No Annika but tight contest at Fields Open
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2007 Fields Open in Hawaii | Preview | 21 Feb 2007
The LPGA Tour stays in Hawaii this week for the Fields Open at the Ko Olina Golf Club in Kapolei, on the island of Ohau.
The world number one, Annika Sorenstam, will again miss an early season event after not playing in last week’s event in Turtle Bay. She has Karrie Webb and Lorena Ochoa bearing down on her number one ranking, in fact, as a result of Webb’s third placing last week at the SBS Open, Webb has edged past Lorena Ochoa into second place in the rankings. This represents a significant climb from 17th place when the Rolex Rankings were introduced this time twelve months ago.
Webb will perhaps start the favourite this week although Lorena Ochoa, who will be improved by last week’s tournament, is in the field as is last week’s winner, Paula Creamer, the world number four Cristie Kerr and Paraguay’s brilliant young star, Julieta Granda.
Granada was Creamer’s closest pursuer last week and is a much better player now than this time last year when she was playing in just her second event as a rookie and finished 4th. Webb played in the event last year but finished well back in one of the last events before she started her phenomenal run of form at the Kraft Nabisco.
The Ko Olina Golf Club layout was designed by Ted Robinson where last year’s winning score over the lengthy 6519 yard layout was 14 under par recorded by the playoff pair of Meena Lee and Seon Hwa Lee.
Michelle Wie was third last year but is still recovering from a wrist injury and will not play.
The Australians in the field, aside from Webb, are Lindsey Wright who finished 9th in the event twelve months ago, Rachel Hetherington, Katherine Hull, Michelle Ellis, Wendy Doolan and Nadina Light.
The tournament has prizemoney of US$1.2 million and will be played over 54 holes starting Thursday.
