The Best of the LPGA: April 2011 Edition

I finally have time to update my Best of the LPGA ranking from the end of last season! For the 1st time, I'll be adding Tony Jesselli's and Thomas Atkins's rankings (both of which focus exclusively on the 2011 LPGA season) to my usual mash-up of the LPGA money list, the latest Hound Dog Top 70 (which focuses exclusively on LPGA performances and results from 2011 and 2010), and the current Rolex Rankings (which assigns points based on results over the last 104 weeks on the LPGA, JLPGA, KLPGA, LET, and Futures Tour) and Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index (which ranks players based on relative finishes over the last 52 weeks on the LPGA, JLPGA, LET, and Futures Tour). I'll be using these very different systems to divide LPGA players into tiers, then using my own judgment to rank them within each tier.

Thanks to Ya Ni Tseng's hot start to 2011, we have the 1st (close to) dominant #1 on the LPGA since Lorena Ochoa. Just imagine how big Tseng's lead would have been had she been able to hold on to win the KNC instead of Stacy Lewis! Lewis's win, however, ensures that the girl gang dominating the LPGA keeps growing and growing, even if Ai Miyazato and Song-Hee Kim have dropped back into the lead chase pack.

1. Ya Ni Tseng: #1 money ($570.5K), #1 RR (12.14), #6 GSPI (69.25), #1 HD, #1 TJ (83.68), #2 TA. Let's see, she leads or co-leads the LPGA in top 10s, birdies, birdie rate, scoring average, rounds in the 60s, and rounds under par, which helps explain why she sits atop the money list, the Rolex Rankings, and her LPGA generation--and is tied with Karrie Webb with the most Player of the Year points in 2011. Lewis showed why it's too soon to christen this era the "Tseng Dynasty," but the rest of the LPGA's girl gang is going to have to step it up like she did to deny Tseng a lot more wins.
2. In-Kyung Kim: #5 money ($271.1K), #7 RR (7.75), #5 GSPI (69.14), #6 HD, #4 TJ (54.66), #5 TA. She's the only player besides Tseng to rank in the top 10 in every single system I'm mashing up and the only player on tour to finish in the top 10 in every event she's competed in this season. In fact, she's on a run of 7 top 10s in a row and counting, dating back to last October, plus she's finished in the top 10 in the last 4 majors. So even though she hasn't won since last November at Lorena's tournament, I'm putting her right behind Tseng.
3. Karrie Webb: #2 money ($486.4K), #8 RR (7.12), #11 GSPI (69.91), #10 HD, #3 TJ (72.10), #1 TA. Thanks to her bronze and 2 golds to start the 2011 season, she's already surpassed her winnings over the entire 2010 season. She's already reached #1 in one of the ranking systems I'm using to generate this one. Can she do the same in the others?
4. Cristie Kerr: #9 money ($205.5K), #3 RR (9.11), #4 GSPI (69.12), #2 HD, #12 TJ (32.32), #9 TA. Her missed cut at the Kraft Nabisco Championship was a shocker, breaking a run of 10-straight top 20s (6 of which were top 5s). But I expect her to shake it off and get right back to playing great golf.
5. Michelle Wie: #6 money ($258.9K), #9 RR (7.03), #14 GSPI (69.96), #9 HD, #5 TJ (49.64), #8 TA. It's amazing that as a part-timer on the LPGA she's ranked in the top 5 in every system I'm mashing up here but one. And it's even more amazing that she's accomplished that without ever really getting her putter going (relative to how many good birdie chances she's been giving herself, that is; she is averaging 1.77 putts per green in regulation).
6. Ji-Yai Shin: #7 money ($217.1K), #2 RR (9.79), #2 GSPI (69.03), #4 HD, #22 TJ (21.08), #11 TA. She's gotten longer and stronger but is having issues with distance control with her irons and for the 1st time in her career isn't playing all that well on Sundays. It's ironic that a cold putter cost her her 10th career LPGA victory when she's averaging a sizzling 1.75 PPGIR on the season.
7. Morgan Pressel: #8 money ($211.7K), #15 RR (5.13), #8 GSPI (69.69), #12 HD, #6 TJ (49.32), #6 TA. Yes, In-Kyung Kim leapfrogged her to keep her at #4 in her generation, and, yes, she still hasn't followed up her major victory at last year's Salonpas Cup on the JLPGA with any wins on the LPGA, and, yes, she played very very good and horrid golf in the same day at the KNC's final round, but I'm telling you, she is ready to break through in a big way.
8. Paula Creamer: #10 money ($194.1K), #10 RR (6.51), #15 GSPI (69.97), #8 HD, #18 TJ (24.94), #7 TA. Yet another American playing some really good golf to start the 2011 season. She struggled by her high standards at home in California, but she sure loves Alabama. Watch out for her this week!

