Wednesday Preview - WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

We are in the middle of the longest stretch of golf for the world's best players, as we head to Akron, Ohio for the annual stop at the Bridgestone Invitational. The World Golf Championship event comes two weeks after the Open Championship and one week prior to the PGA Championship. Oh, and the PGA Tour playoffs begin two weeks after the year's final major. It's a sprint to the finish!

Course: Firestone Country Club, a classic golf course that measures at a mere 7,100 yards but provides plenty of problems for players. The winner score is consistently double digits under par, but scoring rarely gets out of control. That being said, it is a course that awards aggressive play.

Strength Of Field: A+. Dustin Johnson is the only player inside the top 50 in the world that is sitting this event out. Bridgestone always attracts the best.

Extra Tidbits: Jason Dufner will play this week, despite announcing that he is suffering from two bulging disks in his next. The defending PGA Champion said there were weeks where he got little to no sleep. He still plans to play next week...Tiger Woods will tee it up for the third time since recovering from back surgery. He has won this tournament 8 times...Weather may be a problem this week, as rain is a possibility until Sunday. The wind will determine whether it effects scores.

Fantasy Four:

Rory McIlroy - I hate taking a player immediately after a major victory, especially one that was a rout, as a player ultimately has a let down following that success. Rory's performance at the Open, however, baited me into this pick. I would feel like a fool if I didn't pick him the next two weeks.

Adam Scott - The most under the radar world number one in some time. Rory's run away win in Liverpool has put the pressure on Scott to succeed in order to keep his ranking, and I believe he will do just that. This course should set up for his style of play.

Tiger Woods - I can't really label one of the greatest golfers of all time as a "sleeper" pick, but given his recent performances, that's exactly what this is. If he is healthy, as he appears to be, and he has the rust shaken off, then there is no one in the field who can touch Tiger at Firestone. Where he finishes this week will determine where is game is going forward. If he finishes towards the bottom of the field, expect him to not be named to the Ryder Cup team.

Victor Dubuisson - Cooled down following his runner up finish at the match play, but notched a top 10 at the Open Championship to renew my confidence in him. He is a lock to make the Ryder Cup team, but something tells me he's going to want to make more of an impression heading into the matches. Aggressive golfer who will have no trouble firing at pins. 

There is also an alternate field event taking place this week - the Barracuda Championship, which is the coolest sounding golf tournament on the schedule. As usual, I will not provide a full rundown, but I will give the four players I think will succeed.

Retief Goosen - Best year he's had in years. Hasn't missed a cut since March, and finished T12 in Canada last week. Goosen will break back into the winner circle again soon, and this is the perfect week to do it.

Chad Campbell - Hit or miss, with two top 25s and two missed cuts in the last four starts. Needs a big week if he wants any shot at regaining his card for next season. 

Ben Curtis - Finished T12 last week after missing the cut at the Open Championship. This is good news, seeing as he would string together a run of missed cuts throughout the season. Is currently 128th in the FedEx Cup points, and since he is not exempt into the PGA Championship, he will have two weeks to crack the top 125. 

Oliver Goss - These are the kinds of events young rookies/non members play well at. Goss just turned pro a few months ago, and is looking to join the PGA Tour next season. This is the perfect event to show his stuff. 

Spain Rules The World Of Women's Golf

- The story of the year in golf may be Jarrod Lyle's US comeback. Not only did he beat leukemia and get healthy enough to return to a golf course, but in his first event in the United States since that fight, he finishes T-11. People would have been understanding if he shot two rounds in the 80's and went home on Friday. Lyle had visions of actually winning the golf tournament. No one has a heart bigger than Lyle.

- The International Crown ended up being awesome. Every team in the tournament thought they had a shot to win the tournament each day of the event. The roller coaster nature of the event lead to some fantastic television. While I still don't care for the format of the final day, it's obvious that the LPGA is sitting on a fantastic tournament, and with one or two tweeks, it might be the premier event on the LPGA Tour.

