BACK HOME IN TOLEDO

It seems as if every tournament has been a hometown stop for Stacy Lewis with the Tour already visiting Texas and Arkansas this season and the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I is no different. Lewis was born here and will have her niece, nephew, and cousins (The Lew Crew) out this week to help her continue her great play. Lewis has been in contention in her last two events finishing tied for third at the Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G and U.S. Women’s Open last week.

“So once you digest it and look back, I did a lot of good things last week,” said Lewis. “I was really two swings away from having a chance to really win the thing coming up 18. So I did too many good things to be upset about last week. I was proud of the way I handled myself, the way I handled the pressure.”

Her play in this tournament will help her prepare for the Ricoh Women’s British Open and she has already started to work on the shots needed for the course. For Stacy, however, the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I is more than just a tournament, it is another notch on Lewis’ belt when it comes to the impact that she’s made on this Tour and women’s golf after Marathon announced a three-year extension for their title sponsorship of this tournament.

“Well, I’m just proud that I was able to get Marathon on board. They’ve been really pleased with the last couple years so far,” Lewis said. “I played with Gary, the CEO today, and we were already talking about things to make this
tournament even bigger and better. Just their commitment to the LPGA. I mean, they want to have a Solheim Cup here. They got a lot of things floating out there on possibilities, what we could bring here to Toledo.”

Commissioner Mike Whan jokes that he checks Stacy Lewis for new corporate patches every time he sees her because nearly every sponsor she wears has turned into a major tournament sponsor for the LPGA.

LYDIA KO DRIVE BUT SHE’S NOT DRIVING

A lot of things are going well for Lydia Ko these days. Although she is not No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings, she has a street named after her here in Toledo as the defending champion that she just happens to be staying on for the week. She also is up for two ESPYS Best International Athlete and Best Female Golfer, and she just had her best finish at the U.S. Women’s Open last week. For Ko, it is all about enjoying the recognition she gets here in Toledo and having fun both on and off the course.

“Birdies will make me smile,” said Ko “I just got to have fun out there. Just have fun playing alongside Brittany and Na Yeon next couple days. I am sure there will be great crowds this week, so hopefully we can make a couple birdies amongst the players and give them a good show.”

It is no secret that Ko is one of the most humorous players out on Tour, and she even joked about being intimidated by Stacy Lewis at the gala held Tuesday night. She made sure to correct the media though when she was asked about her joke Wednesday.

“It’s not a joke, first of all,” Ko said with a laugh. “Yeah, I mean, she’s a tough player to beat, but at the same time, she’s definitely one of the nicest players out here. I know she’s a big role model for me and for I’m pretty sure a lot of future stars.”

Looking for the Breakthrough

With top-10 finishes in five of her last ten tournaments and two runner up finishes at the Marathon Classic over the years, this looks like a prime week for Morgan Pressel to finally get the win that’s eluded her since 2008.

“Yeah, I love playing here,” said Pressel. “I love coming here to Toledo. It’s kind of like a
hometown event for me in a sense with my family being from the Detroit area. A lot of family and friends get to come watch. I love this golf course. Like you said, I’ve had great success here and I have great memories. I always look forward to coming back. I think we’re going to have a great week here again.”

With top-five finishes in the last three major championships, the only player on Tour to do so, Pressel seems to shine the stronger the field. Part of the reason for Pressel’s success has been her mental game.

“I’ve mentally plowed through those weeks,” said Pressel. “I think that’s kind of been my key going through the majors. Even forgetting about bad shots, moving forward and really, really trying to grind hard throughout the entire week. I mean, I’ve just really been trying to focus my season on the majors.”

With that being said, she certainly wouldn’t mind a win this week.

Reliving a Trip to the Home of Golf

Stacy Lewis knows her morning plans in advance of her afternoon tee time tomorrow. She’ll be watching the British Open and seeing if Jordan Spieth can finish off the third of four legs of the Grand Slam. For the record, she thinks he will. But more importantly, she’ll be admiring one of her favorite courses from afar – St. Andrews, the home of golf and the place she won her 2013 RICOH Women’s British Open.

“I love that golf course. I love seeing it on TV. It just brings back so many memories,” Lewis said. “I love the golf course and the test of it, so I can’t wait to see what the guys do with it.”

Sitting in her house is still a framed photo of a picture with her winning putt just hanging on the lip about to topple into the hole while her caddie is in the background crouching down ready to celebrate.

So that feeling of what one man will feel on Sunday, celebrating on the 18th green at the home of golf, is never lost on Lewis.

FILLING UP THE TROPHY CASE

There are very few tournaments Inbee Park visits where her name isn’t etched in the trophy. This tournament – the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I – is one of those rare few.

Park’s well aware that she’s never won, and she’s got her eyes sight on changing that this week.

“It’s always good to come to a tournament where I don’t have my name on this tournament’s trophy,” Park said. “It’s a challenge. Obviously haven’t played that well in this event, but I really like the challenge and I really want to overcome this golf course.”

What helps is there are two burdensome trees that Park – a low ball hitter by comparison to most on Tour – used to have to hit over on two holes aren’t there anymore. For that, she’s grateful.

“Obviously they didn’t do it for me, but the trees down was good for me,” Park said. “It’s playing a lot easier and a lot more suited to my game.”

But this is a putter’s track. That would normally seem to fit Park considering she putts it as well as anyone on the planet. But last week her putter was uncooperative despite a tie for third finish at the U.S. Women’s Open, and she knows that will have to change to win on the classic Highland Meadows track in Toledo.

“For me particularly will be the putting,” Park said. “Everything else in my game I feel pretty good about right now. Just depends how many putts I’m going to make. It’s been quite inconsistent. Some weeks I putt really good and some weeks I putt really bad. Hopefully it’s going to be a good week.”

Preparing for the British

More than the No.1 ranking and more than the Rolex Player of the Year honors, Park started this year with one goal – Win the RICOH Women’s British Open.

In Park’s eyes a win there would complete the career Grand Slam because although the Evian Championship wasn’t a major when she won it, Park’s still etched her name on four of the five major championships trophy. The only one left is the British and she’s determined to crack the code that’s eluded her.

“It’s getting really close. It’s coming a lot quicker than I thought, that’s for sure,” Park said. “I just really try to get ready for that event this year pretty much. It all depends on the confidence level and how good my body condition is by the time. I still have two weeks. So far I feel pretty good about my game. Just got to work on my putting a little bit more, get a little bit more confidence over these two weeks before I go to Scotland.”

Park thought she had the win in Scotland a year ago. She headed to the 14th tee box with the lead with three par-5s on the card in her last five holes. But Park played the last five holes in 2-over-par and Mo Martin made an eagle at the last to steal the victory. That loss bit at Park for the better part of a month until she avenged herself with a win at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship a month later a year ago, and now she’s hoping to further avenge herself with a win there in two weeks.

“I’ve been thinking about the [career Grand Slam] since I won three majors,” Park said. “That’s the only one I haven’t won. I haven’t won Evian since it became a major, but I have won that tournament and I have my name on that trophy. I really want to put one on the British Open. I have been thinking about it. It’s something I’ll probably want forever in my career if I don’t achieve that goal, so…”

Wednesday Pre-Tournament News & Notes: Marathon Classic

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