Consider this grouping the girl gang's junior auxiliary, or something like that. They've racked up 3 top 10s in the 6 systems I'm surveying, either by playing great for a long time or to start the new season.

9. Na Yeon Choi: #14 money ($144.0K), #4 RR (8.87), #1 GSPI (68.92), #3 HD, #16 TJ (27.06), #16 TA. Her T47 at the KNC snapped a 16-event top-20 run that started with her 1 and only missed cut on the LPGA at last year's LPGA Championship. Once she gets her putter going this season, watch out for her. She's #2 in her generation and I expect her to become Tseng's top challenger on tour very soon.
10. Suzann Pettersen: #19 money ($107.0K), #5 RR (8.85), #3 GSPI (69.03), #7 HD, #17 TJ (26.40), #17 TA. Sure, she's extended her top-20 run from last season to 8-straight starts and counting (and has 16 top-25s in a row and counting, too), but the frustration of coming so close so often seems to be taking the fun out of the game for her.
11. Stacy Lewis: #3 money ($371.7K), #14 RR (5.16), #21 GSPI (70.47), #17 HD, #2 TJ (77.08), #3 TA. Who was it who said that "she's ready for a quantum leap in '11." Oh, yeah, that was me! Now that she's gotten a taste of winning on the LPGA, don't expect her to stop any time soon.
12. Sandra Gal: #4 money ($302.4K), #38 RR (2.83), #91 GSPI (72.29), #50 HD, #7 TJ (43.96), #4 TA. How much is beating the Final Round Queen on a Sunday worth? Would you believe a jump up 57 spots from my final 2010 ranking...? Hmmm, sounds like a lot to me, too. But maybe she can keep the great golf rolling. Let's see how soon she can break the $1M barrier in career winnings!

Right behind the contenders for leader of the pack of the LPGA's girl gang is a large lead chase pack with top 10s in at most 2 of the 5 systems and/or top 20s in at least 3 of them.

