Big three do battle at Safeway International
IN: News | LPGA | Safeway International (2007) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 21 Mar 2007
For the first time in 2007, the LPGA Tour will witness a tournament where all three of the world's leading players will compete against each other in the lead up to next week's first major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco.
This week's Safeway International at the Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club outside of Phoenix will see Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and Lorena Ochoa renew their battles of 2006. The world number four, Cristie Kerr, is also in the field but there is quite a gap between her and the number three player Ochoa.
The Superstition Mountain Prospector layout is a Jack Nicklaus designed facility and measures a comparatively long 6629 yards for this week's event although it is played at altitude.
Juli Inkster defends a title she won by two over Sarah Lee last year although Sorenstam has been the dominant force in this particular event in recent times, winning in three of the last six years.
Inkster has played only twice in 2007 and has hardly been impressive, her 60th place at the Fields Open her best effort to date, so a win this week would be an even greater surprise than last year. She did finish third to Sorenstam in 2005 however and clearly has a good feel for the course.
Sorenstam finished runner up in her only start in 2007 when she lost a playoff to Meaghan Francella. It was a solid return to tournament golf and she will be primed for her encounter with Webb who started the year in such fine fashion with consecutive wins in Australia and a third place at Turtle Bay and is perhaps a genuine challenger to Sorenstam's hold on the world number one title.
Ochoa has had two top tens in her three starts this season and has played well in this event and at this venue. She finished third to Sorenstam in 2004 and was runner up to the same player in 2005.
Webb has not had a good record at this venue, 24th being her best in three starts at Superstition Mountain. Now that she is back close to her best it will be interesting to see how she handles the course in 2007.
Cristie Kerr has been 4th and runner up in two of her three starts at this venue and she has played well enough early in the season to be some sort of factor this week.
It would perhaps be a surprise to see the winner coming from outside the top five or so mentioned above but Julieta Granada, Hee Won Han, Paula Creamer and Stacy Prammanasudh are capable of upsetting the favourites.
Australians other than Webb include Rachel Hetherington, Lindsey Wright, Michelle Ellis, Katherine Hull, Wendy Doolan and Nadina Light.
Photo - Anthony Powter
