Inside the Ropes

This week, the CN Canadian Women’s Open tees off this week at St. Charles Country Club outside Winnipeg with the world’s best vying for a share of the hefty $2.25 million purse. Rolex Rankings No. 3 Suzann Pettersen is poised for her first title defense of the season following a tie for fourth at last week’s Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola. Pettersen, who recorded her sixth LPGA Tour victory last year at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club outside Calgary, has eight top-5 finishes in 13 events played on the LPGA this season.

The race for Rolex Rankings No. 1 continues this week with Ai Miyazato, fresh off her victory in Portland, once again at the top spot. She is trailed by Cristie Kerr, the 2010 LPGA Championship Presented by Wegmans champ, Pettersen, Jiyai Shin and Yani Tseng. Among them, Pettersen is the only non-winner this season. Miyazato also holds the top spot on the LPGA Official Money List and Rolex Player of the Year race thanks to her career-best five victories this season.

A host of Canadian talent will be on hand in Winnipeg, led by veterans Lorie Kane and Team VTech’s Alena Sharp. (Go Sharpy!!) Joining them will be 12 other Canadians, each eager to hoist their country’s biggest golf trophy.

The ladies of Team VTech and the rest of the LPGA have the weekend off as the Men gear up for the U.S. Open of Golf. But don’t worry, they’ll return next weekend with the Evian Masters and the following week with the RICOH British Open, so more exciting golf is still heading your way!

Till then…  remember to cheer on our girls, Karen Stupples, Alena Sharp, Meaghan Francella, Becky Morgan, Beth Bader, and Diana D’Alessio, and keep it here for more information “Inside the Ropes” with Team VTech.

Team VTech, the LPGA, and Duramed FUTURES Tour players are on the move! Today all players descend upon Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh, PA., for the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open. A total of 156 players will be competing for one of the most coveted crowns in golf and also a purse of $3.25 million with first place winning a staggering $585,000!!

The competition will be fierce as 23 of the top 23 Rolex Rankings will be eager to pull ahead in the standings or maybe reign their former no. 1 position. Seven former U.S. Open champions will also be there, including defending champion Eun-Hee Ji. Let’s see how the girls will do with a new lengthened course and notably the longest par-3 eighth and par-5 12th in U.S. Women’s Open history.

Is another playoff at Oakmont in its future? We’ll have to see what new excitement this weekend brings. Keep it here, Inside the Ropes, for more.

Wishing our girls at Team VTech all the best this weekend!!

The LPGA State Farm Classic celebrates 35th anniversary! And what better way to kick off five-straight weeks of action with the 35th annual LPGA State Farm Classic this week!! A staple in Springfield, Ill. since 1973, the LPGA State Farm Classic boasts a Who’s Who of LPGA stars (Sorenstam, Lopez, Carner, King, Jones, Daniel to name a few) as former champions. Panther Creek Country Club plays host to the $1.7 million event for the fourth consecutive year, following 31 years at The Rail Golf Course.

This year we’ll see if 2009 Champion In-Kyung Kim can go back-to-back and hold off a strong group of competitors that are on the prowl for a championship on the Hale Irwin designed Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Illinois. Come and cheer on Team VTech as they go up again Ji Yai Shin, Michelle Wie, Brittany Lincicome, and more. And check back with Inside the Ropes with all your up to the date info on Team VTech.

Team VTech’s amazing Karen Stupples was the spotlight player for Golf Channel during the first round of the Bell Micro LPGA Classic. Hear how Karen got her start in golf and what her dream foursome would be.

Great job so far this season Karen! Best of luck, and continue to cheer Karen and the rest of Team VTech on as the LPGA season continues!!

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Congratulations to Team VTech’s Meaghan Francella as she took top prize at the second annual HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup in a nail biting six-hole sudden death playoff against Mariajo Urbie to win at the Itanhanga Golf Club. Francella rolled in a 10-foot birdie put on the sixth extra hole to cinch her first place check of $105,000, her first ever unofficial money win on the LPGA Tour!

