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LPGA - Safeway Classic Preview
From The Sports Network
| DATES: Friday, August 20th through Sunday, August 22nd |
| SITE: Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club (Ghost Creek Golf Course), North Plains, Oregon |
| COURSE ARCHITECT: Robert Cupp (1991) |
| Hole-By-Hole: | 1 - Par 4 399 Yds | 10 - Par 5 495 Yds | |
| 2 - Par 4 398 Yds | 11 - Par 3 175 Yds | |
| 3 - Par 3 169 Yds | 12 - Par 4 414 Yds | |
| 4 - Par 5 522 Yds | 13 - Par 4 386 Yds | |
| 5 - Par 3 184 Yds | 14 - Par 3 205 Yds | |
| 6 - Par 4 371 Yds | 15 - Par 5 540 Yds | |
| 7 - Par 4 409 Yds | 16 - Par 3 139 Yds | |
| 8 - Par 5 507 Yds | 17 - Par 4 334 Yds | |
| 9 - Par 5 474 Yds | 18 - Par 4 431 Yds | |
| ------------- | ------------- | |
| 37 3,433 Yds | 35 3,119 Yds | |
| Annual: | 39th |
| Television: | Golf Channel - Friday -- 12:30-2:30 p.m. (et), |
| | - Saturday/Sunday -- 5:30-8 p.m. (et) |
| Defending Champion: | M.J. Hur |
| Runner-Up: | Suzann Pettersen, Michele Redman |
| Tournament Record: | 199 (Annika Sorenstam, 2002) |
| 36-Hole Record: | 131 (Annika Sorenstam, 2002) |
| 18-Hole Record: | 62 (Annika Sorenstam, 2002; Beth Daniel, 2003) |
| Total Purse: | $1,500,000 |
| Shares: | 1st Place - $225,000; 2nd Place - $136,988; 3rd Place - $99,375 |
| 2009 Finish |
| Player | Score | Player | Score |
| M.J. Hur * | 203 | Seon Hwa Lee | 205 |
| Suzann Pettersen | 203 | Anna Nordqvist | 206 |
| Michele Redman | 203 | Paige Mackenzie | 207 |
| Michelle Wie | 205 | Christina Kim | 207 |
| Ai Miyazato | 205 | Angela Stanford | 207 |
| Past Safeway Classic Winners |
| Year | Winner (Score) -- Runners-Up |
| 2009 | *M.J. Hur (203) -- Suzann Pettersen, Michele Redman |
| 2008 | *Cristie Kerr (203) -- Helen Alfredsson, Sophie Gustafson |
| 2007 | Lorena Ochoa (204) -- Sophie Gustafson, Mhairi McKay, Christina Kim, |
| Inbee Park |
| 2006 | Pat Hurst (206) -- Kim Saiki, Jeong Jang |
| 2005 | Soo-Yun Kang (201) -- Jeong Jang |
| 2004 | *Hee-Won Han (207) -- Lorie Kane |
| 2003 | Annika Sorenstam (201) -- Beth Daniel |
| 2002 | Annika Sorenstam (199) -- Kate Golden |
| 2001 | Not held due to tragedies of September 11th |
| 2000 | *Mi Hyun Kim (215) -- Jeong Jang |
| 1999 | Juli Inkster (207) -- Tina Barrett, Grace Park |
| 1998 | Danielle Ammaccapane (204) -- Emilee Klein |
| 1997 | Chris Johnson (206) -- Kim Saiki, Lisa Hackney |
| 1996 | Dottie Pepper (202) -- Chris Johnson |
| 1995 | Alison Nicholas (207) -- Kelly Robbins |
| 1994 | Missie McGeorge (207) -- Betsy King |
| 1993 | Donna Andrews (208) -- Missie McGeorge, Tina Barrett |
| 1992 | *Nancy Lopez (209) -- Jane Crafter |
| 1991 | Michelle Estill (208) -- Rosie Jones |
| 1990 | Patty Sheehan (208) -- Danielle Ammaccapane |
| 1989 | Muffin Spencer-Devlin (214) -- Nancy Lopez, Tammie Green, Susan Sanders, |
| Dawn Coe-Jones |
| 1988 | Betsy King (213) -- Colleen Walker |
| 1987 | Nancy Lopez (210) -- Kelly Leadbetter, Muffin Spencer-Devlin, |
| Jan Stephenson |
| 1986 | Ayako Okamoto (207) -- Colleen Walker, Nancy Lopez |
| 1985 | Nancy Lopez (215) -- Lori Garbacz |
| 1984 | Amy Alcott (212) -- Kathy Baker |
| 1983 | *JoAnne Carner (212) -- Charlotte Montgomery |
| 1982 | *Sandra Haynie/Kathy McMullen (196) -- Sharon Barrett/Nancy Rubin, |
| Lori Garbacz/Patti Rizzo |
| 1981 | *Donna Caponi/Kathy Whitworth (203) -- JoAnne Carner/Judy Rankin |
| 1980 | Donna Caponi/Kathy Whitworth (195) -- Janet Alex/Judy Clark |
| 1979 | Nancy Lopez/Jo Ann Washam (198) -- Susie Berning/Carole Jo Skala |
