AN APPRECIATIVE DEFENDING CHAMP

Stacy Lewis credits much of her success on the LPGA Tour to this tournament. When Lewis entered the pro ranks, she already had experience on the LPGA because of this tournament. Through the nine-year existence of this tournament, one of the sponsor exemptions has always gone to the top player on Arkansas’ women’s golf team.

For two years, that was Lewis. And she proved to herself that she could belong when she registered an unofficial win here in 2007 as an amateur when the tournament was shortened to 18 holes because of rain. It’s even more special now because Lewis serves as a volunteer assistant women’s golf coach for Arkansas and she’ll be in the field with two of her players this week – Gaby Lopez, the sponsor exemption, and Samantha Marks, who earned her way in with medalist honors at the Monday qualifier.

“I love what the tournament has done over the years with inviting somebody on the team,” Lewis said. “Obviously I got my start doing the invite for a couple years and it was pretty big for me on learning how to handle these bigger tournaments like this and handling the big stage and playing in front of the crowds, so it’s just such a great learning opportunity for these girls. And just to see how Gaby’s game has gotten so much better over the last couple of years, it’s cool to maybe help her a long a little bit. I think her and Samantha have a chance of doing pretty well this year.”

And so this tournament had been on her radar for a while. She had wanted to earn an official win here, and she finally did last year, edging out Lydia Ko, Cristie Kerr and Angela Stanford by a single shot.

“I feel a little bit more relaxed this year just having gotten the win,” Lewis said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself the last few years to get the win. To do it last year and just coming back and seeing the highlights, seeing the videos, you know, it’s probably one of the coolest wins of my career. I love this place, I love coming back, and I’m looking forward to a really good week.”

SIMILAR STRETCH FOR PARK

This week in Rogers is proving to set up perfectly for Inbee Park. It’s perfect because in reality she has done it before. Park has arrived to Arkansas feeling a little déjà vu because this week reminds her of the historic summer stretch she had that included two of her three-consecutive major wins.

In 2013 Park won the Wegmans LPGA Championship, took a week off, then won this tournament and followed up those two wins with a win at the U.S. Women’s Open. She has the potential to have the same string of weeks this year.

“I had this streak in 2013, I won the LPGA Championship and this week and then the U.S. Open,” said Park. “Another repeat of 2013 would be really nice.”

Park spent her week off after her third KPMG Women’s PGA Championship victory at home in Las Vegas and prepared for this tournament with a little bit of rest and celebration. Nice dinners and fun rounds of golf with her parents and sister was the ultimate payoff for her sixth career major win. The off-week allowed her to spend time with family she does not get to see as much and said the elation of victory lasted longer than the others.

“This win actually lasted quite longer than what I thought,” said Park. “Next three, four days, even when the tournament was finished, I couldn’t stop smiling. It’s because I had my family as well on my off‑week and everybody was just kind of enjoying it together. Yeah, just really happy off‑week last week.”

THIRD TIME’S A CHARM

With her victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Inbee Park ascended to the top spot in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, her third time achieving the feat. This week in Arkansas marks the 75th week spent at No. 1 in her career (59 weeks in 2013 and 14 weeks in 2014). After being in this position twice before, she feels she’s most suited for the pressure the third time around.

“The first time I thought it was just, you know, I felt just a bit weird and it didn’t feel like my place,” said Park. “Second time it felt a little more comfortable, but I felt like my game wasn’t quite ready yet. But now the third time it feels like I’m really ready for this spot and my game is getting better and better every day and I feel like I am playing like a No. 1.”

WHO ARE THESE AMATEURS

University of Arkansas junior Gaby Lopez, the top returning Razorback as the 2015 NCAA Tournament runner-up, is an automatic amateur qualifier for the tournament this week. This will be the third time she has played the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, finishing T57 in 2014 and missing the cut in 2013.

Samantha Marks, a sophomore at the University of Arkansas, shot an even par 71 on Monday to win the qualifier and earn one of two spots available for this event.

KEY NUMBERS TO KNOW

1 – Stacy Lewis posted a one-stroke victory here a year ago, holding off Cristie Kerr, Lydia Ko and Angela Stanford

3 – Inbee Park has already posted three wins in her first 13 starts of 2015. In 2013, Park’s win here in Arkansas was the middle of a three consecutive win stretch, winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and U.S. Women’s Open in consecutive starts.

6 – Number of rookies inside the top 25 on the money list

9 – This is the ninth edition of this tournament

12 – Stacy Lewis posted 12-under-par for the three-day event a year ago.

26 – It’s been 26 events since Stacy Lewis’ last win, which came here in Arkansas last year. That’s the longest stretch she’s gone without a win since her first career victory at the 2011 Kraft Nabisco Championship. She’s since won 10 more tournaments since that win.

66 – Gaby Lopez posted a 6-under-par 66 in the final round of the NCAA Championships to fall just one shot short of victory. Stacy Lewis also posted a final round 66 in her 2007 NCAA Championships victory at Arkansas.

71 – Arkansas redshirt sophomore Samantha Marks won the Monday qualifier for a spot in the tournament field with a 1-under-par 71 on Monday. She joins Lopez and Stacy Lewis as one of three Razorbacks in the field.

93 - Out of the top 100 ranked players in the Rolex Rankings, 93 are playing this week in Arkansas

NOTES AND STUFF

LPGA rookie Sadena Parks is featured in the upcoming ESPN The Body Issue. Parks joins 23 other athletes featured in the annual issue including Bryce Harper, Kevin Love, Odell Beckham Jr., Laird Hamilton, Gabby Reece, Tyler Seguin and Brittney Griner, among others. The issue will be released online on July 6 and on newsstands July 10.
The Race to the CME Globe is heating up, with Inbee Park passing Lydia Ko for the lead after her win at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. The Race to the CME Globe is a season-long points competition in which LPGA Members accumulate points in every Official LPGA Tournament and compete for the $1 million prize. For a complete points listing, please visit www.lpga.com/race-to-cme-globe/updated-points-listing
The 2015 Solheim Cup will take place Sept. 18-20 at St. Leon-Rot Golf Club near Heidelberg, Germany. Players began earning points toward the 2015 Solheim Cup at the 2013 CN Canadian Women’s Open and can earn points through the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. For a complete listing of Solheim Cup points for Team USA, please visit www.lpga.com/statistics/points/solheim-cup

2015 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Wednesday Pre Tournament Notes

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