Congratulations 2010 Safeway Classic Champion Ai Miyazato! With her Safeway Classic Victory Miyazato reclaims the top spot in the world rankings!

From LPGA.com
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., August 23, 2010 – Japan’s Ai Miyazato reclaimed the top spot in women’s professional golf based on the Rolex Rankings released Monday after winning the Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola. With the win this week, Miyazato also leads the LPGA Official money list and the race for the Rolex Player of the Year award.

Miyazato also leads the tour in wins with five. Rolex Rankings No. 2 Cristie Kerr and No. 5 Yani Tseng are the only other LPGA players with more than one victory in 2010. Tseng has won two 2010 majors–the Kraft Nabisco Championship and the RICOH Women’s British Open–while Kerr has claimed the LPGA State Farm Classic and the LPGA Championship Presented by Wegmans, another LPGA major. The other major, the U.S. Women’s Open, was won by Paula Creamer, currently ranked No. 8 in the Rolex Rankings.

Miyazato secured the coveted No. 1 spot from Kerr, who had regained the top position last week. Miyazato, Kerr, No. 3 Suzann Pettersen (who defends her title in Canada this week), No. 4 Jiyai Shin and Tseng have battled for the coveted position all season, while Na Yeon Choi (No. 6 who finished T-2 with Kerr on Sunday), Creamer, No. 8 Song-Hee Kim (No. 1 in 2010 Scoring Average at 69.94, and a top ten finisher in 12 of 15 events this season), No. 9 In-Kyung Kim and No. 10 Anna Nordqvist all hope to join the fray in the weeks ahead.

“I’m dying to get into that mix,” Creamer said last week. “I’ve never made it a secret that I do want to be the No. 1 player in the world and I want to stay there for a long time. It’s hard watching lots of people bounce back and forth.”

Miyazato, a five-time winner in 2010, opened the season with two consecutive wins at the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand and the HSBC Women’s Champions in February. She was the first player in 44 years to accomplish this feat. Miyazato then won the Tres Marias Championship, the ShopRite LPGA Classic and the Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola. Last year, Miyazato became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Evian Masters in Evian-Les-Bains, France. The last and only Japanese player to win both Rolex Player of the Year and LPGA Tour Money List was Ayako Okamoto in 1987.
Weeks as No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings*
Player/Country Weeks
Lorena Ochoa/Mexico 158
Annika Sorenstam/Sweden 60
Jiyai Shin/South Korea 11
Cristie Kerr/U.S. 4
Ai Miyazato/Japan 3
*Officially launched on Feb. 21, 2006

LPGA Official Money List Rolex Player of the Year
1. Ai Miyazato $1,311,818.00                1. Ai Miyazato 172 points
2. Na Yeon Choi $1,297,082.00            2. Yani Tseng 146
3. Jiyai Shin $1,258,048.00                   3. Cristie Kerr 145
4. Cristie Kerr $1,198,737.00                4. Na Yeon Choi 123
5. Suzann Pettersen $1,158,520.00      5. Jiyai Shin 110

The Battle for Rolex Rankings No. 1 will continue this week in Winnipeg, Canada at the CN Canadian Women’s Open. The top-10 players in the Rankings, including defending champion and Rolex No. 3 Suzann Pettersen, all are slated to compete. Rolex Ranking scenarios for next Monday will be available from the LPGA later in the week.

About the Rolex Rankings
The Rolex Rankings is the first-ever world rankings system for women’s golf sanctioned by the five major women’s professional golf Tours: the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA); Ladies European Tour (LET); Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association of Japan (LPGA of Japan); Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA); Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG); as well as the Ladies Golf Union (LGU), which administers the Ricoh Women’s British Open. The Rolex Rankings are the only women’s world rankings that incorporate player performances from the five major tours and the Duramed Futures Tour, the official developmental tour of the LPGA. R2IT, an independent software development company developed the software for the Rolex Rankings and maintains the Rolex Rankings on a weekly basis.

Final-round interviews: Ai Miyazato, -11, winner | Cristie Kerr, -9, T2

Final-round notes

Japan’s Ai Miyazato shot a final-round, Even-par 72 to win the Safeway Classic presented by Coca-Cola at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club’s Ghost Creek course outside Portland Sunday, her LPGA-best fifth victory of the year. Miyazato, No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings to start the week, held off No. 1 Cristie Kerr and Na Yeon Choi to win by two shots at 11-under 205. With this finish, Miyazato is projected to be the new No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings come Monday, dropping Kerr to No. 2.

Miyazato and Kerr traded blows for much of the back nine before Kerr, playing in the group ahead of Miyazato, dunked her approach shot on the closing 431-yard par-4 in the water just right of the green and the back-right pin. She dropped and got up and down for a bogey, but when Miyazato parred, she closed the door.

“I had a perfect club. I just didn’t hit it.” Kerr said. “I thought I played great. Hitting it in the water at the last hole was not indicative of my week. I had a chance. I forced her, put pressure on her so she didn’t run away from the field. Unfortunately, the last five holes, I wasn’t able to get a couple birdies to be able to pull ahead.”

Ai won this battle, but the war’s far from over: The race to No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings will remain hot for the foreseeable future. The top-four players entering the week all finished in the top-six at the Safeway Classic presented by Coca-Cola, ensuring more fireworks next week at the CN Canadian Women’s Open.

“I think it’s going to be back and forth again, because all the top-five players are just playing so good this year.” Said Miyazato, her usual humility intact. “I don’t really feel like I’m that far above everyone else, so that’s why I think that the rankings will still keep on changing.”

Now THAT’S consistency! Song-Hee Kim, who played in the final group but took herself out of contention with three bogeys in her last six holes, finished tied for fourth at 8-under. This is her 18th top-10 finish in her last 23 starts.

That too! Suzann Pettersen’s tie for fourth this week marks her eighth top-five finish in 13 starts this season.

Who K? I K! Considering her start, In-Kyung Kim salvaged a pretty good tournament. She played her first nine holes Friday in 4-over before playing the next 63 in 11-under, finishing tied for sixth at 7-under. This is her fifth top-10 in her last six starts.

