This year is the 10th staging of the CN Canadian Women’s Open on the Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Priddis, Alberta, Canada. It’s been 10 years since Priddis hosted the LPGA and this week it’ll find its town and greens filled with spectators galore as they come to see 156 players, including all 75 LPGA members on the Official Money list, vying for a veritable King Solomon’s purse prize of $2.75 million. The winner will take home a little over $400,000. Wow!
Australia’s Katherine Hull returns to Canada to defend her 2008 title. But like Cristie Kerr last week at the Safeway, with a new course, will she be able to pull off a repeat? Kerr was unable to mustered a second victory and the Safeway went to rookie M.J. Hur, but we’ll see how the action plays out this week.
Team VTech: Karen Stupples, Diana D’Alessio, Becky Morgan, Alena Sharp and Amy Hung are up in Alberta already swinging away. We’ll be cheering on our girls and our friends this week during the Open. Check back to see what happens.
Team VTech’s Becky Morgan and her caddy Matt
Becky Morgan and Diana D’Alessio enjoying the view from Banff
The sun was slow to show this morning on Ghost Creek at Pumpkin Ridge Golf course for the Finals of the Safeway Classic Presented by Coca Cola as our girls swept the dew. But when it did, another layer of sunscreen had to be applied and fast!
It was a hot day for some hot golf. The race was close and the play intense as Michelle Wie, Anna Nordqvist, Ai Miyazato, Suzann Pettersen and more were vying for the title of champion and the prize money that comes with it. There were some good pairings out on the field today. Last year’s champion and number one on the money list Cristie Kerr was paired with rookie and crowd favorite, Michelle Wie. (Wie has yet to win a major tournament). Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson, Christina Kim and South Korean’s M.J. Hur were lumped up together. Suzann Pettersen, Michele Reman and Natalie Gulbis had the herds following from one hole to another all day. And second day leader Anna Nordqvist was with Japan’s pride and joy, Ai Miyazato and South Korean Seon Hwa Lee.
The leader board showed no outright winner as lunch began this afternoon, but after a strong putt by Suzann Pettersen on the 12th hole, it seemed to many that she was on a roll and would be crowned winner. But, as it turned out, they assumed too quickly as Pettersen dropped from 15-under-par to 12-under-par when she bogeyed the 14th hole and then quickly double bogeyed the 15th, leaving her to birdie the 17th and finish at 13-under-par for the tournament. 18 year veteran Michele Redman, who was grouped with Pettersen, remained consistent throughout as she birdied 5 holes and failed to bogey once, tying her for 13th place. Rounding out the battle for the top of the leaderboard was South Korean M.J. Hur who had 7 birdies today, one of them being an eagle on the 10th hole, hitting a low 65. Hur, a first year rookie, had only a 13T as her career best finish before recording her first major victory today. She walks away with $255,000 in prize money today.
Hur defeated Redman and Pettersen in a two-hole sudden death playoff. 1st round leader Beth Bader finished tied at 20th at 2-over-par, finishing at 5-under-par 211 with the likes of Sandra Gal, last year’s champion Cristie Kerr, Team VTech’s Amy Hung and more. Not a bad way to spend your birthday, right Betty? (Happy Birthday). Team VTech’s Becky Morgan finished tied for 65th, Karen Stupples tied for 49th (with Lorena Ochoa), and Alena Sharp tied for 45th. Anna Nordqvist finished at 7th with 10-under par. Michelle Wie, Ai Miyazato, and Seon Hwa Lee finished tied for 4th at 11 under par and Christina Kim, Angela Stanford and Paige MacKenzie finished tied for 8th at 9 under par.
Next week our girls are off to Canada for the CN Canadian Women’s Open where Canadian favorite and Team VTech member Alena Sharp will go up against Katherine Hull and the rest of the field for a chance at the $2.75 million purse.
Though the weather said “sunny”, the skies opened up once more today on Ghost Creek to give attendees and players a little added bonus and rain play made things more interesting today for some.
After the end of the second round, the field has been cut today for the Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course in North Plains, Oregon. 70 of the world’s best players will advance to tomorrow’s final round of play and compete for $1.7 million purse.
