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1. Ochoa looks to 'keep it going' at HSBC Women's Champions
Elite field boasts many of the world's champions from 2008, start of 2009
2. LPGA news and notes
3. This week: HSBC Women's Champions, Tanah Merah Country Club, Garden Course, Singapore, $2,000,000, March 5-8, 2009; TV Times
4. Upcoming event: MasterCard Classic Honoring Alejo Peralta Presented by Nextel, BosqueReal Country Club, Huixquilucan, Mexico, $1,300,000, March 20-22, 2009
5. Race for the Cup
6. Rolex Rankings move of the week

1. Ochoa looks to 'keep it going' at HSBC Women's Champions
Elite field boasts many of the world's champions from 2008, start of 2009

SINGAPORE - In her champion's speech last week, Lorena Ochoa challenged her caddie to 'keep it going.' Ochoa enters this week's HSBC Women's Champions as the defending champion with one victory under her belt in 2009 - 25 since 2003 - and looking for a second.

In 2008, Ochoa launched her campaign for her third consecutive Rolex Player of the Year award with a win at the inaugural HSBC Women's Champions, which, again, boasts a $2 million purse in 2009. The win sparked the first of five wins in her first six events entered. With a three-stroke win last week, Ochoa is now two-for-two in LPGA Tour season's started with a victory and currently leads the 2009 LPGA Official Money List.
          
But the field of 78 at Tanah Merah Country Club this week is comprised of the world's best - champions representing each major women's professional golf tour in the world. From the LPGA, there were 18 individual champions in 2008, including American Paula Creamer, who is sparked by losing her three-stroke, 54-hole lead to Ochoa last week, and geared up for a win.
          
While many veterans dominate the field, a few LPGA Tour rookies have a viable chance to take home the trophy and $300,000 winner's check. After a 2008 season that resulted in a record amount of earnings on the Duramed FUTURES Tour, Vicky Hurst is a solid competitor, as is Jiyai Shin, who won three events on the LPGA Tour last year and set multiple records as the top player on the Korea LPGA (KLPGA).
          
Already this season, a few members of the field have once again tasted victory. In addition to Ochoa, Angela Stanford won the season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay in February. On the Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG) Tour, Katherine Hull (ANZ Ladies Masters) and Laura Davies (Women's Australian Open) have claimed titles - Davies' win marked the 52nd international victory of her professional career. Also, last weekend, LPGA Tour rookie Pornanong Phatlum successfully defended her title at the DLF Women's Indian Open.

2. LPGA news and notes

Ochoa notches 25th career LPGA Tour victory at Honda LPGA Thailand

PATTAYA, Thailand, March 1, 2009 - Rolex Rankings' number one Lorena Ochoa continues to solidify her position as the top-ranked player in the world after winning her 2009 season debut at the Honda LPGA Thailand.
          
"I think it was a good idea to wait a few months for my first tournament," said Ochoa, shortly after accepting her $217,000 winner's check. "I just tried my best. It gave me motivation to win first tournament. Hopefully, I will win more tournaments."
          
Ochoa (71-69-68-66) entered the round tied for second with Brittany Lang (68-69-71-73) at 8-under-par 208 - three strokes behind 54-hole leader Paula Creamer (68-70-67-73). Ochoa and Creamer teed off in Sunday's final group and quickly found themselves tied at 9-under-par after back-to-back bogeys by Creamer on holes two and three and a second-hole birdie by Ochoa. A birdie on the par-4, fifth hole by Ochoa gave her the outright lead, which she continued to build on with birdies on holes six and eight to make the turn at 12-under-par. On the back nine, Ochoa made birdie on holes 11 and 13 before carding her lone bogey on the par-3, 171-yard 16th hole. She erased her step back by making a five-foot putt for birdie on the 17th hole to secure the victory.
          
"I knew it. I was feeling good. You always have to respect other players as well. The beginning of the round was very important. I felt that I could do well," said Ochoa, who said improved putting helped propel her to victory. "Every tournament I play, I am aiming to win. Sometimes it is easy but sometimes it is very hard. That is what I try to do, try to win every tournament I play. I don't have a specific number."

Park has career-best week. Second-year LPGA Tour member Hee Young Park had a career week at the Honda LPGA Thailand, despite being ill early in the week, recording a runner-up finish at 11-under-par 277 (79-64-69-65). Park, who earned $139,852 of the $1.45 million purse on Sunday, overcame an opening-round 7-over-par 79 with a career-low 8-under-par 64 in the second round to move from a tie for 59th into a tie for 19th after 36 holes. Her third-round 3-under-par 69 moved her up to a tie for fifth entering the final round, which started off with back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes. On the par-4, 287-yard fifth hole, Park sank a 60-foot putt after driving the green. From there, she was flawless with birdies on holes eight, 15 and 16, where she made 25- and 30-foot putts, respectively, to move into second place.

Lang continues top-10 streak. Although flirting with her first-career LPGA Tour victory for most of the week at the Honda LPGA Thailand, Brittany Lang faltered slightly in the final round with a 1-over-73 - her highest round of the week (68-69-71-73). Regardless, she still tied for fourth with Stacy Prammanasudh at 7-under-par 281, resulting in her seventh consecutive top-10 finish on Tour dating back to the Longs Drugs Challenge, October 12, 2008.

