Caroline Hedwall Wins Hero Women's Indian Open; Ai Miyazato Will Be 2011 LET Money-List Title-Holder

Caroline Hedwall held off a challenge from Pornanong Phatlum and others today to take the Hero Indian Women's Open by 2 shots to move up to 3rd on the 2011 LET money list.  However, even if she or #2 Melissa Reid were to win in Dubai next week, neither can catch Ai Miyazato's winnings total from the Women's British Open and the Evian Masters alone.  So Ai-sama will be the 2011 LET money-list champion!

Recommended Reading: Lisa Mickey Gets Tiffany Joh

Lisa Mickey shows once again why she's one of the best writers in the world on women's golf:  check out her Tiffany Joh profile!

The LPGA's Top Rivalries: Generation Gaps, Revisited

Now that the 2011 LPGA season is over, it's time to reexamine how the LPGA's last 6 generations stack up. Check out the career money list and wins/majors totals for the top players in the generations that span the Sorenstam Era (1994-2008), the overlapping Ochoa Era (2003-2009), and the overlapping Tseng Dynasty (2008-present).  Thanks to Mike Scanlan for sending me the excel file of the complete career money list; hopefully LPGA.com will return to including it instead of limiting it to a top 50 that excludes many of the biggest young stars on tour!

[Note: [square brackets] indicate the player has retired from professional golf; {squiggle brackets} indicate the player is no longer an LPGA member but still playing on another tour; *=includes non-member win; **=includes 3 non-member wins.]

1994-1996: The Sorenstam Generation

[1. Annika Sorenstam (1994) $22.57M (#1), 72/10]
2. Karrie Webb (1996) $16.52M (#2), 38*/7
3. Catriona Matthew (1995) $6.93M (#16), 4/1
4. Pat Hurst (1995) $6.89M (#17), 6/1
5. Lorie Kane (1996) $6.84M (#18), 4/0
6. Wendy Ward (1996) $4.91M (#39), 4/0
{7. Carin Koch (1995) $4.43M (#43), 2/0}

Matthew and Hurst both passed Kane in the 2nd half of the season.  Koch is living in Sweden and playing exclusively on the LET, so unless she does well in future Women's British Opens and Evian Masters--or moves back to the States--she will fall further behind her peers from here on out. A more interesting question is whether Webb will be able to catch Sorenstam (in winnings, not wins)!

1997-1999: The Pak Generation

1. Cristie Kerr (1997) $13.53M (#4), 14/2
2. Se Ri Pak (1998) $11.39M (#6), 25/5
3. Mi Hyun Kim (1999) $8.62M (#11), 8/0
4. Sophie Gustafson (1998) $6.00M (#24), 5/0
5. Maria Hjorth (1998) $5.96M (#25), 5/0
[6. Rachel Hetherington (1997) $5.73M (#29), 8/0]
7. Laura Diaz (1999) $5.11M (#37), 2/0
8. Karen Stupples (1999) $3.83M (#50), 2/1

Even though Kerr's passed Pak on the career money list, she'll have to join her in the Hall of Fame to have her name on the generation, too. With Hetherington retired, the Gustafson-Hjorth-Diaz race takes on added urgency, although given the way Diaz has been playing lately, she'll need a real turnaround to catch even Hetherington.

2000-2002: Seoul Sisters

1. Hee-Won Han (2001) $6.59M (#20), 6/0
2. Angela Stanford (2001) $6.52M (#21), 4/0
3. Jeong Jang (2000) $6.44M (#22), 2/1
4. Grace Park (2000) $5.43M (#35), 6/1
5. Candie Kung (2002) $5.06M (#38), 4/0
6. Natalie Gulbis (2002) $4.32M (#45), 1/0
{7. Gloria Park (2000) $3.28M (#64), 2/0}

With Jang taking the year off (marriage and pregnancy) and Han only playing so-so golf as a relatively new mom, herself, it looks like Stanford is on track to become the top player of this generation.  The "other Park" is on the KLPGA in 2011.

