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Krista Lander from WICS ABC Newschannel 20 in Springfield took advantage of an opportunity to walk inside-the-ropes on Thursday at the LPGA State Farm Classic with the Blue Diamond Almond Walk a Healthy 18 campaign. Lander chose to walk in the group including Michelle Wie, Brittany Lincicome and LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame member Se Ri Pak.

Click here to watch the video. >>

Natalie Gulbis was on Golf Channel's Morning Drive live from the LPGA State Farm Classic. Gulbis talked about her first round, how her game is coming along, and about a junior clinic she did earlier in the week with 30 hearing impaired children.

 

Brittany Lincicome was mic'd up during the first round of the LPGA State Farm Classic. Listen in to what Lincicome and her caddy talk about inside the ropes.

 

What are Mindy Kim's favorite things? Did you know that she loves watching NCIS and The Office and eating cheesecake? Mindy also loves her iPhone and reading Vogue magazine. See all of Mindy's favorite things below.

 

Need some help sticking with your New Year's Resolution? Whether it is to improve your game or exercise more, Michelob ULTRA is here to help with golf and exercise tips. Living the ULTRA life is about enjoying life to its fullest.

 

Mindy Kim fired an 8-under 64 to grab sole possession of the lead after the first round of the LPGA State Farm Classic at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill. Kim birdied five straight holes, starting on hole No. 2, to get off to a hot start.

Tseng-sational: Yani Tseng will try to continue her hold on the world's top spot while playing at the LPGA State Farm Classic this week. Tseng took over the Rolex Rankings No. 1 spot early this season after winning four straight events worldwide, including the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open and ANZ RACV Ladies Open co-sanctioned by the Australian Ladies Open co-sanctioned by Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG) on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the season-opening Honda LPGA Thailand on the LPGA Tour.

Tseng, who has not finished worse than a tie for 15th in three LPGA State Farm Classic appearances, has some tough competition continuing to chase her for that top spot. Rolex Rankings No. 2 Suzann Pettersen and No. 3 Jiyai Shin are both in the field this week. Pettersen, who captured the Sybase Match Play title last month, is returning after missing last week's ShopRite LPGA Classic due to illness. Shin, who has two runner-up finishes this season, missed last year's LPGA State Farm Classic after undergoing emergency appendectomy surgery in Springfield.

Stacy Lewis continues to inspire following her Kraft Nabisco Championship victory this season. On Wednesday at the LPGA State Farm Classic she invited Emily Bryant, daughter of the assistant superintendent at Panther Creek Country Club, to walk nine holes inside-the-ropes during the pro-am. Bryant will undergo scoliosis surgery to insert a rod on her spine, just as Lewis did, in early August.

Bryant, who will turn 17 later this month, is an active member of the tennis team at Jacksonville High School, about 30 minutes from Springfield. She used her time inside-the-ropes to ask Lewis how she calmed her fears in advance of scoliosis surgery and how she handled the recovery process, which can take months. Lewis showed Bryant her surgery scar and also shared some advice on how to manage pain and discomfort. Most important, Lewis told Bryant that she will still be able to ride rollercoasters, play tennis and enjoy life as a teenager following her surgery.

For a closer look at Emily's visit to the LPGA State Farm Classic, visit this link. June is National Scoliosis Month.

Untitled Document LPGA State Farm Classic
Panther Creek Country Club
Springfield, Ill.
Pre-tournament notes and interviews
June 8, 2011
 
Brittany Lincicome, Rolex Rankings No. 15
Cristie Kerr, Rolex Rankings No. 4 and defending champion
Yani Tseng, Rolex Rankings No. 1
 
The 36th annual LPGA State Farm Classic begins Thursday at the Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill. The 150-player field features eight of the top-10 ranked golfers in the Rolex Rankings and the winners of the last four major championships, as they compete for a $1.7 million purse. Defending champion and Rolex Rankings No. 3 Cristie Kerr will highlight the star-studded field as she looks for her first victory of the 2011 season, coming off back-to-back second place finishes in her last two tournaments. Kerr is trying to become a three-time winner at the LPGA State Farm Classic, having also captured the title back in 2004. The tournament has been a staple in the Springfield community since 1973 and boasts a Who's Who of LPGA stars as former champions (Annika Sorenstam, Nancy Lopez, JoAnne Carner, Betsy King, Rosie Jones, and Beth Daniel among others).
 