Brittany Lang consecutive top-10 finishes

Prammanasudh ties career, tournament low. Stacy Prammanasudh moved up the leaderboard Sunday at the Honda LPGA Thailand with a 9-under-par 63 - tying a career-low round for the American and matching the tournament record initially set in the third round of the 2007 event by eventual champion Suzann Pettersen. Prammanasudh, who was a fan favorite last week due to her Thai heritage, finished tied for fourth at 7-under-par 281 (75-70-73-63) after starting the day tied for 30th. The bogey-free round included birdies on holes one, two, four, six, eight, 14, 15, 16 and 18 - closing out the round with a gap wedge to 12 feet. She had earned a fifth-place finish in the Honda LPGA Thailand 2007.

Miyazato finishes as top rookie. Nineteen-year-old Mika Miyazato recorded a sixth-place finish at the Honda LPGA Thailand - the first top-10 finish of her young LPGA Tour career. Including a career-low 5-under-par 67 during the second round, Miyazato finished at 6-under-par 282 (73-67-72-70). Playing as a sponsor exemption this year, Miyazato also competed in the Honda LPGA Thailand 2007 as an amateur, where she finished tied for 15th, also at 6-under-par 282 (71-73-69-69). She is the second-ranked rookie in the race for the 2009 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award with 67 points - 13 points behind Michelle Wie (80 points).

Hall to visit military bases in Virginia. LPGA Tour member Kim Hall will be near Williamsburg, Va., this week, on a four-day visit that will include tours by Hall at the USS Carl Vinson, Northrop Grumman Shipyard, Naval Air Station Oceana, Little Creek Amphibious Base and Fort Eustis Army Base. The public is also invited to attend clinics and autograph sessions with Hall throughout the week. On Thursday, March 5, Hall will be part of a best-ball charity tournament, benefiting the local USO, which will be held on the River Course at Kingsmill Resort & Spa - home to the LPGA Tour's annual Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill. For more information, contact LCDR Colin Xander at 757.817.9299.

LPGA T&CP members receive Top 50 Master Kids Teachers award. U.S. Kids Golf has announced the recipients of its Top 50 Master Kids Teachers award, which includes LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) Ann Marie Gildersleeve, of the Central Section, and Stacy Miller-Arndt, of the Northeast Section.

These Master Kids Teachers are honored for their efforts in growing the game of golf among youth. To be considered for this recognition, the individuals must win the Top 50 Kids Teacher award three or more times, before being eligible for the Master Kids Teachers honor. LPGA T&CP members Nancy Dunn-Kato and Dona Lerner were named 2009 Top 50 Kids Teachers by U.S. Kids Golf, while Becca Carey, Becky Dengler, Kim Hilbert, Rita Reasons and Deb Vangellow were honorable mentions.

Ochoa earns stay at Canyon Ranch. With her victory at the Honda LPGA Thailand, Lorena Ochoa 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.

Phatlum successfully defends title in India. LPGA Tour rookie Pornanong Phatlum, of Thailand, earned her fourth career international victory last weekend at the DLF Women's Indian Open Title. With an 8-under-par 208 final score, the successful title defense was a two-stroke advantage over runner-up South Korean Hae-Jung Kim.

3. This week: HSBC Women's Champions, Tanah Merah Country Club, Garden Course, Singapore, $2,000,000, March 5-8, 2009; TV Times

Par: 36-36, 72
Yardage: 6,547
Format: 72-hole stroke play
           Winner: $300,000
           Runner-up: $183,533
Field: 78 pros
Defending champion: Lorena Ochoa
Victory margin: Defeated Annika Sorenstam by 11 strokes
Tournament information: 011-65-6505-9300

Golf Channel
March 6          1:30-2:30 p.m.
March 7-8       5-6 p.m.
All times Eastern

4. Upcoming event: MasterCard Classic Honoring Alejo Peralta Presented by Nextel, BosqueReal Country Club, Huixquilucan, Mexico, $1,300,000, March 20-22, 2009

Par: 36-36, 72
Yardage: 6,892
Format: 54-hole stroke play
           Winner: $195,000
           Runner-up: $109,114
Field: 132 pros
Defending champion: Louise Friberg
Victory margin: Defeated Yani Tseng by one shot
Tournament information: 011-52-55-5284-9440

5. Race for the Cup

This week's HSBC Women's Champions marks the third tournament where U.S.-born LPGA players will receive one and a half times the points toward making the U.S. Solheim Cup team. The 2009 Solheim Cup 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. leads Europe 7-3 and has never lost on home soil.

2009 Solheim Cup countdown:

31 days until double U.S. team points are awarded at the season's first major - the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

154 days until U.S. and European teams are announced following the RICOH Women's British Open

173 days until matches begin at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.

6. Rolex Rankings move of the week

Park moves into top 50 after career-best week. After turning in a career week at the Honda LPGA Thailand, second-year LPGA Tour player Hee Young Park recorded a runner-up finish at 11-under-par 277, and moved into the top 50 of Rolex Rankings. In addition to earning her career-best finish on the leaderboard, Park carded a career-low 8-under-par 64 (31-33) in the second round. Last week, the South Korean player held the 56th spot on the Rolex Rankings, while this week, Park comes in at 38th.

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.
 

Topics: News and Notes