| 1978 | *Donna Caponi/Kathy Whitworth (203) -- Murle Breer/Barbara Moxness |
| 1977 | *JoAnne Carner/Judy Rankin (202) -- Betty Burfeindt/Pam Higgins |
| 1976 | *Donna Caponi (217) -- Clifford Ann Creed |
| 1975 | Jo Ann Washam (215) -- Sandra Haynie |
| 1974 | JoAnne Carner (211) -- Donna Caponi |
| 1973 | #Kathy Whitworth (144) -- Sandra Palmer |
| 1972 | Kathy Whitworth (212) -- Sandra Haynie |
| Note:Formerly called Safeway LPGA Golf Championship (1996-2000), Ping-AT&T |
|
Wireless Services LPGA Golf Championship (1995), Ping-Cellular One LPGA
Golf Championship (1986-94), Portland Ping Championship (1983-85),
Portland Team Championship (1977-82), Portland Classic (1972-76).
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| Top Contenders in the Field |
| Player | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| M.J. Hur | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | Won |
| Suzann Pettersen | --- | --- | T-34 | T-24 | mc | --- | --- | --- | T-17 | T-2 |
| Michele Redman | T-26 | --- | T-5 | T-34 | T-53 | T-24 | --- | --- | T-17 | T-2 |
| Ai Miyazato | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-25 | mc | mc | T-4 |
| Seon Hwa Lee | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-34 | T-51 | T-4 |
| Michelle Wie | --- | --- | --- | T-28 | --- | --- | --- | mc | --- | T-4 |
| Anna Nordqvist | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 7th |
| Christina Kim | --- | --- | --- | mc | T-15 | T-18 | T-7 | T-2 | mc | T-8 |
| Jeong Jang | 2nd | --- | T-67 | T-11 | T-15 | 2nd | T-2 | T-28 | T-44 | T-12 |
| Natalie Gulbis | --- | --- | T-34 | wd | T-10 | T-10 | T-68 | T-34 | mc | T-12 |
| Cristie Kerr | T-13 | --- | T-13 | 3rd | wd | mc | --- | T-17 | Won | T-20 |
| Beth Bader | --- | --- | T-18 | mc | T-53 | mc | T-75 | T-7 | mc | T-20 |
| Sophie Gustafson | --- | --- | T-18 | T-6 | T-69 | T-28 | --- | T-2 | T-2 | T-27 |
| Morgan Pressel | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-7 | T-50 | T-60 | T-34 |
| Yani Tseng | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | mc | T-34 |
| Meena Lee | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | mc | T-7 | T-72 | wd | T-49 |
| Shi Hyun Ahn | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-77 | T-60 | --- | T-7 | mc | T-60 |
| Jiyai Shin | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-65 |
| Helen Alfredsson | --- | --- | T-54 | T-64 | T-41 | --- | --- | --- | T-2 | mc |
| Katherine Hull | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-53 | mc | mc | T-28 | 4th | mc |
| Hee-Won Han | --- | --- | T-34 | T-17 | Won | T-10 | T-14 | --- | 5th | mc |
| Catriona Matthew | T-39 | --- | T-34 | T-9 | T-62 | --- | --- | --- | T-6 | mc |
| Karrie Webb | --- | --- | T-7 | T-17 | T-10 | T-18 | T-7 | T-28 | T-11 | mc |
| Inbee Park | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-2 | T-36 | mc |
| Pat Hurst | --- | --- | mc | T-42 | T-20 | T-7 | Won | T-34 | T-36 | mc |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Cristie Kerr |
| Darkhorse - M.J. Hur |
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| Last Week's Pick to Win (Jiyai Shin) - Finished tied for 14th |
| Last Week's Darkhorse (Song g-Hee Kim) - Finished tied for 19th |
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| NOTES: |
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After a three-week break, the LPGA Tour travels to Oregon for the Safeway
Classic at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. The last two LPGA stroke-play events were
held in France (Evian Masters) and England (Women's British Open) the last two
weeks in July.
