Yeah, I know I've been focused on U.S. Women's Open Sectional Qualifying lately, but it's time for my annual exercise in futility: trying to predict the winner of the Sybase Match Play Championship.
Tony Jesselli and Hound Dog have fine preview posts (plus HD has updated his hot list and TJ has noted that 4 lucky golfers will get to play 4 matches on the weekend!), while the tournament organizers have put together a fantastic media guide and LPGA.com has blown away its own tournament preview with a great set-up of the 1st-round matches, plus they provide a printable bracket, as well.
So who do I think will prevail during May Madness? Here are the picks I'm entering in Golfweek's Match Play Challenge:
Patty Berg Division
Round 1
Match #20: Na Yeon Choi (1) over Catriona Matthew (39)
Match #19: Se Ri Pak (32) over Karen Stupples (43)
Match #18: Sun Young Yoo (16) over Grace Park (53)
Match #17: Mika Miyazato (17) over Alena Sharp (62)
Match #26: Song-Hee Kim (8) over Sophie Gustafson (42)
Match #25: Paige Mackenzie (54) over Karine Icher (25)
Match #28: Michelle Wie (9) over Beatriz Recari (38)
Match #27: Anna Nordqvist (24) over Haeji Kang (56)
Round 2
Na Yeon Choi (1) over Se Ri Pak (32)
Mika Miyazato (17) over Sun Young Yoo (16)
Song-Hee Kim (8) over Paige Mackenzie (54)
Anna Nordqvist (24) over Michelle Wie (9)
Round 3
Na Yeon Choi (1) over Mika Miyazato (17)
Song-Hee Kim (8) over Anna Nordqvist (24)
Quarterfinals
Na Yeon Choi (1) over Song-Hee Kim (8)
Kathy Whitworth Division
Round 1
Match #32: Ya Ni Tseng (4) over Marcy Hart (62)
Match #31: Juli Inkster (29) over Jenny Suh (49)
Match #30: Morgan Pressel (13) over Julieta Granada (61)
Match #29: Seon Hwa Lee (40) over Maria Hjorth (20)
Match #24: Suzann Pettersen (5) over Natalie Gulbis (63)
Match #23: Vicky Hurst (28) over Amy Hung (45)
Match #22: Shanshan Feng (37) over Katherine Hull (12)
Match #21: Stacy Lewis (21) over Katie Futcher (59)
Round 2
Ya Ni Tseng (4) over Juli Inkster (29)
Seon Hwa Lee (40) over Morgan Pressel (13)
Suzann Pettersen (5) over Vicky Hurst (28)
Stacy Lewis (21) over Shanshan Feng (37)
Round 3
Seon Hwa Lee (40) over Ya Ni Tseng (4)
Stacy Lewis (21) over Suzann Pettersen (5)
Quarterfinals
Seon Hwa Lee (40) over Stacy Lewis (21)
Mickey Wright Division
Round 1
Match #12: Ji-Yai Shin (2) over Meena Lee (33)
Match #11: Mi-Hyun Kim (55) over M.J. Hur (31)
Match #10: Brittany Lincicome (15) over Wendy Ward (46)
Match #9: Angela Stanford (18) over Candie Kung (36)
Match #14: In-Kyung Kim (7) over Mindy Kim (51)
Match #13: Christina Kim (26) over Brittany Lang (35)
Match #16: Paula Creamer (10) over Aree Song (58)
Match #15: Karrie Webb (23) over Sarah Kemp (50)
Round 2
Ji-Yai Shin (2) over Mi-Hyun Kim (55)
Angela Stanford (18) over Brittany Lincicome (15)
In-Kyung Kim (7) over Christina Kim (26)
Paula Creamer (10) over Karrie Webb (23)
Round 3
Ji-Yai Shin (2) over Angela Stanford (18)
In-Kyung Kim (7) over Paula Creamer (10)
Quarterfinals
In-Kyung Kim (7) over Ji-Yai Shin (2)
Annika Sorenstam Division
Round 1
Match #8: Cristie Kerr (3) over Amanda Blumenherst (48)
Match #7: Azahara Munoz (30) over Belen Mozo (64)
Match #6: Amy Yang (14) over Kyeong Bae (47)
Match #5: Hee Kyung Seo (60) over Jee Young Lee (19)
Match #4: Ai Miyazato (6) over Hee Young Park (34)
Match #3: Kristy McPherson (27) over Hee-Won Han (41)
Match #2: Inbee Park (11) over Stacy Prammanasudh (44)
Match #1: Chella Choi (57) over Jimin Kang (22)
Round 2
Cristie Kerr (3) over Azahara Munoz (30)
Amy Yang (14) over Hee Kyung Seo (60)
Ai Miyazato (6) over Kristy McPherson (27)
Inbee Park (11) over Chella Choi (57)
Round 3
Amy Yang (14) over Cristie Kerr (3)
Ai Miyazato (6) over Inbee Park (11)
Quarterfinals
Ai Miyazato (6) over Amy Yang (14)
Final 4: Semifinals
Na Yeon Choi (1) over Seon Hwa Lee (40)
In-Kyung Kim (7) over Ai Miyazato (6)
Championship Match
In-Kyung Kim (7) over Na Yeon Choi (1) [20 holes]
Consolation Match
Ai Miyazato (6) over Seon Hwa Lee (40)
In other words, my top 16 (to make my PakPicker entry clear) are:
1. Kim In-Kyung
2. Choi Na Yeon
3. Miyazato Ai
4. Lee Seon Hwa
T5. Yang, Amy; Shin Ji-Yai; Lewis, Stacy; Kim Song-Hee
T9. Miyazato Mika; Nordqvist, Ann; Tseng Ya Ni; Pettersen, Suzann; Stanford, Angela; Creamer, Paula; Kerr, Cristie; Park Inbee
In short, I see Ai Miyazato and Seon Hwa Lee finding their mojo in match play, but not being able to overcome In-Kyung Kim and Na Yeon Choi.
[Update 1 (10:50 am): Hound Dog has a very different vision of how the matches will play out! Let's see whose crystal ball is less smudgy!]
No comments:
Post a Comment