Inside the Ropes

It’s always nice when a weekend’s work of hard work yields you a prize purse of $225,000. Ah, to be able to golf… to swing a club and hit a ball 200+ screaming yards and then putt it into a little teeny tiny hole and win. And while the rest of us sit at our desks cursing our less than sporty genetics, the girls on the LPGA are cleaning up on the course and playing a great season.

This weekend, Ai Miyazato, Japan’s golf girl #1, won the Safeway Classic presented by Cocoa-Cola at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course, Ghost Creek Golf Course in North Plains, OR with a score of 11-under-par, total 205. With this win, the flip flop game that has been taking place with the Rolex Rankings this year will most likely continue with Ai’s #2 ranking becoming #1 yet again. The top ten slots had the familiar names we’ve seen all season long, Na Yeon Choi, Cristie Kerr, Suzann Pettersen, Song-Hee Kim, In-Kyung Kim, Jiyai Shin, etc, all within two to four strokes behind the leader.

And speaking of familiar names, Team VTech’s Becky Morgan finished T29 at 1-under-par, total 215, with Alena Sharp T37 at even, total 216 (same as Michelle Wie), Beth Bader T45 with 2-over-par, total 217 (same as Yani Tseng), and Diana D’Alessio at 75th at 12-over-par, total  228. Our girls played great this year, and considering the company they kept in score, it was a tough one, but they pulled through! Great job and congratulations Team VTech!!

*M.J. Hur missed the cut and was unable to defend her title.

After a few weeks off, the girls are back!! This weekend, they head to Portland, Oregon (VTech territory) to compete at the 38th annual Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club’s Ghost Creek Course for the second consecutive year.

It’ll be  star studded event with the top 15-players on the Rolex Ranking list and defending champion M.J. Hur competing for the title. And our Team VTech girls will be gunning for the top spot as well!

Last year we saw some great golf action on the 54 hole course, and we’re hoping for the same this year, if not more! So if you’re attending the Safeway Classic, be sure to say hi to Team VTech, Karen Stupples, Alena Sharp, Becky Morgan, Diana D’Alessio, Beth Bader, and Meghan Francella, and wish them luck!!

Here’s to another great weekend of golf brought to you by VTech and the LPGA.

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.

By capturing 8 out of 10 of the top ten positions at this year’s  Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger, S. Korea had a very strong showing. But out of everyone, Na Yeon Choi (14-under-par, total 270) came out on top. She outlasted In-Kyung Kim, Song-Hee Kim, and Christina Kim in an overtime two-hole sudden-death playoff after all four players missed their first hole and parred the par-5 18th. Choi made a 3-footer for birdie on the par-5 17th hole at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio to take home her third LPGA victory.

Team VTech had an amazing showing at this year’s Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic with team member Alena Sharp tied for 10th alongside Stacy Prammanasudh, Azahara Munoz and Kristy McPherson 10-under-par (total 274). Not far behind was Diana D’Alessio tied for 17th at 8-under-par, 276 total, Meaghan Francella, tied 22  with 7-under-par, (total 277) and to round it out, Karen Stupples tied 39 at 4-under-par (total 280).

We couldn’t be happier with our members placing in the top 50 and 3 out of the 4 finishing in the top 25! Incredible ladies! We’re so proud of you!

This week, the LPGA is heading to the US Open and another week of more exciting golf to be sure. Keep it here at Inside the Ropes for your golf updates.

And we’re back! The LPGA returns this week to Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio for the 26th annual Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger, one of the longest-running tournaments on the LPGA schedule. 150 golfers will be competing this weekend for a tournament purse of $1 million and a first place prize of $150,000.

Keep an eye out as six former champions are set to play this week including defending champion Eunjung Yi, as well as the amazing ladies of Team VTech. Karen, Alena, Diana, Becky, Beth, and Meaghan.. we’re wishing you the best of luck!!

Cristie Kerr won the LPGA Championship Presented by Wegmans this weekend by a staggering 12-strokes over Song-Hee Kim and broke the record for the largest winning margin in LPGA Championship history.  The previous record of 11 shots was held by Betsy King in 1992. Kerr is now the owner of 14 LPGA tournament titles and is projected to become the first American to take over the No. 1 position in the Rolex Rankings.  Kerr held on to her first-round lead and never let go.

Team VTech’s Meaghan Francella continues to do well this season with a 7th place finish!! Top Ten!! She tied with players such as Morgan Pressel, Inbee Park, and Jimin Kang finishing 3-under-par and a total of 285. And Alena Sharp finished T47.

What will happen next week? With so many players in the running for Rolex Rankings No.1 player, it’s anyone’s guess who will remain on top. With her victory today Kerr is projected to be the new No.1, knocking out Ai Miyazato who’s only held the position for a week. And close behind is Jiyai Shin. But with the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger coming up, we’ll have to wait to see if the ranks shift again.

Congrats to Meaghan for her amazing Top Ten finish and we wish her and all our Team VTech members much luck at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic!!

The LPGA Championship presented by Wegmans is bringing with it the best lady professional golfers in the sport to Locust Hill Country Club, in Pittsford NY to compete in one of the most coveted events of the season.  For the first time, the The LPGA Championship presented by Wegmans hosts a Major!

Watch at Team VTech go up against last year’s champion Anna Nordqvist who defeated Lindsey Wright by four strokes. Will the margin be even bigger this year or will a sudden death playoff be in the works? The only way you’ll find out is by watching or keeping it locked here with Inside the Ropes and Team VTech.

We’re wishing our girls the best this weekend!!

Japan’s Ai Miyazato picks up another win with her victory at the ShopRite LPGA Championship. She finished 16-under-par (66,67,74 = 197) defeating her closest competitor M.J. Hur by two strokes. This victory pushes Miyazato to the top of the Rolex Rankings No. 1 come Monday morning. Suzann Pettersen (-12), Paula Creamer ( -10), Angela Stanford (-9), and Karine Icher (-9) are some of the players who finished in the top ten.

Team VTech had a strong weekend with Beth Bader (-4) finishing tied for 22nd and Karen Stupples (-3) and Diana D’Alessio (-3) both tied for 35th.

Next week the ladies head to Pittsford, NY to compete in the LPGA Championship Presented by Wegmans and a purse worth $2.25 million. Good luck ladies!!

Though there was plenty of action on the green, the weather took it upon itself to make it even more interesting during the 35th LPGA State Farm Classic. Lightning suspending play during the third round play on Saturday and again on Sunday, and the tournament finally finished up on Monday without any further delays. And who came out victor? Cristie Kerr edged out Anna Nordqvist and Na Yeon Choi with a score of 22-under-par (67,67,63,69 =266)

Team VTech had a strong showing with Alena Sharp finishing T14 at 15-under-par ((66,68,71,68 =273). After the second round, Alena was in 3rd place with 10-under-par, and though she didn’t finish in the top ten, she hung on strong and did an amazing job!  Diana D’Alessio finished T36 at 9-under-par (69,70,70,70=279) and Meaghan Francella T65 at 3-under-par (70,72,70,73=285).

Stay tuned for next weeks round up from the LPGA Tournament as they continue and keep cheering on the girls of Team VTech!

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.