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Ron Sirak LPGA preview

soxngolf

soxngolf

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LPGA PREVIEW
Best Of The Bunch
Golf World's top 30 for 2009 (Rolex Ranking in parentheses)
By Ron Sirak
February 16, 2009
1. LORENA OCHOA (1) Only one of her seven victories in '08 came in her last 13 starts. Still the one to beat.
2. PAULA CREAMER (3) Eight LPGA wins by age 22. Could make a serious run at POY. Looking for first major.
3. JIYAI SHIN (5) Three LPGA wins, with a major, and she's still a 20-year-old rookie. Could win both ROY and POY.
4. SUZANN PETTERSEN (4) Won twice in Europe but shut out on LPGA after five-win season in '07. Will bounce back.
5. YANI TSENG (2) Won a major in her rookie year with 10 top-10 finishes. Annika Sorenstam says Tseng will be No. 1 in three years. Only 20.
6. SEON-HWA LEE (10) Vastly underrated. Four wins in three LPGA seasons, two last year. Big-money events get her attention.
7. CRISTIE KERR (7) Eleven career wins. Dynamic player who makes birdies (second in putts per GIR).
8. ANGELA STANFORD (8) Swing changes kicked in late in '08. Two wins and no lower than sixth in last six events.
9. NA YEON CHOI (24) Started year non-exempt but was second in ROY—T-21 or better in all four majors. She's only 21.
10. KARRIE WEBB (9) Great ball-striker who struggles with putter. At 34, should add to her 35 career wins.
11. SONG-HEE KIM (33) Another 20-year-old who could be ready to break out. Seven top-10s in her second year and 10th in scoring (71.23).
12. HELEN ALFREDSSON (6) Healthy for the first time in years, won twice in '08 at age 43. T-119 in putts per GIR.
14. BRITTANY LANG (43) Closed with five consecutive top-10s. Good bet to become a first-time winner.
15. JEONG JANG (12) Won more than $1 million for fourth straight year. Short hitter (245.3 yards, T-84) but seventh in scoring at 71.09.
16. INBEE PARK (21) Made her first LPGA win a major ('08 U.S. Women's Open) at 19. Led tour in putts per GIR (1.74).
17. JEE YOUNG LEE (16) Long hitter (267.8, fourth) but winless because of accuracy off tee (140th). Huge potential if harnessed.
18. MINEA BLOMQVIST (63) If she learns to hit more fairways (T-130) and more greens (134), she'll be a winner. T-4 in putts per GIR.
19. MORGAN PRESSEL (19) Hits it straight (ninth) but short (229.8 yards—154th). Best on hard courses when par is good. Also only 20.
20. MOMOKO UEDA (17) Will pick up Terry McNamara as caddie (60-plus wins with Sorenstam) in Phoenix. Proven winner in Japan.
21. KATHERINE HULL (20) First career victory at Canadian Open triggered closing stretch with seven top-10s in 10 events.
22. SHANSHAN FENG (47) Missed cut in nine of her first 10 tournaments, then had five top-10s and one MC in last 12. She's 19.
23. IN KYUNG KIM (25) Short (106th) and crooked (T-78) but gets the ball in the hole (T-4 putts per GIR). Top 25 in last 11 events. A mere 20.
24. ANGELA PARK (26) T-3 in U.S. Open, T-2 at Evian Masters last year; T-2 in U.S. Open, fifth at McDonald's in '07. Also 20 years old.
25. JULI INKSTER (28) Turns 49 in June and wants one more Solheim Cup (11th on the points list). Might get it.
26. HEE-WON HAN (15) Nine top-10s in '08, including Kraft Nabisco (T-6) and Women's British (T-9). T-4 in putts per GIR.
27. SOPHIE GUSTAFSON (31) Long hitter (268.8 yards, second) with 13 LET and four LPGA wins. In the hunt often.
28. MARIA HJORTH (14) Hits it far (265.5 yards, seventh) and game has been on an upswing last two years. Lost McDonald's in playoff.
29. SE RI PAK (30) Little consistency (seven missed cuts in 17 starts). If she's healthy and happy, she'll win.
30. NATALIE GULBIS (38) Comes off poor year (six missed cuts, one top-10). Needs to get longer (240.7 yards, T-123) and straighter (T-93).
Click to expand...

Ueda with Terry should be interesting. Where is Miyazato? And what about Christina Kim, she is going to be fighting for that Solheim Cup spot.
 
soxngolf said:
Ueda with Terry should be interesting. Where is Miyazato? And what about Christina Kim, she is going to be fighting for that Solheim Cup spot.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Soxy--my thoughts exactly. Plus, both Michelle Wie and Stacy Lewis will be mixing things up.
 
Hey, what happened to my post here?
 
What post Harry?
 
JB said:
What post Harry?
Click to expand...

Last night I posted shortly after Soxy did. It was post #2.

That's the 2nd time it's happened that I can remember. About a week ago, I started a thread on the story about Tiger being a cheapskate and the next day it was gone. At the time, I just assumed that it got deleted because someone reported it as offensive of something. (Although I didn't think it was - I was just passing along a story.)

But this post was definitely benign. And I even remember looking at the thread after it was posted, so I know it was there at one point.
 
Harry,
Myself and Hacker and Forecaddie are the only ones that can delete posts and none of us have done so. I would drop the message to Hacker via PM and see what his thoughts are.
 
JB said:
Harry,
Myself and Hacker and Forecaddie are the only ones that can delete posts and none of us have done so. I would drop the message to Hacker via PM and see what his thoughts are.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the reason I even said something. If I thought it had been intentionally deleted for policy reasons, I woulda brought it up via PM.

Weird.
 
I agree that Yani Seng will give Lorena a run for the #1 spot over the next couple of years.
 
Claire, I agree that both Michelle and Stacy will be in the mix somehow.

So Harry, what did you say in the post??
 
soxngolf said:
So Harry, what did you say in the post??
Click to expand...

That's why it's annoying. I can't remember stuff after I post it. Sort of a brain flush, or ADD, or something.

But I questioned Sirak's rankings. I used an example of Minea Blomqvist being #18 on his list, but #63 in the actual world rankings.

I also mentioned that the cover photo was a terrible picture of Paula Creamer:

gwar01_090216creamer.jpg
 
Maybe it was a dream Harry...hehe.

I too struggled with a couple of the rankings. But any coverage is good coverage I guess.
 
ClairefromClare said:
With those funky red hair extensions.
Click to expand...

After I saw the photo (in front of the American flag), I decided that the red hair was probably for the artsy photo and just left in for the PGA show. She probably did both on the same day (or PGA show the next day.)
 
I like the extensions, but it's not a great photo of her. Sorry Paula.

Thought the rankings were a bit odd here and there, but anything is exciting to me right now. Blomqvist at 18 is nuts. But can't wait for the action to start regardless.
 
Harry, I saw Soxy's post last night and then Claire's soon it. I never saw yours.

Who's Forecaddie? :question:
 
Forecaddie is on as one of our moderators. He does not post really, just is a mod.
 
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