Sybase Match Play Championship
Hamilton Farm Golf Club
Gladstone, N.J.
Kathy Whitworth bracket
Jiyai Shin (1) v. Beatriz Recari (62) Shin def. Recari 4&3
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Shin defeated rookie Beatriz Recari in the third round by a margin of 4&3. Recari jumped out to an early lead against the world's number one, winning holes two and four. Shin bounced back quickly, taking holes five, six and seven. Shin would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the match. Shin will face Michelle Wie in the quarterfinals.
Michelle Wie (8) v. Karine Icher (57) Wie def. Icher 3&2
Michelle Wie did not have her best game in round three, but it was enough to defeat France's Karine Icher. Icher, who upset higher seeds Na Yeon Choi and Eun-Hee Ji in the first two rounds, had several opportunities to tighten up the match against Wie. Wie will meet the world's number one player Jiyai Shin in the quarterfinals
Mickey Wright Bracket
Catriona Matthew (15) v. M.J. Hur (31) Matthew def. Hur 19 Holes
M.J. Hur birdied the 18th hole to square the match with Catriona Matthew. Matthew, who carries a 4-1-0 singles record in Solheim Cup competition, birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Hur. Matthew's impressive match-play skills will be put to the test in the quarterfinals when she faces Angela Stanford.
Angela Stanford (10) v. Amanda Blumenherst Stanford def. Blumenherst 19 holes
Stanford and Blumenherst battled for 20 holes before a winner was determined. Stanford finally handed Blumenherst the defeat on the 20th hole with a par. The match was tight all day, with only six holes halved through 18 holes. Stanford will meet Catriona Matthew in the quarterfinals.
Annika Sorenstam bracket
Morgan Pressel (15) V. Amy Yang (30) Yang def. Pressel 4&3
After trading two holes with Pressel on the opening eight holes, Yang took charge of the match on the ninth. She won holes nine through eleven and closed-out Pressel on 15. Pressel, who launched comebacks in both round one and two, could not repeat the feat against Yang. While most players take an aggressive approach in match-play, Yang prefers a different plan. Yang commented after her third round victory, " I'm just going to play safe…I think that's the most important. If you go too aggressive, maybe make mistakes."
Jee Young Lee (27) v. Haeji Kang (61) Kang def. Lee 1 UP
Haeji Kang upset Jee Young Lee in the third round 1 UP. Kang, who gained entry into this week's tournament via her good play last week at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic, made a par on the 17th hole and a birdie on the 18th to advance to the quarterfinals. She will play Amy Yang in the quarterfinals.
Patty Berg bracket
Yani Tseng (4) v. Inbee Park (13) Tseng def. Park 5&3
Rolex Rankings No. 3 Tseng took a 1 UP lead over Park on the ninth hole and never looked back. She won holes 12-15 to defeat Park by a margin of 5&3. She advances to the quarterfinals and will play Sun Young Yoo.
Song-Hee Kim (12) v. Sun Young Yoo (28) Yoo def. Kim 1 UP
Yoo handed another higher seed a defeat in the third round. Yoo birdied the par-5 18th hole to defeat Rolex Rankings No. 12 Kim. Yoo upset Rolex Rankings No. 5 Cristie Kerr in the second round. She will meet Yani Tseng in the quarterfinals.
Kathy Whitworth bracket
Jiyai Shin (1) v. Hee-Won Han (32)
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Shin played solidly against Kyeong Bae in the first round. Shin has spent the last three weeks at the No.1 position and is fighting to keep the top ranking. Han, who has a two-year old son, could be poised to upset Shin. Han ranks 16th in putting average, but only 98th in greens hit. If she can hit more greens today, she can prove a tough opponent for Shin.
Azahara Munoz (54) v. Beatriz Recari (62)
This battle of the rookies is a match to watch. Both players scored upsets in round one. Recari, playing on a sponsor's invitation, eliminated three-time LPGA tour winner Brittany Lincicome, while Munoz sent last week's winner and LPGA Hall of Fame member Se Ri Pak home early. Munoz is currently second in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race behind Amanda Blumenherst. Munoz has made three cuts this year to Recari's one. Munoz is also 14th in scoring and fourth in greens in regulation.
Michelle Wie (8) v. Hee Young Park (25)
Both Wie and Park overcame tough opponents in round one. Park needed 19 holes to defeat Ji Young Oh, while Wie found herself in a 17-hole battle with Stacy Prammanasudh. Rolex Rankings No. 8 Wie has two top-tens this year, ranks fourth in greens in regulation and 108th in putting average. Park has three top-15's in 2010 and ranks T99 in putting average. Looking at 2010 statistics, these two players are very close.