Back in the winner's circle: Brittany Lincicome captured her fourth LPGA Tour victory at last week's ShopRite LPGA Classic where she beat Kerr and Rolex Rankings No. 3 Jiyai Shin by one shot. It was Lincicome's first victory since the 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship. She enters this week's tournament having not recorded a bogey in her last 38 holes, dating back to the 16th hole of Friday's play at the ShopRite LPGA Classic where she made double bogey. Fans will get a chance to learn a little more about Lincicome on the course this week. She will be Mic'd Up for the Golf Channel during Thursday's first round of play.
 
Her time of year? Riding the momentum of two-straight runner-up finishes, Kerr returns to Springfield, Ill. seeking her 15th LPGA victory and a successful defense of the title she won in a Monday finish in 2010. The only three players to win back-to-back LPGA State Farm Classic titles are JoAnne Carner, Betsy King and Beth Daniel. Currently No. 4 on the Rolex Rankings, Kerr hopes to come out on top of the LPGA State Farm Classic before taking a week off in advance of the Wegmans LPGA Championship in Rochester, where she won by a record 12 strokes last year.
 
Tseng-sational: Yani Tseng will try to continue her hold on the world's top spot while playing at the LPGA State Farm Classic this week. Tseng took over the Rolex Rankings No. 1 spot early this season after winning four straight events worldwide, including the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open and ANZ RACV Ladies Open co-sanctioned by the Australian Ladies Open co-sanctioned by Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG) on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the season-opening Honda LPGA Thailand on the LPGA Tour.
 
Tseng, who has not finished worse than a tie for 15th in three LPGA State Farm Classic appearances, has some tough competition continuing to chase her for that top spot.  Rolex Rankings No. 2 Suzann Pettersen and No. 3 Jiyai Shin are both in the field this week. Pettersen, who captured the Sybase Match Play title last month, is returning after missing last week's ShopRite LPGA Classic due to illness. Shin, who has two runner-up finishes this season, missed last year's LPGA State Farm Classic after under

LPGA Tour member Katherine Hull and rookie Belen Mozo helped to officially open a new computer lab at Big Brothers Big Sisters Illinois Capital Region in Springfield, Ill. on Tuesday. As part of the charitable contributions from the 2010 LPGA State Farm Classic, IBM provided five Young Explorer Workstations and Reading Companion Software for the center. The new computers will help ensure the young people served by Big Brothers Big Sisters Illinois Capital Region have the tools to learn and grow.

Hull is Mozo's Big Sister on the LPGA Tour this year as part of a program that pairs rookies with veteran players on Tour. So the two players were familiar with mentoring and enjoyed the opportunity to spend time playing computer games and talking with the kids during their visit.

“It's always fun to visit some of the charities during the year and see where all of the money that we're raising is going and how much of an impact it's having in the communities,” said Hull. “It's nice to see the kids benefiting.”

The event helped to kick off the 36th annual LPGA State Farm Classic, which will tee off on Thursday at Panther Creek Country Club. Defending champion and Rolex Rankings No. 4 Cristie Kerr will headline a field that features eight of the top-10 in the current Rolex Rankings and they will be competing for a purse of $1.7 million this week.

LPGA Tour rookie Jennifer Song traveled to Springfield recently to help promote the 2011 LPGA State Farm Classic and visit fans, in particular a group of young ladies at Blessed Sacrament School involved in the Girls on the Run Program. Girls on the Run (GOTR), one of the tournament's designated charities, is a prevention program that educates and empowers pre-teen girls (3rd-8th grade). It gives the girls the tools to make healthy decisions, form positive self-images and develop healthy lifestyles while training them to run 3.1 miles.

While a flight delay prevented Jennifer from being able to meet with the group of girls from the Girls on the Run program, she did make it to Springfield in time to take part in a Celebrity Beat the Pro event and met with the directors of the Girls on the Run program, giving them t-shirts for all the girls that she had brought from Orlando. She also watched fans go head to head with the local media in a putting competition.

