Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic
Robert Trent Jones Trail at Capitol Hill - Senator Course
Prattville, Alabama
LOOKING TO DEFEND
M.J. Hur heads back to Prattville, Alabama where she sets up to defend her 2014 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic title. Hur will look to channel her 2014 record-breaking performance of 21-under-par this week in a chance to claim her first victory of the 2015 season and third of her career.
Hur found success last year on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail as she ended her five-year winless streak firing a final-round 66. With Hur’s father on the bag, she was able to clinch her second-career victory by four shots.
During the 2015 season, however, Hur has struggled to find the same success. Hur’s best finish this season is a T11 at the Kingsmill Championship. Currently ranked third in putting average, Hur is looking to build off of a strong T12 finish last week at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
In addition to Hur, three past champions of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic winners will also be in the field this week. World No. 3 and last week’s runner-up Stacy Lewis, Rolex Ranking No. 8 Lexi Thompson, and veteran Katherine Kirk are all in the field this week.
LEWIS LOOKING FOR BREAKTHROUGH
Stacy Lewis’ fifth career victory of 11 in her career came here in 2012 at this event. However, recently Lewis hasn’t found the winner’s circle as easily as she did over the four years prior. Since her 11th career win at the 2014 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G, Lewis has racked up nine top-three finishes, including six runner-ups. She’s continually putting herself in position but for whatever reason just hasn’t been able to close.
Sunday’s loss at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open was particularly difficult for Lewis. She stormed into a playoff with Lydia Ko via a brilliant 5-under-par 67 on Sunday but was unable to bring that same level of brilliance to the playoff, hitting her tee shot in the left rough off the tee and yanking her second into the green at the first playoff hole. After a beautiful pitch to eight feet, Lewis left her par putt just inches short and watched as Ko tapped in her two foot par putt for the win. Lewis also lost in a playoff earlier in the year at the season’s first major - the ANA Inspiration - after making a bogey on the third playoff hole, allowing Brittany Lincicome to steal the victory.
Despite the lack of W in the win column, it’s been another stellar year for Lewis. She ranks third on the money list, Race to the CME Globe, and is third in scoring average. But she doesn’t have a win and so goes the standard Lewis has set - anything but a win becomes a disappointment for her.
But it’s hard to imagine Lewis having better vibes around a place than she has here at the Robert Trent Jones Trail.
In the last three editions of this tournament, she posted a tie for sixth, a win, and a runner-up finish here a year ago.
Whatever it is about this track, Lewis loves it, and she’ll surely be chomping at the bit to get back into contention on the weekend and give herself another chance at breaking into the winner’s circle.
INKSTER PICKS CREAMER AND LANG
U.S. Solheim Cup Captain Juli Inkster unveiled her long-awaited captain’s picks on Golf Channel Monday evening, announcing that Paula Creamer and Brittany Lang would round out her squad when the Americans head to Germany in three weeks.
Creamer, a five-time Solheim Cup veteran, left it up in the air after missing the cut in her last three events, but ultimately, Inkster thought her 12-6-5 record in the Solheim Cup was too much to leave off the team. Lang, for her part, missed the cut at the Canadian Women’s Open, but her undefeated record in singles play at the Solheim Cup and three top-six finishes in her last nine starts.
BACK IN BAMA
Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic provides a home away from home this week for Rolex Rankings No. 8 Lexi Thompson.
Back in 2011, Thompson became the youngest winner in LPGA history at the age of 16 with her win here. Lydia Ko went on to break her record a year later at the age of 15, but Alabama still provides great memories for Thompson whenever she returns.
After Thompson’s victory in 2011, she followed it up with a runner-up performance in 2012, finishing just two shots off of the winner Stacy Lewis. Besides missing the cut in 2014, Thompson has found success here and remains a fan favorite.
Thompson’s 2015 season has proved to be another strong year for her as she has one win and seven additional top-10s. In the last four events alone, Thompson has not finished lower than the top-20, including her win at the Meijer LPGA Classic presented by Kraft and a tie for ninth finish last week at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in Vancouver.
This week Thompson will also be making it a priority to do her part in embracing the community. Ever since Thompson started playing in Prattville’s tournament, she has visited the same Waffle House for breakfast every morning. The staff there responds in kind by painting “LEXI” in bold letters across the front windows of the Waffle House that visitors see immediately after getting off the interstate towards the Senator Course.
It may be a superstition or possibly just the good Southern hospitality, but Thompson will most likely be visiting her friends at the local Waffle House this week in preparation for another strong performance on the Senator course.
PLAYING FOR ASIA
It’s on the mind of everyone outside of the top 50 on the money list at this point. Do whatever you have to do to get into the Asian events at the end of the season. The five-week Asian stretch of events following the Evian Championship do not have a cut and are guaranteed money; therefore, everyone this time of year is trying to bust their way into a spot on the money list where they’re guaranteed into those fields.
Each event differs but a top 60 spot on the money list at the conclusion of Evian and players can play anywhere they want the rest of the year. Two events can be make or break for a number of players in this regard.
TV Times
Broadcast on the Golf Channel
August 27 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
August 28 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
August 29 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
August 30 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
All times listed are Central
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