Rejuvenated Sorenstam the favourite
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2008 Fields Open in Hawaii | Preview | 21 Feb 2008
The LPGA Tour stays in Hawaii this week but heads to the other side of the island of Oahu where the Fields Open in Hawaii will be played at the Ko Olina Golf Club.
The event is played over only 54 holes but as was the case at last week’s event in Turtle Bay it will start on Thursday and finish on Saturday.
The layout was designed by Ted Robinson and has played host to this event since it’s inception three years aga.
The defending champion is Stacey Prammanasudh, who led throughout the event to win her second LPGA Tour title over Jee Young Lee.
Lorena Ochoa is not playing this week but the field is strengthened by the appearance of a rejuvenated Annika Sorenstam, who returned to her former glory last week with her first LPGA Tour win in 17 months.
Sorenstam moved to the number two position in the world last week and she will be the one to beat again this week although Suzann Pettersen, who Sorenstam moved ahead of in the world ranking last Saturday, was only just warming up when it was all over last week and should do better.
Others who must be considered good chances to do well are Cristie Kerr, Morgan Pressel and Paul Creamer while one for longer odds may be Seon Hwa Lee who finished runner up in this event two years ago.
Momoka Ueda and Angela Park were both in the mix late in the tournament at Turtle Bay and Park especially has a point to prove given that she was penalised two shots late in the tournament.
The Australians are headed by their number two ranked player, Lindsey Wright, who did well early in last week’s event before again backing off. If Wright can find a way to finish her events off in better fashion she has a chance of winning on the LPGA Tour before too long.
Rachel Hetherington, Wendy Doolan and Katherine Hull are the other Australians in the field.
