LPGA Tour Championship: six in the spotlight (part 2)
Na Yeon Choi
This Korean professional payers stands out as the hottest player in the group. With two wins and eight other top 10’s, she is not only leading the money list but also the Vare Trophy Contest. Last year, Choi missed the LPGA Championship cut and has passionately
made her way up this year. After playing 22 events, Choi has the highest scoring average of 69.77. The total rounds and strokes of the player are 75 and 5233 respectively. Choi could really make 2010 her year by claiming all the three awards, the money list,
Vare trophy and also the Rolex Player of the Year Award. Something the South Korean called ‘a dream come true’
Seeing how she is already leading two of them, the Rolex player of the year award is not out her reach. A win at the Championship is worth 30 points in the race and since Choi is only 14 points short of the leader, she could sweep this award as well. The
altruistic player also made a statement about donating a nice sum of $30,000 dollars to the LPGA-USGA Girls golf, which is a program of the LPGA Foundation. She said if the LPGA wasn’t available to her, she wouldn’t have been the golf star she is today. Seeing
how it has made a huge difference in her, Choi wants to give other girls the same opportunity.
Cristie Kerr
The only American player in the top six, Kerr is really hoping to bring some glory to the West. This Miami national was the first American to hold number one ranking when she made it to the top in June. For Cristie, winning the player of the year award is
something she started considering from the beginning of the season.
"Beginning of the season is, just that, beginning of the season, and things tend to add up, and then middle of the season you kind of see where you are and really start paying attention to it the middle of the season," Kerr said. "The last seven weeks, we
have had a lot of tournaments. So you're paying attention to it more because it's becoming the end, but, you know, once you're amassing money, winning tournaments and doing well, you tend to look at things a lot more." She thinks this tournament is even more
exciting since the winner of end of the year honors wasn’t decided before and it all depends on how the ladies play this weekend. Kerr is ranked fourth in the Rolex player of the year point’s race with 173 points, second in the Vare trophy list with a scoring
average only .09 more than the leader, and fifth in the money list with total earnings of $1,512,866.00.
Ai Miyazato.
Having the most wins on the LPGA this season, Miyazato is surely hoping to end it on a good note. Even though she stayed on the number one position, a few bad performances have dropped her position to number two. Second place is still very decent and being
only nine points away from the top ranked Yani Tseng, could become the player of the year. Even though she won’t be the first Japanese to take the award, it would still be quite an achievement for the player. As for the money list, Ai is number sixth with
total earnings of $1,448,654.00.
Suzann Pettersen
Last but definitely not the least is the Norwegian player, Suzann Pettersen. Pettersen is really looking forward to teeing off at the Grand Cypress; she often practices there during her off weeks. She said she knows the course and the lines, and the course
is something she’s been especially attentive to. Even though she is winless in 2010 so far, she has had six second place finishes. Being number four on the money list, she can play well enough to claim at least one of the end of the year award.
With so much at stake this weekend, all the ladies including the top six are eager to tee off. The season ending LPGA Championship will start today at the Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida.
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