The LPGA hits "Big Apple" for Sybase Classic
IN: News | LPGA | Sybase Classic (2004) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 19 May 2004
The LPGA heads to the North East for the first time this year, when the Sybase Classic presented by Lincoln Mercury gets underway on Thursday at the Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle, New York.
Five winners from this year's eight event schedule to date will line up, namely Se Ri Pak, Grace Park, Karen Stupples, Christie Kerr and Jennifer Rosales.
Pak will likely start as the favourite but it will be her fellow countrywoman Hee Won Han who will be looking to defend a title for the very first time this week. It was here in July of 2003 where Han defeated Meg Mallon, Grace Park and Cindy Figg Currier to win her first LPGA Tour event. Hee Won Han was also second here to Gloria Park in 2002, suggesting that the Wykagyl course fits her eye. Han has found a little form over the last couple of weeks finishing fourth at the Michelob Ultra Open and 11th last week in Tennessee at the Franklin Mortgage event.
The event is being staged a couple of months earlier than normal this year, but will once again be played at the historic Wykagyl Country Club in the northern suburbs of New York City, the venue since the tournament's inception in 1990 when Betsy King won the first of two consecutive JAL Big Apple events as it was then known.
Built around 1900, the course is one of those courses that link us with the past, Lawrence Van Etten being the original designer, but Donald Ross, A.W. Tillinghast and more recently Arthur Hills all having a role in its development over the years. It is highlighted by rolling fairways, tight fairways and small greens so typical of traditional north-eastern courses from a bygone era.
The technology and software company Sybase became the event sponsor in 2001 following several years in the sponsorship of tennis on the west coast and seem to have found the right mix in terms of getting their product exposure in the adjacent New York business market.
Others expected to do well here this week in addition to Pak, Park and Han are Christie Kerr, Stacy Prammansudh who is destined to win before long, Aree Song who will tee it up here with her sister Naree who has a sponsors exemption, Jung Leon Yee and Karen Stupples who has continued to play solidly since her win early season win.
The Australasians are Rachel Teske, Cherie Byrnes, Michelle Ellis, Carmen Hajjar, Loraine Lambert, Mardi Lunn, Karen Pearce, Nadina Taylor, Shani Waugh and Katherine Hull. Hull managed to Monday qualify with a 67 to grab one of the two spots available.
The event's prizemoney has been increased to $US1.25 million with the winner to receive $187,500.
