LPGA

Maria Hjorth was on Golf Channel's Morning Drive to talk about her win at the Avnet LPGA Classic and about donating $20,000 of her winner's check to the Red Cross for Alabama Tornado Relief.

 

Stacy Lewis led the contingent of American players at last week's Avnet LPGA Classic and in turn she helped bolster her chances of making the 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team that will take on the Europeans, Sept. 23-25, 2011 at Killeen Castle in Ireland.

Lewis' fifth place finish at the Avnet LPGA Classic earned her 25.5 U.S. Solheim Cup points and boosted her to fourth in the overall points race, trailing Solheim Cup veterans Cristie Kerr, Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie. Pressel finished 16th and earned nine points while Angela Stanford and Christina Kim earned 13.5 points each after finishing in a tie for 13th.

Paige Mackenzie (19.5), Jennifer Song (9), Juli Inkster (4.5) and Jessica Korda (4.5) also tallied points with their finishes at the Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove. Despite not earning any points at the Avnet LPGA Classic, Cristie Kerr continues to maintain a strong lead in the race to make the 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team with 522 total points.

Rank Player Points 1 Cristie Kerr 522.0 2 Morgan Pressel 353.0 3 Michelle Wie 323.5 4 Stacy Lewis 316.0 5 Angela Stanford 308.0 6 Paula Creamer 263.5 7 Brittany Lincicome 244.0 8 Juli Inkster 167.5 9 Brittany Lang 159.5 10 Christina Kim 150.5 11 Kristy McPherson 130.0 12 Vicky Hurst 108.0 13 Katie Futcher 85.0 14 Stacy Prammanasudh 67.0 15 Amanda Blumenherst 63.0

 

With her fourth LPGA Tour win at last week’s Avnet LPGA Classic, Maria Hjorth claimed this week’s Rolex Rankings move of the week. Hjorth recorded back-to-back 67’s on the weekend to finish two-strokes ahead of Rolex Rankings No. 11 Song-Hee Kim. The victory jumped Hjorth 11 places in the Rolex Rankings to No. 16.

Yani Tseng still holds the coveted top spot in the Rolex Rankings over Jiyai Shin for the 12th consecutive week. Suzann Pettersen jumped two spots to No. 3 after a tie for third at the Avnet LPGA Classic.

While Rolex Rankings No. 26 Hee Kyung Seo still holds a commanding lead in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race, LPGA Tour rookie Jessica Korda made one of the most substantial moves in the Rolex Rankings. Korda finished in a tie for 19th at the Avnet LPGA Classic after carding rounds of 75-69-73-70. The career-best finish catapulted her up 78 spots to No. 305 in the Rolex Rankings. She currently sits sixth in the Rolex Rookie of the Year race.

1. Tell me something most people don't know about you?
I don't like butterflies or caterpillars.

2. What would you like to do for a living if you are not a pro golfer?
A chef - even though I am an awful cook. My Mom is a great cook and owns a deli. I wish those skills were hereditary.

3. Is there anything you're addicted to? Or can't live without?
Carbs - I love pasta and rice!

4. Is there anything you won't eat?
Anything that is still moving.

5. What is one thing you have done and would never want to do again?
Dating scumbags.

6. What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment to date?
Winning the 2009 Alliance Bank Futures Tour Classic at 12 under in a playoff.

7. Is there a song that you like to sing when no one is around like in the car or shower?
Any Taylor Swift song.

8. Who would be in your dream foursome?
My Dad, my boyfriend and Tiger Woods.

9. What is your favorite activity you do when you want to relax?
Getting a massage.

10. What is your favorite time of year?
Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years.

11. Favorite quote or saying?
"Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground" Teddy Roosevelt

12. What beauty product can you not live without?
Lip gloss and my Sonicare toothbrush.

13. What is your favorite store to shop in and why?
Forever 21 because I can afford to buy a lot of stuff.

14. What is one item of clothing you couldn't live without?
Cardigans.

15. Name one thing you always keep stocked in your refrigerator?
Egg whites.

16. What invention do you wish you had thought of?
Sparkly ball markers.

17. Favorite way to stay in shape?
Bikram yoga classes.

18. What chore are you great at or enjoy doing the most?
Cleaning - because I'm a little OCD.

Learn more about Jenny Suh >>

Maria Hjorth was named the Prudential Rock Solid Performer of the week after her win at the Avnet LPGA Classic.