Happy Birthday! Brittany Lang celebrated her 25th birthday Sunday with a top-20. She had it to 3-under Sunday but stumbled on the way in to finish with an Even-par 72. Her 3-under total was good enough for T16.

The 17th hole: In addition to the Ghost Creek course playing five par-5s this week – including three in a row at Nos. eight-10 – the par-4 17th played just 230 yards with the tees all the way up Sunday. Although it didn’t factor for the final groups, it did surrender two eagles Sunday – one by Pat Hurst, who also eagled the par-5 eighth, and Gloria Park.

Low rookie: This week, the honor belongs to Mina Harigae, who bookended her week with a 69 Friday and a 6-under 66 Sunday, the low round of the day by two shots. Harigae’s 66 featured four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 eighth. The 66 is last year’s Duramed Futures Tour Player of the Year’s lowest round on the LPGA, the tie for eighth her best finish on the LPGA.

Of note: On holes three-nine today, Shanshan Feng didn’t make a par. Instead, she went birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey-eagle-birdie to make the turn in 4-under 33. She finished with a 3-under 69 to post at 3-under overall.

Final-round interviews: Ai Miyazato, -11, winner | Cristie Kerr, -9, T2

AI MIYAZATO

Q Your fifth win of the year, and you will now be — according to our projections, you’ll be number one again. Just talk about your feelings of being number one again.
AI MIYAZATO: I mean, it feels really good, but I also can’t believe I won this week because I got really good feeling that I got into this week, but then, you know, trying to control myself out there. And then today, especially today was really a tough day. I was really nervous on the front nine and trying to catch up with myself. But after 9th hole, then I made birdie — well, after the birdie on 9 it kind of gave me a good kick for the back nine, and so that really led me to the win today.

Q Did you know Cristie hit in the water?
AI MIYAZATO: I was guessing, because I didn’t see it. So I saw that she made a, I don’t know if it was bogey, but something. She made a putt so I thought it was a par.

Q Can you talk about the start and the two bogeys?
AI MIYAZATO: On No. 2, I hit the 5 iron and I missed the green and I couldn’t get up and down. And 7, I missed the tee shot and the second shot going into the bunker, and, again, I couldn’t get up and down.

Q And did you know where you stood in the tournament at that point?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, I watch the scoreboard like almost every time, so I knew where am I — I played every hole knowing where I stood in the tournament.

Q And was there a point where you sort of said to yourself, you know, come on, go in, or something like that?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, even after the bogeys I knew that something good will happen if I stayed patient, and I felt like — well, like I said, it gave me a good kick-start to the back 9 after the birdie on 9. So instead of looking at the scoreboard I felt like I could go and keep it going after the birdie on 9.

Q And can you just describe the birdie on 9, please?
AI MIYAZATO: 9, I hit the hybrid on second shot, and the second shot was 57 yards or something, 58, and birdie putt was four meter.

Q You get an awful lot of fans in Japan. Do you feel pressure at all playing for your country and do you consider yourself a role model?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, I get asked that question all the time, but I really don’t feel any pressure no matter where I play, whether it’s Japan or the U.S. But obviously I’m very thankful for the fans that cheered for me. And hopefully I can get many more fans over here in the U.S. too.

Q And one other. How important is being number one to you?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, my goal before the start of this year was to become player of the year, so I’m aiming towards that. And with the number one, everyone is so close up at the top, so I really don’t know what’s going to happen. But that is a good motivator for me.

Q With five victories this year, does that surprise you that you come into the year thinking let’s win five or let’s win one or two or what?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, I didn’t expect that I can win like five times this year. But, like I said, I got really strong confidence from last year. And many things happened this year, being, one, Lorena retiring and, you know, some of the many things around me changing all the time so suddenly. But I think I could win five times this year because I kept my style of play.

Q And when you got to 11 under, did you feel like the way that things were going necessarily you’d have to make another birdie or two or did you think, okay, I can par it in and be okay, or — the way things were going, nobody was really shooting low score.
AI MIYAZATO: Well, I really didn’t think 11 under was enough, but maybe I was a little fortunate that there weren’t that many low scores out there, and I also thought that 13 under I needed today.

Q Ai, how are you better as a player than when you first came to the U.S.?
AI MIYAZATO: That’s a good question. I haven’t think about that before. I would say my short game is so much improved than when I came to the U.S. Because, like, when I came on the tour like first couple years, I try to — well, the first couple years I tried to get more distance off the tee, and as a result I didn’t really work too much on my short game. But after that I worked harder on my short game and maybe that’s why my game improved.

Q Did you actually get longer or did you just decide to play with your regular distance?
AI MIYAZATO: I actually did get longer because but it wasn’t because I worked on anything special, it just happened to be — happened to get longer. And on top of that, I worked really hard on my short game practice.

Q So you’re number one. Do you think this is just going to keep going back and forth again, you know, two, three, four, five, however many players are going to be taking turns?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, I think it’s going to be back and forth again. Because all the top five players are just playing so good this year. So I don’t feel any — I don’t really feel like I’m that far above everyone else, so that’s why I think that the rankings will still keep on changing.

Q And I’m curious who is sort of your idol in golf?
AI MIYAZATO: In golf?

Q Yeah. Your favorite players when you were younger.
AI MIYAZATO: Well, Annika, she’s been my idol like since like seven years ago when I turned professional. So I think I’m here on tour because of what she did.

FLASH QUOTES FROM CRISTIE KERR

I just said to myself, how can you do that? You have a perfect club. Seriously. We were talking, should we go left of it, should we go… There were so many options. There were still 7 right of it, and I had enough to carry. I worked with my coach just getting a good coil all week, and when I short-coil a little bit, it goes a little right and a little short. I had just rip-hooked a hybrid on the hole before. I just figured if I hit it solid, it was fine, and I didn’t hit it solid.

I love the intensity, and I didn’t play well enough down the stretch to win.

I thought I played great. Hitting it in the water at the last hole was not indicative of my week, but I made a great save. I can take that away from how well I played all day. I had a chance. I forced her, put pressure on her so she didn’t run away from the field. Unfortunately, the last five holes, I wasn’t able to get a couple birdies to be able to pull ahead.

On 13: My ball was in a divot, and I hit an amazing shot out and just barely misread it.

On 14: That putt should have gone in; there’s no way that should have missed. It was in.

On 15: I didn’t capitalize by hitting on the upper tier to get a good look at birdie.

I played great. It was just wasn’t my day.

I was aggressive, and I didn’t pull it off.

We all have our role to play, and I don’t know where that puts me as far as keeping No. 1 or losing it, but I’m not going to be far off as far as points, so this was an important week for me to finish up there even if I didn’t win.

Ai Miyazato, -11, Rolex Rankings No. 2
Song-Hee Kim, -8, Rolex Rankings No. 10
Na Yeon Choi, -8, Rolex Rankings No. 6
Jiyai Shin, -7, Rolex Rankings No. 3
Cristie Kerr, -7, Rolex Rankings No. 1
Ji Young Oh, -6, Rolex Rankings No. 74
Juli Inkster
Sue Witters, LPGA Director of Tournament Competition

Ai Miyazato again leads after two rounds of the Safeway Classic presented by Coca-Cola at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club’s Ghost Creek course outside Portland. Miyazato, a four-time winner this year and No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings, fired a 5-under 67 that, paired with her first round 66, gave her a three-shot lead over Song-Hee Kim and Na Yeon Choi. Rolex Rankings No. 1 Cristie Kerr and No. 3 Jiyai Shin are four back at 7-under. With a win, any one of the top five in the Rolex Rankings could be No. 1 Monday.

Miyazato’s only stumble came with back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12, her first of the tournament. However, the bogey on 12 might have given her more momentum than any of her seven birdies. After catching her third out of the bunker too clean and hitting it long, she left the resulting par pitch short and was staring a big number in the face when she holed the bogey chip. “It was really lucky I think,“ she said. “It gave me a much better feeling after that.” She made two more birdies on 15 and 16 coming in to increase her 36-hole cushion.

Inkster disqualified: Juli Inkster was disqualified on Saturday for violating Rule 14-3/10, Use of a Training or Swing Aid During Round, which states that a player may not make a stroke or practice swing using a club with a weighted headcover or “donut” on it, or use any other device designed as a training or swing aid. Inkster was deemed to have used a weighted device while making practice swings on the 10th tee. “I had a 30-minute wait and I needed to loosen up. It had no effect on my game whatsoever, but it is what it is. I’m very disappointed,” Inkster said.

Sue Witters, LPGA Director of Tournament Competition, said, “There was no malice. Her sole reason for doing it was because she had been waiting for 30 minutes and to warm up. The rules staff here all knew the decision and the rule and took it one step further, called the USGA, because that’s a penalty that you never want to give anyone if it’s not deserved. And we would have loved to have had some wiggle room on that, but it’s pretty cut and dry… but being the professional Juli is, there wasn’t much to say once the decision was read.”

The race remains white hot: The top-three players in the Rolex Rankings are all within four shots of the lead, with one of them, Miyazato (No. 2), leading, and Kerr (No. 1) and Shin (No. 3) four back. Any one of them could take over the top spot Monday. No. 4 Suzann Pettersen is at 5-under after a 68 Saturday, and No. 5 Yani Tseng made the cut on the number at 3-over.

Said Kerr, No. 1: “I’m not thinking about it too much. I made golf again my focus and my priority, and I can only play the best that I can play. You know, I think everybody knows that I know what I’m capable of, and I think that I’m just going to go out there and execute shots and not get caught up in all that stuff because the results will take care of themselves.”

Said Shin, No. 3: “No. 1 is very important to me, but first, I want to enjoy my life, and No. 1 is second. I’m just happy with the chance to play for No. 1, because I’m still surprised that I’m so close to being No. 1 in the world.”

Top Five are all Top Ten: In addition to Kerr, Miyazato and Shin, Song-Hee Kim and Na Yeon Choi round out the top five through 36 holes of the Safeway Classic – all five are in the top 10 in the Rolex Rankings. Choi’s No. 6, and Kim’s No. 10.

No more ‘putts’n around: All it took was a mere putter switch, and Song-Hee Kim found her touch again. After a disappointing Even-par 72 Friday that featured 34 total putts (three three-putts), Kim, who’s finished in the top 10 an astounding 17 of her last 22 events, switched putters and the new one “worked really well today,” she laughed. Kim needed just 23 putts Saturday as she fired a bogey-free, 8-under 64 (33-31) to get to 8-under total and finish three back in a tie for second. She was just 2-under through her first seven holes, then played the three straight par-5s (8-10) in 4-under, chipping in for eagle from 40 feet on the 10th. She cooled again until closing with birdies on 15 and 17. The 8-under 64 matches the course-record first-round score of Beth Bader in last year’s event, the first edition at Pumpkin Ridge’s Ghost Creek course.

There’s a first time for everything: Even though she’s had 17 top-10s in her last 22 events – including 10 in a row – she’s still trying to break through as a Rolex First-Time Winner. Most of her stumbles have come on Sunday, something she has a simple formula to fix: “Focus on my golf and play my own game,” she said.

A HOT summer: Na Yeon Choi, just three back entering Sunday, has had a pretty impressive summer. Dating back to her 4th of July playoff win at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic presented by Kroger, she hasn’t finished worse than third, going 1-T2-T2-T3 during that time.

Ji Young “Oh MY!” Out in the second group on a brisk, benign morning, Ji Young Oh took advantage, firing a 30-34=64 to tie the course record at Pumpkin Ridge’s Ghost Creek course, matching Beth Bader and Song-Hee Kim, whose 64 came about an hour later. After parring her first two holes, she made four straight birdies on holes three-six, parred the seventh, eagled the eighth and two-putted for birdie on the ninth to turn in 7-under 30. After an awkward lie led to a bogey on the par-5 10th, she bounced back with a birdie on 12, a chip-in birdie on 13 and a 5-footer for birdie on 15 to get to 9-under for the day. A bogey on the tough closing par-4 added up to a 64, her best round on the LPGA by one shot. Ten shots better than her first round, the 64 moved her from a tie for 61st at the beginning of the day to a tie for sixth at the end of the day.

30 is perrtty! In addition to tying the course record, Oh’s outgoing 30 tied the low nine-hole score in the two years at Pumpkin Ridge. However, the two previous 30s – Bader and M.J. Hur, both last year – came on the back nine, a par 35, making Oh’s front nine Saturday the lowest nine-hole score in relation to par at Pumpkin Ridge.

Low rookie: Alison Walshe, playing in her third event of the season, is the low rookie entering the final round of the Safeway Classic presented by Coca-Cola. She is currently tied for 17th at 3-under-par 141.

Of note: Eun-Hee Ji made a hole-in-one on the 137-yard 16th with a 9-iron. It’s the second of the tournament, both of them coming at the 16th. Ji finished the day tied for sixth at 6-under… Former Oregon Duck Cathryn Bristow, a native of New Zealand, shot a 2-over 74 to sit at 2-over overall… Depending champion M.J. Hur shot a second-consecutive 2-over 74 to finish 4-over and miss the cut… Monday qualifier Amy Simanton, who graduated from nearby Lake Oswego High School in 2009, finished 8-over to miss the cut.

WD: Shi Hyun Ahn withdrew after the first round.

DQ: In addition to Inkster, Michelle Ellis was disqualified after the first round for signing an incorrect scorecard.

AI MIYAZATO, Rolex Rankings No. 2

Q So, Ai, welcome back. Good playing today.
AI MIYAZATO: Thank you.

Q So you made a lot of birdies out there, but I think the shot that everyone is talking about is the bogey. Tell us about the chip-in and what does that do for you mentally?
AI MIYAZATO: That was No. 12. I missed the bunker shot, my third shot, and it went over the green. And then I did make it to the green on the first shot. Then it was like maybe eight yards or something, my bogey chip. So it went in, and it was really lucky I think. It makes me a much better feeling after that.

Q How did you find the course today as opposed to yesterday?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, it wasn’t any big difference, but it’s kind of little breezy the last few holes, but nothing changed my strategy, just the same.

Q And, No. 12, your bunker shot, did you spray the ball, hit the ball first?
AI MIYAZATO: No. It was almost like no sand. I thought there would be more sand in the bunker, but then it was a bit less than I thought it was kind of too clean, because I thought that there was more sand underneath, but it was thinner than I thought, the sand.

Q You seem very calm out there. Where does that calmness come from on the course?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, it’s not very easy to explain, but to say it simply, I just try to take it one shot at a time and I think I did really well controlling myself in between shots as well.

Q Do you watch the scoreboard when you play?
AI MIYAZATO: Yeah, I do.

Q Did you realize a couple times you were tied?
AI MIYAZATO: Uh-huh.

Q And does that affect you? How do you react when you see that?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, I just look at the scoreboard as information, and so, you know, I don’t do anything special, I just look at it.

Q What about tomorrow, do you feel like you have to keep trying to be aggressive and trying to make birdies?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, I don’t have to, but I just don’t want to force it, just, you know, let it happen and see what’s going to happen as well. But then I do like same thing, just trying to hit fairways and greens, and trying to be like really calm and control myself. So that’s it.

Q You’ve had a couple of weeks off. Did you do anything to prepare for this specific tournament and when you came in, did you anticipate being able to do well?
AI MIYAZATO: I was in Japan the last couple weeks, and especially last week, I played in a tournament, and I got really good feeling from last week. So when I get into this week, I thought maybe I can play good this week. But then I try to be like no expectation because if it’s like the higher my expectation gets the harder it gets for me to control myself. So I did have a good feeling but these are some of the things I try to focus us on.

Q You finished what last week in Japan, fourth?
AI MIYAZATO: Fourth.

FLASH QUOTES FROM SONG-HEE KIM, Rolex Rankings No. 10

The first thing is that the weather was perfect, and the conditions were pretty good too.

My putting was better today. I changed putters after yesterday – I had three three-putts. It worked really well today (laughs).

On her eagle on the par-5 10th: I hit driver in the fairway to 230 yards, hit a 3-wood to the front of the green and chipped in from 40 feet.

On whether moving to the top of the leaderboard made her nervous: I’ve been there a lot of times, so I wasn’t nervous today.

On what she has to shoot to win tomorrow: I’m not sure. It depends on the weather. If I shoot lower, I’ll probably win (laughs).

On what she has to do tomorrow to finally break through and win: Focus on my golf and play my own game. That’s important on Sunday.

NA YEON CHOI, Rolex Rankings No. 6

Q So, Na Yeon Choi, good round today. You finished 8 under, three back. Just tell us a little bit about the round today and what you’ve got to do tomorrow to catch Ai?
NA YEON CHOI: I had a great round today, and actually I enjoyed my group today. And I feel good about my game lately, and I have confidence. And then I think just three strokes behind Ai, right? So just keep same thing, nothing change, and then play aggressive tomorrow. And I will do my best.

Q How do you like this course with the five par 5s and lots of birdie opportunities?
NA YEON CHOI: Yeah, I like the course because I can get a lot the birdies, but I can remember last year. I couldn’t get a lot of birdie last year. I think I finished 40 or 50-something. So, you know, I want to be better than last year.

Q And, today, what was the best part of the round today?
NA YEON CHOI: Well, just, I got 5-under par, and then I got eagle on No. 9 with just straight putt, but not like easy putt, but it was good focus and then was good hit.

Q How far was the putt?
NA YEON CHOI: Four yards, so 12 feet.

Q So, tomorrow, you know, you look at 11 under is ahead right now. What do you think the winning score might be?
NA YEON CHOI: Well, actually, I want to win, but the score doesn’t matter, I just play my game and just play with a passion and have with fun. Yeah, I will do my best.

Q Would you rather be in the same group as Ai?
NA YEON CHOI: I think — I’ve never played with Ai before, so I would like to play with her. First time I think is tomorrow. Should be fun.