Eun-Hee Ji (24) v. Karine Icher (57)
Icher scored one of the biggest upsets of the first round, defeating Rolex Rankings No. 7 Na Yeon Choi. Meanwhile, Ji needed 22 holes to win over Scotland's Janice Moodie. Ji is the reigning U.S. Women's Open Champion and a higher seed than Icher in the tournament. However, Icher has outplayed Ji thus far in 2010. Icher ranks 39th on the money list, 32nd in scoring, 34th in greens in regulation and T60 in greens in regulation putting average. Ji ranks 76th on the money list, T98 in scoring, T115 in greens in regulation and T132 in greens in regulation putting average.
Mickey Wright bracket
Ai Miyazato (2) v. M.J. Hur (31)
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Ai Miyazato will play second-year player M.J. Hur in the second round. Miyazato, who was the runner-up at the 2007 HSBC Match Play Championship, has won three of the six LPGA events this year. She is vying for the No. 1 position in the world. She leads Hur in almost every statistical category, except, surprisingly, putting. Hur is T14 in putting average and T15 in greens in regulation putting average. Miyazato ranks 27th and T100 respectively.
Catriona Matthew (15) v. Kristy McPherson (18)
The Matthew v. McPherson match has all the makings of being a great one. Matthew launched a back-nine rally to squeak past Grace Park in the first round. She birdied 15, 16, and 17 to win 1 UP. Matthew won the Ricoh Women's British Open in 2009 and has a ton of match play experience. She carries a 4-1-0 singles record in Solheim Cup play. But, McPherson is a tough match-play competitor. She ranks second in greens in regulation putting average and T13 in birdies, two stats that should bode well for match play.
Karrie Webb (7) v. Amanda Blumenherst (55)
This should be one of the premier matches of the day. Blumenherst put an exclamation point on her win yesterday over Stacy Lewis by making eagle on the reachable par-5 18th. She finished 2nd at the Mojo 6 earlier this year, but will face one of the tournament's fiercest competitors in the second round. Rolex Rankings No. 7 and LPGA Hall of Fame member Karrie Webb has 36 LPGA victories. Blumenherst currently leads the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race.
Angela Stanford (10) v. Pat Hurst (41)
Stanford easily handled her first-round match against Amy Hung, winning 4&3, while Hurst needed 19 holes to send Brittany Lang home early. Hurst is one of the best head-to-head players in the field, owning a 3-1-1 singles record in Solheim Cup competition. Stanford is a tough opponent for any player and has a 2-1-0 singles Solheim Cup record of her own. This match could go either way.
Annika Sorenstam bracket
Amy Yang (30) v. Juli Inkster (35) v. Yang, who battled back from a 3-down deficit against Michele Redman, will take on LPGA Hall of Fame member Juli Inkster in the second round. In the first round, Inkster took Rolex Rankings No. 3 Suzann Pettersen to the 21st hole before finally clinching the match. Inkster is one of the greatest match play competitors of all-time. She has a 6-1-1 Solheim Cup singles record. Yang is a talented young player with three top-14's in 2010. Inkster has 29 years of experience over Yang. Inkster is 49, Yang is 20.
Morgan Pressel (14) v. Sophie Gustafson (19)
Pressel will take on the longer hitting Gustafson in the second round. Pressel showed her mettle yesterday by making birdies on 17 and 18 to comeback to defeat Jimin Kang. Gustafson easily handled Na On Min 5&4. Gustafson averages 261.6 yards off the tee, while Pressel averages 242.1 yards. Statistically, Pressel holds the advantage in putting, ranking 6th in putting average to Gustafson's T99. Gustafson has a good history at Hamilton Farm Golf Club. She advanced to the quarter finals of the HSBC Match Play contested at Hamilton Farm in 2005 and 2006. Pressel has won numerous amateur match-play tournaments, including the 2005 U.S. Amateur.
Jee Young Lee (27) v. Shi Hyun Ahn (48)
This second-round match should be a competitive one. Lee and Ahn are both coming off strong first-round wins. Ahn upset Rolex Rankings No. 6 Anna Nordqvist, while Lee defeated the fiery match-play competitor Christina Kim. Both players should feel confident after their first-round victories. Lee is currently ranked tenth on the LPGA money list with three top-tens. Ahn ranks 65th on the money list with a season best ofT26.