- I like the players on Team Spain, but I can honestly say that I was rooting for an Asian team the entire tournament. The Spanish players already have the Solheim Cup. I would have loved to see a team win it that didn't have the opportunity to play in that event. Still, you can't deny that there is something about team events that gets the Spanish players excited. Carlota Ciganda, Azahara Munoz, and Beatriz Recari all were strong performers for the European team last year, and combined with Belen Mozo they swept singles this year to take home the International Crown. I have a feeling Spain will consistently be a contender in this event, no matter what their seasons are like heading into it.

- It remains a mystery to me why Americans struggle with match play. I know that it isn't as common in this country to play that particular style of golf, but it's also not a hard thing to grasp. With all the talent the Americans have, the fact that they were bounced from the tournament, where they came in loaded with talent and with all the momentum behind them, before the finals is truly an incredibly disappointing result.

- Also disappointed today has to be Korea. If someone told the Koreans that Team USA would be eliminated from the tournament prior to the singles matches, they probably would have felt like they were almost guaranteed the tournament at that point. A combination of bad breaks and shaky play in the group stage all but sunk their chances going into Sunday, and Na Yeon Choi's thrashing at the hands of Carlota Ciganda sealed their fate early. They will get better, and they will be one of the favorites again in 2016, but they have to feel some stinging today.

- Did you know Tim Clark recorded only his second PGA Tour victory yesterday? This fact shocked me. With how good and consistent he was in majors in the mid-2000's, I would have assumed he'd have a few wins under his belt. He did win three times in Europe, but it's surprising to me that he didn't win more often. Of course, injuries and loss of form sent him from being a top, consistent players to being left behind, so it was nice to see Clark win once again. I'm sure being left off the International's President Cup last year gave him a little motivation. The only question mark is, will he be able to win once the anchored putter gets banned?

- Another 54 hole lead, and another runner up finish for Jim Furyk. This one is probably the worst of the bunch, as he had a 3 shot lead early in the final round, only to make one birdie through the entire back nine of an easy golf course. Furyk absolutely should have won this one, and it makes me wonder if it's now in his head. Great player, but unable to cash in when the pressure is on.

- If you thought the majors were boring this year, you should have watched the Senior Open Championship, where Bernhard Langer won by 13 strokes. This tournament was over on Friday. I'm really interested in seeing those ratings.

Would You Rather?

I get bored at work and think about stuff, which is usually detrimental to myself and those around me, but in this particular case, it gave me something to write about. Golfers love to spin their performances and their seasons in a way to make themselves look great, and it got me comparing certain golfers to others, whether it be their seasons or their futures. Let's play a little "Would You Rather?"


Whose Season Would You Rather Have?
Paula Creamer (1 win, but only two top 10's) or So Yeon Ryu (nine top 10's but 0 victories)

Normally, I would take take trophies over anything, but this is a very interesting case. No one has been more consistent without closing the door on a win than So Yeon Ryu, while Paula Creamer finally broke her four year winless streak and did absolutely nothing since then. Creamer has fallen to 12th in the Rolex Rankings, where she was the top American for a number of years until Stacy Lewis, Michelle Wie, and Lexi Thompson all passed her. Ryu, meanwhile, has the longest winless streak of anyone in the top 10, having not won since 2012. While Ryu's winless streak frustrates me, I think I'd rather have her season, where she's always part of the conversation, than Creamer's, who is taking on water and sinking fast.

Whose Season Would You Rather Have?
Mo Martin (1 major victory) or Rickie Fowler (3 top 5's in majors)

Give me the major. Rickie's season has been great, something very few people saw coming entering this year, and it will go a long way to giving Rickie the confidence to become a top player in the game and win a few more tournaments, but no one can ever take away Mo Martin's major. If neither makes a cut on their respective tours, who will be remembered at the end? Always side with the major victory.