The Girls on the Run team will be coming out to watch Jennifer play at Panther Creek in Springfield this week and have the opportunity to meet her on the course. Jennifer has committed to giving 1/3 of her winnings from the LPGA State Farm Classic to Girls on the Run and other local charities as she feels strongly about giving back to communities and organizations that help kids succeed. Song, who won her professional debut on the LPGA Futures Tour at the 2010 Tate & Lyle Player Championship in nearby Decatur, Ill., has long made charity a priority. After her win in Decatur, Jennifer donated 1/3 of her earnings to nearby charities in the Decatur area including the Boys & Girls Club and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

LPGA Outside the Ropes is an outreach program embraced by LPGA Tour players to elevate their significant off-course activities. The community and charitable activities primarily are designed to benefit tournaments and title sponsors. See more Outside the Ropes activities >>

Brittany Lincicome called in to Golf Channel's Morning Drive to discuss her recent win at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

 

Untitled Document Cristie Kerr looks to defend the first of two consecutive titles this week when the 36th annual, $1.7 million LPGA State Farm Classic tees off at Panther Creek Country Club. Riding the momentum of two-straight runner-up finishes, Kerr returns to Springfield, Ill. seeking her 15th LPGA victory and a successful defense of the title she won in a Monday finish in 2010. Currently No. 4 on the Rolex Rankings, Kerr hopes to come out on top of the LPGA State Farm Classic before taking a week off in advance of the Wegmans LPGA Championship in Rochester, where she won by a record 12 strokes last year.
 
Kerr is amongst eight of the top-10 on the current Rolex Rankings in Central Illinois this week including No. 1 Yani Tseng, the current leader of the LPGA Official Money List and Rolex Player of the Year race, No. 2 Suzann Pettersen, who returns from an illness that kept her sidelined at last week's ShopRite LPGA Classic, and No. 3 Jiyai Shin, who missed last year's LPGA State Farm Classic after emergency appendectomy surgery in Springfield last season. Rolex Rankings No. 6 I.K. Kim, the 2009 LPGA State Farm Classic champion, will also be in town seeking her fourth-career LPGA victory. Kim was given an honorary membership to Panther Creek before last year's tournament.
 
Brittany Lincicome arrives in Springfield with four LPGA victories under her belt including last week's ShopRite LPGA Classic where she beat Kerr and Shin by one shot. She will be joined by every other 2011 Tour winner, as well as last year's second-place finishers Rolex Rankings No. 5 Na Yeon Choi and two-time winner Anna Nordqvist.

I have a theory. Maybe it's a "rookie" thing, but I feel like every tournament I've played this season, ONE thing per week goes wrong off the golf course.

Case #1: I packed up my car to drive to the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup in Arizona. An hour into my 6.5 hour drive, I realized I left my wallet at home. I popped a "U"-y and suddenly my 6.5 hour drive became an 8.5 hour drive. Oops.

Case #2: Tuesday night of the Avnet LPGA Classic in Alabama, I may or may not have left the headlights of my rental car on all night. I may or may not have had some trouble starting the car in the morning. I may or may not have bummed rides off of my roommate, MariaJo Uribe. And, I may or may not have unsuccessfully tried to flirt for some jumper cables. Oops.

Which brings us to this week...

Case #3: Tuesday of this week's ShopRite LPGA Classic, I found a trailhead a few miles north of the course. I embarked on the "Songbird Trail" which SHOULD have been a 30 minute jog marked with blue squares painted on trees. At some point, the blue squares turned to white squares, then to red triangles. After an hour and a half out on the trail, I started to panic a little. (I began to vaguely recall scenes from the "Blair Witch Project.") An hour and a half later, I finally wandered back to a road from which I located the trailhead. The hammies and glutes were a bit tender for the rest of the week, and I had to take the next two days off and spend them in the LPGA Sports Medicine trailer. Double Oops.

Please tell me I'll grow out of this.

TJOH out.

Learn more about Tiffany Joh >>
Read more 2011 Rookie Blogs >>

The copyrighted content contained on this blog reflects the sole opinion(s) of the author. Such content does not necessarily represent the LPGA's views, opinions, intentions, and/or strategies, and is intended for informational or amusement purposes only.

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1. Tell me something most people don't know about you?
I am an open book.

2. What would you like to do for a living if you are not a pro golfer?
Playing another individual sport or housewife.

3. If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be?
I love my job. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