13. Ai Miyazato: #26 money ($62.2K), #6 RR (7.85), #16 GSPI (70.03), #5 HD, #40 TJ (5.44), #32 TA. Instead of putting together the best of her previous 2 seasons like I predicted (and still believe will happen), she's dealing with a cold putter at the same time she's trying to groove a swing change. Not a fun combination for anyone, but at least she's had plenty of time to practice and turn the pain of Japan's multiple disasters into resolve.
14. Angela Stanford: #11 money ($174.7K), #22 RR (4.08), #20 GSPI (70.43), #16 HD, #9 TJ (38.64), #10 TA. If we can trust LPGA.com's performance stats (which I have serious doubts about), she's worked out the kinks in her irons and is ready to start contending often again. If not, this may be the highest she's ranked all season.
15. Brittany Lincicome: #12 money ($162.7K), #21 RR (4.15), #10 GSPI (69.91), #15 HD, #13 TJ (31.64), #13 TA. This formerly mercurial player hasn't missed a cut since last year's Kia Classic and she's been racking up a lot of top 20s in the past year. She's become a consistently-excellent enough player to start raising expectations, so she was probably severely disappointed by her weak weekend at the KNC. Like Creamer, she's gotta be happy to be leaving California and heading to Alabama--she finished 2nd twice there last season. Let's see what she can do this week and in the weeks to come!
16. Mika Miyazato: #17 money ($118.0K), #19 RR (4.19), #22 GSPI (70.63), #19 HD, #8 TJ (38.70), #18 TA. Speaking of raising expectations, she'll be trying to extend a 7-event LPGA top-20 streak and 12-event top-25 run this week in Alabama. Factor in her gold at the Japan Women's Open and silver at the Ricoh Cup, and she's 1 of the hottest golfers on the planet right now.
17. Amy Yang: #18 money ($109.1K), #25 RR (3.78), #9 GSPI (69.90), #13 HD, #21 TJ (22.30), #15 TA. Another young player who's starting to meet the expectations placed on her--and play as well on the LPGA as she has on the LET.
18. Sun Young Yoo: #13 money ($157.9K), #29 RR (3.46), #28 GSPI (70.90), #18 HD, #14 TJ (30.26), #12 TA. At the end of last season, I asked, "Is she the most underrated player on tour or is she close to peaking?" Her play so far in 2011 has convinced me of the former.
19. Song-Hee Kim: #27 money ($59.4K), #13 RR (5.76), #7 GSPI (69.44), #11 HD, #34 TJ (7.48), #25 TA. It's too soon to tell whether her unexpectedly cold start to the season is just a blip or the 2nd coming of her rookie-year slump. I'm leaning toward the former and don't expect her to sink any lower in these rankings this season.
20. Anna Nordqvist: #20 money ($86.0K), #20 RR (4.16), #27 GSPI (70.83), #21 HD, #20 TJ (23.76), #20 TA. Her 2nd-straight T10 at the KNC leads me to believe she's ready to move from consistently good to consistently better.
21. Inbee Park: #33 money ($50.3K), #11 RR (6.32), #17 GSPI (70.13), #14 HD, #51 TJ (2.72), #35 TA. She's already won on the JLPGA this year, but hasn't been able to play as well on the LPGA.
22. Juli Inkster: #16 money ($118.5K), #36 RR (2.90), #23 GSPI (70.67), #24 HD, #15 TJ (30.20), #14 TA. She's the Energizer Bunny of the LPGA Tour. I don't see any reason for her not to compete in the Solheim Cup if she qualifies on points.

The large number of players with at most 2 top 20s or at least 3 top 30s shows just how closely-packed the top players on the LPGA are. But can the newbies in the top 31 build on their relatively fast starts to 2011?

23. Maria Hjorth: #23 money ($76.0K), #27 RR (3.72), #70 GSPI (71.85), #25 HD, #27 TJ (14.16), #22 TA.
24. Catriona Matthew: #22 money ($82.6K), #34 RR (3.05), #71 GSPI (71.98), #30 HD, #24 TJ (18.66), #29 TA.
25. Katherine Hull: #38 money ($47.7K), #24 RR (4.03), #26 GSPI (70.82), #20 HD, #54 TJ (2.64), #48 TA.
26. Shanshan Feng: #29 money ($54.4K), #69 RR (1.91), #35 GSPI (71.15), #26 HD, #47 TJ (3.96), #24 TA.
27. Sophie Gustafson: #25 money ($62.5K), #40 RR (2.76), #44 GSPI (71.39), #51 HD, #26 TJ (14.20), #28 TA.
28. Katie Futcher: #15 money ($128.6K), #76 RR (1.75), #86 GSPI (72.19), #44 HD, #11 TJ (33.88), #21 TA.
29. Stacy Prammanasudh: #24 money ($66.6K), #87 RR (1.53), #56 GSPI (71.61), #39 HD, #29 TJ (10.20), #23 TA.
30. Mindy Kim: #21 money ($84.3K), #117 RR (1.10), #105 GSPI (72.60), #60 HD, #25 TJ (17.24), #26 TA.
31. Julieta Granada: #32 money ($50.6K), #127 RR (1.03), #183 GSPI (73.82), n.r. HD, #19 TJ (24.60), #86 TA.

The large group with at most 2 top 30s or at least 3 top 40s is ready to pounce if those ahead of them falter.