2003-2005: The Ochoa Generation

[1. Lorena Ochoa (2003) $14.86M (#3), 27/2]
2. Paula Creamer (2005) $8.78M (#9), 9/1
3. Suzann Pettersen (2003) $8.19M (#13), 8/1
4. Brittany Lincicome (2005) $4.43M (#42), 5/1
5. Christina Kim (2003) $4.06M (#48), 2/0
6. Meena Lee (2005) $3.51M (#57), 2/0
7. Stacy Prammanasudh (2003) $3.32M (#60), 2/0
8. Katherine Hull (2004) $3.00M (#70), 2/0
9. Shi Hyun Ahn (2004) $2.65M (#82), 1*/0
{10. Young Kim (2003) $2.36M (#92), 1/0}
11. Lindsey Wright (2004) $2.22M (#100), 0/0
12. Jimin Kang (2003) $2.11M (#104), 2/0

With Lorena looking less and less likely to ever come back to the LPGA, the only real question is how close Creamer and Pettersen can come to matching her career. The race between the 3 mid-level Americans and between the 2 Australians and 3 Koreans below them will be of interest, as well, but Young Kim will need to rejoin the LPGA to participate in it. She's finished her 2nd season in a row on the JLPGA and seems to be liking it, so I don't expect her to return to the LPGA anytime soon.

2006-2008: The Tseng Dynasty

1. Ya Ni Tseng (2008) $7.54M (#15), 12/5
2. Ai Miyazato (2006) $5.71M (#31), 7/0
3. Na Yeon Choi (2008) $5.67M (#32), 5/0
4. In-Kyung Kim (2007) $4.56M (#40), 3/0
5. Morgan Pressel (2006) $4.39M (#44), 2/1
6. Seon Hwa Lee (2006) $4.01M (#49), 4/0
7. Song-Hee Kim (2007) $3.65M (#54), 0/0
8. Jee Young Lee (2006) $3.31M (#62), 1*/0
9. Brittany Lang (2006) $3.12M (#67), 0/0
10. Inbee Park (2007) $2.99M (#72), 1/1
11. Sun Young Yoo (2006) $2.80M (#76), 1/0
12. Eun-Hee Ji (2007) $2.45M (#87), 2/1
13. Julieta Granada (2006) $2.40M (#90), 1/0
14. Hee Young Park (2008) $2.32M (#96), 1/0
[15. Angela Park (2007) $2.12M (#103), 0/0]
16. Amy Yang (2008) $2.04M (#108), 0/0
17. Kristy McPherson (2007) $1.88M (#117), 0/0
18. Ji Young Oh (2007) $1.49M (#131), 2/0
19. Momoko Ueda (2008) $1.40M (#141), 2*/0
20. Kyeong Bae (2006) $1.40M (#142), 0/0
21. Shanshan Feng (2008) $1.24M (#160), 0/0
22. Sandra Gal (2008) $1.21M (#163), 1/0
23. Meaghan Francella (2006) $1.16M (#169), 1/0
{24. Teresa Lu (2006) $1.13M (#173), 0/0}
25. Jane Park (2007) $1.01M (#191), 0/0
26. Katie Futcher (2006) $1.00M (#192), 0/0

Time to retire the Young Guns moniker for this generation; not only have they come of age, but Tseng has imprinted her name on it!

2009-2011: New Blood

1. Ji-Yai Shin (2009) $4.31M (#46), 8**/1*
2. Michelle Wie (2009) $2.43M (#89), 2/0
3. Stacy Lewis (2009) $2.22M (#99), 1/1
4. Anna Nordqvist (2009) $1.90M (#115), 2/1
5. Mika Miyazato (2009) $1.49M (#133), 0/0
6. Azahara Munoz (2010) $.92M (#205), 0/0
7. Vicky Hurst (2009) $.92M (#208), 0/0
8. M.J. Hur (2009) $.90M (#213), 1/0
9. Hee Kyung Seo (2011) $.73M (#238), 1*/0
10. Chella Choi (2009) $.53M (#274), 0/0
11. Beatriz Recari (2010) $.49M (#288), 1/0
12. Gwladys Nocera (2010) $.48M (#290), 0/0
13. Mindy Kim (2009) $.42M ($301), 0/0
14. Amanda Blumenherst (2010) $.42M (#302), 0/0
15. Haeji Kang (2009) $.39M (#310), 0/0
16. Mina Harigae (2010) $.27M (#364), 0/0
17. Tiffany Joh (2011) $.24M (#383), 0/0
18. Ryann O'Toole (2011) $.19M (#410), 0/0
19. Mariajo Uribe (2010) $.17M (#429), 0/0
20. Christel Boeljon (2011) $.17M (#430), 0/0
21. Pornanong Phatlum (2009) $.17M (#436), 0/0
22. Jenny Shin (2011) $.16M (#441), 0/0
{23. Shiho Oyama (2009) $.14M (#459), 0/0}
24. Dewi Claire Schreefel (2010) $.14M (#466), 0/0
25. Cindy LaCrosse (2010) $.14M (#469), 0/0
26. Jennifer Johnson (2011) $.13M (#474), 0/0
27. Alison Walshe (2010) $.13M (#476), 0/0
28. Caroline Hedwall (2011) $.13M (#477), 0/0
29. Ilhee Lee (2010), $.12M (#484), 0/0
30. Maria Hernandez (2010) $.11M (#502), 0/0
31. Belen Mozo (2011) $.10M (#505), 0/0
32. Gerina Piller (2010) $.10M (#510), 0/0

Obviously with this generation, it's really too soon to tell who's going to have a great LPGA career. I'm erring on the side of inclusiveness by putting everuone over $100K in career winnings in this generation on this list.  As we get further into their careers, I'll slowly start raising the bar, until by 2014 they'll need to have broken the $1M barrier to stay on the list.  I'd be very impressed if as many of them did it as in the previous generation!

