The LPGA and LET team captains consider their final selections for the exciting biennial Solheim Cup held next month in the U.S.A.
Since there is no LPGA Tour event this week U.S.A. Team Captain Nancy Lopez took hopefuls out for a practice round in Indiana where the U.S.A. will compete against Europe for the Solheim Cup. This biennial matchplay event is the LPGA’s answer to the PGA’s Ryder Cup and is considered to be one of the most prestigious events in women’s world golf.
It’s the U.S.A. versus the rest of the world. Will America dominate?
Jeong Jang wins the Weetabix Women’s British Open at Birkdale.
Playing alongside of the number-one female golfer in the world would intimidate most professional tour players but not 25-year old Jeong Jang. Looking cool as a cucumber Jang charged to a four-stroke lead to defeat Annika Sorenstam and all contenders for the crystal trophy posting a 16-under 272.
Jang is not only a first-time winner on the LPGA Tour after a six-year winless streak but like fellow South Korean Birdie Kim (U.S. Women’s Open) has made her first career victory a major championship.
After sinking her birdie putt at the eighteenth Jang could only stand on the green at Royal Birkdale laughing while a flood of well-wishers poured bottles of champagne over her head. When asked how she felt after taking home the shimmering trophy and a first-place check of over $280,000 Jang responded, “Just great. How can I say more than that? I’m still nervous right now…more nervous than before!”
Continue reading “Jeong Jang Claims Wire-to-Wire Win at Women’s British Open”
The ladies ferry across the Mersey for the Weetabix British Open.
The LPGA Tour takes a short chunnel ride from France to England this week for the the season’s final major tournament. Added to the official tour schedule in 1994, The Women’s British Open became a major championship in 2001 but traces its roots back to 1976. The course changes annually and this year the ladies will play golf at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in the city of Merseyside.
Paula Creamer easily wins her second LPGA Tour event at the Evian Masters with a tremendous lead.
Million dollar baby. That’s what everyone is calling 18-year-old Paula Creamer after easily taking home her second trophy on the LPGA Tour this week at the Evian Masters in France. Creamer took the lead in the second round and never gave an inch. By the third round most of the competitors struggled to keep pace with the rookie. Young Creamer had built an impressive seven-stroke lead heading into the final round.
Her final round was just as spectacular as Creamer carded a 1-under 71 to finish eight shots ahead of her two nearest competitors, Michelle Wie and Lorena Ochoa.
With her victory at the Evian Masters Paula Creamer was handed a check for $375,000 (the third largest first-place check this season) and a beautiful and heavy-looking silver trophy. She is now the youngest millionaire in LPGA Tour history and the quickest player to earn $1 million in her career breaking Karrie Webb’s record of ten months, ten days.
Continue reading “Creamer Rises to the Occasion at Evian Masters”
Oui, Oui! The ladies don their berets and fly to France for the Evian Masters.
The top ten LPGA money leaders travel to the Evian Masters Golf Club in France this week seeking glory and a piece of the $2.5 million purse. A whopping $375,000 will be claimed by the one person who can successfully contend against a field which runs the gamut from the number-one female professional golfer on tour to the most extensively discussed amateur golfer in the world today.
In addition to Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie flying to the city of Evian-les-Bains, Wendy Doolan will be on hand to defend her 2004 one-stroke victory which she took convincingly from Sorenstam after trailing by five strokes.
Meena Lee confirms her first ever victory on the LPGA at the BMO Financial Group Canadian Women’s Open.
While golfers around the world watched Tiger Woods carry all four rounds of the British Open, Scottish sensation Janice Moodie was attempting a similar phenomenon. Moodie led the Women’s Open through three spectacular rounds but her conclusion was not the same.
Her “Tigeresque” move fell short and Moodie slipped into a tie for sixth place. Instead a rookie took Moodie’s place atop the leaderboard. South Korean Meena Lee, who has skirted victory on the LPGA tour this year grabbed her own “claret jug” at the Open. Lee sealed the deal firing a 3-under 69 to grab the victory away from the dejected Scot.
Although Lee claimed the eventual win, two bogeys at the 14th and 15th holes dropped her into a four-way tie atop the leaderboard. A “recovery” eight-foot birdie putt on the 16th closed out the competition for the young South Korean.
Continue reading “Meena Lee Takes Canada by Storm with First Victory”
Meg Mallon defends her title at the BMO Financial Group Canadian Women’s Open.
Meg Mallon has been busy defending several championship titles these past few weeks. The U.S. Women’s Open, the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic and this week’s Canadian Women’s Open have kept Mallon in the spotlight. A tie for 13th and then a tie for 7th respectively has Mallon itching to see if she can successfully defend at least one of her three victories of 2004.
With a five-year history, a purse of $1.3 million and $195,000 going to the winner it would be interesting to see if a Canadian will ever hold this trophy on their own soil.
Continue reading “Preview: BMO Financial Group Canadian Women’s Open”
Heather Bowie managed to eke out a victory after trudging through three playoff holes to win against Gloria Park at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.
After six long years of collapsing under pressure when the going got rough Heather Bowie finally collided with victory today at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. No, Heather didn’t win the tournament in valiant fashion scoring an eagle on the eighteenth green. It took Bowie three playoff holes and Gloria Park dropping a low hook into the creek on the 18th for a triple-bogey to gain the victory. But I guess a win is a win.
Bowie was excited nonetheless with her first win ever on the LPGA tour after 138 starts receiving a $180,000 paycheck, a beautiful silver trophy delivered by celebrity Jamie Farr and a big kiss from her caddie.
Continue reading “Heather Bowie Knifes Through Career Drought for Owens Corning Win”
Jamie Farr lends his name and celebrity status to the Owens Corning Classic.
In 1982, PGA caddy Judd Silverman was on a self-imposed mission to bring an LPGA tournament to Ohio. With the okay from former LPGA commissioner John Laupheimer, Silverman contacted several sponsors and Jamie Farr who lent his name and secured celebrities for the inaugural event.
Farr is still getting the celebs to attend. This year’s Dana Celebrity/LPGA Challenge on July 5th and the National City Celebrity Pro-Am on July 6th features celebrities Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, formerly of the Buffalo Bills. The Beach Boys are providing the “Good Vibrations” at the Gala Dinner.
