Tweet

1. Defending champ Shin returns to RICOH Women's British Open
2. This week: RICOH Women's British Open, Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lancashire, England, $2,200,000 (subject to exchange rate variations), July 30-August 2, 2009; TV Times
3. Race for the Cup
4. Pipeline to the LPGA Tour, July 26, 2009
5. Rolex Rankings move of the week
6. Ai Miyazato becomes Rolex First-Time Winner at Evian Masters Presented by Société Générale
7. Money milestones for Kerr
8. Ji crosses $2 million in career earnings
9. Miyazato earns stay at Canyon Ranch
10. LPGA members take coaching jobs
11. Golf Fitness Magazine extends professional golf relationship
12. Wigger wins Kentucky Women's Open

1. Defending champ Shin returns to RICOH Women's British Open

LANCASHIRE, England - Gearing up for the final major championship of the 2009 season, the LPGA Tour heads to Lancashire, England, for the RICOH Women's British Open. LPGA Tour rookie Jiyai Shin will defend her major championship title this week at the Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.
          
Last year, Shin finished at 18-under-par 270 for a three-stroke victory over Yani Tseng at Sunningdale Golf Club. That victory was the first of three Shin would take on the LPGA Tour in 2008 as a non-member, as she also claimed the Mizuno Classic and the season-ending ADT Championship, where she took home the $1 million winner's paycheck. This week will mark the first time the defending champion of a major championship is a rookie, dating back to the 1987 U.S. Women's Open, where Laura Davies won as a non-member.
          
In addition to the defending champion's fourth-ranked position on this week's Rolex Rankings, the star-studded field of the RICOH Women's British Open will feature all the top-20 players, and 47 of the top-50 players, in the world. This week's top-10 is comprised of top-ranked Lorena Ochoa, Tseng (second), Cristie Kerr (third), Shin (fourth), Paula Creamer (fifth), Suzann Pettersen (sixth), Angela Stanford (seventh), In-Kyung Kim (eighth), Karrie Webb (ninth) and Helen Alfredsson (10th).
          
The field will also include the winners of the first three major championships of 2009: Brittany Lincicome (Kraft Nabisco Championship), Anna Nordqvist (McDonald's LPGA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola) and Eun-Hee Ji (U.S. Women's Open).
          
Following the end of play on Sunday, both the U.S. and European Solheim Cup Teams will be announced on-site at the RICOH Women's British Open. U.S. Captain Beth Daniel and European Captain Alison Nicholas will be on-hand along with their assistant captains to make the first-ever joint announcement of Solheim Cup teams.


2. This week: RICOH Women's British Open, Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lancashire, England, $2,200,000 (subject to exchange rate variations), July 30-August 2, 2009; TV Times

Par: 35-37, 72
Yardage: 6,492
Format: 72-hole stroke play
Winner: $335,000
Runner-up: $210,000
Defending champion: Jiyai Shin
Victory margin: Defeated Yani Tseng by three strokes
Media center: 011-44-208-233-7885
LPGA media contact: Mike Scanlan

● TV Times
TNT
July 30-31 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

ABC
Aug 1 1:30-3 p.m.
Aug. 2 1-3 p.m.

All times Eastern


3. Race for the Cup

One week remains in the race to make the U.S. and European Solheim Cup Teams. For the first time ever, both teams will be announced simultaneously on Sunday, Aug. 2nd following the conclusion of play at this week's RICOH Women's British Open - the final major of the LPGA Tour season. U.S. Captain Beth Daniel and European Captain Alison Nicholas will each make their captain's selections on Sunday - two for Daniel and three for Nicholas - to complete their 12-player teams.

The Solheim Cup is a biennial, trans-Atlantic team match-play competition featuring the best U.S.-born players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour and the best European members from the Ladies European Tour (LET). The U.S. Team leads the competition, 7-3, and has never lost The Solheim Cup on home soil.
          
Tickets are on-sale for the biennial event with options including the Weekly Grounds ticket, the PING Pavilion ticket and the Solheim After Sundown ticket. Individual single day tickets are now also available. For tickets and more information about the 2009 Solheim Cup, as well as lodging options in the Sugar Grove, Ill. area, log on to www.SolheimCup.com.