Whose Season Would You Rather Have?
Michelle Wie (2 victories, with 1 major) or Stacy Lewis (3 victories, but no majors)

Again, give me the major, though the last two weeks doesn't give me a lot of hope that Wie will be able to continue her incredibly hot season. I felt better about this question until last week, when Wie missed the cut. Ask me again after the LPGA Championship, where Lewis may win her third major title.

Who Will Be Better Over The Course Of The Next FIVE Years?
Michelle Wie or Inbee Park

This is probably the toughest question I posed for myself, and I honestly don't know. Part of me wants to go with Wie because of the season she's had, but then I had to sit back and just ask who the best player of the two is, and there is no question that it's Inbee. Sure, Inbee has had a down season, compared to Wie's extraordinary season, but you can't convince me that Inbee is going to be a one win a season type player of the next five years, and you also can't convince me that Wie is going to be one of the best players on Tour over the course of the next five years. Will she be great? Sure. Will she win a few more tournaments? Absolutely. But Inbee is going to start winning majors again.

Who Will Be Better Over The Course Of The Next TEN Years?
Lydia Ko or Jordan Speith

The argument for Lydia Ko is that it's "easier to win on the LPGA Tour." I don't agree with that statement. I see the players who have been winning on the LPGA Tour, and they have all been the top players on Tour. To me, that makes Lydia's season that much more special. If the competition to her was the same as the competition facing Jordan Speith, Ko would have 8 wins so far. We don't know how good Speith is going to eventually be as he develops on Tour, but we DO know that Ko is one of the best players on the LPGA Tour, and therefore you HAVE to give the edge to Lydia.

Who Will Get Their Next Victory First?
Tiger Woods or Yani Tseng

I posed this question on the Seoul Sisters site, and almost everyone there thought Yani would win before Tiger. I couldn't disagree more. Will Tiger ever win another major? Maybe not. But you can't convince me he's not going to win ANYTHING for the rest of his career. I don't know with Yani. I understand that she's still young, but something happened with her. She's lost her confidence or something. If I'm putting money on either of them, I'll take Tiger.

Wednesday Preview - LPGA International Crown

Things are a little bit different this week, as the LPGA unveils the first ever International Crown, an 8 team match play event that was designed to show off the international nature of the LPGA and allow countries, such as Korea and Japan, who are not represented in any other team format to show off their skills. For my preview, I will break down each pairing individually, and give the five teams I see moving on to stoke play. It's going to be an interesting event, one that I'm sure will have a few kinks in it (for example, five out of eight teams make it to the finals).


Group A:

Team Thailand (Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn, Pornanong Phatlum, Onnarin Sattayabanphot)
Vs
Team Spain (Azahara Munoz, Beatriz Recari, Carlota Ciganda, Belen Mozo)

Team USA (Paula Creamer, Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr)
Vs
Team Taiwan (Yani Tseng, Teresa Lu, Candie Kung, Phoebe Yao)

Team USA is the number one seed in the whole tournament and are a strong favorite to win the event, and they get drawn into the easier group. They should have no problem sweeping their first opponents, Team Taiwan (or Chinese Taipei, depending on how politically correct you'd like to be). Up until this year, I would have told you that Team Spain was the US's biggest obstacle in the early stage, but all four players in Team Spain have struggled this year, to a point where I don't even like their chances to get out of the early stage. Team Thailand is young and has talent, though the Jutanugarn Sisters have cooled down since the strong 2013 campaign they put on. Team USA may very well sweep each all three teams, but they won't - they'll give a few points away because match play is weird like that. In the end, USA should have no problem moving on, and I think Thailand will be the other team that makes it out of this group. Team Spain and Team Taiwan will be eliminated.


