Strong field at Ginn Tribute

BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2008 Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika | Preview | 28 May 2008

The LPGA Tour moves south to South Carolina for this week’s Ginn Tribute hosted by Annika, a tournament boasting a field fully reflecting the strength of the event and the quality of the Arnold Palmer designed RiverTowne Country Club in Charlestown.

Last year Nicole Castrale defeated Lorena Ochoa in a playoff to win her first LPGA title in what was the inaugural staging of this event. With prizemoney of US$2.6 million, the event has attracted all of the leading LPGA Tour players although the matchup between tournament host, Annika Sorenstam, and Lorena Ochoa will be the focus of attention.

Not that the possibilities for victory stop there as world number three, Suzann Pettersen, is back from her emphatic victory in last week’s Ladies European Tour event in Switzerland, Paula Creamer will be keen to recover from an ordinary week last week in Corning and Karrie Webb will look to put her rollercoaster season on a more even keel.

Cristie Kerr, who finished third last year, will attempt to get her game improving to the point where she is a chance to defend her US Open title in a month’s time.

Sorenstam struggled in this event last year but at that point she had only just returned from the back injury she had suffered earlier in the year and her current form is perhaps a better guide to her chances this week. With three wins and two runner up placings in 2008, that form is clearly very good.

So too of course is the form of the brilliant Lorena Ochoa and with a solid showing here last year, she will prove the most difficult to beat it would seem. An amazing six wins already this season, including her last start at the Sybase Classic, has her ready for this and with a break last week behind her she will be fresh and ready to go.

Paula Creamer did well in the event last year when 5th and as a two time winner in 2008 she is expected to do well this week.

Jeong Jang must surely break through after a string of good finishes of late. The Korean has been twice runner up and third in her last three starts and in that sort of form and with a reasonable week in this event last year she should continue her consistent run.

The Australians in the field are headed by Webb but there is a good line up of others involved. Lindsey Wright, Rachel Hetherington, Wendy Doolan, Sarah Kemp, qualifier Michelle Ellis and amateur invitee Alison Whitaker will all fly the Australian flag.

Victorian, Alison Whitaker, is in the field courtesy of a win at the University of Florida Challenge, an event she won while a member of the Duke University collegiate team. Duke finished third at last week’s NCAA Championship in New Mexico.

Dependant on what her plans are regarding turning professional, a good finish in this week’s event could well bring Whitaker into consideration for the Espirito Santo team to be played in Adelaide later this year. Six years ago both Katherine Hull and Lindsey Wright were plucked from the Pepperdine University team to become members of the 2002 Australian Espirito Santo winning team in Malaysia that year.