Annika defends yet another title at Safeway
IN: News | LPGA | Safeway International (2006) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 16 Mar 2006
The opening line of any LPGA Tour preview these days can often be written in advance. This week's Safeway International is no exception with that line extolling the fact that Annika Sorenstam will again defend a title she won twelve months ago. After winning her first start of the season last week in Mexico, it is fair to assume she will be right in the firing line again on Sunday. Last year Sorenstam defeated Lorena Ochoa in a playoff with Sorenstam the winner in 2004 also and Ochoa third that year.
The tournament is being played for the third year at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club in Superstition, Arizona, about an hour from Phoenix. The Moon Valley Country Club had been played host to the event in sixteen of the seventeen years prior in Phoenix. The Safeway International was first played back in 1980 when Australia's Jan Stephenson won at the Hillcrest Golf Course.
A Jack Nicklaus designed facility and one of two courses he designed on the residential driven development, the Prospector Course, which was built in 1997, carries Bermuda greens. The course is one of the longest on the LPGA schedule measuring some 6600 yards.
While the 2006 LPGA season has promised the prospect of challengers to Sorenstam's superiority on the LPGA Tour, it is a case of advantage Sorenstam so far but the likes of Ochoa, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressell, Cristie Kerr, Seon Hwa Lee and Natalie Gulbis are all playing well enough to win here if Sorenstam should stumble. Certainly Ochoa's length will benefit her, along with what has been a good start to the season. She struggled a little last week in Mexico but her two efforts in Hawaii were first class.
Paula Creamer is another who is not short from the tee and has made a reasonable start to her season including a fourth place last week. She was Sorenstam's closest challenger in 2005 and this week may see the start of another year long battle.
Brittany Lang has been touted as a possible rookie of the year in 2006 and after a poor first week she has improved in each of her last two starts. She has already displayed her long hitting capabilities which could work to her advantage this week.
Natalie Gulbis stormed home last week with a last round 66 and having finished 8th here last year she deserves respect.
There are of course many Koreans who could figure here and as we have seen in recent weeks many with whom we are not yet familiar who could surprise this week.
The Australians are represented by Karrie Webb and Rachel Hetherington, both of whom have won this event previously, plus Katherine Hull, Lindsey Wright and Nadina Light.
The tournament is worth US$1.4 million with US$210,000 going to the winner.
Photo - WireImage
