When the LPGA Big Apple Classic ends Sunday, many of the players will be heading to Europe where the tour's next two tournaments will be played.
Suzy Whaley will only have a 90-minute drive to the tournament of her lifetime, the Greater Hartford Open.
The 36-year-old club pro from Avon, Connecticut, qualified for the PGA Tour event last September, and she will be using the Big Apple Classic, which starts today at Wykagyl Country Club, as a final tuneup.
"This week is about playing the best competitive golf I can against the best female golfers in the world, and next week I'll take on the challenge of the best men in the world," Whaley said Wednesday.
The mother of two young daughters hasn't had many opportunities against LPGA players. This is her fourth tournament of the year on the tour, and she has missed two cuts and tied for 50th at the Giant Eagle Classic last month.
Still, Whaley, who is playing here on a sponsor's exemption, exudes confidence as her date with the men approaches.
"I played in a Futures event last week and had the lowest nine of my career, a 30. This is the best my game has been since last September," she said. "For me, this week is all about remaining composed on each shot, staying in my preshot routine. I'm really working hard this week on my concentration.''
When Annika Sorenstam played in the Colonial on the PGA Tour in May, she didn't have much to fall back on as she was the first woman to play in a PGA event in 58 years. Whaley joins that exclusive club about 58 days after Sorenstam missed the cut.
"What I would take the most from her experience is how she handled herself. She looked calm. She didn't look rushed," said Whaley, who played on the tour for two years in the early 1990s. "I can learn a lot from her demeanor, her charisma. She looked like she was enjoying herself and I hope to do the same."
The LPGA field Whaley faces this week isn't star-studded because of many players are getting ready for the Evian Masters in France next week and then the Women's British Open, the last of the tour's four majors.
Sorenstam, a two-time champion here and the tour's leading money-winner, is skipping this week. Three of the top 10 players on the earnings list are in the field: Grace Park (2nd), Angela Stanford (8th) and Rachel Teske (10th).
Beth Daniel, No. 11 on the money list and fresh off last week's historic win at the Canadian Women's Open, is second to Whaley in drawing pre-tournament attention.
Daniel's victory in Vancouver, British Columbia, was her first on tour in eight years and it made her the oldest LPGA champion ever. Daniel, 46, won the Big Apple in 1994, one of 33 victories in her Hall of Fame career.
Last year's Big Apple was a special win for Gloria Park. She beat fellow South Korea native Hee-Won Han on the first playoff hole for her second career win. This year has been a struggle for the 23-year-old. Her best finish was a tie for 14th and she has missed the cut the last three weeks.
"Last year, I didn't want to come to this tournament and then I won," she said. "I changed my caddie earlier this year and since then I have lost my confidence. I feel because I won last year, I feel more confident and hopefully I'll play a little better this week."
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care