32. Se Ri Pak: #30 money ($53.3K), #35 RR (3.04), #58 GSPI (71.65), #35 HD, #23 TJ (19.68), #47 TA.
33. Jimin Kang: #34 money ($49.3K), #46 RR (2.55), #37 GSPI (71.15), #23 HD, #42 TJ (4.92), #27 TA.
34. M.J. Hur: #31 money ($52.4K), #50 RR (2.38), #50 GSPI (71.47), #36 HD, #32 TJ (9.24), #31 TA.
35. Hee Kyung Seo: #55 money ($32.5K), #28 RR (3.63), #42 GSPI (71.29), #29 HD, n.r. TJ, #58 TA.
36. Beatriz Recari: #28 money ($55.3K), #51 RR (2.37), #117 GSPI (72.87), #41 HD, #35 TJ (7.34), #37 TA.
37. Karine Icher: #37 money ($48.0K), #59 RR (2.19), #34 GSPI (71.14), #27 HD, #55 TJ (2.64), #38 TA.
38. Kristy McPherson: #35 money ($49.2K), #45 RR (2.59), #55 GSPI (71.58), #37 HD, #52 TJ (2.72), #40 TA.
39. Seon Hwa Lee: #42 money ($42.3K), #77 RR (1.74), #48 GSPI (71.45), #38 HD, #39 TJ (5.72), #34 TA.
40. Momoko Ueda: #39 money ($46.4K), #53 RR (2.28), #73 GSPI (72.08), #40 HD, #57 TJ (2.64), #36 TA.
41. Kyeong Bae: #45 money ($40.1K), #85 RR (1.56), #69 GSPI (71.85), #62 HD, #48 TJ (3.96), #30 TA.
42. Christel Boeljon: #41 money ($43.0K), #102 RR (1.29), #156 GSPI (73.53), n.r. HD, #28 TJ (11.48), #70 TA.
43. Marcy Hart: #40 money ($46.0K), #255 RR (.40), n.r. GSPI (73.89) [not enough events in database], n.r. HD, #30 TJ (10.20), #60 TA.
44. Jee Young Lee: n.r. money ($0), #43 RR (2.63), #32 GSPI (71.12), #22 HD, n.r. TJ, n.r. TA.
45. Jeong Jang: n.r. money ($0), #106 RR (1.27), #29 GSPI (71.01), #45 HD, n.r. TJ, n.r. TA.

There are a lot of young players with at most 2 top 40s and/or at least 3 top 50s:

46. Azahara Munoz: #57 money ($31.6K), #44 RR (2.61), #38 GSPI (71.22), #32 HD, n.r. TJ, #51 TA.
47. Meena Lee: #67 money ($25.3K), #72 RR (1.80), #40 GSPI (71.24), #34 HD, #44 TJ (4.08), #91 TA.
48. Candie Kung: #51 money ($35.2K), #79 RR (1.73), #51 GSPI (71.48), #46 HD, #45 TJ (4.08), #39 TA.
49. Amanda Blumenherst: #36 money ($49.0K), #82 RR (1.59), #93 GSPI (72.29), #66 HD, #36 TJ (6.80), #46 TA.
50. Amy Hung: #53 money ($33.3K), #97 RR (1.40), #36 GSPI (71.15), #43 HD, n.r. TJ, #45 TA.
51. Sarah Jane Smith: #62 money ($27.8K), #112 RR (1.14), #88 GSPI (72.24), #48 HD, #41 TJ (5.28), #44 TA.
52. Hee Young Park: #69 money ($20.9K), #55 RR (2.25), #57 GSPI (71.58), #33 HD, n.r. TJ, #49 TA.
53. Pornanong Phatlum: #50 money ($35.3K), #157 RR (.83), #122 GSPI (72.95), n.r. HD, #31 TJ (9.90), #33 TA.
54. Chella Choi: #48 money ($28.0K), #124 RR (1.05), #81 GSPI (72.17), #70 HD, #37 TJ (6.80), #71 TA.
55. Paige Mackenzie: #49 money ($37.3K), #164 RR (.81), #104 GSPI (72.58), n.r. HD, #38 TJ (6.80), #52 TA.

