Catching Up with the Ladies

The LPGA is playing this week although it isn't being televised. The event is the Mizuno Classic, a co-sponsored event between the LPGA and the JLPGA. It has a fairly long history; it's taken place every year since 1973. I guess that makes this the 41st edition. I've included some photos from the Pro-Am Gala (you can find a lot more at the tournament site). The first shows a group of the girls; Stacy Lewis is in the middle of the back row, Jiyai Shin at the left end of the front row. (I think that's Karrie Webb at the right end.)



As usual, Tony Jesselli has a preview of the event at his blog and the Constructivist has a post about who's hot going in. In addition, Tony's post includes a list of 12 players he thinks have a good chance while TC has a separate post listing his 12. (Apparently they're participating in a competition at the Seoul Sisters site. You can check out the PakPicker link in TC's last post.) Here's Christina Kim and Danielle Kang, neither of whom was picked by my colleagues. Kang is just two off the lead. ;-)



The first round (only 3 this week) is just about finished as I write this, and you have one leader (at -4) with 9 players a shot back in second. The LPGA leaderboard is here. I think both Tony and TC have two players in this Top10... but TC would have done better to take the 5 players in his "who's hot" post. Three of them are in the Top10!



For my American readers, the only American in the Top10 is Brittany Lincicome (-3). Danielle Kang, Brittany Lang, and Austin Ernst are T11 (-2). And Stacy Lewis, the defending champion, is T20 (-1). (That's Stacy in the photo.)

If you're interested in the ladies, don't forget to check the LPGA leaderboard this weekend. The Mizuno Classic finishes up on Saturday night -- at least it'll be Saturday night here in America -- and since this event doesn't have a large number of LPGA members playing, it's entirely possible the winner could grab a Tour card.