2012-2014: Generation Prodigy

To be determined!

Initial Thoughts on the LPGA's Class of 2012

LPGA.com has a (sometimes-badly-transcribed) list of the 33 members of the LPGA Class of 2012, the 1st members of what I'm calling for now the tour's "Prodigy" generation.  Here are some quick thoughts on how I'd categorize their short- and medium-term potential, irrespective of their place on next season's priority status list.

Potential Game-Changer

Lexi Thompson

This is a new category for me, comprising players who could step up in their rookie year and not only immediately join the tour's super-elite, but also bring new buzz to the LPGA because of the historic nature of their achievements.  Looking over my overviews of the rookie classes of 2006 through 2011, and particularly my pre-season prediction posts before their rookie years began, I'd say that only Ai Miyazato and Ji-Yai Shin came onto the LPGA with expectations as sky-high as those for Lexi Thompson, and only Michelle Wie brought as much buzz from the American golfy media as she has.  Even though Lexi's record before joining the LPGA is not nearly as impressive as Miyazato's and Shin's--both had more than proven themselves on their original home tours, the JLPGA and KLPGA, respectively, and Shin had 3 LPGA wins, including a major, before her rookie year actually began--still, given that Lexi's an awesomely-talented American teenager who earned her way onto the tour with an impressive win at the Navistar Classic, and given that she may yet avoid the growing pains and backlash that Wie has endured, there's a good chance that she may even live up to the hype surrounding her in 2012.  Like maybe 20%.  That's optimistic for me.  Of the 3 players in this category before Lexi, only Shin lived up to the hype in her rookie season.

Star Quality

So Yeon Ryu
Junthima Gulyanamitta
Sydnee Michaels
Carlota Ciganda
Danielle Kang

This is my usual top category, the place I put Jennifer Song and Hee Kyung Seo last year, Amanda Blumenherst, Azahara Munoz, and Pernilla Lindberg the year before, Stacy Lewis, Shiho Oyama, and Vicky Hurst in 2009, and Momoko Ueda, Hee Young Park, Ya Ni Tseng, and Na Yeon Choi in 2008.  If I had been doing that sort of thing for the Class of 2007 back when I 1st started LPGA blogging, I'd like to think I would have identified Song-Hee Kim, Eun-Hee Ji, and Jane Park, and maybe In-Kyung Kim and Inbee Park, while for the Class of 2006, I would hope I'd have put Morgan Pressel and Brittany Lang and maybe even Seon Hwa Lee in it.  In other words, it's where I put my top prospects from other tours (including the Futures Tour) and from the NCAA.

Scary-Good Kids

Victoria Tanco
Stephanie Kono
Sandra Changkija
Mitsuki Katahira
Hannah Yun
Jane Rah
Cydney Clanton
Maude-Aimee Leblanc
Lizette Salas

This is the category in which I place super-talented young golfers whom I think may take a little bit of time to rise to the level of LPGA competition but who nevertheless have great shots at earning their 2013 cards via the top 80 of the 2012 money list.  It may not happen for all of them--Jessica Korda from 2011, Pernilla Lindberg from 2010, Mindy Kim from 2009, Amy Yang from 2008,  and Song-Hee Kim and Jane Park from 2007 are probably the most prominent recent examples of hot young things who struggled in their rookie seasons--but it should happen for more than half of them.  And any of them could contend for top honors in their class in the long run.

Raised Expectations Elsewhere

Kathleen Ekey
Rebecca Lee-Bentham
Patcharajutar Kongkraphan
Thidapa Suwannapura
Jacqui Concolino

This is the category in which I place Futures Tour standouts whom I can't justify placing in a higher category, along with players who did really well on other developmental tours, at Q-School, or both.  It's hard to tell whether they just peaked at the right time or whether they'll build in 2012 on their earlier successes.  But they each have a decent shot of making the top 100 on the LPGA money list and avoiding Q-School in 2012.  And some may surprise on the upside.  If enough of them turn out to be good enough to keep on keeping their LPGA cards over the next 5 years, this may end up being the deepest class in recent tour history.

