Nicole Castrale braces for tough battle at Meadows
American Nicole Castrale is bracing for a tough battle set to be staged at Highland Meadows Golf Club, Ohio, from August 9-12, in a bid to prove her mettle on the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association)
Tour.
The Jamie Farr Toledo Classic 2012 is going to pit competent LPGA stars against each other this Thursday, and Castrale will be hard to ignore as she boasts a huge fan following at Ohio.
So far, the American star has been playing well, but the battle at Meadows can be nerve-jangling, as most of the big names have already vowed to grab the title.
Although still struggling to record her second victory on the LPGA Tour, Castrale missed out on several good opportunities in some of the past events she participated in. However, with the tournament set to
be played in the United States, the LPGA star is keen to do her best.
Castrale has been seeking to end her victory drought since she won her first professional title at Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika in 2007. So far, success has seemed difficult, but the American golfer has been
able to improve her game to a great extent.
Analysts said that despite having improved her game in recent months, carving out a triumph at Ohio will be an uphill task for the 33-year-old. However, experts were keen to point out that she can record a
good finish, as a surprising result cannot be ruled out.
Some of the key players Castrale will confront this Thursday include current world number one Yani Tseng, Paula Creamer, Suzann Pettersen, Stacy Lewis, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome, Brittany Lang, Vicky
Hurst, Natalie Gulbis, Na Yeon Choi who won the 2010 edition of the tournament, Ai Miyazato, Amy Yang, I.K. Kim, Mika Miyazato and Inbee Park of South Korea.
Analysts also pointed out that the top-ranked players will be hard to subdue, but Castrale has what it takes to remain in contention till the final moments of the tournament. Given the past editions of the
LPGA tournament, they added, anything can happen at Meadows, which has been good for underdogs.
South Korean Na Yeon Choi will be putting her best foot forward in a bid to defend her title this Thursday, while players like Paula Creamer and Stacy Lewis will also be putting up a tough fight to remain in
contention till the fourth round.
Tags: