Inside the Ropes

Team VTech takes time out of their busy tour schedule to get a little personal. Here’s a quick glimpse into their lives, on and off the green. If you thought these girls only ate, drank and slept about golf 24/7… Think again…

Growing up in Flanders, NJ, it wasn’t hard for Diana “Dee” D’Alessio to take an interest in athletics. Her father and mother both played golf and her grew up with five half-brothers, Joe, Patrick, Bart, John and Tom. (Joe and Bart also play golf and John is just starting).

Though Dee participated in several sports in her youth  (tennis, softball, basketball, and field hockey), her first passion was competitive horseback riding. But that all changed at age 13, when she walked away from the saddle and picked up her clubs.

“I was 13 and it was raining so I couldn’t go ride my horse. I turned on the TV and an LPGA tournament was on so I started watching. They were playing in Hawaii. I had played a bit before watching the event, but really didn’t think it was something I wanted to do. But watching the tournament made me decide I wanted to become a professional golfer. Betsy King, Beth Daniels and Nancy Lopez were neck and neck coming down the stretch. It was very exciting. I thought to myself, they’re playing a sport, spend most of their time outside and you can make money! What else could I want?! So right then and there I decided that I wanted to be on the LPGA and here I am.”

When Dee first started, there wasn’t a thing she didn’t like about golf. Since then, she’s had her fair share of frustrations with the game and annoyances with putting. But no matter the obstacle, she couldn’t be happier with her career choice. “When people find out that I’m a part of the LPGA, they have great respect for my accomplishment,” explains Dee.  “Admiration is the best word for it.” Not only is she a proud member of the LPGA, but a first year member of  Team VTech and she “loves it”. “ I’m very happy to be a part of Team VTech,” says Dee. “VTech has supported women’s golf for many years and it makes me thrilled to be a part of a something like that.” 

When you’re on a team, you learn a lot from those around you. From new languages to new foods, its hard not to pick something up from friends you work and travel with. What’s best part about being on a team? “The girls who are on it with me!” Dee exclaims. “We have a lot of fun being the VTech girls. I love hanging out with them!”

A few things Dee has learned so far:

-Sharpy’s taught me how to say “EH” like all Canadians.

-I’ve learned how to drink Guinness from Becky.

-From Stups, I’ve learned that Marmite on toast with cheese is really good!!

Season’s far from over so be sure to check back for more Tee Time with Team VTech. 

Top ranked Lorena Ochoa earns her 26th career win as she defends her title at the Corona Championship at the Tres Marias Residential Golf Club in Mexico.

The final round saw Ochoa hold onto a one-stroke win over five-time LPGA Tour winner Suzann Pettersen. She held off Pettersen on Sunday to finish at 25-under-par 267, as the two slugged it out, never gaining more than a two-stoke lead over each other all day.

Ochoa’s walks away with $195,000 and her third victory at the Corona Championship. 

Team VTech’s Alena Sharp finished tied for 26th place.  Her final score was 7-under-par 285 (72-68-73-72).

Next up: Team VTech at the 6th Annual Michelob ULTRA Open on May 4-10th at  Kingsmill Resort & Spa, River Course in Williamsburg, Virginia. With the now retired Annika Sorenstam unavailable to defend her title and her stake in the $2,200,000 purse, its anyone’s game.

*VTech’s Karen Stupples will make her anticipated return to the green.

Team VTech’s Alena Sharp advances to the Final Round of the 2009 Corona Championship at the Tres Marias Residential Golf Club in Morelia, MX. 74 of the world’s best players at even-par of better were left standing and will take home a share of the $1.3 million purse. Sharpy is currently tied for 28^th place with three other players.

Returning champion Lorena Ochoa maintains the lead and takes a three-stroke lead into Saturday. She fired a second consecutive 8-under-par bringing her two-day total to 130. Three players will start the third round within five of the leading Ochoa.

If Ochoa wins, this will be her 26^th victory and her third Corona Championship win. But let’s not forget the 73 other highly skilled competitors that are vying for the title.

**Four Mexican players have made the cut, for the first time in the LPGA history!

The Team VTech girls are back! Diana D’Alessio, Becky Morgan, Alena Sharp and Amy Hung are heading out to the Tres Marias Residental Country Club in beautiful Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico for the Corona Championship. The tournament kicks off the Corona Championship’s fourth year onApril 23rd till the 26th with defending and two-time champion Lorena Ochoa back for a chance at another victory. Last year she won with an eleven stroke margin over Song-Hee Kim, but we’ll wait to see who comes out on top this year. 

Our girls will be competing at an altitude of 6200 Ft above sea level in a city that enjoys temperate year round weather on a beautifully designed course. We’ll wish them the best at the Corona Championship and check back as the tournament progresses to see who advances to the final round.

A few weeks ago, we reported that Team VTech member Karen “Stups” Stupples was admitted to the hospital during the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International with an emergency appendectomy, which caused her to withdraw from competition. 

We recently checked in to see how her recovery was going.

VTech: Hi Karen, how are you feeling?

Stups: Went to the doctor’s yesterday and everything went great! I’ve been given the all clear to practice.  My plan is to start slowly with putting and chipping, progressing to pitching by the end of this week.  I then plan to build up to drivers by the middle of next week.  This is the plan but it is subject to change depending on how I feel with the work.

VTech: Can you tell us what happened back in March during the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International? When did you realize that something was wrong and you weren’t feeling well? 
 