Something of a Surprise

Valentine Derrey
Tzu-Chi Lin
Hanna Kang
Mo Martin
Elisa Serramia
Veronica Felibert
Juliana Murcia Ortiz
Karlin Beck
Min Seo Kwak
Mi Hyang Lee
Kirby Dreher
Katy Harris
Lacey Agnew

These are the players who, frankly speaking, I didn't expect to be in this rookie class.  I hate to say it, but odds are most of them will have to prove themselves in next year's Q-School all over again.  I hope they prove me wrong!

2011 Surprises and Disappointments, "Part 3"

It has been nearly four months, and eleven tournaments, since I last took a look at the most pleasant surprises and biggest disappointments of the 2011 LPGA season. Many changes have occurred since then. Azahara Munoz and Hee Young Park were on my disappointment list back then, but strong late-season play certainly turned their seasons around. I am going to limit this to six players in each category, though I know that I could have added more.

Let's take a look: (based only on LPGA play):

Biggest Surprises:

1- Sandra Gal - This was a tough decision for me. I picked Sandra because out of all the pleasant surprises, this was the one I thought was most unexpected. Who can forget her 9 Iron shot on the 72nd hole, which led to a birdie and a Kia Classic Victory? She also had 4 other top-10 finishes. Last year she finished 67th on the money list; this year she finished 20th.

2- Stacy Lewis - What a year Stacy had. She finished 2nd in the Rolex Player of the Year Ranking. Why don't I have her number one? Only because I always knew she would become an elite player. I just didn't expect this big a jump this year. Stacy's 12 top tens were only exceeded by Yani Tseng's 14. Last year she was number 21 on the money list; this year she was number 4.

3- Ryann O'Toole - A priority list Category 20 rookie, you would think she would never have had a chance. Ryann fooled us all by making the most of her few early opportunities. Her strong year started when she went out and successfully qualified for the U.S. Open. She turned all our heads when she finished 9th. She would later have a top-5 finish at the Safeway Classic, which led to her getting picked for the U.S. Solheim Cup Team. She did them solid, with a 2-0-2 record.

4- Tiffany Joh - A priority list Category 16 rookie, she came into the season with a bit more expectations then Ryann. Without a doubt, the funniest girl on the tour. If you haven't heard her sing, you must go to You Tube and check out her videos. She isn't a bad golfer, either. Her 2nd-place finish to Lexi Thompson at the Navistar Classic was the highlight of her season. Finishing #41 on the money list, she is a future star.

5- Katie Futcher - Katie spent most of her first 5 seasons struggling to maintain her full-time status. That certainly was not the case this year. She finished in the top 15 in 3 of the 4 major championships. Jumping from #63 to #30 on the money list, she earned this spot.

6- So Yeon Ryu - I said this was based exclusively on LPGA results. I didn't say it couldn't include a non-LPGA player. She gets on here for one reason, and one reason alone:  she won the United States Open. Assuming she decides to play on the LPGA tour next season, she may very well become an elite player on tour very quickly.

Honorable mentions - Karen Stupples, Catriona Matthew, and Caroline Hedwall.

Biggest Disappointments:

1- Song-Hee Kim - I wish all my decisions were this easy. Was she the worst player on tour? No, she wasn't, but she sure was the most disappointing. Last year she was ranked eighth on the Rolex Player of the Year Rankings. This year she finished 35th. Last year she led the tour with 15 top ten finishes (that is one more than Yani had this year); this year she had two. I could go on, but you get the picture.

2- Jee Young Lee - Last year she was number 19 on the money list, this year she finished 116th. She only made 5 of 15 cuts. Her best finish was tied for 33rd at the Sybase Championship, and that was for getting eliminated in the first round.

3- Gwladys Nocera - Always a solid player, it is hard to explain her missing 8 of 15 cuts. She was number 37 on last year's money list. This year she fell to number 86.

4- Christina Kim - She was just a shell of herself in 2011. Did not have a single top-ten finish. She fell from number 26 on last year's money list to number 58.

5- Vicky Hurst - One of the biggest hitters on the tour, she has yet to live up to her expectations. She was a captain's pick for the Solheim Team, but I am not sure why. Playing in 22 tournaments, she had just one top-10 finish. Last year she raised some hopes by finishing number 28 on the money list. This year she has certainly lowered my expectations by finishing number 45.

6- Seon Hwa Lee - She never got on track this year. Missing 7 cuts, she dropped from number 42 to number 71 on the money list.

Dishonorable mentions - Laura Davies, Birdie Kim, and Na On Min.


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