Maria Hjorth recorded her fifth-career LPGA Tour victory with a two-shot win over Rolex Rankings No. 13 Song-Hee Kim at the Avnet LPGA Classic. Hjorth, one of 27 Moms on the LPGA Tour, fired a 5-under 67 in the final round to capture the victory after starting the day three shots back of the third-round leaders, Kim and 16-year-old sponsor's invite Lexi Thompson. Hjorth recorded four birdies in five holes on the front nine of the Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove to vault toward the top of the leaderboard and she weathered a couple bogeys on the back nine to finish at 10-under par for the tournament. She fired back-to-back rounds of 67 on the weekend to help capture the victory. Hjorth's last victory on Tour came at the 2010 season-ending LPGA Tour Championship when she defeated Amy Yang by a stroke. This is Hjorth's second victory on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. She won the 2007 Navistar LPGA Classic at the Senator at Capitol Hill in Prattville, Ala. Hjorth has also recorded five International victories since turning professional in 1996. A familiar face on the bag: With her husband, Shaun McBride, on a break this week from caddying on the PGA Tour for Bryce Molder, Hjorth went with an all-family pairing on the course this week at the Avnet LPGA Classic. McBride used to caddy for Hjorth before the birth of their 2-year-old daughter, Emily. "It was really good to be able to have a win together," Hjorth said. "Obviously he caddied for me full time two years ago before we had our daughter. We lost in the playoff at McDonald's LPGA Championship, so it was great to be able to have a win together. To have just an off week like this and to be able to pull it off is really good." Age is just a number: Most of the attention entering Sunday's final round was on 16-year-old Lexi Thompson, who was the co-leader with Song-Hee Kim after 54 holes of play. But it was 37-year-old Hjorth who prevailed in the final round. "You know, it's fun to really be able to be out there and win again, even though, you know, I could have just as well been a mum to Alexis Thompson," Hjorth said. "I mean, they're so young coming out here now and you're a bit older. But I think sometimes experience can help as well, and that's what you have to look at, too."

Dear nameless, faceless masses (i.e. fans), Stephanie is currently away from her laptop, she is hot on the elusive trail of the mythical consistent putting stroke. It was last seen at LPGA Q-school. Any further sightings should be immediately forwarded to Miss Kim. Hey everyone! So far, I've played four LPGA Futures Tour events in Florida, Mexico, and Texas. They say that what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico. This is not the case when your friends all have fancy smart phones with video capabilities. Then the old adage changes to, what happens in Mexico is potential blackmail material. Not nearly as catchy. There is a video floating around social media web sites, of a certain LPGA rookie, singing (for lack of a better word) her own unique rendition of Proud Mary. Never mind the fact that two of the players at the dinner table could actually sing in key, I was the one coerced onto the stage in a mall in Mexico with a Hispanic Tom Kite look-alike as my vocal partner. The best that can be said about the performance is that I worked the stage with my inner diva and the video is quite entertaining to watch - on mute. Oh, and we played a bit of golf in between all the great fun we had at the beach resort. It's exhilarating to be playing competitively again. Nothing compares to the adrenaline coursing through your veins on the first tee, except perhaps the completely singular feelings associated with bogeys. I have not started my season as well as I had hoped, but my game is coming together quickly and, being the quintessential incurable optimist, I am confident that the next event will be "the one". But, at times, golf seems to be an overly elaborate Big Foot hunt and that the light at the end of the tunnel, more often than not, is the light of an oncoming train. Even those who play this sport for a living are constantly searching for answers, and I am no exception. Regrettably, I have done nothing exciting outside of the ropes, but I have ample opportunity in my three-week break before my U.S. Open Qualifier. There is a slight chance I will upload my bungee jumping video on my Facebook fan page, all dependent on the level of sheer panic on my face and whether I maintain control of my bodily functions. But all self-deprecating jokes aside, I wanted my second blog to have one resonating theme - that golfers of all skill levels can learn from - that to my great chagrin, the world does not end after a bad round. The earth does not tilt off its axis and the polar bears do not migrate south. A little belief in your game can take you further than beating balls on the range. So suck it up, suck it in, and let it go! I hear the siren call of potentially life threatening extreme sports, so I'll leave you guys with that note. Wish me luck!!!

