Course: Highland Meadows Golf Club, which is going to look like a putt-putt track compared to the conditions these ladies faced last week. Expect low scores - only one time since 2000 has the winning score not been at least ten under par.
Strength Of Field: D. A lot of players decided not to take the trip over from the isles, including Suzann Pettersen, Shanshan Feng, and Inbee Park, who were very much a part of the conversation on Sunday. Mo Martin is here, along with Stacy Lewis and Lydia Ko, but Lewis plays almost every week, so her inclusion should not be a sign of the field strength.
Extra Tidbits: This was the tournament that Se Ri Pak once dominated, winning the event five times, including a record performance in 1998 which still stands. Pak is not in the field this week. In fact, only four former champions of this event tee it up this week...Marissa Steen and Rachel Rohanna are your Monday qualifiers this week...Since 2000, seven times this tournament was won by either one stroke or in a playoff....Last year, Beatriz Recari joined Annika Sorenstam, Kathryn Marshall, and Laura Davies as the only European winners of this event. By comparison, South Korea has won 9, with 5 being won by Pak herself. No Asian country outside of Korea has won this event.
Fantasy Four:
Eun-Hee Ji - Going all in with her this week. Three top 10's this season, including a T5 last week. Consistency is her issue, but last week showed she's ready for another run of great performances. Given the Korean success in this tournament, Mo Martin's victory last week, and a generally weak field, I really like Ji's chances to take this one.
Stacy Lewis - Returns home (how many homes does she have?!) to Ohio where she was born. Is coming in mad after a poor performance at the British Open, and has performed exceptionally well when playing mad. She's the only player I don't have any concerns about in regards to being burnt out.
Lexi Thompson - I almost didn't, as she has cooled down since her major victory, but this event sets up nicely for a return to form.
Lydia Ko - Her low finish at the British Open may actually have helped Lydia for this week, as it takes all pressure off of her. Ko has performed her best when under the radar, and with all eyes on Martin, Lewis, and Wie this week, Ko should be able to just perform and not worry about distractions. Her youth has me concerned in regards to jet lag, but Ko has flown all over the world and won tournaments, so it shouldn't be much of a concern.
(SLEEPER) Julieta Granada - Quietly putting together one of the best seasons of her career. Fifth place finish last week was her third top 10 in six weeks. Her missed cut at the Kraft Nabisco remains her only missed cut of the season. Crawled back inside the top 50 in the world after some poor form the last two seasons. Joins the likes of Meena Lee and Michelle Wie as players who have experienced resurgences this year.
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