Webb defends at Michelob Ultra Open
IN: News | LPGA | Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill (2007) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 09 May 2007
One of the more significant purses on the LPGA Tour is up for grabs at this week’s Michelob ULTRA Open in historical, Williamsburg, Virginia where Karrie Webb will seek to defend a title she won by a massive seven shots in 2006.
US$2.2 million is at stake this week and a field befitting such a monetary carrot, with the exception of Annika Sorenstam, is lining up.
The Kingsmill Resort and Spa River Course has played host to this event since 2003 when the event became an LPGA Tour event after 22 years as a PGA Tour stop, the last of which was when Charles Howell won his first PGA Tour event in 2002.
The River Course, so called because of its proximity to the James River, was designed by Pete Dye who will have another of his much vaunted creations in the world golfing spotlight this week at the TPC at Sawgrass. The course at Kingsmill underwent considerable renovation in 2004 under the eye of Dye.
Webb took a five shot lead into the final day last year and extended it to win in a canter over Lorena Ochoa and Hee-Won Han. Webb returns to the LPGA Tour this week after finishing third behind Korean, Mi Jeong Jeon, in Japan last weekend.
Lorena Ochoa continues her most consistent and impressive run of form. She has been twice runner up in this event and combined with the manner in which she regularly puts herself into contention it is hard to imagine that she won’t be in the thick of things on Sunday.
Annika Sorenstam remains absent from tournament golf as she looks to recover from a bulging disc problem in her back. She was initially entered in the event but it might be some while before she is back.
Cristie Kerr has played this event well, winning in 2005 and recording one or two other good tournaments at Kingsmill. Kerr is not on top of her game at present however and that is the concern for her chances this week.
Paula Creamer won the season opening event in Hawaii and while not continuing on with that sort of form of late she has still played solidly. A fourth place finish last year in this event which included a very strong weekend suggests a good result in store for her this week.
Juli Inkster went close last week when losing a playoff to Mi Hyun Kim and the veteran has played this venue well previously. So too has her conqueror last week, Kim, and although a repeat of last week’s quinella would be a strange coincidence, it is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Other than Webb, Australians in the field are Lindsey Wright, Katherine Hull, Rachel Hetherington, Michelle Ellis, Wendy Doolan and Nadina Light.