Learn more about Stephanie Kim >>
Read more 2011 Rookie Blogs >>

The copyrighted content contained on this blog reflects the sole opinion(s) of the author. Such content does not necessarily represent the LPGA's views, opinions, intentions, and/or strategies, and is intended for informational or amusement purposes only.

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Former Longhorn Lisa Ferrero Wins Symetra Classic In Texas

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, May 1, 2011 - A fan in a custom golf cart blared the University of Texas fight song as LPGA Futures Tour veteran Lisa Ferrero strolled to the scoring tent today, looking like a herd of cattle had just rolled off her back.

Indeed, it felt that way. Ferrero, 28, a former Texas Longhorn, carded rounds of 73-66-71 for a 6-under 210 total at the $110,00 Symetra Classic during a windy week in the Lone Star State.

With the win and a check for $15,400, Ferrero notched her first professional victory and zoomed from No. 43 on the tour's money list to No. 2.

"Thank God the monkey is finally off my back," said Ferrero, of Lodi, Calif., also an LPGA Tour member who played college golf at Texas from 2001-2004. "If I only win one tournament in my career, I'm glad it was here in Texas."

Ferrero held a two-stroke lead coming into today's final round and never trailed throughout the round. Fellow Futures Tour and LPGA Tour veteran Jenny Gleason (71) trimmed Ferrero's lead to one shot twice during the final 18 holes at The Dominion Country Club, but Gleason finished second, two strokes back at 4-under 212.

"I had a very good putting week on a tough golf course that is dry and hard," said Gleason, 30, of Clearwater, Fla., a two-time Futures Tour winner. "But Lisa played great and made a ton of big par putts today. If you keep knocking on the door long enough and it's going to eventually open."

Heavy winds in Friday's first round buffeted the field with gusts up to 25 mph. As the scores soared in the tough conditions, experienced professionals emerged as patience was tested.

Known as a long hitter and solid ball striker, it was actually her putting that gave Ferrero an edge this week. In Saturday's second round, she hit shots close and converted for birdies. In today's final round, the Californian played smart in the wind and stayed just out of reach with some key par saves.

There was no smooth sailing, though. Ferrero got up and down for par out of bunker on the first hole, drained a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 2, and saved par from 10 feet on No. 4. She stumbled briefly with a bogey on No. 5, allowing Gleason to draw within one stroke, but Ferrero added a pair of birdies on holes 8 and 9 to build a three-shot lead at the nine-hole turn.

Both Ferrero and Gleason birdied the par-four 14th hole, with the Californian building a four-stroke lead. But once again, Ferrero's lead dwindled to one shot when she carded bogeys on holes 15 and 16.

Ferrero thinned a 6-iron off the tee and missed her seven-foot putt for par on the par-three 15th. On the 16th hole, Gleason drained a 15-foot birdie putt, while Ferrero gassed her pitch 50 feet past the hole and settled for bogey.

But when Gleason couldn't save par from a bunker on No. 17, two-putting from 12 feet, Ferrero knew all she had to do was keep the ball in play on the final hole and two-putt for the win.