Sandra Gal (46) v. Haeji Kang (61)
Gal barely held on to defeat Katherine Hull in the first-round after having a 4-up lead through ten holes, while Kang posted an upset against Rolex Rankings No. 11 In-Kyung Kim. Gal has played very well in 2010, making five of six cuts. Kang's best finish so far this year is a T26. This match could go either way. Kang should be feeling confident after upsetting Kim, and one can only wonder how much Hull's back-nine rally took out of Gal.
Patty Berg Bracket
Yani Tseng (3) v. Candie Kung (29)
Rolex Rankings No. 3 Tseng had a tough first-round match against Wendy Ward, winning 2&1. Tseng won the Kraft Nabisco Championship earlier this year and will play Candie Kung in the second round. Kung has four LPGA victories to her credit. She currently ranks 42nd in scoring average (72.73) and 31st in birdies. Tseng's scoring average of 70.53 is over two strokes lower per round than her opponent. Tseng also ranks ninth in birdies.
Inbee Park (13) v. Maria Hjorth (20)
Park, who is only one of five players in LPGA history to win both the U.S. Junior and the U.S. Open, will face a tough second-round match against Hjorth. Hjorth has two-top tens this year and made it to the semi-finals at the 2007 HSBC Match Play Championship. Park, however, might hold a slight advantage in this match. She ranks fourth in greens hit and tied for third in greens in regulation putting average, a potentially deadly combination for a match-play opponent. Hjorth ranks T30 in greens in regulation and T116 in greens in regulation putting average.
Cristie Kerr (5) v. Sun-Young Yoo (28)
Kerr, who is the highest ranked American player in the world at No. 5 in the Rolex Rankings, should have a slight advantage over Yoo. Yoo is only three for six in cuts made this year, while Kerr has not missed a cut since May of 2007. Kerr has posted three top-tens in 2010 and is loaded with match-play experience. Yoo played well in the first round to defeat Karen Stupples; but will she have enough to upset Kerr?
Song-Hee Kim (12) v. Momoko Ueda (21)
Kim has finished in the top-10 in all six of her starts this year and is the highest ranked player in the Rolex Rankings at No. 12 without an LPGA win. Ueda, who has one LPGA tournament on her resume, will have her hands full with Kim. She will need to bring her best game to win this match. Kim leads Ueda in nearly every statistical category thus far in 2010. A win in the second round will bring Kim one step closer to becoming a Rolex First-Time winner.
Kathy Whitworth bracket:
Jiyai Shin v. Kyeong Bae
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jiyai Shin will take on fellow countrywoman Kyeong Bae. Shin has held the No. 1 position in the world for the last three weeks. She has won six LPGA tournaments in the last two years, but has failed to win yet in 2010. Bae, whose best LPGA finish is a T-2, could prove a tough match for Shin. Bae is ranked 20th in birdies this year.
Hee-Won Han v. Mika Miyazato
Six-time winner Hee-Won Han takes on second-year player Mika Miyaztao. Neither player has posted a top-10 finish this year, although Han finished T12 at last week's Bell Micro LPGA Classic. Both players are very consistent ball-strikers and Han is ranked 16th in putting average this year. This match could go either way.
Brittany Lincicome v. Beatriz Recari
Last week's runner-up and three-time winner Brittany Lincicome will play rookie Beatriz Recari. Lincicome, who leads the tour in driving distance, averages nearly 50 yards longer per drive than Recari. Lincicome averages 273.5 yards while Recari averages a mere 225.9 yards. Hamilton Farm Golf Club will play wet and long. Will Lincicome overpower Recari?
Se Ri Pak v. Azahara Munoz
Se Ri Pak, who claimed her 25th title last week at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic, will battle rookie Azahara Munoz. Munoz held the first-round lead and finished 5th last week. With both players at the top of their games, fans can count on a competitive match.
Michelle Wie v. Stacy Prammanasudh
Rolex Rankings No. 8 Michelle Wie will play Stacy Prammanasudh. Both players have one LPGA victory. The difference in this match could be on the greens. Prammanasudh is ranked T22 in putts in greens in regulation, while Wie ranks T83. When asked about her match-up against Wie, Prammanasudh said, "The good news is that I'll be hitting into the greens first all day."
Hee Young Park v. Ji Young Oh
Park is an extremely consistent player racking up 11 top-tens in just over two years on tour. She is currently ranked 12th in fairways hit and 27th in greens, compared to Oh's T116 in fairways and 80th in greens. Oh does have two tournament victories under her belt and this could be the week she jump starts her season.
