LPGA returns to the US at Safeway
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2008 Safeway Classic | Preview | 20 Aug 2008
For the first time since July 20th, LPGA golf will be played on US soil when this week’s Safeway Classic is played at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Oregon.
The original Vernon Macan design was remodelled by Robert Muir Graves and William Bell in 1925 and has played host to this event in most years since the event’s inception in 1972.
The defending champion is Lorena Ochoa who, while not winning for more than three months, has hardly been idle. By her extraordinarily high standards this could be termed a slump but her record over the past few weeks would be relished by most other LPGA Tour players. She was 4th last week in Canada, 7th at the British Open and 5th at the Evian Masters.
Yani Tseng fell apart over the closing stages of last week’s Canadian Open but she is likely to be back in contention again this week. It is unlikely that she will take too much harm from her demise in Ottawa.
Paula Creamer and Suzanne Pettersen should feature in the mix but it appears two time winner Annika Sorenstam is a little distracted by her farewell tour at present.
Hee Won Han is a previous winner of this event and has played well enough of late to again be a factor around this layout.
Katherine Hull might find backing up a little difficult given the significance of her achievement last week but clearly she is in the best form of her life.
Karrie Webb, Rachel Hetherington, Lindsey Wright Sarah Kemp, Michelle Ellis and Wendy Doolan are other Australians in the field.
