Inside the Ropes

Lorena Ochoa held onto her lead at the Navistar LPGA Classic after the third round and with an impressive three stroke lead between her and current second place Sandra Gal. Ochoa was 6-under-par 66 for a total 16-under-par . Sandra Gal is 13-under-par. She hit an eagle on her sixth hole. Janice Moodie and Brittany Lang is tied for 3rd with 12-under-par 204. 

Cristie Kerr clocked in 8-under-par today to move up from T68 to tie for 13th at 8-under-par 208. While amateur wunderkid Alexis Thompson carded a 2-over-par to drop from the top ten to tie for 13th alongside Kerr and Michelle Wie. 

Team VTech’s Alena Sharp finished 1-over-par to finish 5-under-par 211 while Diana D’Alessio and Becky Morgan tied for 60 with 2-under-par 214. 

On Sunday, the final round, with the threat of rain, defending champion Lorena Ochoa continued as she had all week/weekend and stayed in the lead and…. won!! She successfully repeated her win and cashed in on the $1.3 million purse by walking away with $195,000. She increased her lead today by 2 strokes and finished 18-under-par 270. Finishing four strokes behind Ochoa were Brittany Lang and Michelle Wie at 14-under-par 274. Wie hit an impressive 6-under-par to clench her second place finish. 

A big surprise in the top ten was our good friend Beth Bader, who finished tied for 6th at 12-under-par 276, and recording a second best.  Another surprise this tournament was junior Alexis Thompson finished T27 with 6-under-par 282. Team VTech’s Alena Sharp also finished T27. Diana D’Alessio finished T61 at even-par 288 and Becky Morgan had a little trouble and dropped to finish at 80 with 5-over-par 293. 

Team VTech continues to do a great job! Congratulations Girls.

With her near victory at last week’s CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge, will Number 1 ranked, Lorena Ochoa be able to keep her focus and defend her 2008 Navistar LPGA  Classic title this week?

Let’s hope she can as the girls of the LPGA head down to Prattville, Alabama this week for the last tournament of the regular season goes under way. 

Only in its third year at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s The Senator Course has attracted some of the top players in the world. One of the most popular sites on Alabama’ s Capitol Hill in Prattville, it features three 18-hole championship courses. Last year’s top 10 finishers will all be back this year on Senator course, with its 150+ pot-hole bunkers and mounds that are 20 to 40 ft in height,  as they attempt to win $1.3 million.

We wish out Team VTech girls luck and will check back as the tournament goes under way.

This past weekend, the LPGA and Team VTech returned to the Blackhawk Country Club for the  CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge. In-Kyung Kim was there to defend her championship title, which she earned by holding off Angela Stanford by three strokes in 2008. If she won a back-to-back, she would have joined Juli Inkster as the only player to do so. Unfortunately, other players had winning in mind as well. 

The opening round saw 132 of the world’s best playing for a purse prize of $1.1 million.  Tour veteran Sophie Gustafson took the lead in the first round shooting a 7-under-par 65. Finishing the 1st day two strokes ahead of Na Ri Kim, Angela Stanford, and Sophia Sheridan. Lorena Ochoa came back from a few disappointing starts in the past tournaments to fire off a 68 to finish 4-under-par to put her in a five-person tie for fifth. Defending champion In-Kyung Kim finished 1-over-par 73, 8 strokes back from the lead. Team VTech had some strong plays today as well. Both Alena Sharp and Diana D’Alessio finished tied for 20th at 2-under-par 70, Karen Stupples T64 at 1-over-par 73, and Becky Morgan and Amy Hung were T80 at 2-over-par 74.

On day two,  Gustafson maintained control of the leaderboard with 10-under-par 134 with a one stroke lead heading into round three. Close behind are Maria Hjorth, Lorena Ochoa and Shanshan Feng (the only tour players from China), each with 9-under-par 135. 