4. Is there anything you're addicted to? Or can't live without?
Music.

5. Is there anything you won't eat?
Anything spicy or salty.

6. What is one thing you have done and would never want to do again?
Breaking someone's heart.

7. Is there a song that you like to sing when no one is around like in the car or shower?
Sexy Love - by Ne-Yo.

8. Who would be in your dream foursome?
Jimin, L.B.B., Chanel, Captain Mac.

9. What is your favorite activity you do when you want to relax?
Go for a jog while listening to music.

10. What is your favorite time of year?
Winter because it's the off-season.

11. Favorite quote or saying?
Psalm 23:1.

12. What beauty product can you not live without?
Sunblock.

13. What is your favorite store to shop in and why?
Costco because I can check out everything.

14. Do you have a favorite TV commercial?
Super Bowl commercials.

15. What is one item of clothing you couldn't live without?
Underwear.

16. Favorite way to stay in shape?
Jog and lift weights.

17. What chore are you great at or enjoy doing the most?
Cleaning and organizing.

18. If you could posses any super human power what would it be?
Be wiser.

Learn more about Jimin Kang >>

Untitled Document Brittany Lincicome   Catriona Matthew Karen Stupples     Anna Nordqvist Beatriz Recari     Brittany Lang Mindy Kim   While Yani Tseng sits atop the Rolex Rankings for the 17th consecutive week, several other LPGA players made bold moves up the Rankings. On the heels of her fourth LPGA career victory at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, Brittany Lincicome leapt nine spots to No. 15. Lincicome fired rounds of 72-64-66 to secure a one-stroke victory over Rolex Rankings No. 3 Jiyai Shin and No. 4 Cristie Kerr.

LPGA Moms Catriona Matthew and Karen Stupples also made their way up the Rankings this week. Matthew posted her third top-10 finish in 2011 with a solo fourth, moving her up four spots to No. 34, while Stupples posted a tie for 11th, earning her a five-spot boost up to No. 80.

Anna Nordqvist carded a season-best tie for fifth to jump three spots to No. 23. Beatriz Recari and Brittany Lang also posted season-best finishes. Recari shot a final-round 67 to finis

Brittany Lincicome was named the Prudential Rock Solid Performer of the week after her win at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Brittany Lincicome won the ShopRite LPGA Classic with an impressive up-and-down for birdie from the thick grass on the 18th hole. She shot 5-under-par 66 on Sunday to record her fourth-career LPGA victory – a one-shot win over Rolex Rankings No. 3 Jiyai Shin and No. 4 Cristie Kerr – and claim the $225,000 first-place check.

With former LPGA Tour member A.J. Eathorne on her bag, Lincicome started the day two shots behind second-round leader Kerr and carded an eagle on the third hole to move into a day-long fight for first. Kerr started the day with birdies at three, five and six, but faltered with bogies at seven and eight, opening the door for Lincicome and Shin, who posted the clubhouse lead at 10-under-par with Lincicome in 18th fairway. Lincicome hit her second shot to the par-5 into the tall grass left of the 18th green, but managed to chip out to five-feet and sink the birdie. Kerr left a 80-foot eagle try short that could have forced a playoff, tapping in for birdie and a share of second at 10-under.

Lincicome played her final 38 holes bogey-free dating back to the 16th hole on Friday where she made double bogey. Her previous-best finish this season came at the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, where she tied for second and punched her ticket to the CME Group Titleholders.

Recent winner Brittany Lincicome sat down a few weeks ago and answered fan questions. Learn more about this 2011 ShopRite LPGA Classic champion.

       

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Three-Time Legends Champ Adds Another Victory - Christa Johnson Drives for Dough, Eagling Hole 16 to Take Tourney

(Reno, NV) - Christa Johnson, now a four-time champion on The Legends Tour, shot a 68 and 71 to finish 5 under par and in solo first place in the 2011 Patty Sheehan & Friends LPGA Legends Tour Tournament. Johnson eagled Hole 16, driving the green and making the putt, to put her at 6 under and two shots ahead of the nearest competitor with two holes to go. Cindy Rarick made a run at the top spot with a big birdie on the final hole to put her just one back of Christa Jonson and in solo second place and a final round 70. Kathryn Young-Robyn eagled 18 to vault herself into a four-way tie for third with Alicia Dibos, Cindy Figg-Currier and Cathy Johnston-Forbes. With four birdies on the back nine, Rosie Jones was on fire but ran out of holes. She still managed to crack the top ten with a second round 68, finishing 1 under for the tournament. Patty Sheehan finished one over par, tied for 14th place with Betsy King, Kris Tschetter and Sherri Turner. Rosie Jones and Cindy Figg-Currier carded the only second rounds under 70 with a 69 and 68, respectively.

Untitled Document Cristie Kerr's bid for a 15th LPGA victory fell one shot short on Sunday at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, but she added another runner-up finish to her impressive play this season. Just two weeks ago, Kerr lost to Suzann Pettersen in the finals of the Sybase Match Play Championship. She has five top-10 finishes in eight tournaments played this season. Next up for Kerr? She'll try to defend her titles at next week's LPGA State Farm Classic and the Wegmans LPGA Championship in late June.