The leader board finds fresh blood as Anna Nordqvist takes over the lead from yesterday’s leader, Beth Bader by 3 strokes. Anna currently leads with a score of 10-under-par 134. Right behind her is recent British Open Ai Miyazato at 9-under-par 135. The Japanese were out in full force cheering on there country’s top female golfer. It’s true what they say, “Wherever Ai goes, businesses benefit from the media frenzy who follow her every move.” South Korean Seon Hwa Lee is tied with Ai for 2nd. And never too far behind from the lead is Suzann Pettersen at 8-under-par 136. 18 year veteran Michelle Redman is tied with Pettersen. Both are just two strokes from striking distance.
Yesterday’s leader Beth Bader is still in the running at 7-under-par, picking up a bogey today.
Cristie Kerr is five strokes back from the top of the leaderboard. After hitting a few trees on hole 15 and then overshooting past the on-looking crowd on 16, it didn’t look like the defending champion would be making much progress up in the ranks.
Team VTech has four players in the finals tomorrow. Karen Stupples, Becky Morgan, Amy Hung and Alena Sharp. They ended on a positive note, all carding under par to perform tomorrow.
*World Golf Halls of Famer Se Ri Pak withdrew prior to the start of the second round today. (Maybe she knew about the rain..?)
Team VTech has been traveling abroad these days, finding themselves in Evian, France to Lancashire, England. Here are a few pictures courtesy of Team VTech member, Diana D’Alessio of her and teammate Becky Morgan back in Becky’s homeland of Wales hitting a few balls. Thanks Sweet D!! We’ll look for our girls to return stateside at the Safeway in Oregon later this month.
Earlier this month, attorney Herb Papenfuss was chosen as our VTech Sweepstakes winner for a trip for 4 to the McDonald’s LPGA Championship in Havre de Grace, MD. Herb saw a VTech internet ad for a chance to win the VTech sweepstakes trip for four and on a whim, entered.”I was very surprised to have won!!”
With a trip for four, who did Herb decide to bring along with him to the tournament? Other than his wife Carole, it was easy for him to decide who to invite. “We have two friends who golf and are always doing nice things for other people (especially elderly people in our church). They never ask for anything in return and don’t have a lot of extra money, so this was a major trip for them.” This was everyone’s first time at a major tournament and they had a wonderful time. Cathy Levering from the LPGA and a great friend to VTech was there to great them on their arrival and treated them like VIPs. “Cathy Levering of the LPGA met us on the first day and showed us the ropes. She introduced us to the VTech players and made sure we got photos and autographs. She also introduced us to Betsy Rawls, a hall of fame member and director of the event. She is such a delightful lady, whose lifetime has been dedicated to her sport.”
Initially Herb knew little about the LPGA and wasn’t an avid golf watchers but may be a convert now. “We weren’t fans of any player (except maybe Michelle Wie) but we soon became a fan of Anna Nordqvist, when we saw her make a fantastic chip shot at the 18th hole on the first day. Add to that the fact that she was a rookie who lead almost the entire way and shot a great final round to win. What a performance! We had the best seats in the house to watch (the skybox at the 18th green ) and we had the option of going into the clubhouse to watch live Golf Channel Coverage.The food and refreshments were first rate and we were even entertained by Ronald McDonald on Sunday.”
His favorite part of the tournament was watching rookie Anna Nordqvist hold off the rest of the field on Sunday to win the Championship.” But the most memorable part was meeting and talking to the Team VTech players. “My wife is from the UK and she had a great talk with Karen Stupples of Team VTech from England, who also married an American. All the girls were so nice to take time out from their day to make us feel welcome.”
Also during their stay, they had a chance to see Baltimore and Annapolis which made the overall experience even more fun. “Everything went smoothly, we met some wonderful people, saw a great tournament, were treated like VIPs and had a vacation in addition and learned a lot about the LPGA. An experience we shall never forget! Thanks VTech!”
Thanks to Herb for sharing his story with us at VTech and congratulations again to him for entering and winning the VTech Sweepstakes. Be sure to check back as we’ll have more opportunities for you to enter and win VTech products, trips and more.
And a special thanks to Cathy Levering from the LPGA who took care of our winners, making them feel right at home and giving them the red carpet treatment. Thanks Cathy, you’re the greatest!!!
South Korean Ji Young Oh came out the winner of the Sybase Classic Presented by ShopRite with a final score of 14-under-par (66-69-69-70 total 274). With her four stroke victory she held off contenders such as Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, and a frustrated Suzann Pettersen who carded bogies the 12th and 17th hole. This marks Ji Young’s first tournament win.
