Rankings, turned into the low round of the day Saturday with an 8-under 65 to vault her into third place at 9-under-par 210 and six strokes out of the lead. I.K. Kim, who is No. 7 in the Rolex Rankings, sits right behind Choi at 8-under-par 211.   Playing for a spot: There are 18 players who are competing for 10 spots in next week's Kraft Nabisco Championship. The top 10 finishers in the Kia Classic who are not otherwise qualified for the LPGA's first major of the year will earn entry into the tournament. The 18 players who are competing for those open spots are: Mindy Kim, Paige Mackenzie, Moira Dunn, Pornanong Phatium, Christel Boeljon, Marcy Hart, Reilly Rankin, Allison Fouch, Becky Morgan, Kris Tamulis, Danah Bordner, Pernilla Lindberg, Aree Song, Stephanie Sherlock, Sarah Lee, Lorie Kane, and Stephanie Louden.   Of Note…Na Yeon Choi recorded an eagle 2 on No. 6, a par four. She used a 48-degree wedge to hole out from 106 yards, landing the ball just a little past the pin and spinning it back into the hole… Candie Kung eagled the par four 14th hole by holing her second shot from 136 yards with an eight iron…First round leader Amanda Blumenherst shot an even-par 73 to remain at 6-under for the tournament and in a tie for sixth place with Mindy Kim…Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng shot a 1-under 72 on Saturday and is tied for 14th overall at 3-under-par 216.

Christina Kim's Powerful Presence 

Sat, 03/26/2011 - 6:48pm
The 2011 LPGA season is in full swing. As in the start of every year, players are approached with questions of how they spent their off-season or what they worked on in order to make this year more successful than the last. For U.S. born Christina Kim the answer is simply, fitness. Less than a week after her final putt of 2010 dropped she made the commitment to dedicate herself to becoming fitter, stronger and faster. On our first session she came in mentally prepared but I'm not sure her body was physically ready for what we were about to do to it. We had approximately five weeks to make gains that would have to hold her for the upcoming four events on the LET and LPGA Tours. And I have to say that I have never seen such determination and grit from anyone I have ever worked with! No matter how hard I pushed her she wanted to be pushed harder, the sign of a champion destined for greatness. Christina immediately gained my respect. Even though she put in no less than two hours 5-6 days a week, it wasn't just all bile, sweat and tears...we did incorporate a few laughs along the way...she is Christina Kim of course! Christina sought out a fitness regimen for the same reason many other golfers do, to gain more distance. She felt that she had lost power and yardage within the last season or two. I questioned if she had changed teachers knowing that sometimes swing changes can result in lost distance. I was surprised to find that her father has been her only instructor. After learning that her swing as well as equipment were the same, we set out to make her body more efficient. As her fitness coach I had three goals for Christina, first to get her torso to rotate better (power and accuracy are compromised when the arms are overly dominant in the swing), second to strengthen her glutes (she has a tendency to lose her coiling or "X Factor" so to strengthen and stabilize her base) and thirdly to merely speed her up. If an onlooker were to witness our sessions in the gym they may have thought we made The Biggest Looser look like a stroll in the park. Incorporated within her workouts were sprints on a treadmill (while the treadmill is turned OFF), cables, bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, hex bar squats, balance equipment and a thick rope. Here are three of Christina Kim's exercises that exemplify rotation, stability and power. Try adding these into your fitness routine for a better golf game.   1. Lunge Stance Torso Rotation Exercise can be used with a cable or band. Take a lunge stance with your opposite foot forward to the arm performing the motion. Keep hips and shoulders in forward alignment. Maintain level shoulders as you pull your arm back, elbow retracting behind back. Push your other arm forward creating maximum rotation within the torso as the hips remain in forward alignment. Perform 10-15 reps without compromising form on each side. 2. 1 Leg Dead-lift / Bench Sit This exercise requires a great deal of balance. Begin performing with bodyweight only, as stability and strength increases incorporate a dumbbell. Stand perpendicular at the end portion of a bench or step. You want to have enough of the bench for your glutes to touch but you will need your outside leg to clear the end of the bench. Keep your head pointing forward and your back to remain straight as you bend down maintaining a soft knee. You will feel a stretch in your hamstring of your standing leg as you touch the floor. Maintaining balance and form, straighten back up to standing position. Slowly begin to sit down on the bench using your quad strength while maintaining a straight back. Pause and use your one leg to stand back up to starting position. Exercise should be performed in a smooth motion. Start with 5 reps increasing to 15 before adding weight. 3. Medicine Ball Rotational Slam Medicine balls are a great power tool that can basically be used anywhere. Take a shoulder widt