Group B:

Team Japan (Mika Miyazato, Ai Miyazato, Sakura Yokomine, Mamiko Higa)
Vs
Team Sweden (Anna Nordqvist, Caroline Hedwall, Pernilla Lindberg, Mikaela Parmlid)

Team Korea (Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu, Na Yeon Choi, IK Kim)
Vs
Team Australia (Karrie Webb, Minjee Lee, Katherine Kirk, Lindsey Wright)

Up until this year, Team Korea was above and away the favorites to win this event, but a season where Choi and Kim have struggled, followed by an explosion of American golf has put the Americans in an easy spot to advance and put the Koreans in the much tougher group. Korea has the talent - the question is whether or not they perform at that level. IK Kim struggled mightily all season, then won on the LET Tour, and then missed the cut at the Women's British Open. Na Yeon Choi hasn't recorded a top 10 in seven starts, but has won the US Women's Open and was close to being the number one player in the world. Perhaps the team aspect of this event will cause the Koreans to rally around each other, and if that happens, they could very well be the team to beat again. They'll have to get out of the tough Group B first, though, and may have drawn one of the biggest question mark teams in the tournament for the first day. Team Australia is the seventh ranked team in the tournament, but may also be the dark horse, as Katherine Kirk and Lindsey Wright have shown this season that they can play some great rounds of golf, Webb has won twice, and Minjee Lee is the top amateur in the world. Team Japan, unfortunately, is coming in leaking all kinds of oil, as the only player who has played well on their team is Sakura Yokomine, who spends all her time on the JLPGA Tour. Team Sweden, who has two Solheim Cup heroes in Nordqvist and Hedwall, as well as two fairly decent players in Lindberg and Parmlid, should be the second team coming out of this group, and may sweep Team Japan. At the end of the day, I see Team Korea winning the group, with Team Sweden and Team Australia both making it out, as well. Team Japan will be eliminated.


So, heading into the finals, I have Team USA, Team Korea, Team Thailand, Team Sweden, and Team Australia. After the group stages, all the players from the teams that qualify play a stroke play round, and the winning team will be determined by the best combined score. Teams Thailand, Sweden, and Australia will be happy to be there and won't be much of a concern for the two teams at the top, as they just don't have the depth to rely on all four players to play well in this format. As long as the US makes it out of the group stage, they should have no problem taking home the title once they reach the finals. Match play has been what does the US in - if all four players get to go out there and just play a round of golf, worrying more about posting a score than beating an opponent, then you're in their wheelhouse. There is, however, cause for concern for Team USA supporters - Paula Creamer has not played will since her win in Singapore, and Cristie Kerr, for as consistent as she is on a weekly basis, is also capable of putting up some not so great rounds. Team Korea, on the other hand, has So Yeon Ryu, who seems allergic to championship trophies lately but has the ability to make birdies in bunches. Ryu and Park could easily put up a round of 63 each and put a lot of pressure on Team USA. In the end, however, I think Team USA is way too deep, and will walk away with the championship.

EDIT: I found out today that the finals for this event is NOT a stoke play event, as is listed on the LPGA web site, and rather 10 singles matches, in which members of each team play a member from another team, determined by the outcome of the group stage. This means someone from, say, Team Thailand could be standing over a putt to determine whether Team USA or Team Korea walks away with the Crown. From a personal standpoint, it is completely twisted, and I don't understand that format at all. From an ""expert"" (I can't put enough quotes around that word) standpoint, it completely changes the way I think about the outcome of this event. While Team USA still has the stronger, deeper team, they are staring down the barrel of the very thing they struggled with in recent Solheim Cups, with players who have had varying results. Stacy Lewis hasn't won a singles match in her Solheim Cup career, Paula Creamer, who used to be an anchor for the team, has two blowout losses in a row to her resume, and Cristie Kerr hasn't won a singles match in three events. My prediction here is now simple - Team USA comes into the finals looking like a lock, and then proceed to completely blow it on the final day. There is something about match play that just gets into the heads of these players. They clam up. So, that means that Team Korea walks away with the victory, right? It's not that simple. This format is so screwy that I don't see either of the super heavyweights walking out as the winner because that's what happens in events like these. It should be cut and dry, and yet it is far more complicated then that. My new prediction is that Team Sweden shocks the world. I don't know if you're allowed to choose which players play against each team, but if you are, you can easily match Hedwall and Nordqvist up against the members of Team USA and Team Korea, and allow Parmlid and Lindberg to face off against the remaining teams. Of course, if I'm right, then expect a LOT of people to complain about the format of these event, and a complete overhall in the future.