"I've been second, third and fourth a bunch of times, but I think I began to lack confidence because a lot of people expected me to win and I didn't," said Ferrero, who won the 2000 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship, and whose last tournament victory was the 2001 AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions.

"I won a lot as a junior and it was assumed I would win again after all of those junior tournaments," she added. "Finally, I put myself in position to win. This is something pretty special today."

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Song-Hee Kim has yet to record a victory on the LPGA Tour but she's certainly continued to put herself in contention. Kim's 1-under 71 on Sunday at the Avnet LPGA Classic gave her a runner-up finish and added to her impressive resume of Top-10 finishes. Kim recorded 16 Top-10 finishes in 23 events last season, which included a runner-up finish at the 2010 LPGA Championship presented by Wegmans.

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida, May 2, 2011 – The LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) announced today that Frontier Airlines, a Denver-based carrier serving more than 80 destinations across the United States, Mexico and Costa Rica, will be a new partner, serving as “Official Airline of the LPGA.” As part of the agreement, Frontier will provide discounted travel to LPGA constituents and receive prominent branding at LPGA Tournaments, and on LPGA.com.

“Frontier Airlines uses the tagline ‘a whole different animal,' which represents the commitment to do the little things that make a big difference to customers,” said Jon Podany, LPGA Chief Marketing Officer. “At the LPGA, we have a similar campaign called ‘See Why It's Different Out Here.' No matter how you phrase it, we are both focused on providing unique and positive experiences for our consumers and partners.”

“The LPGA has an excellent reputation built on positive fan experiences and a real commitment to giving back to its community,” said Ian Arthur, vice president of marketing and branding for Frontier Airlines. “This partnership is a tremendous opportunity for Frontier to secure significant visibility with an audience that clearly appreciates the similar commitments these two organizations have to providing a better and different guest experience.”

As the Official Airline of the LPGA, Frontier will help get members and fans to the tournaments with one-click access from the tour schedule on LPGA.com to Frontier's website, FrontierAirlines.com, where you'll always find the carrier's lowest available fare and only place you can buy its popular Classic fare, which features two complimentary checked bags (including golf clubs), no change fees, same day standby and bonus EarlyReturns® miles.

Untitled Document Avnet LPGA Classic
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove, Crossings Course
Mobile, Ala.
Final-round notes and interviews
May 1, 2011
 
Maria Hjorth -10, Rolex Rankings No. 27
Song-Hee Kim -8, Rolex Rankings No. 13
 
Maria Hjorth recorded her fifth-career LPGA Tour victory with a two-shot win over Rolex Rankings No. 13 Song-Hee Kim at the Avnet LPGA Classic. Hjorth, one of 27 Moms on the LPGA Tour, fired a 5-under 67 in the final round to capture the victory after starting the day three shots back of the third-round leaders, Kim and 16-year-old sponsor's invite Lexi Thompson. Hjorth recorded four birdies in five holes on the front nine of the Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove to vault toward the top of the leaderboard and she weathered a couple bogeys on the back nine to finish at 10-under par for the tournament. She fired back-to-back rounds of 67 on the weekend to help capture the victory.
 
Hjorth's last victory on Tour came at the 2010 season-ending LPGA Tour Championship when she defeated Amy Yang by a stroke. This is Hjorth's second victory on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. She won the 2007 Navistar LPGA Classic at the Senator at Capitol Hill in Prattville, Ala. Hjorth has also recorded five International victories since turning professional in 1996.
 
A familiar face on the bag: With her husband, Shaun McBride, on a break this week from caddying on the PGA Tour for Bryce Molder, Hjorth went with an all-family pairing on the course this week at the Avnet LPGA Classic. McBride used to caddy for Hjorth before the birth of their 2-year-old daughter, Emily. "It was really good to be able to have a win together," Hjorth said. "Obviously he caddied for me full time two years ago before we had our daughter. We lost in the playoff at McDonald's LPGA Championship, so it was great to be able to have a win together. To have just an off week like this and to be able to pull it off is really good."
 