Team VTech saw member Amy Hung finish 5-under-par (70-72-70-71 total 283), leaving her in the top ten, tied for 8th place with Louise Stahle and Candie Kung. Three time winner Sybase Classic winner Lorena Ochoa finished T19, while VTech’s Becky Morgan and Alena Sharp finished T19 and T37.
Next up we see the girls head to the Corning Country Club in New York for the LPGA Corning Classic on May 21st-24th.
Grand Prize Winner will receive Roundtrip arifare for four, hotel accommodations, transportation and a meet-and-greet with several Team VTech LPGA Golfers.
Disclaimer: VTech can provide tickets to ALL LPGA events, excluding USGA events (i.e., The U.S. Open)
As the weather improved, the leader board saw a huge change as Helen Alfredsson, who started off her day at 11-under-par, slowly began to lose her momentum and shot a 76, a far cry from the 62 she shot the day before. She ended round two tied for 4th place at 6-under-par.
Brittany Lincicome took control of the leaderboard at 11-under-par as a slightly irked Suzann Pettersen moved fro third place to second with a 9-under-par. She didn’t seem to have much to smile about as she finished her 18 holes and walked quickly to drop off her scorecard.
Team VTech’s Becky Morgan finished strong with a four-under-par (71,69 total 140), tying her for 11th place, while her teammate Alena Sharp was right behind her T17 with three-under par (70,71 total 141). Amy Hung was even today, keeping her tied for 27th with two-under-par.
Grand Prize Winnerwill receive Roundtrip arifare for four, hotel accommodations, transportation and a meet-and-greet with several Team VTech LPGA Golfers.
Disclaimer: VTech can provide tickets to ALL LPGA events, excluding USGA events (i.e., The U.S. Open)
From sunshine to rain, hot to cold, and windy to standstill, the weather on the first day of the Sybase Classic presented by ShopRite at the Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey made the girls work for par.
As competition commenced on the first day, we caught up with Team VTech along the course.
Karen Stupples waving HI (Finished 5 over)
Alena Sharp (Finished 2 under)
Becky Morgan’s Golf Bag after her round (Finished 1 under)
Diana D’Alessio putting away (Finished 2 over)
Out of all the holes, the 18th seemed to be the most challenging as one by one, seasoned players such as Michelle Wie, Suzann Pettersen and Yani Tseng missed their putts.
But with all the distractions of today’s weather and predictions of sunshine tomorrow, we can only wonder how the leader board will change tomorrow. Will Helen Alfredsson be able to hold onto the top position with her current score of 10-under-par 62?
Round One’s Leader Board stands at : (1) Helen Alfredsson -10 (2) Brittany Lincicome -8 (3) Suzann Pettersen -7 (4) Ji Young Oh -6 (T5) Hee Young Park and Katherine Hull -5 (T7) In-Kyung Kim and Brittany Lang -4 (T9) Jee Young Lee, Jiyai Shin, Hye June Choi and Marcy Hart -3
Grand Prize Winner will receive Roundtrip arifare for four, hotel accommodations, transportation and a meet-and-greet with several Team VTech LPGA Golfers.
Disclaimer: VTech can provide tickets to ALL LPGA events, excluding USGA events (i.e., The U.S. Open)
As the Michelob ULTRA Open slowly winds to a close with Lindsey Wright and Cristie Kerr both on top of the leaderboard tied for first (Lorena Ochoa has slipped to 5th place ) as we head into the final round of competition, Team VTech finds three of its members still in play. Becky Morgan T39 (73-69-70 Total 212), Diana D’Aleesio T48 (69-72-72 Total 213) and Alena Sharp T51 (73,69,72 Total 214). Alena Sharp has also sunk her second hole in one in competition.
And though their razor sharp focus is always on golf! Team VTech takes time out today to wish their mother’s a Happy Mother’s Day with a special thank you to their female role models.
ALENA SHARP:
Alena didn’t really have a female role model growing up. Looking back she realizes how great and hard working her mom was. ” She would work all day and then come home and put dinner on the table.We didn’t eat out a lot like most people do now a days.I respect her for that.” In the world of golf, she looked up and wanted to be like Annika Sorenstam. “She was so dominate on the LPGA and she looked like she was having fun doing it.”
