WEGMANS LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Monroe Golf Club
Pittsford, New York
Week of August 11, 2014
TOP STORYLINES
LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR 60TH EDITION
The LPGA Championship returns to one of the best cities in the country for golf this week for the 60th edition of the second-longest running event on the schedule - the Wegmans LPGA Championship.
This is the 38th time Rochester has hosted the LPGA - and fifth time the city has been home to the LPGA Championship. For the first time, Monroe Golf Club – a historic Donald Ross layout – will host this major championship.
The Wegmans LPGA Championship has a Who’s Who of women’s golf winner’s list and should provide another exciting championship. Eight past champions will be onsite at Monroe including Laura Davies (1994, 1996), Juli Inkster (1999, 2000) and Yani Tseng (2008, 2010) who will try to join Se Ri Pak, Annika Sorenstam, Nancy Lopez and Kathy Whitworth as three-time winners of the event.
INBEE’S HISTORIC STRETCH
In the history of women’s golf, no one has ever seen a stretch quite like the one Inbee Park put together starting at the Wegmans LPGA Championship a year ago. This event was moved back on the calendar this season to August from June, and a year ago Park started a three-tournament win stretch with a win in Rochester. She then went on to win the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G and followed that up with a victory at the U.S. Women’s Open - her third major win of the season.
Her win a year ago came in dramatic fashion with players having to play 36 holes on Sunday because of a first-round postponement due to rain. 36 holes on Sunday wasn’t enough to crown a winner either as Park nearly squandered a one-shot lead with a final-round 75 that included bogeys on three of her last five holes. But when Catriona Matthew forced a playoff with a final round 68, Park responded with a 20-foot birdie on the third playoff hole to go two for two in majors to start the season.
AN AMERICAN QUARTET?
Can the American sweep of major championships continue this week? So far, the United States is three for three in majors this year with Lexi Thompson winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship, Michelle Wie taking home the U.S. Women’s Open, and Mo Martin surging to a victory in the final round at the RICOH Women’s British Open.
Eight Americans currently sit in the top-16 in the Rolex Rankings and world No. 1 American Stacy Lewis is in search of her fi rst major win of the season after fi nishing in third, second and a tie for 12th at the season’s fi rst three majors.
KO’S MAJOR MOMENT?
All three major winners this season have been first-time major champs and it would be no surprise to anyone if Lydia Ko added herself to that list this week. The 17-year old from New Zealand already
has two victories this season (Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic & Marathon Classic) brining her LPGA Tour wins total to four (won twice as an amateur). In addition to her two victories, the world No. 2 has recorded six additional top 10s including two runner-up fi nishes in 2014.
All three major champions this season have been fi rst-time major winners and if Ko or another first-timer makes it into the winner’s circle, it’ll mark the fi rst time since 2009 that the fi rst four major champions are first-time major champs. The quartet in 2009 included Brittany Lincicome (Kraft Nabisco Championship), Anna Nordqvist (Wegmans LPGA Championship), Eun-Hee Ji (U.S. Women’s Open) and Catriona Matthew (RICOH Women’s British Open).
QUITE THE DEBUT
When it comes to debuts, Stephanie Meadows made quite the introduction on the professional circuit this June at the U.S. Women’s Open, finishing in sole possession of third. She’s in the field again this week at a major after receiving a sponsor’s exemption. The four-time All-American at the University of Alabama finished three shots behind Wie for the week and put herself in great position to earn an LPGA Tour card for 2015 with her $271,373 paycheck.
WIE OUT WITH HAND INJURY
Michelle Wie will have to wait until The Evian Championship to try to win her second major of the season and announced on Saturday that she will be out 3-5 weeks with a stress reaction to her right index finger. Wie has made eight appearances at the LPGA Championship with her best finish of runner-up coming at her debut in 2005 as an amateur.
QUICK FACTS
Field: 150 (149 professionals, 1 amateur)
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,717
Purse: $2,225,000
Winner: $337,500
Defending Champion: Inbee Park
TV Times
Golf Channel
August 14 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
August 15 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
August 16 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
August 17 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
All times listed are Eastern
Sponsor Invitation (1)
Stephanie Meadow
| 2014 LPGA Tour Rookies (20) | |
| Anya Alvarez | Joanna Klatten |
| Amy Anderson | Lydia Ko |
| Brianna Do | Mirim Lee |
| Yueer Cindy Feng | Xi Yu Lin |
| Jaye Marie Green | Megan McChrystal |
| Megan Grehan | Giulia Molinaro |
| Emma Jandel | Erica Popson |
| Kim Kaufman | Paula Reto |
| Stacy Keating | Kelly Tan |
| Jennifer Kirby | Line Videl |
LPGA T&CP Qualifiers
Jean Bartholomew
Jessica Carafiello
Allison Curdt
Sue Ginter
Charlotta Sorenstam
Karen Davies
Rolex Rankings
Top 10: 9/10
Top 20: 17/20
2014 LPGA Official Money List
Top 10: 9/10
Top 20: 19/20
|
PRESS CONFERENCE AND MEDIA EVENT SCHEDULE |
||
| Tuesday, August 12 | ||
| Time | Event | Location |
| 1:00 p.m. | International Crown champions, Team Spain Beatriz Recari, Azahara Munoz, Carlota Ciganda, Belen Mozo |
Media Center |
| 3:00 p.m. | 2014 LPGA Tour major champions Press Conference Lexi Thompson & Mo Martin |
Media Center |
| 3:30 p.m. | Lydia Ko Press Conference | Media Center |
| Wednesday, August 13 | ||
| 11:00 a.m. | Inbee Park Press Conference | Media Center |
| 2:00 p.m. | Paula Creamer, Karrie Webb, Laura Davies, Juli Inkster | Media Center |
| 2:30 p.m. | Stacy Lewis Press Conference | Media Center |
* All times are Eastern and subject to change
)
)
)
)