Rory Ascends To A New Level

- It may have been a two shot victory, but it was honestly never that close. Rory McIlroy did what he has down twice before in his career - outclassed a field in a major. He didn't put his foot on the pedal like he did at the 2011 US Open or the 2012 PGA Championship, but when he wins majors, he dominates them.

- Rory McIlroy is now among the group who have won three of the four majors in their career. He's 25 years old, making him the third youngest player to do so. We don't have a replacement for Tiger Woods, considering he was at a record breaking, historic level when he was in his prime, but Rory may be as close as we're going to get.

- Rickie Fowler has finished in the top 5 in three consecutive majors. Let that sink in a little bit. The most consistent performer in a major in 2014 is Rickie Fowler. It reminds me of Jason Day's performances last year, where he finished in the top 10 in three major but couldn't come close in any other event. That usually means A) you're next victory is around the corner, and B) you're putting so much energy and focus in the majors that the other events don't mean as much to you. Look for Fowler to pick up a win in the playoffs, when the major season is over and he can focus on winning the FedEx Cup.

- Will Sergio Garcia ever win a major? This week convinced me that he will, sometime soon, get that monkey off his back. There were a couple of mistakes that he made throughout the week that prevented him from winning the tournament, but he was able to hang in there on Sunday and make things somewhat exciting, and I think that will go a long way towards giving Sergio come confidence to put him over the top.

- This year broke a streak of 40-somethings who won the Open Championship, but Jim Furyk gave it his all to continue that streak. Furyk's last victory was the 2010 Tour Championship, which is a shame considering how close he has been in the four years since. If he could have cashed in on just one of those top 10 he has had in majors, he would be a sure fire Hall of Fame inductee.

- What is the bigger story coming from the Open Championship - Tiger Woods' bad weekend to send him towards the bottom of the field, or Tom Watson making yet another cut at the age of 64? In my opinion, it's obviously Watson. Tiger was coming in with very little expectations. His first round where he shot three under was almost a detriment to him - it got people remembering the kind of player Tiger was and could still be. Tiger finished four rounds, which is a plus, and now we know he's healthy and just needs to play more rounds. Tom Watson, meanwhile, continues to roll back the clock. Next year is supposedly his last at the Open Championship. On one end, it's going to be incredibly sad to see him go, especially if he keeps making cuts. On another, I'd rather see him walk away when he's playing well then see him as a ceremonial golfer.

- You think winning three majors at 25 is amazing? How about winning four times on the LPGA Tour at the age of 17? That's what Lydia Ko accomplished yesterday by firing a final round 65 that was brilliant on all fronts. From here on out, I have no reason to ever doubt Ko. She's the second best player out tour (next to Stacy Lewis), she has consistency, she's able to win when the pressure is on - she has it all. This isn't a matter of potential anymore. This is a matter of just being great.

- I'm done writing about So Yeon Ryu. Until she wins again, I'm going to refrain from putting her on my Fantasy Four team, from mentioning her in my recap; from here on out, this is a Ryu-free blog. Hopefully I was jinxing her, and removing her from my blog will get her that long awaited third win.

- The knock on Mo Martin after winning the Women's British Open was that it came out of the blue. She never contended before, and she only had one other top 10 prior to her victory. She can eliminate that criticism now,  as she was able to notch a top 10 finish despite the whirlwind week she went through. A lot of people are saying that Martin is going to falter away and never be heard from again. Maybe her major championship was what Martin needed to start becoming a consistent contender.