JIYAI SHIN, Rolex Rankings No. 3

Q: How did you feel about your round today?
JIYAI SHIN: I played with Juli and Na Yeon Choi. When I got to the first tee, I was very happy because the pairing was so good. I played very well today. I made two bogeys, but I made six birdies. I have a really good feeling at the moment. Yesterday and also today, I made so many mistakes, but that’s golf, so I’m happy.

Q: What do you think you have to do tomorrow to catch Ai?
JIYAI SHIN: Her play is so great, but all the time, I focus on my game. Tomorrow, I think I still have a chance to win. I’m really happy to play against great players because it’s more challenging. I think tomorrow will be fun.

Q: How much is getting back to Rolex Rankings No. 1 on your mind?
JIYAI SHIN: It’s five or six players, so close, and we change every week. No. 1 is very important to me, but first, I want to enjoy my life, and No. 1 is second. I’m just happy with the chance to play for No. 1, because I’m still surprised that I’m so close to being No. 1 in the world.

CRISTIE KERR, Rolex Rankings No. 1

Q So, 7-under par. The first question is, does Ai have to come back or can you guys run her down tomorrow?
CRISTIE KERR: It would help if she came back and then it would take I think a very, very low round on my part to catch her, because you have to assume, I mean, she shot 6-under, 5-under. You know, she’s playing some of best golf of her career so far, and, you can shoot low scores on this course. So, you know, Sunday is a different day, we’ll just have to go out there and kind of hopeful I can have the same kind of front I had today and then it’s game on.

Q The number one spot, how much is that on your mind when you’re out there and maybe even tonight or tomorrow morning?
CRISTIE KERR: I’m not thinking about it too much. I mean, I made golf again my focus and my priority, and, you know, I can only play the best that I can play. You know, I think everybody knows that I know what I’m capable of, and I think that I’m just going to go out there and execute shots and not get caught up in all that stuff because the results will take care of themselves. And, you know, I went out there and played well today. I was a little mentally tired kind of maybe on the back, and I grinded through it had a great finish. So, you know, tomorrow’s a different day. And Sunday, you know, she has been playing great but there’s still a lot of players between me and her, so I have to take care of my own job.

Q You scored better today. Were you playing, hitting the ball better, just making putts compared to yesterday?
CRISTIE KERR: I was hitting the ball a little bit better, and I’ve been putting well all week. So I hit a little bit closer today and took advantage of the par 5s, you know, on 8, 9, and 10, and unfortunately made a bad swing on 11 and hit it in the water, but I made a great up and down for a bogey. So it kind of kept me in there. And, you know, I got a little mentally tired in the middle of my round and was able to kind of fight to get back in the right mental state for the rest of the round and birdied two out of my last four holes.

Q The mental tiredness, does that necessarily come from being No. 1 and all that?
CRISTIE KERR: No, not really. I mean, it’s just, you know, 1:00 rounds and threesomes, it takes, you know, almost five and a half hours to play, and it just become a very long day at that point. You know, morning rounds, I don’t think people tend to get a little — don’t get as worn out in the morning rounds. It’s also not January, it’s September.

Q When you say low number, are you talking 64s, that kind of number?
CRISTIE KERR: Yes. Anything under 67 is pretty low.

Q And do you, on a day like tomorrow, will you go out and try to be super aggressive or do you just sort of play your normal game?
CRISTIE KERR: I have to stick to my normal game and then you might get a little more aggressive. Depends on the numbers you have, like on your irons into the holes sometimes, you get a lot of in-between numbers, sometimes you don’t. And, you know, if you have perfect clubs like I had on the last hole you have to take advantage of that, and you just have to kind of see how the ebb and flow goes. I mean, obviously I want to get off to a good start and then get into a rhythm and a flow and helpfully get rolling and rock.

Q You must have played with Ai a few times. So what do you think of her game?
CRISTIE KERR: She’s very consistent. She can be long at times. Not overly long, but great short game, great putter. Doesn’t make usually a whole lot of mistakes, recently anyways.

JI YOUNG OH, Rolex Rankings No. 74

Q Let’s talk about your round. Obviously 8-under par today. Great day.
JI YOUNG OH: Yeah. Today was really good day for me. An 8-under par, I think it’s best I’ve played this year. Today’s really good. I have good shot, and I have a good putter. Everything is good. So I just played good, good score; everything is good.

Q What about 18 there, what happened?
JI YOUNG OH: I hit the tee shot a little bit faster. I think it was the time, (playing) a little slow. So my tempo was a little bit faster, so I just missed the driver left. But it was a good save, the bogey, so it was a good finish.

Q So, you guys were on the clock today?
JI YOUNG OH: Just 18th hole.

Q Okay. Were you getting nervous at the end, the last couple holes?
JI YOUNG OH: No. I was really calm today. I was really comfortable today.

Q Well, did you think before that round started that the conditions were good, that maybe there would be low scores?
JI YOUNG OH: Yeah. In the morning, it was a little bit chilly, but I think it was good for me. No wind. Good weather today. I’m lucky.

Q Did you play late yesterday?
JI YOUNG OH: No. I tee off like 12:31.

Q Was the course a little softer in the morning?
JI YOUNG OH: Not soft yesterday. Today’s more soft. Yeah, a little bit wet.

Q So that helped a little bit?
JI YOUNG OH: Yeah, little bit of help.

Q Did something click for you this week, because, like, you haven’t had a great year. What happened this week?
JI YOUNG OH: Yeah, I changed something a little bit last winter time, little bit different, mind little bit different. But my feeling and my tempo, I found it now.

Q So you changed something but you’ve gone back?
JI YOUNG OH: Yeah, I go back.

Q To kind of more like a few years ago when you were winning?
JI YOUNG OH: Yeah, more comfortable now.

FLASH QUOTE FROM JULI INKSTER

“I had a 30 minute wait and I needed to loosen up. It had no effect on my game whatsoever, but it is what it is. I’m very disappointed.”

SUE WITTERS, LPGA DIRECTOR OF TOURNAMENT COMPETITIONS

Q Sue, thanks for joining us. Start with summarizing the rule.
SUE WITTERS: OK. An e-mail was forwarded to us from the tournament staff here, an e-mail where somebody viewing the telecast claimed that they had seen Juli put what appeared to be a weighted device on her club on the 10th tee. We became aware of this when she was probably on the 17th hole. Of course, red flags go up because that’s a problem. We went down to TV to view it, and it was indeed a weighted device on, I believe, it was a 9-iron she had. Under Rule 14-3, you’re not allowed to use artificial devices during a round. And to further spell it out, it is Decision 14-3/10, pretty much states what she did. And I’ll read it to you. “During a round, may a player make a stroke or a practice swing using a club with a weighted headcover or ‘donut’ on it, or use any other device designed as a training or swing aid? No. The player would be using an artificial device to assist them in play in breach of Rule 14-3.” And, unfortunately, the penalty for that under 14-3 is disqualification.

Q Who informed Inkster and how did that process go?
SUE WITTERS: Myself and Marty Robinson. She came off the green. We met her in the tunnel and just said, ‘Juli, did you put something on your club on that 10th hole?’ And she said ‘Yes, I did. I put a little weighted device to help me warm up.’ And they had apparently a 30-minute wait, and she at that time didn’t realize that there was a problem. I mean, she was purely using it to warm up after a long wait. So she was a bit surprised at the decision.

Q And how would you describe her reaction when she was informed?
SUE WITTERS: Totally surprised. I mean, there was no malice there. Her sole reason for doing it was because she had been waiting for 30 minutes and to warm up. And the rules staff here all knew the decision and the rule, and, you know, took it one step further, called the USGA, because that’s a penalty that you never want to give anyone if it’s not deserved. And we would have loved to have had some wiggle room on that, but it’s pretty cut and dry. But she wouldn’t have done it obviously and was surprised. But being the professional Juli is, there wasn’t much to say once the decision was read.

Q This was a case of a viewer saw it on TV and e-mailed the tournament staff?
SUE WITTERS: Yes.

Q It wasn’t somebody employed by –
SUE WITTERS: No. No. It was somebody watching TV and caught it. They were right on it. It was the right call. It was somebody with rules knowledge I would say because they went and said the decision as well. So, they knew what they were viewing.

Q What kind of look on TV did you get? Did you see her several times?
SUE WITTERS: Yeah. A couple times.

Q Just practice?
SUE WITTERS: Yeah. It’s right after her interview with Stephanie Sparks. She goes up on the tee and – I didn’t see her put it on, but you see her swing with it a couple of times. And then you see her walk over and take if off. And they showed us. (Inkster and her caddie) said it’s a weighted device. There really wasn’t a lot to discuss. They didn’t hold back, they told us exactly what they did, and we told them unfortunately how the decision read. And Juli’s only question was, well, why didn’t you find me sooner seeing how it had been on the 10th hole. And we didn’t become aware of it until she was on the 17th hole. So by the time we got the e-mail, went down to TV, viewed it… Any time we get an e-mail or phone call, our first step is to go to TV, because sometimes it’s irrelevant and there’s no need to bother the player. So if we go to TV and it turns out to be nothing, then it stops right there. But, if it is something, then we take it on to the player and go from there.

Q Do you think this happens very often and you don’t see it on TV or it’s a player that’s not in contention or, I mean –
SUE WITTERS: I would hope not. Could it? Sure. Sure. Any time you’re on TV it ups the ante of if something goes wrong, we’ll hear about it.

Q The rule you cited is from the Rules of Golf, the USGA rules?
SUE WITTERS: Right.

Q Is it the decisions or –
SUE WITTERS: Well, it’s under Rule 14-3, and it’s Decision 14-3/10. It’s on page 187. It’s right out of the decisions book.

Q And it’s a straight DQ? I mean, if she had called it on herself, realized, wait a minute, what did I do here –
SUE WITTERS: It was a DQ. If we had found out as she walked off the 10th tee it would have been a DQ. We found out when we did, it was still a DQ.
Back to News Index Safeway Classic — First-round notes and interviews

Pre-tournament Notes and Interviews

Tournament Preview ]]> http://safewayclassic.com/featured/lpga-com-press-release-round-2/feed/ 0 http://safewayclassic.com/featured/final-round-pairings/ http://safewayclassic.com/featured/final-round-pairings/#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:33:40 +0000 karl2010 http://safewayclassic.com/?p=1836 Click here to see the final round pairings.

Ai Miyazato, -6, Rolex Rankings No. 2, four-time winner this year
Teresa Lu, -5, Rolex Rankings No. 101
Jee Young Lee, -5, Roles Rankings No. 42

It may be in Oregon, but the Safeway Classic presented by Coca-Cola had a luau Friday. Well, a Lu-Ai. Rolex Rankings No. 2 Ai Miyazato fired a bogey-free 6-under 66 Friday to lead Teresa Lu and Jee Young Lee by one shot through the first round of the 38th annual event at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club’s Ghost Creek Course outside Portland. Miyazato closed with birdies on two of her last three holes, including a tap-in on the seventh (her 16th) after her approach shot rattled the pin. Miyazato is vying for her LPGA-leading fifth win of the year.

“I got some checkpoints from last week, and right now I feel like I’m coming into my own because of that,” said Miyazato, who tied for fourth last week on the Japan LPGA. “So I had so much confidence this morning, so that’s why I think I played good today.”

Yes, Ai can! Miyazato also credited her good opening-round play to a mental tweak on her putting. The last couple weeks, she was simply trying too hard, she said. “But right now I really stay in the present and really focus on my stroke, so it’s less tension,” she said. “That’s why my putting feels good.”

No. 1 du jour: The race to Rolex Rankings No. 1 has been a hot topic lately, and with Miyazato’s strong start, it will definitely stay that way. A win would put her back on top. “It’s really fun, really exciting,” Miyazato said of the jockeying for No. 1 that’s happened since Lorena Ochoa’s retirement in May. “Especially because the top five players all represent different countries. It’s a really good motivator for me, and it’s great experience.”

Who will it be? This week, any one of the top five players in the Rolex Rankings could take over No. 1 Monday. Kerr (70) is No. 1, followed by Miyazato at No. 2, Jiyai Shin (69) at No. 3, Suzann Pettersen (71) at No. 4 and Yani Tseng (75) at No. 5.

