Half Moon Bay venue for Samsung
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2008 Samsung World Championship | Preview | 01 Oct 2008
The LPGA is in California this week for the restricted field Samsung World Championship at the Half Moon Bay Golf Links in the San Mateo County south of San Francisco.
Following four consecutive years at the Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, the event has moved north and west to the Arthur Hills designed Ocean Course at Half Moon Bay, one of two courses at the facility.
The Samsung World Championship is limited to 20 players who earn a start via a range of qualifying criteria established to ensure the game’s greatest are in the field. The winners of all four majors in 2008, the leading player on the Ladies European Tour, the leading active player from the Hall of Fame, a sponsor’s invite and the balance of the field made up of money winners from the LPGA Tour, make up the list.
It is a shame – especially given the tournament’s rather grandiose name – that the leading players from the Japan Ladies Golf Tour and Korean LPGA Tours are not in the field.
Lorena Ochoa is the defending champion following a four shot victory last year but that was of course at another venue. The Mexican’s winning return to tournament golf last week in Alabama, when not yet at her peak, is a reminder to all that she will be a significant factor in the outcome of this week’s result.
Ji Yai Shin, who was so convincing in her Ricoh British Open victory at Sunningdale, will be an interesting addition to the field. Now with LPGA Tour status as a result of that victory, Shin will be seen on many more occasions on the LPGA Tour and is sure to be a contender on a regular basis.
Cristie Kerr seems to have finally found a consistent level of form and Yani Tseng looks to continue her brilliant rookie season following a better showing at last week’s Navistar LPGA Classic.
Karrie Webb and Katherine Hull are the two Australians who have earned their way into this elite field with Hull’s recent form indicating that she is not out of her depth at this level.
Webb played well enough last week after a month or so away from the game to indicate that she has at least a chance of her first LPGA Tour win since the Mizuno Classic nearly two years ago.
