Pettersen set to defend at Longs Drugs
IN: News | LPGA | Longs Drugs Challenge (2008) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 08 Oct 2008
The LPGA stays in California this week for the Longs Drugs Challenge at the Blackhawk Country Club in Danville, east of San Francisco.
The event was one of five titles won late in the 2007 season by Suzann Pettersen who arrives in Danville following an encouraging 3rd place finish at last week’s Samsung World Championship at Half Moon Bay.
The Blackhawk Country Club is an original Bruce Devlin and Robert Von Hagge designed layout remodelled in 2001 by Damian Pascuzzo and Robert Muir Graves. The course was used for the first time for this event in 2006 with Karrie Webb winning that year before Pettersen’s playoff victory over Lorena Ochoa last year.
Pettersen and Ochoa are both in this week’s field although perhaps surprisingly Webb isn’t and neither is the world number two golfer, Annika Sorenstam, who went very close to winning the event two years ago.
Paula Creamer, who moved into the second position on this year’s ADST Money list courtesy of her victory last week at the Samsung, is in the field as also is the world’s now fourth ranked golfer and leading LPGA rookie, Yani Tseng.
Juli Inkster must stand a very good chance of winning this event for the third time after her very good tournament last week at the Samsung. Inkster finished 3rd at this venue last year and despite a limited campaign in 2008 appears to be finding form.
Maria Hjorth might be the golfer to watch for this week after putting together a strong finish at the recent Navistar Classic. Hjorth has played this venue well in her two visits to Blackhawk Country Club. Hjorth has played well in the majors this year and might just be in for a big week.
Wendy Doolan, Rachel Hetherington, Sarah Kemp, and Sarah-Jane Kenyon make up the Australian contingent.
