Some professional golfers compete throughout their entire careers without ever winning a tournament. That wasn’t the case for thirty-eight-year old Kim Saiki who was crowned champion of the 2004 Wegman’s Rochester LPGA Tournament for the first time in her professional career.
Saiki sets out to defend her first championship win his week against the hottest LPGA superstars, previous winners of this event and ladies who have been victorious this season, all of whom will be challenging Kim for a $225,000 share of the total $1.5 million purse.
At the beginning of the 2004 Wegman’s, a relative unknown Saiki placed 77th on the money list. With veteran Rosie Jones and Saiki battling for the lead in the final round, Saiki drained a seven-foot birdie at the second most difficult hole of the week for the eventual win while Jones collapsed with a double-bogey. The first-timers’ standings on the ADT Official Money List skyrocketed to 14th place after a winless streak of 272 events.
Locust Hill Country Club, a par-72, 6,221-yard course located in Pittsford, New York sets the stage for this “tune-up” tournament which precedes the U.S. Women’s Open.
Challenging Saiki is previous Wegman winner Laura Davies (2001) whose three recent back-to-back top-ten finishes and a 7th place memory from last year’s event places a positive mental image in her mind for a possible victory this week.
Rosie Jones, defeated by Saiki in 2004 but a previous two-time winner in 1991 and 1998, is also well-prepared to challenge the field. Jones is still considering retirement at the end of the year but you wouldn’t know it by her five top-ten finishes this season.
First-time tour winners Paula Creamer (Sybase Classic) and Stacy Prammanasudh (Franklin American Mortgage Tournament) are in the final field gunning for their second victories.
Takefuji Classic champion Wendy Ward and SBS Open winner Jennifer Rosales will also attempt to dethrone Saiki for their second victories this season.
The list of hopefuls also include veteran Christie Kerr, colorful Christina Kim and Mexican superstar Lorena Ochoa.
Annika Sorenstam took the week off so you know there will be a free-for-all to grab the Wegman’s trophy. Next week watch Sorenstam attempt to capture her third LPGA major on her way to a Grand Slam and catch Michelle Wie use her sponsor’s exemption once again in a battle between youth and experience.
The Golf Channel will cover the Wegman’s Rochester Tournament for four days, June 16th through June 19th, from 3:00-5:30pm ET each day.