Her favorite LPGA golfer is Juli Inkster. Having played with Juli quite a few times, Alena remarks on how friendly and sarcastic she always is with her. ”She makes me laugh. She is not only a fierce competitor but she is a legend.” But it’s not only her golfing prowess that makes her so great. “She is also a very hip and cool mom.Check out her belts and her outfits off the golf course!”
For Mom:
I love my mom because she is supportive no matter what.She will always be there.She would do anything for my sisters and me.She gave up a lot to get me started on the right track to become a professional golfer.She is my biggest fan.I will never forget when she caddied for me in 2005 at the BMO Tour Championship.She gave up time from work and carried my bag around the Peterborough golf club.On the last hole I asked for her advice on a chip and she looked shocked, didn’t know what to say but of course she was positive and confident with my club selection, needless to say I bogied the hole but we won the tournament!
I just want to say thank you mom for always being there for me thru my successes and failures.It means a lot to me to have your support and love.Even though I am far away in Arizona most of the time, I constantly think about you and miss you.
I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan holds a special meaning for Alena and her mom. “When I went away to college she said that everytime she heard this song it reminded her of me being away as I went to school in New Mexico.”
There weren’t many sports highlighting female athletes on TV when Karen was growing up, so she didn’t really have a role model growing up. But she does recall going to an England women’s field hockey match and thinking “wow there is more to sports than what we do in school.” Now she looks up to women like Hillary Clinton and Margaret Thatcher, both who are strong, highly intelligent and accomplished women, succeeding in a man’s world. “It doesn’t matter what their political views are, just the fact they were driven enough to do it.”
Her favorite LPGA golfer mirrors that of her teammate Alena.”My favourite LPGA golfer has to be Julie Inkster, she succeeded with both being a great champion and a mother.”
For Mom:
With regards to my mum, I feel amazingly blessed that I am her daughter, for allowing my sister and I to do anything we wanted to whether it was dance class, playing a musical Instrument, or sport. Mum always found a way to make it happen. Even when money was tight she saved and made sacrifice for us. I am immensely proud or my mum as she put on hold her dreams for our dreams but when the time was right she got her degree from the open university while working full time. Now that took a lot of hard work and determination.
So thank you mum for letting me grow to be the woman I am now. And thank you for being the best Nanna any daughter could have.
Love Karen and Logan
DIANA D’ALESSIO:
Betsy King was an awesome golfer and when Diana was growing up, she epitomized all that Dee wanted to be. “Successful at her job yet extremely humble.” These are qualities that she still admires. She looks up to people who are passionate and driven to be the best. “I want to know how they get up everyday and work at their craft so diligently. There are some days I just like to be lazy and those people don’t seem to have those days!” Currently she finds LPGA’s Rolex Ranked Number 1 golfer Lorena Ochoa to be a great role model. “She’s so generous and humble. She’s built a bunch of schools in Mexico to help the children of her country… she’s unbelievable.”
For Mom:
I love my mom cause she loves me unconditionally. And she has always supported me throughout my life. Whether it was a high school basketball game or a singing concert, she was always there. And it hasn’t stopped. She doesn’t get to as many tournaments as she’d like, but she’s my biggest supporter.
My mom has always had a lot on her plate. She has a full time job, she also teaches at a local college and she goes to school herself cause she loves to learn (crazy woman). She does all this while coping with the loss of my father in 2003. My mom is extremely courageous because I can only imagine how difficult it is to lose the person you love, but she lives each day to the fullest.
I love you so much. I’m so proud of you for taking everything in stride. I’ll see you Mother’s Day night!!
Love you, Diana
BECKY MORGAN:
There are those who are fortunate to have siblings and there are those who have siblings to look up to. Becky Morgan was the latter, having a twin sister who lead the way and taught her the ropes. “It was really fun growing up together.”
For Mom:
Unfortunately Becky’s mother passed away in 2000 after battling cancer, but notes that she was extremely strong and resilient. “ I was really proud of how she coped.”
Please have you and your loved ones checked today for any signs of cancer. Visit the American Cancer Society for more details.
Grand Prize Winner will receive Roundtrip arifare for four, hotel accommodations, transportation and a meet-and-greet with several Team VTech LPGA Golfers. Maybe you could take your mom??
Disclaimer: VTech can provide tickets to ALL LPGA events, excluding USGA events (i.e., The U.S. Open)
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.
Sweet D swinging away
Home Sweet Home
The perfect backdrop for golf
A quick break between shots
Fore!!
