Inside the Ropes

As the Solheim Cup kicks off this week, we’re still a little sad that Team VTech’s Karen Stupples who recently won the Wales Open a week ago didn’t make the cut for the European Team. She recorded a one-stroke win over South Korean Amy Yang at the Royal St David’s Golf Club in Harlech, finishing at 12-under-par 276, coming from two strokes back in the final round.

Karen Stupples

Our former British Open winner (2004) was a bit disappointed being overlooked by Solheim Cup captain Alison Nicholas after trying so hard. ”I was very, very disappointed at not being in the Solheim Cup. It was always a big goal of mine to be on there and I think to be perfectly honest, I tried too hard to get in. I knew I had to impress Alison to get into the team and I think I was just trying too hard. I’ve come here free of the burden of trying to be selected or trying to prove how good I am or what form I’m in and I think the real Karen Stupples showed up this week.”

We’re glad the real Karen Stupples is here and we look forward to seeing her and the rest of Team VTech in Portland next week for the Safeway Classic at Pumpkin Ridge!

In the meantime, good luck to all the ladies who made the Solheim teams and best of luck with competition this week.

As you may know this is our 5th year sponsoring players on the LPGA and days like yesterday continue to remind us why have elevated our partnership with Tour Pros and the LPGA Tour each year.

Paige Mackenzie invited us to support her Charity Shootout and play in  the 2nd annual event held at The Meridian Country Club in Auburn, Washington. Sunday night the Kickoff party was held at the Muckleshoot Casino - Tournament Manager and possible next Jimmy Buffer hosted the eve amidst what was an oddly busy casino on a Sunday night.  One of our guys suggested that it was busier than a casino in Vegas on a Sunday but I digress…

Monday we tee’d it up at 8am in the shotgun tourney. We were paired up with Julieta Granada, long time friend and LPGA ADT Championship winner in 2006 ( nice first prize: $1 million…). Julieta is actually one of the first players I met on Tour, she was playing with Kim Saiki-Maloney ( our first LPGA Pro sponsorship - we miss you Kim! ) at the old Takefuji Classic in Vegas.  Julieta was awesome to play with and took on a personal mission to work with one of our guests on his game during the round. We were blown away by the transformation of his game through the day and I think he has a new teacher/guru - great work Julieta! Now it’s time to fix my game…

Paige invited 11 of her fellow Pros to play in the event and the other 18 4somes played with Club Pros from around the NW.  It never ceases to amaze me how gracious the LPGA players are, and by the end of the day new friendships were made, good times were had and we all left looking forward to see them all and Team VTech next week here in Portland for the Safeway Classic at Pumpkin Ridge.

I had the pleasure of being invited out the to Jamie Farr Corning Classic for a quick trip this week.  The people of Toledo, like I have found at all stops on the Tour, love the Tour, the Players and were amazing. Well, everyone but the people at *&^%^$% airlines who lost my bags and made the trip a bit insane.

Tuesday night I met most of Team VTech and a number of the Players and Caddies and 21 West for a Pool tourney.  Brittany Lincicome was nice enough to Buy the bar for a few hours and the games began. Sharpy, Sweet D and Shorty where there, along with Audra Burks, Kristi McPherson, Katherine Hull, Meredith Duncan, Sarah “Kempy” Kemp, Paige MacKenzie, Brandi Jackson and many more.  Good times, many tiny beers and many laughs. Big thanks to the whole crew at 21 west and all the ladies for a fun filled eve.

See you next year Toledo!

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.

Over the weekend during the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International, Team VTech’s Karen “Stups” Stupples was admitted to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. She is currently resting comfortably and will be released from the hospital tomorrow. Once discharged, she will return to Palm Springs to recuperate for the next four to six weeks.

Karen, get well soon!

All of us at VTech are wishing Stups a speedy recovery and sending her our love. We look forward to seeing her back on the green soon.

34 year-old Aussie Karrie Webb proved triumphant in today’s final round of the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International, as she nabbed  her 36th career LPGA Tour Victory. She shot a 5-under-par to capture the top position on the leaderboard, leaving South Korean Jiyai Shin, who shot a 2-under-par, to take second place. This victory was an important one for Webb as this marked her first victory in 44 starts since winning the Mizuno Classic in 2006.

Team VTech’s Alena Sharp finished the tournament tied for 52nd place beating out golf phenom Michelle Wie who finished tied for 57th. Last year’s winner and number 1 ranked Lorena Ochoa finished tied for 15th place, while number 2 ranked Yani Tseng finished tied for fourth with Suzann Pettersen.

We’ll look for Team VTech: Alena Sharp, Becky Morgan, Diana D’Alessio, and Karen Stupples at this week’s Kraft Nabisco Championship in Rancho Mirage, CA (April 2nd-5th), where they will once again go up against world number one ranked Lorena Ochoa and a chance at the $2 million dollar purse. 

*Amy Hung will not be competing in the Kraft Nabisco Championship