The two top ranked players in the world – Lorena Ochoa and Jiyai Shin – are not only gunning for their fourth wins of the season, they are playing for the Rolex Player of the Year trophy. For Ochoa, it would be her fourth straight honor. Shin, who already won the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year, is looking to become the first player since Nancy Lopez in 1978 to win both awards in the same season.

With top players like Suzann Pettersen, Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr, the field also includes the four major championship winners – Brittany Lincicome, Anna Nordqvist, Catriona Matthew and Eun-Hee Ji. The only other multiple tournament winner on the LPGA this season – Na Yeon Choi – will be playing for her third win of 2009. Along with Hall of Fame veterans Karrie Webb, Juli Inkster and Se Ri Pak, ten LPGA Tour rookies will be looking to finish off their season with a win.

The format for the LPGA Tour Championship is very unique. There is an initial cut after 36 holes, dwindling the 120 player field to 70. Then, there is a second cut after 54 holes that brings the field down to 30 players for the final round.

A Rees Jones design, the Houstonian Golf and Country Club will play 6,650 yards at a par-72.

Love comes into his title defense looking for his first victory of 2009.  He will have to watch for Zach Johnson, Steve Marino and Brian Gay – who are all looking to finish off great seasons with a win.  Also, the new TOUR sensation – Rickie Fowler – looks to play his way into a full exemption with a top 10 finish.

Fowler, who is playing in his third event as a professional (in part because the Viking Classic was canceled), has made the Fall Series a coming out party.  He finished tied for seventh place at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and tied for second at the Frys.com Open.

This year, Stanford will have to fight back 36 of the best players in the world.  Tournament host Ochoa is looking for her fourth win of the 2009 LPGA season.  Also, the fight for Player of the Year honors are at stake as the current points leader – Jiyai Shin – is in the field this week.  Shin, the number two golfer in the world, is trying to win not only the Player of the Year but, also, Rookie of the Year.  Other top players in Mexico this week are Suzann Pettersen, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie.

The Guadalajara Country Club course will play to 6,638 yards and a par-72.

Kung, who beat Katherine Hull by a shot last year, will face a field with 70 of the top players in golf, including Lorena Ochoa and rookie Jiyai Shin, the Rolex Ranking number one and two players, respectively.  Shin currently leads both the Rolex Player of the Year and Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year awards, looking to be the first player since Nancy Lopez in 1978 to win both in the same year.  Other top players in the field this week are Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer, Yani Tseng and In-Kyung Kim.

The tournament will be played on the Ocean Course, a 7,229 yard, par-72 Korean-style course with a view of the ocean.  It was designed by Jack Nicklaus and features long bunkers that follow the fairway.

Fowler was supposed to be teeing it up in the first stages of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament but, with his second place finish last week, he moved into the top 150 on the money list and earned an exemption to the second stage of q-school.  Fowler looks to add on to his money total and get into the top 125 on the money list and earn full playing rights on the 2010 TOUR.

MacKenzie comes into this week much like last season, struggling.  A win would make 2009 a success but he will have to fend off hot players like Fowler.  Also, David Toms finished second last year and would like to notch his first win of the season as well.

Annandale Golf Club hosts the event and will play to 7,199 yards and a par-72.  Jack Nicklaus was the original architect for the course in 1980 and oversaw the remodel in 2006

Beckman will have to fight back a solid field with players like Rory Sabbatini, John Rollins and Mike Weir.  Also in the field this week are Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Justin Leonard.

Grayhawk Golf Club is a par-70, 7,125 yard layout set on a desert landscape with a natural creek that runs throughout, draining into a lake between the 10th and 18th holes.  The Raptor Course was designed by Tom Fazio in 1995 and has played host to this event for its three years on the PGA TOUR.

Turnesa will have to fend off some red-hot players coming off an exciting Presidents Cup, including Anthony Kim, Hunter Mahan and Jim Furyk.  Also in the field this week are Tim Clark, Steve Marino, Rory Sabbatini and Matt Kuchar, who won two weeks ago at the Turning Stone Resort Championship and finished second here last year.

The TPC Summerlin course was built in 1991 and was originally developed by the Howard Hughes Corporation.  The course is now owned and operated by PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties, Inc.  Designed by Bobby Weed, with Fuzzy Zoeller as the player consultant, TPC Summerlin is a 7,243 yard, par-72 course that is listed as one of “America’s Best” golf courses by Golf Digest.  Ranking in the “Top 100 Modern Golf Courses in the United States,” TPC Summerlin is a certified in the Audubon Society of New York State’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program.

