CN Canadian Women's Open preview
Canadian golf fans will get a rare chance to see the world's best players in their own backyard when the CN Canadian Women's Open tees off Thursday in Calgary.
Last Updated: Monday, August 31, 2009 | 3:41 PM ET
By Jesse Campigotto, CBC Sports
Lorena Ochoa, left, and Michelle Wie are two of the major stars who'll vie for the Canadian Open title in Calgary. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)Canadian golf fans will get a rare chance to see the world's best players in their own backyard when the CN Canadian Women's Open tees off Thursday in Calgary.
In contrast to the men's Canadian Open — annually plagued by weak fields due to a lack of prestige and a disadvantageous spot on the calendar (right after the British Open) — this year's women's tournament will feature each of the top 50 golfers on the LPGA Tour money list and the top 20 in the world rankings.
Whereas the men's Open is usually defined by who's missing (Tiger, Phil, Padraig, etc.), the galleries at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club will be treated to the likes of world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa, money leader Cristie Kerr, and popular pros Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Se Ri Pak, Natalie Gulbis and Michelle Wie.
"This is as good a field, as good a golf course and as good an event that you'll come across anywhere that the LPGA plays," says television analyst Judy Rankin, a two-time LPGA player of the year in the 1970s who will join host Ron MacLean and course reporters Gail Graham, Dawn Coe-Jones and Steve Armitage on the CBC Sports broadcast team at Priddis Greens.
CBC Sports coverage
CBC Sports presents live coverage of all four rounds.
CBC Television will have the third round on Saturday, Sept. 5 (2 p.m. ET) and the final round on Sunday, Sept. 6 (3 p.m. ET). The two opening rounds can be seen on CBC Bold on Thursday, Sept. 3 (5 p.m. ET) and Friday, Sept. 4 (5 p.m. ET).
Watch all four rounds live and on-demand at CBCSports.ca.
Get ready for the action by revisiting CBCSports.ca's online chat with tournament director Sean Van Kesteren.
The CN Canadian Women's Open has long been an anticipated date on the LPGA calendar, dating back at least to the tournament's run as a major championship from 1979-2000, when sponsorship money from tobacco companies made for generous purses.
Players are raring to go this year after a recession-related cut in the number of tour events created holes in the schedule. Many golfers didn't play between the Women's British Open at the end of July and last weekend's event near Portland, Ore.
"The LPGA schedule has not given a lot of people a lot of opportunities this summer," Rankin says. "The schedule has been weak."
The advantage this week could go to the golfers who played in the Aug. 21-23 Solheim Cup. With its high-pressure atmosphere, the women's version of the Ryder Cup supplied a shot in the arm to both the winning American team and its European opponents.
"The matches were so good and it was such a scene that I think any of the players who played the Solheim Cup are in a good position to [contend at the Canadian Open]," says Rankin.
Here's a look at who to watch in Calgary.
The favourites
Rankin taps two players as a cut above the rest: Ochoa and Catriona Matthew.
The latter has made just three starts in a season interrupted by her giving birth in the spring. But just 11 weeks after welcoming her second daughter, the Scot won her first major, taking the British Open on the links of Lytham in early August.
"Not only did [Matthew] win at Lytham, she played really well at the Solheim Cup," Rankin says. "She's the kind of player that it's really hard for her to play poorly. She doesn't always go real low, but she never goes real high. She's just an extremely consistent player.
"If she happens to get a week where she makes putts, she's a contender."
Ochoa carries the world's No. 1 ranking, but her play has dipped this year. After winning seven times in 22 starts in 2008 — including a major title — the 27-year-old Mexican has just two victories in 12 starts this season. She's finished in the top 10 on five occasions, compared with 17 in 2008.
Ochoa's performance in this year's majors was especially disappointing as she failed to crack the top 11 in any of the four events. And she hasn't won a tournament of any kind in four months.
"I think Lorena is trying to find her game from early this year when she won," Rankin says. "She's really had a most unusual season if you compare it to any of the last three or four.
"But you always have to watch Lorena."
The defending champ
Katherine Hull earned her first career win at last year's CN Canadian Women's Open in Ottawa. The Aussie is still searching for her second, but she's having a decent season with a pair of top 10s in 10 events.
"She hasn't played poorly, but she hasn't played nearly as well as she played in the last half of last year," Rankin says. "She's a bit of an unknown."
The Canadians
The state of Canadian women's golf, at least at the professional level, isn't good. Hamilton's Alena Sharp, the top-ranked Canuck, sits way down at No. 120 in the world. Lorie Kane, who's next at No. 227, has a pair of top-six finishes in the national championship under her belt, but the Charlottetown native's best days appear to be behind her.
"I think her problems are as much in her head as in her game," says Rankin. "She needs that one good week to build her confidence again."
Pros A.J. Eathorne of Penticton, B.C., Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., Ashley Sholer of Hamilton, and Kira Meixner of Richmond, B.C. are also entered, along with amateurs Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont., Nicole Vandermade of Brantford, Ont., Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que.
What about Michelle?
Wie, the erstwhile prodigy who made headlines earlier this decade for playing a handful of PGA events before she'd established herself on the women's tour, still hasn't realized her almost limitless potential. Now in her last year as a teenager, the statuesque Hawaiian is still searching for her first pro victory.
But that could happen sooner than later. After a pair of poor seasons Wie has regained her stroke in 2009, posting six top-10s in 14 starts — including a fourth-place tie in Portland — and pocketing more than half a million dollars in prize money. Plus, she was arguably the MVP of the U.S. team at the Solheim Cup, going 3-0-1.
And that swing...
"It's much like I say about Tiger Woods," Rankin says. "If you're in the area and you ever get a chance to watch Michelle strike a golf ball, it's something you should see."