Stups: I started to feel ill on the Friday of J Golf in Phoenix.  It started out as a feeling of being sick in the pit of my stomach. It was a dull ache at first and after a while, it didn’t feel any better. Then overnight the condition got worse. It became so severe that on Saturday morning, I could hardly hold a conversation with anyone. Anyone who knows me realized something was wrong when I couldn’t chat. 

The pain had moved lower, past my stomach and I experienced some sharp pain. My husband Bobby suggested that I go to the hospital. He wasn’t sure that the pain I was experiencing should have been as bad as it was or lasted as long as it did. 

VTech: What happened when you arrived at the hospital?

Stups: I had a cat scan and a few other tests but nothing showed up. I left the hospital hoping it was just some bad salsa. But the pain continued to worsen and eventually I developed a fever and had uncontrollable shaking. I immediately returned to the ER and this time there was no doubt that it was my appendix.

VTech: What did you think when they told you it was your appendix?

Stups: I don’t think I ever really believed it was my appendix until the first hospital suggested it might be, but the tests were inconclusive. In the middle of the Saturday night, when I was pacing around the house in pain, I decided to investigate and look it up on the Internet. I had all the signs and symptoms.

VTech: How did you feel about having the surgery? Were you nervous?

Stups: This was my first surgery and to be honest, it went really well. All I have to show for it are three little puncture wounds. How they got my appendix out through the little holes I will never know. The wonders of modern medicine!

VTech: How did you feel afterwards?

Stups: I felt better right away and I didn’t even need to take any pain med’s afterwards. I felt very lucky to have had the surgery before it burst.

VTech: How’s the recovery process been like?

Stups: My recovery’s been really fast. I don’t have any more bruises and my wounds are looking great.

VTech: How did you feel about missing your first tournament after the surgery?

Stups: It was tough to watch the Kraft Nabisco Championship. I felt I should have been playing. I love that course; it’s in such good condition. But, perhaps I needed the time to get myself together and spend a bit more time on my short game. I hope this downtime will yield good results in the future. 

Team VTech is counting down the days till Karen Stupples returns to the green. She’ll be back in the swing of things on May 7th at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, VA.

As part of our new sponsorship of the LPGA, VTech receives 4 passes for  tournament on the schedule.  We would like to offer these to you, and all you need to do is simply send me an email at tbacon@vtechphones.com and let me know which event you would like to see.  These are offered on a first come basis, so don’t hesitate to shoot me an email sooner rather than later.

We will also be announcing 2 new sweepstakes in the near future, so please check back for more news on these.

*Disclaimer: VTech can provide tickets to ALL LPGA events, excluding USGA events (i.e. the U.S. Open)

Hard to believe it was barely a month ago when we spent the day with Sharpy and Sweet D in the Valley shooting the spot that debuted this weekend during the Kraft Nabisco. Sweet D and I were talking before dinner late that eve and she was amazed how much goes into making a 30 second spot, countless hours of shooting, reading lines…reading them again….reading them again. You get the idea, somewhat akin to watching paint dry with a very large crew around you. Or perhaps like waiting for that 4some ahead of all day to simply PUTT the ball…..minutes can seem like an eternity.  The day was fun though, lots of laughs in near perfect weather. We were in good hands with long time agency partner Ayzenberg, and we hope you like the finished spot as much as we do. It was important for us to show you the less-then serious sides of our amazing players. We will continue to do so and look for this spot to air next during Kingsmill.  

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Rancho Mirage, California- A new winner made a splash this weekend at the Kraft Nabisco Championship this Sunday. Florida native Brittany Lincicome hit a hybrid to four feet on the 72nd hole of regulation and calmly rolled in her debut eagle of 2009 to claim her first-ever major title, making her the second youngest Kraft Nabisco Championship winner behind Morgan Pressel in 2007. Lincicome’s final-round, 3-under-par 69 was enough to top best friend Kristy McPherson (68-70-70-72=280, -8) and 11-time LPGA Tour winner Cristie Kerr (71-68-70-71=280, -8) by one stroke. The 23-year-old’s four-day total of 9-under-par 279 (66-74-70-69) granted her, her father Tom, and caddie Tara Bateman, access to Poppy’s Pond in a leap reserved for the Kraft Nabisco champion.

Lincicome trailed McPherson by two entering the final round, but put herself in good position following back-to-back birdies on holes nine and 10. She dropped a shot when her approach shot plugged in the bunker on 12 and did not take the final-round lead for good until sinking the four-foot eagle putt on hole 18. Kerr, who made double bogey on the 15th hole after hitting her drive out of bounds, also made birdie on the final hole, but it wasn’t enough to stop a surging Lincicome. The victory propels Lincicome into the top-10 on the 2009 LPGA Official Money List.

-Last year’s champion Lorena Ochoa found herself out of the top ten scorers tied for 12th place. 

With this win, Brittany Lincicome claimed 120 points towards a spot on the 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup team. She started the week 26th in the points race, but the victory catapulted her to 12th. 

After snaking in an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, American Cristie Kerr found herself ending her 44th LPGA major championship appearance with a tie for second – the fourth top-10 finish of the season and 14th top-10 finish in a major championship. 

Team VTech found all three members competing in the final round: Alena Sharp (T40), Becky Morgan (T60), and Diana D’Alessio (T67). Great job ladies!

The next tournament takes us down to Tres Marias Residential Country Club in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico for the Corona Championship on April 23rd-26th, where 2008 champion Lorena Ochoa will attempt to defend her championship.

*Amy Hung and Karen Stupples did not compete in this tournament.