Johnson, who won this year’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, is looking to claim his second title of 2009.  He faces other 2009 winners Rory Sabbatini, Bo Van Pelt and Mark Wilson this week, as well as top players Adam Scott, Davis Love III, Steve Marino and Robert Allenby.

Atunyote, an Oneida Indian word that means “Eagle,” is a 7,749 yard, par-72 course was designed by Tom Fazio.  The parkland setting features an open layout with rolling hills, a stream of small waterfalls and several lakes.  The finishing hole is  a risk-reward, 624-yard par-5 with a 13-acre lake guarding the right side of an undulating green.

The LPGA Tour heads back to Blackhawk Country Club in California for the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge.  In-Kyung Kim looks to successfully defend her first career LPGA victory.

Kim will have to fight off seven of the top 10 players on the LPGA money list, including world number one Lorena Ochoa.  Jiyai Shin, who has three wins this season, will be on hand to try and extend her lead in the Player of the Year points race as well as the Rookie of the Year race.

Blackhawk Country Club was designed by Bruce Devlin and Robert Van Hagge.  The 6,212-yard, par-72 layout uses the natural terrain, elevated tees and water hazards to challenge players.  The finishing hole surrounds the green with a 4-acre lake to create one of the most dramatic finishing holes on the Tour.

THE TOUR Championship will field the final 30 players in the FedEx Cup points race.  The playoff field has been widdled down from 125 players four weeks ago in what should be called the first true success in the TOUR’s attempt to reign in viewers with a playoff system.  The top five players can win the FedEx Cup with a victory this week.  The other 25 all have a mathematical chance at victory.

East Lake’s golf course is a 7,540 yard par 70 layout.  It was originally designed by Tom Bendelow, opening on July 4, 1908.  In 1913, Donald Ross redesigned the course and in 1994 Rees Jones restored that layout.  The home course to Bobby Jones, East Lake has hosted this event since 2004.

This year’s field includes all four 2009 major championship winners -  Brittany Lincicome (Kraft Nabisco Championship), Anna Nordqvist (McDonald’s LPGA Championship), Eun-Hee Ji  (U.S. Women’s Open) and Catriona Matthew (RICOH Women’s British Open).  Also, an LPGA event would not be elite without Lorena Ochoa, who is joined by other top ranked golfers Cristie Kerr,  Jiyai Shin, Yani Tseng and Suzann Pettersen.  Also looking to take home one of the LPGA’s biggest purses are In-Kyung Kim, Angela Stanford, Ai Miyazato, Song-Hee Kim, Lindsey Wright, Kristy McPherson, Sophie Gustafson, Karrie Webb and Na Yeon Choi.  Receiving the only sponsor’s exemption is Juli Inkster.

The Samsung World Championship is being hosted by the famous Torrey Pines South Course, home of the PGA TOUR’s 2008 U. S. Open and Buick Invitational.  The municipal course will measure 6,721 yards and play to a par-72.

This year’s field will be strong with top players like Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Yani Tseng and top rookie Jiyai Shin scheduled to play.  Also, playing this week are top players like Helen Alfredsson, Angela Stanford and Brittany Lincicome as well as fan favorites Morgan Pressel, Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis.

The Pinnacle Country Club is a 6,274 yard, par-71 course that utilizes the natural terrain at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains to challenge players.

The field has been paired down to 70 players, with the top 30 in the points standings after this week moving on to The TOUR Championship and the chance to raise the $10 million trophy.  Stricker and Woods will be the matchup to watch as Woods is now chasing.  But, with the changes made to the playoff system, all 30 players will have a chance to win the FedEx Cup.

Cog Hill is a shot makers layout with tight fairways and large, undulating greens that are guarded by bunkers.  Originally designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee, the course measures 7,386 yards and plays to a par-71.  The course was closed for renovations after the 2007 BMW Championship, reopening this spring.  Led by Rees Jones, the renovations included the reconstruction of all greens and tee boxes, as well as the repositioning of all the sand bunkers.  A risk-reward pond was added to the seventh hole and the green on the 18th hole was moved dangerously close to the pond.

The top 50 players are on hand this week to challenge for Canada’s national championship.  Top players looking for their first wins of the season are Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie and Suzann Pettersen, who has three second place finishes in 2009 including a playoff loss last week.

The Priddis course is one of Canada’s best private courses.  The 6,427-yard, par-71 track utilizes the rolling hills to challenge players with large, undulating greens and travels throughout the mature forests that line the course.