Lu-Hoo! With this being just a 54-hole tournament, and the Ghost Creek Course playing with five par-5s and a reachable par-4 – at least it will be Saturday and Sunday with the tees up – Teresa Lu said 5-under is good for the first day, but it’s just that, the first day. “Well, playing one day doesn’t mean I can win the tournament, so I need to play aggressively the next couple of days to keep shooting low numbers,” she said. “I think people are going to shoot low, so you have to keep going.”

Team Taiwan: There are two Taiwanese players among the top 10 after Friday, and neither is named Yani Tseng. Tseng struggled to a 3-over 75, but Teresa Lu and Amy Hung picked up the mantle with a 5-under 67 and a 4-under 68, respectively.

Rolex Player of the Year remains tight: First-round leader Ai Miyazato is currently second in the Rolex Player of the Year with 142 points, four behind Yani Tseng. Both Miyazato and Cristie Kerr (133 points) have a chance to take the lead in the Player of the Year race this week.

Low Rookie: Mina Harigae took home the honor for the first round with a 3-under 69.

Of note: Jamie Hullett aced the 131-yard par-3 16th with an 8-iron… Former Oregon Duck Cathryn Bristow, a native of New Zealand, shot an Even-par 72 Friday… Juli Inkster didn’t make a par over a seven-hole stretch from 4-10. Instead, she went eagle-birdie-bogey-birdie-birdie-double bogey-birdie to get to 3-under, where she eventually finished… Depending champion M.J. Hur shot a 2-over 74… Monday qualifier Amy Simanton, who graduated from nearby Lake Oswego High School in 2009, shot a 3-over-par 75.

WD: Jeong Jang withdrew after the first round.

AI MIYAZATO, Rolex Rankings No. 2

Q Obviously, it went well today and then in Japan last week. Just tell us a little about what’s going well for you.
AI MIYAZATO: Let’s see, well, I played really well in the last round of the British Open, and so afterwards my feeling were so much better. And this week my putting is really comfortable right now. And then after that, I had a really good week off, and then I played in Japan. I got some checkpoints from last week, but right now I feel like it’s coming into my own because of that. So I had such a good confidence this morning, so that’s why I think I played good today.

Q Excellent. It seems like we’re kind of asking this every week, but how much does the race to Rolex Rankings No. 1 drive you?
AI MIYAZATO: It’s really fun, really exciting. Because especially, you know, the top five players all represent different countries. And it’s really good motivator for me, and it’s going to be a great experience.

Q Ai, you played well here last year. What is it about this course?
AI MIYAZATO: I don’t know, I just like this golf course I think. But, it’s only three days tournament. Because of that I think, you know, I try to be a bit more aggressive, so that’s why I think I play good over here I guess.

Q When you were here last year, you had just gotten your first LPGA win. Now you’ve had four more wins and you’ve been No. 1. Do you feel like a different player, more confident player now?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, definitely I have little bit more confidence since playing, more than last year. But still, I’m still in the process and trying to learn something almost every day. So I don’t know what’s going to happen end of this season, but trying my best every week.

Q How do you find the course playing? Was it playing fast? Was it playing long, especially as the day went on?
AI MIYAZATO: It was a little bit windy some of the holes, but I really handle well like my play, and especially towards the end. Like 7 and 8, I made such great birdies and that was a great finish. So, those two birdies will let me keep my round going into tomorrow.

Q OK. On 7 and 8, can you describe what kind of putts you made or whatever?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, on 7 I hit 7-iron on the second shot, and I hit the pin actually, and it was just a tap-in birdie. And 8, I hit the fairway with my tee shot, but I made putt like, I don’t know about feet, but five meter. So it was a nice putt, nice birdie putt.

Q And your putting, what is it that kind of clicked in for you? Was it that you’re working on the stroke or is it up here that makes you feel so comfortable with putting right now?
AI MIYAZATO: The last couple weeks I just trying so hard to make it happen, like trying to — like trying to go in like almost every time. But then right now I really stay in the present and really focus on my stroke, so it’s more less tension. So that’s why my putting feels good.

Q Given the course, do you think somebody’s going to have to shoot maybe better than last year to win here or what do you see happening in the next few days?
AI MIYAZATO: Well, actually I forget the winning scores from last year. Is that 14?

Q 13.
AI MIYAZATO: 13? I think it’s going to be about the same. It depends on the wind, it depends on the weather. But, well, I can only focus on what I need to focus on so I can’t really set a final score that I’ll shoot for.

Q Having won the four times this year, now are you put in the position of being more relaxed or, you know, is it getting to be kind of old hat?
AI MIYAZATO: I feel like I’m more relaxed right now. Well, it’s not just for this season, you know, the race for No. 1 is going to give me good experience, so I just try to get good experience out of it instead of focus on the results.

Q You got to No. 1 then out in one week. Was that disappointing? How did that feel and did you find that a little disappointing that you lost it?
AI MIYAZATO: No, I don’t feel that way. Well, even though it just for two weeks, I was so very happy. And why I was happy is because I experienced something that I never really experienced before, and so it will just be really good for my future as my career goes on.

TERESA LU, Rolex Rankings No. 101

Q Great round, 5-under 67. Just talk a little bit about the round.
TERESA LU: I got lucky today. I got a lot of birdie chance, like 3, 4, OK birdie. So that makes my day a little bit easier.

Q So far this year, it probably hasn’t gone quite as well as you’d wanted. Did something flip in the last couple weeks? What do you attribute your good play today to?
TERESA LU: After Europe tournament, I went back to Taiwan and I really worked hard with my game. I was struggling with my driver, so just try to work on getting things right. And it turned out pretty good today.

Q Can you talk about how the course is playing? I mean, is it playing pretty hard and fast?
TERESA LU: Uh-huh. I think it’s a great course and the greens are very good. And some of the holes you can, like par fives, you can almost reach the green. And it’s quite interesting, like I go for the green and see how many birdie you can get and possibly eagle.

