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.

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. 

With a $2.75 million purse, players will be giving it their all this week (especially when facing wind gusts passing 30 mph!!) at the CN Canadian Women’s Open this week at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Alberta, Canada. After the first round, we find second-year Tour member, Australian Anna Rawson at 7-under-par 64, giving her a course record. But right behind her is Norway’s Suzann Pettersen at 6-under-par 65, went bogey free this round, and is hungry for a victory since her sudden-death playoff defeat last weekend at the Safeway Classic in Oregon.

Karen Stupples

After a disappointing time at Safeway, Lorena Ochoa is back in action! She’s currently tied for third, with Amanda Blumenherst, after a strong finish at 5 -under-par 66. Paige Mackenzie, Anna Nordqvist, Team VTech’s Karen Stupples, last week’s Safeway Classic winner M.J. Hur, and several others are tied for 9th at 3-under-par 68. Team VTech’s Alena Sharp and Amy Hung are tied for 67th at 1-over-par 72, Becky Morgan is tied for 83rd at 2-over-par 73, and Diana D’Alessio is tied for 112 at 4-over-par 75.

Defending champion, fellow Australian Katherine Hull, is currently 2-over-par 73 and tied for 83rd.

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..?)