1. Rolex Rankings move of the week: Miyazato continues to advance
2. Next week: Hana Bank • KOLON Championship, Sky 72 Golf Club, Ocean Course, Incheon, South Korea, $1,700,000, October 30-November 1, 2009
3. LPGA stars lose in separate playoffs
4. Matthew nominated for Sunday Times Sportwoman of the Year
5. Klein inducted to ASU Hall of Fame
6. Hull to gain entry to Pepperdine University Athletics Hall of Fame
7. Upcoming event: Mizuno Classic, Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club, Shima-shi, Mie, Japan, $1,400,000, November 6-8, 2009
1. Rolex Rankings move of the week: Miyazato continues to advance
Japan's Ai Miyazato continued to improve her position on the Rolex Rankings with a runner-up finish at the Fujitsu Ladies on the LPGA of Japan (JLPGA) yesterday. Miyazato, who became a Rolex First-Time Winner in July at the Evian Masters, moved from ninth to eighth in the world this week.
The Rolex Rankings (www.rolexrankings.com) are sanctioned by the five major women's professional golf tours: the LPGA; Ladies European Tour (LET); Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan (LPGA of Japan); Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA); Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG); as well as the Ladies Golf Union (LGU), which administers the RICOH Women's British Open.
The Rolex Ranking Board and Technical committee recently agreed on several modifications to the Strength of Field calculations which include: an increase in the World Points factor from 200 to 400; a minimum value of 100 for Strength of Field for all Tours, except the Duramed FUTURES Tour; and the implementation of a true Strength of Field calculation for Duramed FUTURES Tour events, rather than the fixed points ratio of the past.
The Rolex Rankings are the only women's world rankings that incorporate player performances from the five major tours and the Duramed FUTURES Tour, the official developmental tour of the LPGA.
2. Next week: Hana Bank • KOLON Championship, Sky 72 Golf Club, Ocean Course, Incheon, South Korea., $1,700,000, October 30-November 1, 2009
Par: 36-36, 72
Yardage: 6,409
Format: 54-hole stroke play
Winner: $255,000
Runner-up: $158,591
Field: 69 players
Defending champion: Candie Kung
Victory margin: Defeated Katherine Hull by one stroke
Media center: 011-82-1544-7002
LPGA media contact: Jason Taylor
3. LPGA stars lose in separate playoffs
Two LPGA stars lost in separate playoffs on opposite sides of the world on Sunday. Japan's Ai Miyazato, a Rolex First-Time Winner this season at the Evian Masters, lost in a four-hole, sudden-death playoff to Australia's Nikki Campbell at the Fujitsu Ladies on the LPGA of Japan (JLPGA) yesterday. England's Laura Davies, a 20-time LPGA winner, lost in a three-hole, sudden-death playoff to Norway's Marianne Skarpnord at the Carta Si Ladies Italian Open on the Ladies European Tour (LET).
4. Matthew nominated for Sunday Times Sportwoman of the Year
Scot Catriona Matthew has been one of six athletes nominated for the United Kingdom's Sunday Times Sportwoman of the Year. Matthew, who won the 2009 RICOH Women's British Open just weeks after giving birth to her second daughter, also earned a spot on the European Solheim Cup Team thanks to the victory. Matthew, who has been a member of the LPGA since 1995, has three official Tour victories, one unofficial victory earlier this season at the HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup 2009, and made five appearances on the European Solheim Cup Team.
The 2009 Sunday Times Sportwoman of the Year voting will close at midnight Oct. 27 and voting is taking place online at: www.timesonline.co.uk/sportswomen. The winner will be announced at an awards luncheon on Nov. 3, at the David Beckham Academy in London.
In addition to Matthew, the finalists include: Jessica Ennis, heptathlon; Victoria Pendleton, cycling; Gemma Spofforth, swimming; Claire Taylor, cricket; Chrissie Wellington, women's Ironman triathlon.
5. Klein inducted to ASU Hall of Fame
On Saturday, Oct. 17, three-time LPGA Tour winner Emilee Klein was among the Class of 2009 for the Arizona State University (ASU) Sports Hall of Fame. Klein, who is the women's golf coach at San Diego State University, played for the Sun Devils from 1992-94, and helped lead the team to two national team titles and garnered her own NCAA Division I individual national championship in 1994. That same year, she was named Golfweek Magazine's Collegiate Player of the Year and earned a spot on the U.S. Curtis Cup team.
One year later, she earned 1995 LPGA Rookie of the Year honors to kick-off an 11-year Tour career, before stepping away to coach collegiately, first at the University of Central Florida and, as of July, San Diego State University.
Klein was the 14th women's golfer inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame and was joined by Katie Freeland, gymnastics; Christine Garner, volleyball; Juan Roque, football; Cappi Siefarth, women's swimming; Mike Sodders, baseball; Morrison Warren, football; and the men's 4x800 relay team from 1984.
6. Hull to gain entry to Pepperdine University Athletics Hall of Fame
Katherine Hull, originally of Australia, but a past member of the Pepperdine University Women's Golf Team, will be one of seven individuals inducted into the Pepperdine University Athletics Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills, Calif.
Hull's Hall of Fame class includes: Doug Christie, men's basketball; Geoffrey Clark, men's water polo; Bob Ctvrtlik, men's volleyball; Kelly Jones, men's tennis; John Rettberg, men's basketball; and Rod Wilde, men's volleyball.
Highlighting her six-year LPGA Tour career was Hull becoming a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2008 CN Canadian Women's Open. She has also become a leader along with Betsy King in the LPGA Tour member initiative Golf Fore Africa through World Vision.
7. Upcoming event: Mizuno Classic, Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club, Shima-shi, Mie, Japan, $1,400,000, November 6-8, 2009
Par: 36-36, 72
Yardage: 6,506
Format: 54-hole stroke play
Winner: $210,000
Runner-up: $127,776
Field: 78 players
Defending champion: Jiyai Shin
Victory margin: Defeated Mayu Hattori by six strokes
Tournament information: 011-81-6-6820-2010