Rich purse attracts the stars at Evian
IN: News | LPGA | Evian Masters (2008) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 24 Jul 2008
The equal richest tournament in women’s golf, the Evian Masters, is a jointly sanctioned event between the LPGA and European Ladies Tours and gets underway this Thursday amidst the mountains close to the border between France and Switzerland. Evian les Baines is the home of this event as it has been since first played in 2000. Not to be outdone by the US Women’s Open, the tournament sponsors recently upped the prizemoney to US$3.25 million.
With such a large purse at stake, this is not one to miss and the field assembled suggests that the game’s leading female players feel exactly the same way.
The defending champion is Natalie Gulbis, who defeated Jeong Jang in a playoff last year to win her first LPGA Tour title. Given the manner in which Gulbis is playing this season it is hard to imagine her successfully defending, although, to be fair, her lead up form last year was not that great either.
Back in action for the first time in several weeks is the world number one Lorena Ochoa, who is not only here to try and win this event for the first time, but to get her game in shape for her defence of the Weetabix Women’s British Open next week at Sunningdale. Ochoa last played at the US Women’s Open three weeks ago and her return will be watched with interest given her status in the game and that at the US Open she had a very disappointing week by her standards.
Ochoa has not won this event but in five starts she has not finished outside the top five. She might take a week to get things back in order but if she arrives prepared, then look out for a quick return to form.
Annika Sorenstam has been a two time winner here but like Ochoa has had a break since her 24th place finish at the US Open.
Suzann Pettersen has played in and won two European Tour event in recent months, the latest in Ireland two weeks ago. The world number three, who led after the first round last year, is primed for a big week as indeed is Paul Creamer who is closing in on Pettersen’s hold on the number three position. Creamer arrives off the back of a win at the Jamie Farr event in Ohio.
In form players, Yani Tseng, Eun-Hee Ji and previous winner, Karrie Webb all have a chance of continuing some improved form of late and there will be interest in other Koreans Amy Yang, who is having a good season in Europe and Ji Yai Shin, who finished 3rd in this event last year as a non-LPGA Tour player which she still is. Not that the Korean challenge is limited to those mentioned as there are nearly 30 Koreans in this 97 player field.
Other Australians in the event are Lindsey Wright, Katherine Hull, previous winners Rachel Hetherington and Wendy Doolan and Joanne Mills.