Players go Outside The Ropes at Kia Classic

Sat, 03/26/2011 - 11:35am
With the LPGA Tour returning to Los Angeles for the first time in six years for the Kia Classic this week, some players had the opportunity to take in the L.A. sports scene. Michelle Wie sat courtside at the L.A. Clippers-Phoenix Suns game at Staples Center alongside Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Wie enjoyed watching slam dunk wunderkind Blake Griffin, who electrified the world when he dunked over a Kia Optima at the NBA All-Star Game. While there, she did interviews about the Kia Classic on both the TV and radio broadcasts, and after the game, Wie and Griffin got the chance to meet and talk basketball and golf.   Wie's Solheim Cup teammate Brittany Lincicome also made a trip downtown to the Staples Center. However, she traded hard court for ice, as the L.A. Kings took on the Calgary Flames. Lincicome chatted with Fox Sports West about the Kia Classic and her skating prowess, and even posed with L.A. Kings mascot Bailey. Lincicome must have been a good luck charm, as the Kings outlasted the Flames in a thrilling shootout.   The Kia Classic will be played at the historic and challenging Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms, March 24-27.

Kia Classic -- Second-round notes and interviews

Fri, 03/25/2011 - 7:08pm
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Jiyai Shin leads by four shots after shooting a nine-under 64 in the second round of the Kia Classic, which was suspended for darkness at 7:03 p.m. with 72 players still on the course. Shin carded nine birdies during play at Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms on Friday and is 14-under par over her last 26 holes.

LPGA Players attend taping of American Idol

Fri, 03/25/2011 - 2:55pm
LPGA players Cristie Kerr, Morgan Pressel, Meaghan Francella and Alison Walshe made the most of the Tour's first stop in Los Angeles in six years with a trip to an American Idol taping earlier this week. They met show judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez (and husband Marc Anthony) and Steven Tyler after taking a tour of the studio and watching performances. The LPGA Kia Classic is underway at Industry Hills Country Club at Pacific Palms. Action continues through the weekend before the Tour moves down I-10 to the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major championship of the 2011 season.

Catching up with Kristy McPherson

Fri, 03/25/2011 - 12:28pm
LPGA.com caught up with Kristy McPherson back in January before she started her season. Find out how she prepared for 2011. Sum up your 2010 season. Not great, not terrible. I had some good events and disappointing in some areas. I would say right there in the middle of the road. Did your elbow injury affect your game in 2010? I would say some towards the end of the season it really started to bother me. It wasn't really the fact that it hurt but the fact that I would think about it instead of thinking about the golf swing. My elbow would just catch at some points and when you're worried and thinking it might catch and then if it doesn't then you're surprised but if it does then it hurts. You had surgery in the off season, can you talk about what it exactly was? I had a couple of pieces of loose bone in my elbow that chipped off in there and it would kind of float around and get stuck in the wrong spot. They went in there and got the pieces that were giving me fits and I had bad tennis elbow so they went ahead and did a tennis elbow release as well. How have you been rehabbing it? It's going really well. I was lucky to get to go up to South Carolina for about a month with my parents and do rehab there. Since I wasn't playing golf the cold weather didn't bother me. It was nice to be up there. It's getting better. I played 18 holes twice so hopefully I can get some good work in the next two weeks before going to Thailand. What did you want to improve in your game for 2011? There were quite a few things that let me down in 2010. One of the main things was I didn't hit as many greens as I would've like to. Greens in regulation is always an important stat on the LPGA. If you are top-10 in greens in regulation then you are probably in the top-10 on the money list. I need to work on hitting more greens and giving myself more birdie opportunities next year. How do you prepare for a new season? Some practicing and working out. With the elbow surgery I've had a little bit more time to work on my short game which is probably a blessing in disguise that I got injured last year so I could spend more time on short game. What is the best part of your game heading into the season? And what needs a little more work? I think short game is going to be pretty good which everybody knows if you have a good short game then you can get around. I don't think I'll be playing as much as I like but hopefully I'll be going at it at 100%. I know I'll be able to get it around the golf course but I feel like if I have a month just to work on short game then it'll be better than it has in the past. What are you goals for 2011? My number one goal is to make the Solheim Cup. It's every American and European's goal. In order to do that I have to finish with top-20s, focus a little more on majors, play well in majors and that was a big difference for me between 2009 and 2010. Will those Solheim Cup points be in the back of your mind? You try to just play golf but when the time gets a little closer you start to think more about it. Right now I'm sitting at 10 and hopefully I'll be sitting well inside of it when it comes time to make a decision so that I'm not too worried about it.