A good mix of golfers have at most 2 top 50s and/or at least 3 top 60s:

56. Christina Kim: #60 money ($30.3K), #54 RR (2.26), #54 GSPI (71.56), #42 HD, #43 TJ (4.08), #53 TA.
57. Brittany Lang: #59 money ($31.4K), #60 RR (2.16), #66 GSPI (71.79), #47 HD, #46 TJ (3.96), #56 TA.
58. Vicky Hurst: #46 money ($39.3K), #61 RR (2.12), #94 GSPI (72.33), #53 HD, #56 TJ (2.64), #41 TA.
59. Eun-Hee Ji: #58 money ($31.4K), #67 RR (1.95), #49 GSPI (71.47), #57 HD, n.r. TJ, #59 TA.
60. Natalie Gulbis: #44 money ($40.3K), #105 RR (1.28), #62 GSPI (71.74), #58 HD, #58 TJ (2.64), #43 TA.
61. Karen Stupples: #43 money ($41.1K), #93 RR (1.45), #74 GSPI (72.09), #49 HD, n.r. TJ, #65 TA.
62. Meaghan Francella: #47 money ($38.8K), #119 RR (1.10), #75 GSPI (72.11), #64 HD, n.r. TJ, #42 TA.
63. Jennifer Song: #88 money ($7.4K), #116 RR (1.10), #46 GSPI (71.40), n.r. HD, n.r. TJ, #79 TA.
64. Shi Hyun Ahn: #83 money ($9.0K), #120 RR (1.09), #47 GSPI (71.43), #54 HD, n.r. TJ, #94 TA.
65. Wendy Ward: #56 money ($32.1K), #103 RR (1.28), #89 GSPI (72.25), n.r. HD, n.r. TJ, #50 TA.
66. Mina Harigae: #63 money ($25.9K), #145 RR (.91), #97 GSPI (72.41), #63 HD, #49 TJ (3.96), #72 TA.
67. Jenny Shin: #73 money ($15.4K), #263 RR (.38), #82 GSPI (72.18), n.r. HD, #50 TJ (3.96), #99 TA.

A good number of golfers have at most 2 top 60s and/or at least 3 top 70s:

68. Pat Hurst: #54 money ($33.2K), #118 RR (1.10), #110 GSPI (72.71), n.r. HD, #59 TJ (1.32), #61 TA.
69. Alena Sharp: #52 money ($33.9K), #121 RR (1.09), #76 GSPI (72.11), #61 HD, n.r. TJ, #66 TA.
70. Heather Bowie Young: #62 money ($143.0K), #132 RR (1.01), #63 GSPI (71.75), #59 HD, n.r. TJ, #84 TA.
71. Lindsey Wright: #68 money ($24.0K), #81 RR (1.62), #85 GSPI (72.19), #69 HD, n.r. TJ, #63 TA.
72. Laura Davies: #84 money ($8.6K), #52 RR (2.30), #79 GSPI (72.15), #65 HD, n.r. TJ, #81 TA.
73. Na On Min: #101 money ($5.0K), #149 RR (.89), #98 GSPI (72.46), #55 HD, n.r. TJ, n.r. TA.
74. Hee-Won Han: #71 money ($16.8K), #88 RR (1.52), #83 GSPI (72.19), #56 HD, n.r. TJ, n.r. TA.
75. Reilley Rankin: #65 money ($25.8K), #206 RR (.59), #173 GSPI (73.83), n.r. HD, #53 TJ (2.72), #75 TA.
76. Leta Lindley: #61 money ($28.2K), #223 RR (.52), #102 GSPI (72.56), n.r. HD, n.r. TJ, #54 TA.
77. Becky Morgan: #64 money ($25.8K), #174 RR (.77), #130 GSPI (73.01), n.r. HD, n.r. TJ, #57 TA.
78. Stephanie Louden: #72 money ($15.8K), #291 RR (.30), #92 GSPI (72.29), #52 HD, n.r. TJ, #64 TA.

A few players have at most 2 top 70s and/or at least 3 top 80s:

79. Gwladys Nocera: #76 money ($14.1K), #98 RR (1.40), #129 GSPI (73.01), #68 HD, n.r. TJ, #95 TA.
80. Pernilla Lindberg: #70 money ($17.9K), #183 RR (.72), #139 GSPI (73.16), n.r. HD, n.r. TJ, #74 TA.
81. Teresa Lu: n.r. money ($0), #107 RR (1.21), #95 GSPI (72.36), #67 HD, n.r. TJ.