The FedEx Cup is under way with Heath Slocum grabbing a win in the PGA TOUR Playoffs first event – The Barclays – last week in New Jersey.  Tiger Woods continues to play well but was, once again, let down by the putter as the world’s top ranked player finished second.  This week, the race for the FedEx Cup moves to Massachusetts for the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston, where Vijay Singh looks to get into the playoff hunt with a repeat victory this week.

Woods still holds the top spot in the FedEx Cup standings but, with three events to play, nothing is safe.  Slocum moved up from 124th place to third with his win and number two Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson and Kenny Perry could make a move on Woods with a win this week.  Also, you can’t count out top players Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington and defending champion Singh.

The TPC Boston is a 7,202 yard, par-71 layout that opened in 2002.  Designed by Arnold Palmer, has hosted the Deutsche Bank Championship since 2003 and is part of the PGA TOUR owned TPC Network.

The U. S. Team is led by Beth Daniel.  Her team is led by Paula Creamer, the leading points earner in the 2007 competition.  Also on the U. S. squad are Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford, Nicole Castrale, Christina Kim, Morgan Pressel, Brittany Lincicome, Natalie Gulbis, Kristy McPherson and Brittany Lang.  Daniel made two captains picks, going with veteran Juli Inkster and rookie Michelle Wie.

Team Europe is led by captain Alison Nicholas.  The European team features Suzann Pettersen, Helen Alfredsson (who captained the 2007 team), Sophie Gustafson, Gwladys, Catriona Matthew, Maria Hjorth, Tania Elosegui, Diana Luna and Laura Davies, who is the only player to appear in every competition.  Nicholas made Anna Nordqvist, Janice Moodie and Becky Brewerton her captain’s picks to round out the 2009 team.

The schedule is as follows:

• Friday: morning Four-Ball; afternoon Foursome matches
• Saturday: morning Four-Ball; afternoon Foursome matches
• Sunday: singles matches (12)

Sergio Garcia and U. S. Open champion Lucas Glover highlight the field this week.  With the majors in the rear-view mirror, talk turns to the next two big events on the PGA schedule – the Presidents Cup and FedEx Cup.  The Wyndham Championship is the final tournament before Presidents Cup captains Greg Norman and Fred Couples finalize their rosters.  Also, it is the final event before the start of the Playoffs and players must get to the magic number 125 to qualify.

The Sedgefield Country Club was originally designed by Donald Ross in 1926 with a remodel by Kris Spence in 2007.  Playing to a par-72 and 7,117 yards, emphasizes angles were players have to be aware of where their tee shots land to have a good look at the greens, which are undulating with slopes from back to front.

The PGA TOUR returns to Hazeltine National Golf Club for the 91st PGA Championship – the final major tournament of the 2009 season.  Back in 2002, the last time Hazeltine hosted this event, the course ranked as the second hardest course played that season.  Things may not be too different as the world’s best converge on Minnesota this week.

Tiger Woods is coming off back-to-back victories at the Buick Open and the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational.  Without a major title this year, Woods will be focused but so will the toughest field any tournament in PGA TOUR history.  This year’s PGA Championship will feature 100 of the top 101 golfers, according to the Official World Golf Rankings, missing only number 18 Robert Karlsson who is injured.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington rides his best finish of the season into his title defense.  He finished tied for second last week at the Bridgestone Invitational.  Also, 2002 PGA Championship winner (at Hazeltine) Rich Beem is looking to get off the bubble and into the FedEx Cup race.

The 7,674 yard, par-72 course is a shot-makers layout.  Robert Trent Jones, the original architect, used the natural landscape of woodlands and prairie to constantly challenge golfers.  With many greens guarded by either sand bunkers or water hazards, none will challenge a player more than Hazeltine Lake on the 16th hole, called the hardest par-4 by Johnny Miller.

McLachlin was impressive in his seven shot victory that saw him tie the course record with a second round 62.  He looks to find that magic again as he will have to fend off challengers like Kevin Na, Charley Hoffman and Aaron Baddeley.

The Montreux Golf and Country Club course measures out to 7,472 yards and is elevated 5,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level.  This Jack Nicklaus Signature Design course not only challenges players with dramatic drops and rises in elevation but plays through a pine tree forest, features seven lakes  and natural creeks with four waterfalls.

The stars are coming out this week on the PGA TOUR as the top players in the world head to Ohio and the Firestone Country Club for the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational.  Vijay Singh is ready to defend his title against the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and British Open champion Stewart Cink.

