Corning Classic's fitting farewell
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2009 LPGA Corning Classic | Preview | 19 May 2009
The LPGA Tour is this week in Corning, New York, sadly for the final occasion, the event steeped in LPGA history drawing to a close.
Corning Incorporated, the glassware company, has made the tough decision to withdraw their funding from the event following this year’s tournament.
The tournament is being contested for the final time in 2009 after being first played in 1979 and a field befitting a final swansong has assembled to say goodbye.
The Corning Country Club is a Tom Winton designed layout first established in 1918.
In 2008 Leta Lindley won her first title on the LPGA Tour by defeating Jeong Jang in a playoff, narrowly avoiding four consecutive wins by Koreans in the event. Young Kim, Hee-Won Han and Jimin Kang had won in the previous three years. Unfortunately for Lindley she will not be in Corning to defend her title in 2009, back complaints forcing her withdrawal earlier this week.
This week’s field is missing the world number one Lorena Ochoa but most of the LPGA Tour’s stars are in the field including the woman who is likely to command favouritism, Paula Creamer. Creamer has played this event twice and been runner up and 15th last year. She has been three times third this year including last week at the Sybase.
Cristie Kerr, the word number two, has not played in Corning in recent years but her current form suggests she should be right in the mix this week. Kerr won two weeks ago and although she was disappointing last week in New Jersey she had played well prior to her win.
Yani Tseng and Jiyai Shin are the world number two and four and while both are playing this event for the first occasion both are classy enough to win first up at this venue. Both have been just below their best in recent starts but are good enough to turn that around quickly.
Suzann Pettersen has gone close to winning on several occasions this year and must break through soon. An issue for the brilliant Norwegian however may be a less than impressive record in the two times she has played this event. She has been no better than 50th in either start but they were at a time when she was well below the player she is now.
In Kyung Kim has a good record in this event and has played very well in her last two starts this season finishing runner up and 5th. She should go very close to winning this week.
The Australians in the field are Katherine Hull, the in form Lindsey Wright, Rachel Hetherington, Sarah Kemp, Wendy Doolan, Sarah Jane Smith, Michelle Ellis and Anna Rawson.
