Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Wednesday Preview - Manulife LPGA Classic

Canada, eh? The LPGA heads north of the border to participate in the Manulife LPGA Classic for the final event before the second major of the season.

Course: Whistle Bear Golf Club. This is a brand new track, and so who knows what the winning score will be. Grey Silo, the previous host, was among the easiest courses on Tour, and the winning score exceeded twenty under par. This year, it should be a lot more difficult.

Strength Of Field: A. Everyone's here, all getting a tune up before the Women's LPGA Championship.

Extra Tidbits: This is one of the newer events on the LPGA schedule, as this is only the fourth time this event has been played...In the last two years, the eventual champion shot 61 in one of the weekend rounds. That was at the much easier Grey Silo course, however...10 Canadian players have received an exemption into this event. All eyes will be on teenager Brooke Henderson...this week, we should expect to see some of the best crowds of the year. Canada really supports their athletes.


Fantasy Four:

Brooke Henderson - I'm calling it now! The teenager dazzles in front of her home crowd and becomes a superstar by winning her first LPGA tournament. She has played incredibly well since turning professional, and playing in front of a home crowd can either add too much pressure or energize you. I think it will energize Brooke.

Inbee Park - Has the opportunity to pass Lydia Ko this week if she has another high finish. Inbee already has seven top 10's this season with two victories, so it appears as if she remains to be the player to beat most weeks.

Minjee Lee - Backed up her victory a few weeks ago with a top 10 last week, so consider me a complete believer. The hardest thing for someone to do is to back up their first victory with a top finish, so with that out of the way, Minjee should be on her way to being a top player.

Lydia Ko - Gets this spot just based on her success in Canada in the past, but to be honest, I am not feeling great about Ko's game right now. Since her victory in San Francisco, she has finished T41 and T16. Still has the game to win on any course she plays, but is not playing like the best player on Tour at the moment.

(SLEEPER) Maria McBride - The 41 year old is enjoying a career revitalization, with a T4, T20, and T10 in her last three starts. She has been named a co-captain of the European Solheim Cup team, so I doubt she's playing to make the team, but I'm sure she'd like another victory.

2 comments:

  1. Brooke along with Lorie Kane will comprise Team Canada as golf makes its debut at next month's Pan American Games in Toronto.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_at_the_2015_Pan_American_Games

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    1. That's pretty cool. Terrible timing for the men, though - same weekend as The Open Championship.

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