Age is just a number: Most of the attention entering Sunday's final round was on 16-year-old Lexi Thompson, who was the co-leader with Song-Hee Kim after 54 holes of play. But it was 37-year-old Hjorth who prevailed in the final round. "You know, it's fun to really be able to be out there and win again, even though, you know, I could have just as well been a mum to Alexis Thompson," Hjorth said. "I mean, they're so young coming out here now and you're a bit older. But I think sometimes experience can help as well, and that's what you have to look at, too."
 
The final round featured a few of the top players moving up the leaderboard late in the day. Stacy Lewis, Rolex Rankings No. 14 and the 2011 Kraft Nabisco champion, shot a 3-under 69 to finish at 6-under for the tournament and finish in fifth after starting the day in a tie for 12th. Rolex Rankings No. 4 Na Yeon Choi also shot a 69 to finish in a tie for third with Rolex Rankings No. 5 Suzann Pettersen at 7-under par.
 
Comfortable at the top: Song-Hee Kim has yet to record a victory on the LPGA Tour but she's certainly continued to put herself in contention. Kim's 1-under 71 on Sunday gave her a runner-up finish and added to her impressive resume of Top-10 finishes. Kim recorded 16 Top-10 finishes in 23 events last season, which included a runner-up finish at the 2010 LPGA Championship presente

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2011 AVNET LPGA CLASSIC
Final Tournament Summary
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Purse: $1,300,000.00
MAGNOLIA GROVE-CROSSINGS COURSE
Par: 36 36 - 72 Yardage: 6502

POS NAME SCORES TOTAL TO PAR OFFICIAL
MONEY 1 Maria Hjorth 70-74-67-67 278 -10 $195,000 2 Song-Hee Kim 67-72-70-71 280 -8 $118,921 T3 Na Yeon Choi 69-72-71-69 281 -7 $76,502 T3 Suzann Pettersen 72-68-71-70 281 -7 $76,502 5 Stacy Lewis 68-71-74-69 282 -6 $53,715 T6 Katherine Hull 72-71-71-69 283 -5 $37,655 T6 Hee Kyung Seo 73-74-65-71 283 -5 $37,655 T6 Amy Yang 70-68-72-73 283 -5 $37,655 T9 Shanshan Feng 72-71-73-68 284 -4 $25,636 T9 Sandra Gal 70-67-75-72 284 -4 $25,636 T9 Paige Mackenzie 70-71-71-72 284 -4 $25,636 T9 Karen Stupples 68-71-72-73 284 -4 $25,636 T13 Mindy Kim 73-68-76-68 285 -3 $20,096 T13 Christina Kim 70-71-72-72 285 -3 $20,096 T13 Angela Stanford 74-70-68-73 285 -3 $20,096 T16 Morgan Pressel 72-70-74-70 286 -2 $16,972 T16 Stephanie Sherlock 71-74-71-70 286 -2 $16,972 T16 Jennifer Song 74-73-69-70 286 -2 $16,972 T19 Jessica Korda 75-69-73-70 287 -1 $14,715 T19 Juli Inkster 71-72-70-74 287 -1 $14,715 T19 Anna Nordqvist 73-72-68-74 287 -1 $14,715 T19 Lexi Thompson

16-year-old Lexi Thompson and Song-Hee Kim are tied for the lead at 7-under-par and lead by one stroke over Amy Yang entering the final round of the Avnet LPGA Classic. Thompson fired a 5-under 67 on Saturday at the Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Ala. while Kim shot a 2-under 70 to put them as co-leaders after 54 holes of play.

One of this year's Rolex First-Time Winners ruled the day during Friday's second round of the Avnet LPGA Classic. Sandra Gal fired a 5-under 67on Friday to move to 7-under-par for the tournament and take a one-stroke lead over Amy Yang at the Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Ala.