Na Yeon Choi v. Karine Icher
Choi had a breakthrough year in 2009, winning twice towards the latter part of the year. She is already off to a solid start this year with three top-tens, including a T4 last week. She ranks sixth in scoring average (70.65). Icher has never won on the LPGA, but is an extremely consistent player known to string birdies together when she is on. Her scoring average of 72.65 is nearly two strokes higher than her competitors.
Eun-Hee Ji v. Janice Moodie
At first glance Ji, the reigning U.S. Open champion, looks to have the advantage in this match. Ji has struggled some this year and has a scoring average of 74.33. Moodie is an excellent match play competitor with a 2-0-1 singles record in Solheim Cup play. Moodie also ranks first in putts per green in regulation. Her experience may give her the edge in this match.
Mickey Wright bracket
Ai Miyazato v. Jeong Jang
Rolex Rankings No.2 Ai Miyazato will play Jeong Jang in the Mickey Wright bracket. While Miyazato has won three of the six tournaments so far in 2010, Jang is no stranger to tournament success. She has two tournament titles, including one major. Jang and Miyazato match-up well. They both drive the ball similar distances and are extremely good putters. When asked about her chances against Miyazato, Jang said, "I actually got a text message form her last night and she said it's going to be fun. She is the money leader, but this is match play, so who knows. Somebody can make a lot of birdies and then you have a chance."
MJ Hur v. Hye Jung Choi
Hur became a Rolex First-Time winner in 2009, but has struggled with her ball-striking so far in 2010. She is ranked 134th in fairways hit and T128 in greens in regulation, but ranks 15th in putts per green in regulation. If she can up her greens in regulation tomorrow she can win this match. Choi is a strong player and has similar ball-striking statistics as Hur. This is another match that could go either way.
Catriona Matthew v. Grace Park
Matthew won the Ricoh Women's British Open in 2009 and has a ton of match play experience. She carries a 4-1-0 singles record in Solheim Cup play. Park, who missed most of the 2009 season with an injury, has missed three of four cuts this year. She did, however, finish T10 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Kristy McPherson v. Meena Lee
This could be a very tight match. McPherson ranks eighth in fairways hit and second in putts per greens hit in regulation. She also had nine top-tens in 2009. Lee has two LPGA victories and was runner-up at the 2005 HSBC Match Play that was contested at Hamilton Farm Golf Club.
Karrie Webb v. Eunjung Yi
Intimidation could be a factor in this match. Rolex Rankings No. 7 Webb is an LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member with 36 victories and two top-tens this year. Yi became a Rolex First Time winner at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger in 2009, but has struggled a bit since.
Stacy Lewis v. Amanda Blumenherst
The match to watch could be Stacy Lewis against rookie Amanda Blumenherst. Both players competed against each other regularly in college and both have a ton of match play experience. Blumenherst won the 2008 U.S. Amateur and was runner-up at the Mojo 6 earlier this year. Lewis became the first player to go 5-0 in Curtis Cup history at the 2008 Curtis Cup.
Angela Stanford v. Amy Hung
Stanford is a tenacious match play competitor with Solheim Cup experience. She also ranks No. 10 in the world and has two top-tens this season. Hung will give Stanford a tough match though. She is a strong player who is starting to find her form this year. She finished T20 and T16 in her last two starts.
Brittany Lang v. Pat Hurst
Brittany Lang will take on veteran Pat Hurst. While the more experienced Hurst has won six times and carries an impressive 3-1-1 record in Solheim Cup singles, Lang has two-top-tens this year and 26 top-tens in her career. Lang also ranks first in greens in regulation so far in 2010.
Annika Sorenstam bracket
Suzann Pettersen v. Juli Inkster
The leading match in the Annika Sorenstam bracket is Rolex Rankings No. 3 Suzann Pettersen versus LPGA Hall of Famer Juli Inkster. Fans will be sad to see either one of these players leave the competition after the first round. Pettersen has been hot all season with three seconds and one third, while Inkster's best finish this year is a T9 back in February. Don't count Inkster out. She has a 6-1-1 singles record in Solheim competition.
Amy Yang v. Michele Redman
Yang looks to have the advantage in this match. She is off to a strong start in 2010. She ranks 12th in scoring average, T3 in GIR putting average and T7 in driving distance. She hits it long and makes a ton of putts. Don't count out Redman. Although she has struggled a bit so far this year, she is a fiery competitor with two LPGA victories and four Solheim Cup appearances to her record.
Morgan Pressel v. Jimin Kang
Pressel played many match play events as an amateur, winning the 2005 U.S. Amateur. She won on the Japan LPGA three weeks ago and her best LPGA finish this year is a T6. Kang has been fairly consistent this year but has not finished higher than T27. Kang's plan for the match, " I am going to play my heart out and see what happens."
