Prizemoney attracts strong field in Canada
IN: News | LPGA | Canadian Women's Open (2007) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 15 Aug 2007
The LPGA Tour arrives back in North America after two events in France and Scotland and, for most, a week to recover.
The Canadian Open is being played at the Royal Mayfair Golf and Country Club in Edmonton, Alberta, with Cristie Kerr looking to further enhance her memorable season by defending the title she won twelve months ago at the London Hunt and Country Club in Ontario. There are only a few tournaments on the LPGA Tour where events are taken to different venues each year and the Canadian Open is one of them.
The tournament’s prizemoney has been increased significantly in 2007, the event now carrying a purse of US$2,250,000, an increase of US$550,000 on last year.
The Royal Mayfair Golf and Country Club was granted the Royal tag in 2005 but was designed as far back as 1922 by Stanley Thompson. The layout underwent major redesign in 1989 and now measures 6611 yards, which makes the course one of the longer on the LPGA Tour schedule.
The world number one, Lorena Ochoa, fresh from her maiden major championship victory at St Andrews is in the field and given her capacity to win anywhere and the amazing form she is in, a win this week is more a probability than a possibility.
Karrie Webb is struggling at present and although she arrives in Edmonton as the world number two, her form is such that it is difficult to imagine her contending. At her best she is deservedly the world number two but she is a long way from that at present.
Cristie Kerr, the defending champion, appears to be struggling to get her feet back on the ground after her breakthrough major championship at the US Open.
Paula Creamer played in Japan last week and finished 5th after being 7th at the Women’s British Open the week before. She has not had the luxury of a week off as have many of her competitors this week and she has been to France, Scotland and Japan in the last three weeks. Whether that will take a toll remains to be seen but an event of this magnitude is too good to turn down.
Se Ri Pak has played very well over the last two months including a win at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. Her latest 5th placed finish at St Andrews indicates that she is close to winning again and perhaps deserves to be second favourite behind Ochoa.
The Australians, outside of Webb, include Lindsey Wright, whose growing status in the game is reflected by the fact that she is paired with Se Ri Pak and Suzann Pettersen in the opening rounds, Wendy Doolan, Rachel Hetherington, Katherine Hull and Michelle Ellis.