The Avnet LPGA Classic played host to a once-per-generation type party today in honor of the Royal Wedding. The Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama (one of Travel + Leisure magazine's Top 500 hotels in the world) catered the event with a one-of-a-kind Buckingham Palace cake. Traditional English tea, crumpets, tea sandwiches and cookies were also served. Scotland's Mhairi McKay and recent winners Stacy Lewis and Sandra Gal stopped in to enjoy the festivities after their rounds.

 

Song-Hee Kim and Grace Park each shot a 5-under-par 67 on Thursday at the Avnet LPGA Classic to take a share of the first round lead. The duo leads Karen Stupples and Stacy Lewis by one shot entering second round play at Magnolia Grove's Crossings Course, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

PLAY YOUR BEST GOLF NOW  Discover VISION54's 8 Essential Playing Skills

By Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott with Ron Sirak

Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott are highly regarded as two of the leading performance coaches in the game of golf.  They have coached five different major championship winners and supported Tour players in more than 100 victories, along with numerous elite amateur players and thousands of golfers around the world.  

In PLAY YOUR BEST GOLF NOW: Discover VISION54's 8 Essential Playing Skills by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriot with Ron Sirak (Gotham Books, Hardcover, May 2011, $25.00), Nilsson and Marriott offer golfers everything they need to achieve peak performance including the 8 Essential Playing Skills  -- and the 2 Essential Practice Skills, all outlined in the final installment of their VISION54 trilogy. These skills will complement golfers' technical practice to be a better player where it counts most: on the golf course.

Already renowned for the first two installments of their VISION54 trilogy, The Game Before the Game and Every Shot Must Have A Purpose, as well as their top ranked Golf School (ranked #1 by Golf Magazine), Nilsson and Marriott have been included  in multiple consecutive years among the Golf Digest's prestigious list of America's Top 50 Golf Teachers.

Best known for coaching to PGA and LPGA players such as Annika Sorenstam, Ai Miyazato, Suzann Pettersen, , Brittany Lincicome, Kevin Streelman, and Na Yeon Choi, PLAY YOUR BEST GOLF NOW will insure that golfers of all levels will get the same instruction that the pros get.  As Kevin Streelman says, “Pia and Lynn are revolutionaries in the complex, over-analyzed world of golf instruction. VISION54 is the best golf/sport/life/happiness program ever developed, bar none!”  And Dave Pelz has this to say about Pia, Lynn and the  VISION54 technique:  “I love Lynn and Pia because they understand and teach the game in all of its breadth. They are great coaches who work with the things that are important to all golfers as we try to score. There is more to golf than swinging, and PLAY YOUR BEST GOLF NOW deals with it. You cannot go wrong in following VISION54.”

PLAY YOUR BEST GOLF NOW fully incorporates Nilsson and Marriott's holistic coaching method and is a completely different and refreshing alternative to other coaching methods being taught today.

With step by step instruction and firsthand accounts, golfers will learn the secrets they need through VISION54's PLAY YOUR BEST GOLF NOW.

 

PLAY YOUR BEST GOLF NOW : Discover VISION54's 8 Essential Playing Skills

By Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott with Ron Sirak Gotham Books | Hardcover | May 2011 |$25.00 First Serial Golf Digest: June 2011

www.vision54.com twitter.com/vision54 facebook.com/vision54

 

About the Authors: 

Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott are the co-founders of VISION54, a company that stages award-winning integrated golf programs. In June 2010, they took the first two spots on Golf Digest's “50 Best Women Teachers in America” list, and have appeared in Golf Digest's list of America'

LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan and Vice President Mike Nichols welcomed Volvik Chairman Kyung Ahn Moon into the LPGA family on Tuesday. Moon visited the Avnet LPGA Classic to announce the signing of a new marketing partnership with the LPGA as well as the signing of LPGA Tour member Allison Fouch to a new marketing deal.