Francella, became a Rolex First-Time Winner in 2007 after defeating Annika Sorenstam in a four-hole playoff at the Mastercard Classic Honoring Alejo Peralta Presented by Televisa Deportes. She is the second champion of the HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup following Catriona Matthew’s win in 2009.

Team VTech’s Beth Bader also finished strong in 19th place making this a successful tournament for our Team VTech girls!!  Great job and we can’t wait for the LPGA season to kick off into high gear!!

Se Ri Pak won her 25th LPGA victory at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove during the Bell Micro LPGA Classic with her score of 13-under-par (69,66,68=203), defeating Suzann Petersen (-13) and Brittany Lincicome (-13) in a three way playoff. She made a birdie on the third playoff hole to secure her win. Though the tournament faced a few setbacks due to weather, and the event was shortened to 54 holes, there was no lack of excitement.

Team VTech had an excellent showing at this weekend’s tournament with four of our girls finishing strong in the top 50!! Meghan Francella finished tied for 26th at 3-under-par (71,70,72=213),Alena Sharp finished tied for 33 at 2-under-par (76,67,71=214), Karen Stupples finished tied for 44th at 1-under-par (70,71,74=215), and Diana D’Alessio finished tied for 49th at Even (73,71,72=216).

With Karen’s 44th place finish here, she has earned her way into the Sybase Match Play Championship tournament due to her position on the 2010 LPGA Offical Money List. Congratulations Karen!!

Thanks for stopping by. Team VTech is getting ready for the Bell Micro this week as the entire team will be competing in Mobile, Alabama. The team is feeling good, taking advantage of the “breaks” in the schedule to practice and sharpen up their games as there is still a LOT of season left.

Karen Stupples is off to a superb start carding 2 top tens and a top 20 in her first 3 events on US soil. Karen currently sits at #16 on the Official Money list and #51 on the Rolex World rankings…Look for her to make a run at the Bell this week.  Sharpy has been playing well of late and looks to keep that streak rolling.

The tourney will be broadcast on the Golf Channel all 4days, check your local listings for times and please keep rooting for Team VTech!

Our Team VTech did it again! Karen Stupples rounds out to the top ten at this weekend’s very competitive tournament. Karen finished T9 with Suzann Pettersen and finished in the top ten of the Tres Maria Championship in Mexico with players such as Ai Miyazoto, Michelle Wie, Na Yeon Choi, Lorena Ochoa, and more. She finished just 9 strokes off from the top spot and took home $25,270. Not bad for a weekend’s work. Alena Sharp finished T18 and new Team VTech member Meaghan Francella finished T39.

And though Ai Miyazoto won this exciting weekend by outlasting Stacy Lewis (274) by one shot  and Michelle Wie (275) by two to take home the top prize of $195,000 (63,72,71,67 total 273), it was the news that Rolex #1 ranked Lorena Ochoa retiring after this tournament that made me a little sad.

For members of Team VTech, she was one the favorites. Her kindness, her skill, her sportsmanship, made her the Miss Congeniality of the LPGA. Though she has decided to retire to focus more on her charitable businesses, her presence and the competitive edge she brought to the tour will be greatly missed.

Though Yani Tseng made a huge splash this weekend with her victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major championship of the 2010 LPGA Tour season, our eyes were on Team VTech member, Karen Stupples. What a difference a week makes! England’s Karen Stupples, who won the 2004 Women’s British Open, began the day on top of the leaderboard at 10-under-par, but struggled in the final round. Karen finished tied for 5th along side Cristie Kerr, Jiyai Shin, and Karrie Webb and walking away with $64,408 in prize money! Karen shot a total of 284 (69,69,68,78) to finish in the top ten.

21-year-old Tseng won her second career major victory today at the famed Dinah Shore Course in Mission Hills Country Club. And with every victory at this tournament, she took her ceremonial leap into Poppie’s Pond.

Be sure to take a look at Karen’s interview on LPGA.com as well.

Congratulations Karen and to all our Team VTech members. Can’t wait to see what the next tournament has in store for the girls.