Could this be the week for Michelle Wie?
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2009 Safeway Classic | Preview | 27 Aug 2009
The LPGA Tour’s regular event season this week’s returns to American soil for the first time since the US Women’s Open in mid July when the Safeway Classic is played at a new venue for the event, the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club’s Ghost Creek Golf Course in North Plains, Oregon.
The Ghost Creek layout was designed by Robert Cupp who interestingly enough will also have one of his creations on display during this week’s PGA Tour event, The Barclays, in New Jersey. It is one of two courses at Pumpkin Ridge, the other, the Witch Hollow layout, has played host to two US Women’s US Opens.
Cristie Kerr returns to defend the title she won last year after a playoff with Helen Alfredsson and Sophie Gustafson and given her recent form indicates she is going to be very tough to beat again, despite this being a new venue to that used last year.
Lorena Ochoa won this event in 2007 but again it was at another venue. Ochoa has not been at her best in recent starts but she is still the world number one and as a result deserves respect.
Paula Creamer has been extremely consistent of late and, with a good week at the Solheim Cup behind her, she has a good chance of winning her first event this season.
This could potentially be the week where Michelle Wie breaks through for that long awaited first LPGA Tour win. Wie is likely to now feel more part of the LPGA Tour than ever before as a result of her great week at the Solheim Cup last week. That greater sense of belonging and acceptance could well result in her contending and even winning this week.
Karrie Webb, Katherine Hull, Lindsey Wright, Sarah Kemp, Rachel Hetherington and Sarah-Jane Smith make up the Australia challenge with Hull having finished 4th in this event last year following her Canadian Open win.
