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1. LPGA news and notes
2. Race for the Cup

1. LPGA news and notes

Stanford wins season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay
Texan records third victory in last seven starts

KAHUKU, OAHU, Hawaii, Feb. 14, 2009 - Angela Stanford picked up right where she left off in 2008 with a victory at the season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay. On a day where much of the focus was on LPGA Tour rookie and Hawaii native Michelle Wie, Stanford pulled away with three late birdies to edge Wie by three strokes at 10-under-par 206 (65-71-70). Dating back to September 2008, Stanford now has three victories in her last seven starts and has finished no worse than sixth place in that span.

"The win this week, to be perfectly honest, I'm a little surprised," said Stanford, after claiming the $180,000 first-place check. "I didn't have high expectations and I knew there were things that I need to keep working on. As for the way it's been going, I know I say this over and over and over, but I'm just having so much fun."

Stanford and Wie began the day locked at 8-under-par, both getting to 9-under-par early before Stanford flew the green on hole six and made bogey. Wie countered with an 18-foot birdie putt on nine to take the lead by two and extended it to three strokes when Stanford made bogey on 10 after two-putting from 20 feet. The momentum swung in Stanford's favor on 11 when Wie hit her drive into a water hazard and made double bogey. Stanford took advantage of the mistake by tacking on three consecutive birdies on holes 13, 14 and 15 to lock-up her fourth career LPGA Tour victory.

"I felt like I played pretty solid, just had one bad hole that I just, you know, kind of was disappointed about," said Wie, who pocketed just over $108,000 as runner-up. "I feel pretty good with my game. Obviously, right now I am a little disappointed, but I can take a lot of positive thoughts from this week."

Wie fell three strokes short of becoming the first-ever LPGA Tour rookie to win her first event as a member. This is Wie's second runner-up finish at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay dating back to 2005, when she tied for second as an amateur. She has now finished second five times on the LPGA Tour - three times as an amateur, once as a non-member professional and this week as a member.

Ranked ninth in the world according to the Rolex Rankings entering the SBS Open at Turtle Bay, Stanford has now held the final-round lead in each of her four career victories. The 31-year-old tied the three-day tournament record of 10-under-par set by 2006 champion Joo Mi Kim and matched by 2008 champion Annika Sorenstam.

Stanford in her last seven events.

Valentine's Day victories in LPGA Tour history.
1953 - Beverly Hanson, Boca Raton Weathervane
1954 - Beverly Hanson, St. Petersburg Open
1960 - Beverly Hanson, St. Petersburg Open
1961 - Louise Suggs, Royal Poinciana Invitational
1982 - Hollis Stacy, S&H Golf Classic
1988 - Patty Sheehan, Sarasota Classic
1999 - Catrin Nilsmark, Valley of the Stars Championship Presented by Yamaha
2009 - Angela Stanford, SBS Open at Turtle Bay

Rolex Rankings move of the week

Stanford moves up two spots; Choi, Park enter top 20. After earning her fourth career LPGA victory at the season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay last week, Angela Stanford jumped two spots in the latest Rolex Rankings to sixth. The nine-year LPGA Tour member held or shared the lead in all three rounds of the event, as she finished at 10-under-par 206, three strokes ahead of runner-up and Tour rookie Michelle Wie. Second-year player Na Yeon Choi and third-year player Angela Park moved into the top-20 of this week's rankings after ties for third last week in Hawaii. Choi moved up six spots to 18th place, while Park went from 26th to 19th place.

The Rolex Rankings 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 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.

Aruba Sport named official sunglass provider of Duramed FUTURES Tour. The Duramed FUTURES Tour announces Aruba Sport as the tour's official sunglass provider. As an official sponsor, Aruba Sport will be the exclusive brand of sunglasses promoted to Duramed FUTURES Tour tournament organizers. Additionally, the company will provide Duramed FUTURES Tour players with sunglasses complete with microfiber carry bags bearing the Tour's logo. Aruba Sport manufactures more than 10 styles of performance sunglasses, including prescription lenses. The company specializes in sunglasses designed to enhance comfort and visibility for competitive athletes.

Stanford earns a stay at Canyon Ranch. With her victory at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay, Angela Stanford earned an all-inclusive stay for two at a Canyon Ranch resort. In a combined effort to promote health and overall well-being among Tour players, Canyon Ranch will provide every winner of an LPGA event with one all-inclusive stay at one of Canyon Ranch's two destination resorts.

Dates set for 2009 LPGA Qualifying Tournaments. The 2009 schedule for the LPGA Qualfiying Tournaments has been announced. The two sectional qualifiers will be held first from Thursday, Sept. 17 to Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., followed by Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla., from Tuesday, Sept. 29 to Friday, Oct. 2, 2009. The top-30 finishers, including ties, from each event will go on to compete in the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., Wednesday, Dec. 2 to Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. Current LPGA Tour members needing to re-earn their cards or looking to improve their status will automatically advance to the final stage. Last year, Stacy Lewis won the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament by three strokes over Amy Yang.

Davies outlasts Elosegui for ALPG title. England's Laura Davies notched her 52nd international victory last weekend at the 2009 Women's Australian Open, hosted at Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. Davies, who also has 20 LPGA Tour victories, carded a 7-under-par 285 (74-76-67-68) to edge out 2009 LPGA Tour rookie and Ladies European Tour (LET) member Tania Elosegui, of Spain (69-72-75-70=286, -6). It is Davies' second career Women's Australian Open, last winning the event in 2004.

Creamer to launch fragrance line. Eight-time LPGA Tour winner Paula Creamer has plans to create a new fragrance line under Paula Creamer Beauty LLC. Key markets will have access to the brand in late spring, with a full release in early spring 2010.

2. Race for the Cup

With her victory at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay, Angela Stanford earned 60 points toward a spot on the 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup team. Stanford, who was ranked third in U.S. Solheim Cup points entering the week behind Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr, is now second behind Creamer. Michelle Wie earned 30 points in her bid to qualifying for the team in just one season.

The 2009 event will be played at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill., Aug. 21-23. Considered the most prestigious international team event in women's professional golf, the U.S. squad leads the European Team 7-3 and has never lost on home soil. Players will earn one-and-a-half times the points this season because it is a Solheim Cup year.


U.S. Team Points (as of Feb. 15, 2009)

European Team Points (as of Feb. 15, 2009)

Topics: News and Notes