2009 Solheim Cup countdown:

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

- 7 days until the U.S. Team arrives in Chicago for their final practice session at Rich Harvest Farms

-25 days until matches begin at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.


4. Pipeline to the LPGA Tour, July 26, 2009

Second-year Duramed FUTURES Tour player Misun Cho earned her second victory of the 2009 season at the USI Championship. Cho, a 21-year-old out of South Korea, finished with a 10-under-par 206 score, which was just one stroke better then runner-up Whitney Wade.
          
With this win, Cho is now a two-time winner on the Duramed FUTURES Tour, having earned her first win as a professional at the iMPACT Invitational earlier this year. With more than $60,000 in season earnings, Cho now sits in second on the Duramed FUTURES Tour money list, thanks to the $12,600 winner's check.
          
Wade, this week's runner-up, finishing one stroke behind Cho, already picked up a win earlier this year at the Duramed Championship. In 12 events played this year on the Duramed FUTURES Tour, Wade has two top-10 finishes, including the one win.
The players finishing in the top 10 on the final 2009 Duramed FUTURES Tour money list will receive membership on to the 2010 LPGA Tour. Please see current standings below.

Next tournament: $100,000, Alliance Bank Golf Classic, Drumlins Country Club, East Course, Syracuse, N.Y.., July 31-August 2, 2009

Charity: First Tee of Syracuse & Leadership Greater Syracuse

For more information, log on to www.duramedfuturestour.com.


5. Rolex Rankings move of the week

With her victory at the Evian Masters Presented by Société Générale, fourth-year Japanese player Ai Miyazato became a Rolex First-Time Winner, and jumped up 14 spots into 13th-place on the Rolex Rankings. Miyazato (69-66-70-69), along with Sweden's Sophie Gustafson, finished with a four-day total of 14-under-par 274, but managed to birdie the first hole of a sudden-death playoff, to hang on for her first career victory.
          
Gustafson (71-66-67-70) now sits in 33rd-place in this week's Rolex Rankings, moving up 18 spots, due to her runner-up finish at the Evian Masters Presented by Société Générale. In 12 seasons on the LPGA Tour, Gustafson has four victories, 10 runner-ups, and 47 top-10 marks.

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.


6. Ai Miyazato becomes Rolex First-Time Winner at Evian Masters Presented by Société Générale
Outlasts Sophie Gustafson in one-hole, sudden-death playoff

EVIAN-LES-BAINES, France, July 26, 2009 -Winless after four years on the LPGA Tour with the weight of a country on her shoulders, Ai Miyazato - Japan's sweetheart - finally emerged victorious. Surviving the tournament's third sudden-death playoff in as many years, Miyazato became the second Rolex First-Time Winner at the Evian Masters Presented by Société Générale in three years. She defeated Sweden's Sophie Gustafson (71-66-67-70) in a one-hole, sudden-death playoff after both players birdied the 72nd hole of regulation to finish at 14-under-par 274.
          
"I feel very happy at the moment," said the 24-year-old Miyazato after earning $487,500 of the $3.25 million purse. "I was dreaming about this when I was young, so my dream has almost come true. I made a great birdie on the number two, and I feel really like confidence after that. So, I mean, I was really play good because I hit fairways, keep hitting the fairways, and I hit the greens."
          
That birdie on hole number two gave Miyazato (69-66-70-69) a share of the lead with Sweden's Gustafson at 12-under-par. The duo held the lead throughout the day and got to 13-under-par through 10 holes before a Miyazato birdie on hole 11. A Gustafson birdie on hole 12 allowed her to reach the 14-under-par mark, which she lost after missing a three-foot putt on hole 13. Miyazato appeared set until she missed a five-foot putt on hole 15. Both tied at 13-under-par, they had to watch the scoreboard to see Meena Lee (69-69-72-65) and Cristie Kerr (70-68-67-70) enter the clubhouse at that mark.

It was crunch time on the 18th green. With a four-way tie for the lead at 13-under-par, Miyazato's 52-degree wedge gave her a 10-foot birdie opportunity, which she capitalized on while her Japanese compatriots in the field watched. After signing her scorecard and going to practice putting, Gustafson made her approach to 18. Gustafson - one of the Tour's longest drivers with a 261-yard average this week - reached the par-5, 477-yard 18th green in two. Her 25-foot eagle putt just missed and she tapped in for birdie to force the playoff.