Previewing The 2014 Open Championship

I am going to be honest with everyone...the Open Championship if my favorite tournament of the year. Links golf, bad weather, waking up to golf on TV, the history of the game - to me, there is nothing better. The Masters is great because it symbolizes the start of spring and it has the tradition behind it, but to me, it doesn't get any better than the Open.

Just like I have down for other majors, I will be breaking down my predictions into a few categories. Also like the other majors, I will probably be completely wrong in these, and not even mention the eventual champion (which has happened twice this year).

The Open Championship has delivered three straight champions over the age of 40, with two players over the age of 50 challenging in the years prior to that. That streak will end sooner rather than later, but until it does, I will only pick players over the age of 40 in my final team. That being said, there has to be some kind of form entering the tournament. I also take into consideration a player's history with links golf, though Phil Mickelson last year proved past history is not an indicator of future success. Also, my dark horse and sleeper picks do not have to follow my over 40 rule.

Ready to laugh at me? Let's do it!

Dark Horse:
Ryo Ishikawa - This is probably a matter of my heart speaking before my head, but seeing Ishikawa win two weeks ago in Japan gave me hope that Ishikawa is finally ready to break out and become that player we thought he would be. This is Ishikawa's first PGA Tour start since the Travelers Championship, and his first major of the season. He could miss the cut, or he could contend - it really depends on the state of his game and how quickly he can adapt to Open style play.

Sleeper: 
Justin Rose - If I didn't have a rule of only picking players over 40 to win the Open, Rose would have been my choice. Winner on the PGA Tour in his last start there, and won the Scotland Open last week. Rose is the hottest golfer entering the tournament. The only question mark is his history in the tournament, as he hasn't notched a top 10 in the Open Championship since he was a 17 year old amateur.

Keep An Eye On:
Tom Watson - Next year will be his last Open Championship...unless he finds a way to contend once again. Watson seems to think his game is well suited for Hoylake, and I'm not going to argue with a man who just made the cut on the PGA Tour at the age of 64. I don't think he's going to turn back the clock again like he did in 2009, but if the weather picks up a bit, you never know where Watson will end up on the leaderboard.

Alright, with those out of the way, here are my top 5 for the 2014 Open Championship:

5) Ernie Els - Only play whose recent form doesn't matter when the Open Championship comes around. While he had a pretty rough week in Scotland, he was able to fire a final round 66, proving he's still capable of shooting low rounds. He only has one top 10 this season, but did finish T19 at the Memorial and he made the cut at the US Open.

4) Angel Cabrera - 44 years old and coming off a win in the states. His Open Championship record has been incredibly spotty - he missed the cut eight times, but finished tied for 11th last year, and he finished in the top 10 in 2006, which happened to be played at this very golf course.

3) Thongchai Jaidee - Having one of the best seasons of his long career, notching a win and two other top 10 finishes in his last five starts on the European Tour. The only thing that appears to be missing from his impressive resume is major success - he has zero top 10's in majors throughout his career. I think that changes this week.

Runner Up:
Jim Furyk - Zero missed cuts this season, with two runner up finishes and a T12 at the US Open. Went with captain Tom Watson on a scouting trip to the site of this years Ryder Cup, which he is all but assured a spot on at this point. Finished forth at Hoylake in 2006.

Champion:
Thomas Bjorn - I had him as my Open Champion at the beginning of the year and I am not wavering now, despite two lackluster performances on the European Tour and an injury that kept him out of the US Open. Four top 10's in Open Championships, including two runner up finishes. Also had a top 10 in the Masters this year. Bjorn reminds me so much of Darren Clarke, who won the Open Championship unexpectedly in 2011.

Champion: Thomas Bjorn
Winning Score: -5
Winning Margin: One Stroke

Wednesday Preview - LPGA Marathon Classic

Shake off that jet lag, because there is no break for the players of the LPGA who travel from England to Ohio for the Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I.

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.