Last year’s win gave Singh his 32nd career victory and made him the most wins by an international player in PGA TOUR history, surpassing Harry “Lighthorse” Cooper.  This year, the players to watch are Cink, who is coming off is first major championship, and young players like Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas.  As always, the top two golfers in the world – Woods and Mickelson – will have their own storyline.  Woods is coming off an impressive win last week at the Buick Open.  While, Mickelson has taken the last six weeks off to be with his wife and mother, who were both diagnosed with breast cancer this summer.

Firestone Country Club is a 7,400 yard, par-70 course is highlighted by long par-4s and one of the longest holes around in the par-5 16th hole that measures 667 yards.  It was originally designed by Bert Way in 1920 and redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1960.  Firestone was ranked the fourth most difficult course (out of 55) last season.

The PGA TOUR returns to Michagan for the Buick Open at Warwick Hills.  Kenny Perry will not be on hand to defend his title as he is home with his ailing mother.

Tiger Woods leads the charge looking to rebound from his missed cut at the British Open and gain some momentum heading into the final weeks of summer.  Also looking to light up the leaderboard is Jim Furyk, the only other top 10 player in the field.  Also, Brian Gay is going for his third win of the season as Rory Sabbatini and Nick Watney look to add their second.

The LPGA plays its third major championship of the 2009 season this week with the RICOH Women’s British Open being hosted at the Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in England.  Jiyai Shin won this event last year as a non-LPGA member as she played full time on the Korean LPGA Tour.  She is the first rookie to defend a major title since Laura Davies did so at the 1987 U. S. Women’s Open.

Shin, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world, will have to fend off47 of the top 50 players in the world.  Top ranked Lorena Ochoa has not won since the spring, a bit of a slump in her standards, and is looking to turn her season around.  Yani Tseng finished second here as a rookie last year and Cristie Kerr, who has moved up to third in the Rolex Rankings, is having a great summer.  Looking for their first win of the season are Paula Creamer and Suzann Pettersen.

The Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club was founded in 1886 and has played host to major tournaments throughout its history, crowning champions like Bobby Jones, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros and David Duval.  The 6,492 yard, par-72 course has seen Open Championships for all three Tours as well as two Ryder Cup tournaments.

]]> http://teeoffpost.com/2009/07/preview-ricoh-womens-british-open/feed/ 0 http://teeoffpost.com/2009/07/preview-rbc-canadian-open/ http://teeoffpost.com/2009/07/preview-rbc-canadian-open/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:28:45 +0000 TeeOff http://teeoffpost.com/?p=1824

Rains didn’t damper Chez Reavie’s first PGA TOUR victory at last year’s RBC Canadian Open.  Reavie shot a one-under par, 70, at the Glen Abbey Golf Club for a three shot victory.  He looks to repeat this week but will have to face two national favorites – Mike Weir and Stephen Ames.

The Canadian Open is the final leg of golf’s Triple Crown, serving as the third national championship on the PGA schedule with the U. S. Open and British Open.  Reavie will have to not only fend off the Canadian favorites but top TOUR players like Anthony Kim, Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas.

The RBC Canadian Open returns again to the Glen Abbey Golf Club for the  24th time.  The course opened in 1976 as one of Jack Nicklaus’ first designs.  The par-71, 7, 222 yard course has wide fairways and tough, undulating greens that are protected by deep bunkers.

Can Harrington make history?  Well, he comes into this week as he has the past three years, winning the Irish PGA Championship.  Tiger Woods had won the two previous Opens before Harrington.  Woods enters this week coming off a win as well, at the AT&T National.  He has three wins in 2009, remarkable considering he is coming off reconstructive knee surgery.  Woods finished in the top 10 in both the Masters Tournament and the U. S. Open and is likely to contend here as well.

Other players to watch this week are Kenny Perry, who has two wins this season and missed last year’s Open to focus on the Ryder Cup.  Also, Martin Kaymer has won the last two tournament on the European TOUR.  Other players looking to make a statement this week are Geoff Ogilvy, Zach Johnson and Paul Casey, who is looking to become the first English player in 17 years to hoist the Claret Jug.

The Ailsa Course at Turnberry Resort is not to be taken lightly.  It is currently the number one ranked course in Britain and has been host to three previous Open’s – 1977, 1986 and 1994.  This links course was redesigned in 1951 by Mackenzie Ross and added 247 yards this past year to place more emphasis on accurate shot-making.  Narrow fairways lined with bunkers and edged closely by thick rough, the Ailsa Course will, once again, deliver a true champion.