Webb the one to beat at ANZ Ladies Masters
IN: News | ALPG | ANZ Ladies Masters (2007) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 07 Feb 2007
The joint forces of the Australian LPG Tour and the Ladies European Tour fly an hour or so north this week to the Gold Coast in South East Queensland for the ANZ Ladies Masters at the Crowne Plaza's Royal Pines Resort.
The only similarity between this week's venue and last week's MFS Women's Australian Open is that they both have the word 'Royal' in front of their title but that is where any comparisons end. This week's golf course is a Japanese designed layout and resort facility which will pale in comparison to the strong test which a field very similar to this faced last week at Royal Sydney.
Nevertheless the Royal Pines layout is always beautifully presented for the tournament and in terms of tournament logistics it is a fine tournament venue.
The field has been strengthened this week with the inclusion of two top twenty world ranked players to join Karrie Webb, who last week was the only player in that category at Royal Sydney. American Cristie Kerr and Japan's Sakura Yokmine add a further dimension to the field and spread the interest in the event even further given the fan base both Kerr and Yokomine enjoy in their respective homelands.
Kerr has finished inside the top ten in each of her last eleven starts on the LPGA Tour and in 2006 won three events. At number four in the world she has the credentials to challenge Webb this week but her lack of recent competitive tournament golf might work against her early in the week.
Two years ago Ai Miyazato finished runner up to Karrie Webb after leading for much of the tournament and this year another Japanese star in the making, Sakura Yokomine, will look to go one better. Yokomine won three events on the Japan LPGA Tour in 2006 and finished third on their money list. At only 20 years of age she is on the verge of even bigger things in the game and this week may see her rising star shine even brighter.
Those players aside, it is a similar lineup to that which suffered at the hands of Karrie Webb last week at Royal Sydney. The chances are that a similar fate might befall the newcomers as well this week as, with Webb in the sort of form she is now in and with her unprecedented success at Royal Pines, it will take a significant effort to stop her. Webb is looking to win the event for the sixth time in the last ten years. She first won in 1998 and has been the dominant force of, and played a major role in the success of, the event.
Webb might not, however, quite have things completely her on way to the extent that she enjoyed last week. The two Americans used to promote last week's event have that all important first event of the season now under their belt and will be better for their outing in Sydney. Natalie Gulbis was disappointed with her ordinary effort at Royal Sydney last week but is hoping that the significant amount of work she put into improving her driving over the off season will finally kick in this week.
"I worked a lot with Butch Harmon during the break more especially on my accuracy," said Gulbis today. Gulbis had her first ever golf lesson with Harmon after turning professional and has been with him since. She is essentially his only LPGA pupil of any real repute. Gulbis played in this event in 2003 where she finished inside the top twenty but clearly she is a much better player now although, after her last round of 81 in Sydney last Sunday, she has a bit to convince many Australian fans that she is as good as she is being talked up to be.
Brittany Lincicome did very well in Sydney last week when finishing tied fifth at the Women's Australian Open and it might just be that Royal Pines will suit her much better than the tight constraints of the Sydney layout. Historically Royal Pines has suited the longer hitter as all four par fives, with the possible exception of the 12th, are reachable, especially for a player of Lincicome's prodigious length. Don't be surprised to see her challenging Webb this week.
Twelve months ago the then 16 year old, Amy Yang, shocked the golfing world when she defeated Catherine Cartwright in a playoff for the tournament. In the time since, Yang has turned professional and in her very first attempt in the paid ranks, Yang finished fourth at the Dubai Ladies Classic in October behind Annika Sorenstam, Helen Alfredsson and Karrie Webb. There is no Sorenstam here this week but she will face a far more prepared and confident Karrie Webb in this year's event, not to mention some more tournament ready Americans than was the case last year.
Yang is on the verge of a great career in the game and, although the expectations on her will be far greater this year than was the case than when she was a late invite to the event in 2006, she has already shown a capacity to handle virtually anything that comes her way. She finished 20th last week at Royal Sydney after a good start to the event, a performance that was neither good nor bad.
Korea's Ji Yai Shin and Taiwan's Wei Yun Jye both performed with credit last week in Sydney with Wei being the only player to apply any sort of pressure to the six shot victor Webb. Both have chances to do well again this week as does another from Asia in Tseng Ya-Ni who got into a position to win late on Sunday last year before finishing in a share of third. Tseng did well last week in Sydney also and after playing this event as an amateur last year, she now has the chance to earn money for her efforts.
Louise Stahle shared third place last year with Tseng and Tiffany Joh and produced a pretty good tournament last week in Sydney when sharing 13th place. Despite a difficult year on the USLPGA in 2006, Stahle is a fine young player and could well challenge on a golf course that appears to suit her.
Another Swede who might also do well is Linda Wessberg who is a much more accomplished player than when finishing 10th and 6th in her last two starts in this event.
Other Australians who must be considered are Nikki Campbell who finished as the leading Australian last year at Royal Pines when fifth, Lindsey Wright, Rachel Hetherington and Sarah Kemp.
The tournament has prizemoney of A$800,000 with the winner to receive $A120,000.
Photo - Anthony Powter