Joining the group for the announcement of Fouch's new deal were three other players sponsored by Volvik: Jee Young Lee, Kyeong Bae, and Jin Young Pak. Volvik is a Korean golf ball company that specializes in colored golf balls.

“We are excited to welcome Volvik to the LPGA family,” said Nichols. “Not only are we happy that Volvik is supporting the LPGA as a marketing partner, we are even happier that Volvik continues to expand its support of LPGA players. Adding Allison Fouch to the group of LPGA players that they sponsor further demonstrates Volvik's continued commitment to the Tour's players and women's golf.”

Volvik's new marketing partnership with the LPGA will include the company sponsoring the Volvik Shot of the Day on Golf Channel. Volvik will also provide advertising and sponsored content on LPGA.com. In addition, the company will have a presence at two LPGA events -- the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the season's first major, and the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

 

Commissioner Mike Whan, Allison Fouch, Volvik Chairman Kyung Ahn Moon Mike Nichols and Volvik Chairman Kyung Ahn Moon

 

Stephanie Louden, Se Ri Pak and Brittany Lincicome were featured on local news stations for the Avnet LPGA Classic. Louden talked about traveling with her familiy, Pak discussed returning to defend her title and Lincicome talked about the golf course and her finish last year.

 

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Avnet LPGA Classic
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove, Crossings Course
Mobile, Ala.
Pre-tournament notes and interviews
April 27, 2011
 
Yani Tseng, Rolex Rankings No. 1
Se Ri Pak, Rolex Rankings No. 35 and defending champion
Stacy Lewis, Rolex Rankings No. 14
 
The Avnet LPGA Classic begins Thursday at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Ala. The 144-player field features eight of the top-10 ranked golfers in the Rolex Rankings and the winners of the last four major championships as they play the Crossings Course for a $1.3 million purse. The event is returning to Mobile for the third time, but many of the players are very familiar with the course since it has hosted LPGA tournaments in 11 of the last past 12 years.
 
This year's Avnet LPGA Classic field is filled with many of the Tour's biggest names. Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng and defending champion Se Ri Pak lead the star-studded field. Tseng won the season-opening Honda LPGA Thailand and last month finished second in the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the season's first major. Also in the field this week are Stacy Lewis, who last month became a Rolex First-Time Winner by outlasting Tseng at the Kraft Nabisco, and LPGA and World Golf Halls of fame member Karrie Webb, who has won twice on the LPGA Tour already this year (HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore and the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup in Phoenix).

Plenty of players will be looking for their first victories of the 2011 season this week including Rolex Rankings No. 3 Cristie Kerr, No. 4 Na Yeon Choi and No. 5 Suzann Pettersen. The field also includes sponsor exemptions Alexis Thompson, the 16-year-old who will be making her first appearance on the LPGA Tour this season, and Blair O'Neal, who won Golf Channel's Big Break: Dominican Republic.
 
Sweet Home Alabama: Defending champion Se Ri Pak appears to be returning to a place of comfort this week, as she gets set to play the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove, Crossings Course. Since 2001, Pak has won a total of three times at this golf course. She tallied victories at the 2001 and 2002 Tournament of Champions and last year she won the 2010 Bell Micro LPGA Classic, which was rain-shortened to 54 holes, in a playoff over Brittany Lincicome and Suzann Pettersen.
 
Tseng-sational: Yani Tseng will try to continue her strong hold on the world's top spot while playing at the Avnet LPGA Classic this week. Tseng took over the Rolex Rankings No. 1 spot early this season after winning four straight events worldwide, including the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open and ANZ RACV Ladies Open co-sanctioned by the Australian Ladies Open co-sanctioned by Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG) on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the season-opening Honda LPGA Thailand on the LPGA Tour.
 
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.  
 
Twice as nice? Stacy Lewis, who became a Rolex First-Time Winner and a major champion by taking a three-stroke victory over Tseng at the Kraft Nabisco Champ