Inside the Ropes

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.

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.

The 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship in Rancho Mirage, California draws more than 100 of the best woman golfers in the world. This weekend, we’ll see defending champion, Lorena Ochoa, go up against Yani Tseng, Na Yeon Choi, Paula Creamer, and Team VTech’s Alena Sharp, Becky Morgan and Diana D’Alessio, as well as other top ranked amateurs in the country as they attempt to break the $2 million dollar bank.

As play begins and the field narrows,  we’ll  look forward to seeing who’ll be this year’s “Lady of the Lake” at the Mission Hills Country Club, Dinah Shore Tournament Course.  With a celebratory dive at the 18th hole of the Kraft Nabisco Championship for the winner, this is one of the most thrilling finishes in all of professional sports.

Keep watch to see who will be able to top Lorena Ochoa’s 25 member Mexican fiesta pool party from 2008 as the Kraft Nabisco Championship gets under way.