Q And then, I think you’re one of four players from Taiwan in the tournament? Can you talk about that and how the country’s expanding more in golf with Yani and Candie’s success, is women’s golf becoming more popular in Taiwan?
TERESA LU: Yeah, a little bit. Just a little bit, not much. Like with Yani’s winning, the people in Taiwan is really trying to have the LPGA tournament in Taiwan. And they’re really hoping we can see the tournament come next year.

Q Do you think there might be more players coming up in the U.S. to be –
TERESA LU: Yeah. Yeah, definitely, definitely. Some of the businessmen is already supporting lots of the players to the U.S., like they’re playing in the Futures, so maybe we’ll have some more next year.

Q I know it’s pretty early, but what you do think about the next two days, do you think someone will need to keep shooting in order to win this or they’ll need –
TERESA LU: Well, playing one day doesn’t mean I can win the tournament, so I need to play aggressively the next couple of days to keep shooting low number. And I think people are going to shoot low on this green, so you have to keep going.

Q Could you describe your first, you know, few birdies and how they came about with those holes?
TERESA LU: Yeah. I had the bogey on number three, and a birdie on four, a little birdie. And then No. 6 is birdie, like five-footer. And then 8, 9, birdie, birdie, 10 birdie. They’re OK birdie, tap-in birdie. And number 16, I had 30 footer — I mean, no, three-yard, like six-footer.

Q So you were hitting it pretty close.
TERESA LU: Yeah. Most was good.

Q Did you find the course changing as the day went on, as you were getting still toward the back end of it? Was it changing how it played, was it playing faster as the day went on?
TERESA LU: It didn’t feel much different.

Q Have you had a first-round lead before this year?
TERESA LU: No. No. First time.

JEE YOUNG LEE, Rolex Rankings No. 42

Q Jee Young, welcome. Good round today. Just talk a little bit about how you played.
JEE YOUNG LEE: I played good today. My shot was really good, but front nine, I putted a little bad, but back nine I made a lot of birdies.

Q Good. Did you come in here feeling good about your game and confidence or what was your attitude like?
JEE YOUNG LEE: Yeah, I had confidence. Actually, last week I had somebody give me “Vision 54”. So I read that book, and, yeah, a lot of help.

Q So, it sounds like you kind of felt you had got better as the day went on and really started putting better?
JEE YOUNG LEE: Yeah. I changed putter, so more — I can putt better.

Q When did you change putters?
JEE YOUNG LEE: Last week.

Q Is it just a different feel or is it a whole different style?
JEE YOUNG LEE: Yeah, more — I think I feel more smooth. Yeah, feels more better.

Q Is it a putter you used before or is it brand new?
JEE YOUNG LEE: Four or five years ago. Yeah, I used that a long time ago.

Q How about the course today, is it good?
JEE YOUNG LEE: Yeah. Some holes, they’re narrow and some was wide, and my ball going a little bit like right-left, but most ball going straight, so no problem with that.

Q Have you had a lead this year?
JEE YOUNG LEE: I don’t think so. Yeah, one time. Maybe Mobile tournament.

Q Was that the first round?
JEE YOUNG LEE: First round.

Q Yeah when you were in Alabama, you had the lead overnight, right? So, do you remember the feeling? Did it make you more nervous or did it not affect you?
JEE YOUNG LEE: I think same feeling.

Q Can you talk about how you think your year is going for you?
JEE YOUNG LEE: Actually, better than last year, but this year I change something, my mind and the swing, so I think getting better than last year.

Q What sort of mind changes I guess?
JEE YOUNG LEE: Yeah. Thinking a little change. Like when I made bogey I was little mad. But now, just like changing more better feeling. So yeah.

Q So you don’t get as mad when you make bogey?
JEE YOUNG LEE: Yeah. But I think more fun, thinking fun.

Q So you’re more even keel, you don’t go up and down?
JEE YOUNG LEE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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The Safeway Classic First Tee Clinic was held August 18th, 2010 at Heron Lakes Golf Course, the home of the First Tee of Portland. Three LPGA players, Louise Friberg, Jean Reynolds, and Karin Sjodin, spent two hours with 25 junior golfers teaching them lessons about golf and life.

We sincerely thank Heron Lakes, the First Tee of Portland, the LPGA, Louise Friberg, Jean Reynolds, and Karin Sjodin because without them the clinic would not have been possible.

18th Green with grandstands and Champions Club Skybox in the background.

The Safeway Skybox and the 12th green.

These amazing views that you will experience as a spectator will surely stir up euphoria and an appetite, but no need to fret, the Safeway Classic has you covered with the Safeway Food Pavilion. The Safeway Food Pavilion is a spectator’s favorite due to Safeway’s delicious in store product samples from over 50 different vendors. If that is not enough, there are plenty of concession stands and the public is welcome in the Champions Grill in the Clubhouse.

Safeway Food Pavilion

The 2010 Safeway Classic will not only offer world-class experiences off the course, but will present spectators with the best in women’s professional golf. We expect all of the top 50 golfers to play in the Safeway Classic, including the 2010 Women’s British Open and the 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship champion Yani Tseng and the 2009 Safeway Classic defending champion M.J. Hur. Also participating will be the 2010 LPGA Championship winner Cristie Kerr and the number one player in the world and current LPGA money leader Jiyai Shin. Fan favorites Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis are expected to compete.

2009 Safeway Classic Champion M.J. Hur

Tournament week for the 2010 Safeway Classic begins on August 16^th and tournament play takes place on August 20^th to the 22^nd. If you are interested in tickets please see the “Tickets” tab on our website. Continue to check our website for updates on the 2010 Safeway Classic and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube (“Follow the Classic” tab) for up to the minute information about the Safeway Classic.

We look forward to seeing you at Pumpkin Ridge in a few short weeks!

Pumpkin Ridge is located in North Plains, west of Portland.

Prospective caddies need to be available each day of tournament week, Aug. 16-22.  Candidates who have experience will be chosen first.  Attention to detail and a clean-cut appearance are of utmost importance.

For more information contact the Tournament Golf Foundation/Safeway Classic office at 503-626-2711.