Sophie Gustafson v. Na On Min
Gustafson advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2005 and 2006 HSBC Match Play contested at Hamilton Farm Golf Club and is loaded with match play experience. Gustafson is averaging 261.6 yards off the tee. She takes on the shorter hitting Min who averages 238.4. Min has never won on the LPGA but does have three top-tens in her career.
Anna Nordqvist v. Shi Hyun Ahn
Two-time LPGA winner Nordqvist won the Mojo 6, an unofficial match-play format event, earlier this year. She also proved herself a worthy match-play player at last year's Solheim Cup. Ahn has only played three events this year and finished 59th on last year's money list. Ahn ranks eighth in putting average which could give her a chance of upsetting Nordqvist.
Jee Young Lee v. Christina Kim
This match pitting Christina Kim against Jee Young Lee should spark a bunch of birdies. Both players boast an aggressive style of play, driving the ball long and taking dead aim at the pins. Lee currently leads the tour in eagles and ranks third in birdies. While Kim is off to a slow start this year, her overall Solheim Cup record of 5-2-1 and a singles record of 2-0 makes her a match play contender.
In Kyung Kim v. Haeji Kang
Rolex Rankings No. 11 Kim won on both the LPGA and LET tours last year and has two top-tens already this year. Kim did miss the cut last week, while Kang finished T26 to gain entry into this week's tournament. Kang also ranks first in putting average this year. This match could be a close one.
Katherine Hull v. Sandra Gal
This match should be a fun one to watch. Both players are strong competitors who relish the match-play format. Hull has made all six cuts this year and has finished no worse than T32. Gal has made five of six cuts with a season best T27. Looking at 2010 statistics alone this match is very even.
Patty Berg bracket
Yani Tseng v. Wendy Ward
Long-hitting players Yani Tseng and Wendy Ward will battle at the top of the Patty Berg bracket. Tseng already has a major championship under her belt in 2010, but Ward played well last week. She was only one shot off the lead after two rounds with a second round 65, showing a return to the form which won her four LPGA tournaments.
Candie Kung v. Natalie Gulbis
Kung is off to a good start in 2010. She is currently 17th on the money list and has a T3 already this year. Look for her to have a slight advantage over Gulbis who has missed three of six cuts this year and has only one round under par in 2010.
Inbee Park v. Laura Diaz
Park is one of only five players in LPGA history to have won both the U.S. Girl Junior and the U.S. Open. She has played well this year, standing eighth on the LPGA money list. She will face a tough match against Diaz, who has a 3-1-0 singles record in Solheim Cup competition. Diaz recently gave birth to her second child, Lily. A first-round victory could give her year a jump start.
Maria Hjorth v. Shanshan Feng
Hjorth has been playing well in 2010. She has two top-tens to add to the three she carded last year. She ranks third in driving distance at 267.8. Look for Hjorth to out drive Feng, but for Feng to make strides around the greens. She ranks T3 in greens in regulation putting average and T4 in putting average.
Cristie Kerr v. Meaghan Francella
One of the toughest matches of the day could be the one pitting Rolex Rankings No. 5 Cristie Kerr against No. 89 Meaghan Francella. While Kerr has won 12 LPGA tournaments to Francella's one, Francella had a great run at the 2007 HSBC Match Play Championship. That year she defeated Meena Lee, Lorena Ochoa and Pat Hurst, before losing in the quarter finals.
Sun-Young Yoo v. Karen Stupples
Although Yoo holds the higher ranking in this match, Stupples has outperformed Yoo so far this year. Stupples is four-for-four in cuts made, has two top-tens and ranks 10th in scoring average. Yoo has only made three of six cuts and ranks 33rd in scoring average. Yoo did pick up her first top-ten of the season at last week's event.
Song-Hee Kim v. Nicole Castrale
Rolex Rankings No. 12 Kim may prove tough to beat all week. She has finished in the top-ten in every tournament in which she has played. She is also the highest ranked player in the Rolex Rankings without an LPGA victory. Castrale has made only two cuts this year with a season best finish of T36. She ranks 127 in putting average.
Momoko Ueda v. Vicky Hurst
The final match in this bracket could be a tight one. Both players have one top-ten so far this year. Ueda has one LPGA victory to her credit and holds a decided advantage over Hurst in the scoring average statistic. Ueda is averaging 71.42 strokes per round, while Hurst is averaging 73.05.
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