Sharpy was even today, remaining at 2-under-par 142, but moving down to T32. Stups shot 2-under-par moving up to 1-under-par, 143 and T39, along side Team VTech teammate, Dee, who shot 1-over-par but remains 1-under-par. Becky Boots stayed even to remain at 2-over-par 146 and T67. 

All four girls made the cut and moved into the final round during the weekend. They competed against 79 players this weekend for $1.1 million in prize money. 

At the end of day two saw the withdrawals of Johanna Mundy, Jane Park and Jiyai Shin. Shin, who is currently holding the top spots in three categories: money, Rookie of the Year and Rolex Player of Year may have hurt her chances of winning all three. To win Rookie of the Year and Rolex Player of the Year is something that hasn’t been achieved since Nancy Lopez in 1978 and would surely make her a household name. But we’ll wait and see.

On day three we saw number one ranked Lorena Ochoa go neck and neck with Gustafson as they finished tied for 1st with 16-under-par 200. Angela Stanford and Sun Young Yoo are 6 strokes behind in second with 10-under-par 206. Morgan Pressel, Leta Lindley, Amanda Blumenherst, and Christina Kim have moved up into the top ten. 

Team VTech’s Alena Sharp keeps consistent and is the sole person holding the 24th spot on the leaderboard with 5-under-par 211. Great job Alena!! Dee is T49 at even-par 216. Stups is T59 at 1-over-par 217, and Becky is T65 at 2-over-par 218.

And after four days of great golf, Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson comes out on top as the winner of this year’s CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge. She holds of Lorena Ochoa by 4 strokes to win at 20-under-par 268. Rounding out the top ten were Amy Yang, Sun Young Yoo who took part in the P&G sudden death shoot out with Angela Stanford and Jiyai Shin, Amanda Blumenherst, Maria Hjorth, Angela Stanford, Katherine Hull, Reilley Rankin and this year’s British Open winner Catriona Matthew. 

Team VTech’s Sharpy finished strong tied for 24th at 5-under-par 283. Dee finished T53 at 1-over-par 289, Becky Boots  at T64 at 3-over-par 291, and Stups rounding it out T67 ay 4-over-par 292. 

A great tournament, a great weekend and a great outing for our girls! This week they head to Alabama for the Navistar LPGA Classic. Check back to see how the girls do this weekend. 

This weekend was full of surprises. From random drug testing that was happening to the unfortunate few that got chosen after an exhausting 18 holes on the course to a top ten scoreboard dominated by South Koreans, I didn’t know what else could happen. The weather channel had been promising rain all weekend long, a thunderstorm to be exact, and on Sunday, it finally came. I had heard rain horror stories about this two year old tournament. The first two years was plagued with rain outs and delays. I hadn’t even seen a sprinkle since I arrived  so I waited with bated  breath for the storm that they said would befall us. The “storm” came, but a storm it was not. A few showers and gusty winds, but it seemed like the notion of rain was enough to keep the crowds away. There were more people there on Saturday for the qualifying round then there were on the final day of the tournament. A shame really because they missed some great golf.

From 7am tee times to gusty winds driving balls into trees and even into other holes, it was a day filled with unforeseen outcomes. The scoreboard was a tizzy with players jumping from under par to way over par. A few clubs were thrown, a few profanities uttered, mostly in foreign languages, as players tried to regain the momentum they had the day before.

And as the small crowds followed the likely crew of favorites, it was the Koreans who were staying on top. From one tie to another to a three way tie to a possible four way tie, everyone was on the edge of their seats to see who the leader would be. Jiyai Shin, who teed off at 7:22 am, finished at 9-under-par and waited around to see the final results. Angela Stanford and Sun Young Yoo managed to match her score for the day, and we waited to see Song-Hee Kim do the same as she had lead the day before. With her unfortunate miss at her last hole, she left the leaderboard in a three way tie that needed to be untied. And  in the end, South Korean Jiyai Shin won the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship after  surviving the tournament’s first ever sudden-death playoff against Angela Stanford and Sun Young Yoo. She birdied the 15th hole to win her third tournament this year and extend her lead as top runner for the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year and has jumped over Cristie Kerr on the money list. The 21-year-old is now in prime position to win Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year and Rolex Player of the Year, making her a household name and claiming an honor that hasn’t been claimed in over 30 years, not since Nancy Lopez in 1979!!