Last year, M.J. Hur birdied the second playoff hole to defeat Suzann Pettersen
and Michele Redman to win this event. With Redman knocked out of the playoff,
Hur and Pettersen made it to the par-four 17th. Hur came up short of the green
in the left rough, while Pettersen nearly drove into a creek. Hur pitched to
seven feet and Pettersen launched her chip 20 feet past the stick. Pettersen
missed her birdie effort and that opened the door for a Hur victory. The LPGA
Tour rookie drained the putt for her first tour win, then ran away to avoid
the traditional first-title celebration -- a champagne shower.
In 2008, Cristie Kerr birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Helen
Alfredsson and Sophie Gustafson. The win was Kerr's 11th on the LPGA Tour and
her first since her major breakthrough in 2007 at the U.S. Women's Open. Kerr
fired a seven-under 65 in the final round to come from four shots back and
join the playoff.
Lorena Ochoa collected her third win a row on the LPGA Tour in 2007 when she
cruised to a five-shot victory. Ochoa only needed a one-under 71 in the final
round, after firing 67-66 on the first two days, to post a 12-under-par 204
total. Ochoa captured the Women's British Open and the Canadian Women's Open
for the first two wins of her streak.
In 2006, Pat Hurst fought through the four second-round co-leaders and won
this event with a final-round, four-under 68. Hurst ended the event at 10-
under-par 206 and was the only player to card three rounds in the 60s.
Soo-Yun Kang was the only player to shoot three rounds in the 60s (64-68-69)
in 2005, as she won wire-to-wire. Kang ended the three-day tournament at
15-under-par 201 for a four-stroke victory over Jeong Jang, the first of her
career.
When Annika Sorenstam won in 2002, she set three new marks en route to
victory. Trailing by two after round one, Sorenstam carded a course-record 62
to take a three-shot lead into the final round. Sorenstam's total of 131 set
the new 36-hole record, breaking the previous mark of 132 set by Danielle
Ammaccapane in 1998. Her 199 total set a new tournament record, breaking the
previous mark of 202 set by Dottie Pepper in 1996. With her win in 2003,
Sorenstam joined Kathy Whitworth as the only players to win this tournament
two straight years. Sorenstam posted six top-10 finishes at this event in her
nine appearances.
This marks the second year that this event is being held at Pumpkin Ridge Golf
Club. Pumpkin Ridge boasts two courses, the Witch Hollow and the Ghost Creek
layouts. The USGA awarded Pumpkin Ridge with several events over the years,
including the 1997 and 2003 U.S. Women's Open and the 1996 U.S. Amateur
Championship. From 1991-2008 the tournament was held at Columbia Edgewater
Country Club.
This tournament, which was a team event for six years from 1977-82, was
dominated by Donna Caponi and Kathy Whitworth. The duo titled three times,
including back-to-back years in 1980-81. The tournament has raised over $14
million for local children's charities in Oregon through the Safeway
Foundation since 1972, and gave $1 million last year from tournament proceeds.
Amateur Kristina Merkle earned a sponsor's exemption, as she won the Safeway
Classic Amateur Open two weeks ago. Merkle, who shot 71 to win the event, will
be making her LPGA Tour debut.
The LPGA Tour heads north of the border next week for the CN Canadian Women's
Open, where Pettersen captured the 2009 event.
08/18 21:27:25 ET
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As of August 18, 2010, at 09:27 PM ET
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