Gustafson and Miyazato then went to the 18th tee box. Miyazato's drive found the fairway, while Gustafson ended up in the right rough. In that situation, Gustafson, punched out to the fairway and used her lob wedge to get on the green in two. The 5-foot, 2-inch Miyazato took out her 4-rescue and went for the green, landing her second shot in the right greenside bunker. Luck and golf stats were on Miyazato's side as the pair approached the green. Gustafson found her ball had landed in a previous pitch mark and her putt went wide of the hole to make par. Going into the bunker, Miyazato was three-for-three in sand saves throughout the week and led the field with the least amount of putts: 109. Her shot out of the bunker landed three feet from the hole, which she sank for the birdie and the win.

"It was obviously a relief, but I do also feel a sense of accomplishment that I achieved this great win," said Miyazato, who now owns a 1-0 LPGA playoff record.

Despite four LPGA Tour victories, Gustafson has yet to win in a playoff (0-5).

"I didn't have my putter going today. I missed four putts within four feet and that's the difference from the previous two days," she said. "Right now, I'm very disappointed. Right now, I'm not focusing on anything. I need to let this week sink in and go from there."

Japanese players to win a LPGA Tour event

7. Money milestones for Kerr

American Cristie Kerr surpassed the $10 million mark in career earnings thanks to her tie for third at the Evian Masters Presented by Société Générale. Her finish was worth $207,243 and she now has earned a grand total of $10,187,118 in her 13-year LPGA Tour career that includes 12 victories. She remains sixth on the LPGA Tour's Career Earnings List.

Kerr carded 19 birdies this week, resulting in a $950 donation to her Birdies for Breast Cancer Fund. On July 16, Kerr joined with LibertyHealth to announce the start of construction on The Cristie Kerr Women's Health Center, which will benefit breast cancer patients. The center is under construction and, when finished in February 2010, will offer breast cancer screening programs, including free mammograms and education to women with or without insurance. It will also provide detection, healing, support, and recovery services to patients. More information is available at cristiekerrgolf.com.

Kerr leads the LPGA Tour in the following categories: Rolex Player of the Year (108 points; Scoring/Vare Trophy (70.00); LPGA Official Money List ($1,248,202); Rounds under par (72.6 percent; Top-10 finishes (10/16); and Birdies (241).


8. Ji crosses $2 million in career earnings

The 2009 U.S. Women's Open champion Eun-Hee Ji recorded a tie for 27th at the Evian Masters Presented by Société Générale in her first tournament appearance following her major championship victory. Her 4-under-par 284 (73-70-68-73) was worth $29,984 and pushed her LPGA career earnings to $2,026,528 in three seasons on Tour.


9. Miyazato earns stay at Canyon Ranch

Ai Miyazato celebrated her victory at the 2009 Evian Masters Presented by Société Générale with a trophy and received 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.


10. LPGA members take coaching jobs

Cheryl Stacy, a Class A LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP), was recently hired by the University of Michigan as the head women's golf coach. She is the fourth head coach in the program's 34-year history. LPGA Tour and Duramed FUTURES Tour member Emily Bastel is joining the Duke University women's golf team staff as the assistant coach.


11. Golf Fitness Magazine extends professional golf relationship

Golf Fitness Magazine, who recently announced its relationship with the Duramed FUTURES Tour, will also provide content for LPGA.com LPGA Teaching & Club Professional (T&CP) Karen Palacios-Jansen, the 2008 LPGA T&CP Teacher of the Year, serves as managing editor for the magazine, which was launched in 2005 Articles and information from Golf Fitness Magazine can be found under the "Instruction" tab on LPGA.com and will feature information on injury prevention, gaining yardage, technique, fitness and nutrition.


12. Wigger wins Kentucky Women's Open

LPGA Tour member Leah Wigger posted a five-stroke victory in the Kentucky Women's Open last week. The final day of the 36-hole event was shrouded in clouds and rain, but Wigger managed a 3-under-par 141 (66-75) to defeat new professional Mallory Blackwelder (76-70=146, +2) by five strokes.

Topics: News and Notes