In the end, there were seven South Koreans in the top ten, but among them was our very own Team VTech’s BECKY MORGAN!! She finished 9th at 5-under-par 208 and did an amazing job out on the course! Last year’s champion Seon Hwa Lee came back from T106  3-over-par 74 on day one to finish T10 at 4-under-par 209. Alena Sharp finished T54 at 3-over-par 216 and Karen Stupples finished T69 at 6-over-par 219.

It was a great weekend in Arkansas. Great weather, great golf, great girls!! As I boarded my connecting flight with Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer, Pat Hurst, Brittany Lincicome, Yani Tseng, etc., I was excited at the notion of going home and not walking 36 holes a day from morning till night. But also excited to see them again at the next tournament to see who comes out on top. With Samsung this week and Danville next week, we’ll keep our eyes open to see how the race pans out.

Hi-ya! The chop has come down and the field has been cut from 145 to 75 for tomorrow’s final round.

Today we were promised thundershowers, and those with an afternoon tee time dreaded the idea of playing in mucky conditions. But thank goodness their prayers were answered and not a drop was seen. Though the winds grew stronger as the day progressed.

It was another great day out on the course, especially for the South Koreans. At one point, they were in a five way tie for the lead! But one broke away from the pack to claim the title of #1 after round two, three year LPGA tour member, Song-Hee Kim. She shot a 9-under-par 133 and is holding Angela Stanford at bay by two strokes. Stanford is at 7-under-par 135. Out of the top ten positions, 7 out of 1o are currently being held by South Koreans. Out of those 7 is recent Safeway Champion M.J. Hur who had a solid round of golf and maybe hungry for another title. 

Team VTech also had a great day with four of our players moving into the final round.  Karen Stupples was 1-over-par today to fall back just one stroke, but good enough to remain tied for 15th at 3-under-par 139. Amy Hung shot 3-under-par to move her into a tie for 24th, Becky Morgan shot 2-under-par today for a total of 1-under-par 141, and Alena Sharp shot 2-over-par to finish 1-over-par 143, beating the cut score of 2-over-par. Yesterday’s leader, Sandra Gal was 5-over-par and fell to 2-under-par 140. Maybe it was all the media attention and the sizable crowd that distracted her?

We’ll see what happens tomorrow at the Pinnacle Country Club Golf Course for the final round of the P&G NW Arkansas Championship as the weather channel still insists that rain is in our forecast. Let’s hope they’re wrong again the the storm stays south and the golf stays hot!

Today was a good day for golf. With the flag pins replaced with mini American flags to remember those we lost eight years ago, the mood was quiet yet upbeat amongst the golfers and the crowd. The weather was good, the wind minimal, and the course in excellent form. And though it was a Friday and technically still a work day, heaps of onlookers and fans showed up to cheer on their favorite players.

We had the usual herd of eager Michelle Wie fans cheering her on as she was paired with Natalie Gulbis and Brittany Lincicome. (Michelle finished tied for 21st at 2-under-par 69.) While others had local fans from long before they ever decided to turn pro. Though Team VTech’s Karen Stupples graduated from Florida State University, before she transfered she spent a year in Arkansas. During that year, Karen made an indelible impression on the people she met and they came out to support her today. One of them just happened to be her old coach, Coach Abel. (Karen finished in a five way tie for 4th at 4-under-par 67.)

As the day continued, it definitely felt like summer with the humidity and temperatures in the low 80’s, but as the cooling winds blew through the trees on the Pinnacle Golf Course, you could feel a change coming. Though the course was a vibrant shade of green, you couldn’t ignore the yellowing leaves scattered upon the ground. Two more months and the season will be over. But let’s not think about that, let’s focus on the golf.

At the end of the day, we find Germany’s Sandra Gal #1!, for now anyway. With a score of 7-under-par 64, she takes the lead with Song-Hee Kim a stroke behind. It was a day for ups and downs in scoring. A very frustrated Brittany Lincicome finished 6-over-par, while many top players are 1-over-par or higher. Tomorrow, 145 of the world’s best players will try again, hoping to make it to Sunday’s final round and a chance to win the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship and that $1.8 million purse. Last year’s defending champion Seon Hwa Lee faced a little difficulty and showed some frustration as she finished her day tied for 105th at 3-over-par 74. Team VTech’s Alena Sharp is T37 at 1-under-par, Amy Hung and Becky Morgan are 1-over-par and Diana D’Alessio is T138 at 6-over-par 77.

So let’s make a prayer to the putting gods to help our girls do their best and hopefully, those thundershowers that are suppose to show up around noon will decide to take the weekend off and give our girls some good golf weather.

Here’s to hoping for a dry tomorrow.

Tomorrow, in Rogers, Arkansas at the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship Presented by John Q. Hammons, South Korean and 2006 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Seon Hwa Lee and some of the world’s best players will play for $1.8 million purse. We’ll see if Lee has what it takes to defend her title for another year. 

The three day event will he held at the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas on their lush, green course. And though the tournament has been held here before, we’ll see if any of the players notice the $6.2 million renovation that the course went through from August 2008 to June 2009 that changed playing surfaces and modified intricate parts of each hole. 

We’ve got an early tee in the morning, so let’s hope the weather stays clear and the golf is good tomorrow as the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship gets underway.

Out on the Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Priddis, Alberta, Canada, Norway’s Suzann Pettersen has won the CN Canadian Women’s Open with a score of 15-under-par 269, winning a pretty purse prize worth $412,500. Holding on to the lead she gained in round 2 and extended in round 3, she was five full strokes ahead of her contenders and finally broke her winless streak. The closest group behind Pettersen at 10-under-par 274 consisted of Momoko Ueda, Morgan Pressel, Ai Miyazato, Angela Stanford, and Karrie Webb, all tied for 2nd. Anna Nordqvist finished T8 at 8-under-par 276. 

Team VTech’s one representative in the weekend portion of the CN Canadian Women’s Open was Karen Stupples. Stups finished T40th at 2-over-par 286. 

Check in next week when the girls are in Rogers, Arkansas for the P&G Tournament and some new excitement on the course.

I think Suzann Pettersen might still be upset about last weekend. Remember? She was up 15-under-par and sitting on top of the leaderboard only to bogey and double bogey two shots in a row. Then lost in a two shot sudden-death playoff to M.J. Hur. Being that close to victory and not winning can leave a bitter taste in your mouth. But she isn’t getting mad.. she’s getting even.

Pettersen has decided she’s going to win and she’s going to win big and though there’s still a final day of play, she took advantage of her playing and wind conditions and has extended her lead. She leads by five strokes a 14-under-par 199 with Angela Stanford at 9-under-par 204. Karrie Webb is in 3rd with 8-under-par 205.

Team VTech’s Karen Stupples is tied for 46th at 2-over-par. We’ll wish her well as we move into weekend play.

Today is cut day at the CN Canadian Women’s Open and 74 players of 156 carded 1-over-par or better to advance to weekend play. Among those 74 players are Lorena Ochoa, Yani Tseng, VTech’s Karen Stupples and Ai Miyazato.

On top of the leaderboard currently tied for 1st is Safeway runner up Norway’s Suzann Pettersen and South Korean Song-Hee Kim at 9-under-par 133. And right behind are recent British Open winner Catriona Matthew and Rolex Number One Lorena Ochoa at 8-under-par 134. Kim set a tournament  record with shooting a 9-under-par in her second round. 

Last year’s defending champion Katherine Hull failed to qualify for weekend play.