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2009 LPGA Tour Year In Review

Fri 11th, December 2009

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Later, when we look back on the 2009 LPGA Tour season, we will reflect on a year of economic and organizational turmoil that portended a lean near-future for women's golf.

Whether or not the LPGA can bounce back remains to be seen, although a complete rebound in 2010 appears unlikely after the tour released an upcoming schedule with only 24 tournaments on it.

The downsized schedule -- there were 34 official events in 2008 and 27 this year -- reflects the tour's struggles to hang onto sponsors during the economic downturn.

The turmoil resulted in a player uprising that led to the firing of commissioner Carolyn Bivens in July. Acting commissioner Marty Evans will give way to new LPGA head Mike Whan, who will be charged with turning things around in the new year.

Despite changes to the tour's power structure, one thing remained a constant: The LPGA put forth a good product again this year and remained a truly international circuit.

Of course, one player remained on top -- even as the gap between her and the rest of the tour narrowed considerably

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR - Lorena Ochoa and Jiyai Shin

Like the official award handed out by the LPGA Tour, our Player of the Year race came down to the last week of the season.

In the end, it was impossible to pick between two evenly-matched stars.

Lorena Ochoa's second-place finish at the LPGA Tour Championship in November vaulted her past Jiyai Shin on the tour's season-long points list, giving the Mexican star her fourth consecutive Player of the Year award.

But while the LPGA's honor is decided mathematically, ours takes into account other factors. And we've never seen two seasons so close in so many ways.

Shin won more money than Ochoa this season ($1.807 million to $1.489 million) but she also played in three more tournaments. Both players captured three victories, but Ochoa also collected four second-place finishes to Shin's one.

Shin, though, collected three third-place finishes to Ochoa's none. Both players had eight top-fives, but Ochoa bested Shin with 13 top-10s to Shin's 12.

Ochoa won in March, April and then not again until October -- a rare dry spell for the world No. 1 who has dominated the tour over the past four seasons.

Shin's victories came in March, June and September -- a well-balanced season for the 21-year-old from South Korea, who will end the year in her rightful place as the world No. 2 behind Ochoa.

TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR - 'I can't even believe they've done this.'

On one exciting Sunday in late August, the United States won eight out of 12 available points in the singles matches to cruise past Europe and win the Solheim Cup by a 16-12 score.

It marked the third consecutive victory for the Americans and eighth win overall. Europe still has never won on United States soil -- and it was easy to see, as they waved flags and led cheers in the gallery, why the U.S. players are hard to beat on their home turf.

"I can't even believe they've done this," American captain Beth Daniel said after the win.

Perhaps the biggest story of the week was the way Michelle Wie emerged as not only a team favorite, but as a dominant force on the course as well. Wie went 3-0-1 for the week, teaming with Christina Kim and Kerr for doubles victories before knocking off European veteran Helen Alfredsson in singles.

Wie all but carried the American team, earning every ounce of available respect from her teammates and all followers of women's golf.

SHOT OF THE YEAR - 'The best shot of my life.'

During the final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship in April, Brittany Lincicome was the forgotten member of the last threesome. Cristie Kerr and Kristy McPherson did most of the back-and-forth lead-swapping that Sunday.

All three were looking to become the first American woman to win a major championship since Kerr captured the 2007 U.S. Women's Open, and everything came down to the last hole.

Lincicome, with a long drive down the fairway, was the only player in the group with a chance to reach the par-five 18th in two shots. She got there with the shot of a lifetime -- a hybrid that rolled to four feet to set up her only eagle of the tournament.

It gave Lincicome a one-shot victory for her first career major championship and third win overall.

Lincicome didn't need much prompting after the round was over when she said: "That absolutely was the best shot of my life."

Standing on the left side of the 18th fairway and screaming at her ball to "please be good," Lincicome watched as her shot traveled 200 yards to the green, rolled to the back and made a right turn towards the hole.

Closing in on the cup, the shot looked too good to be true. The situation almost was -- a winning eagle on the final hole of a major championship.

"It happened at the perfect time and moment," said Lincicome. "I couldn't have asked for anything more."

The finish echoed a similar scene from 2006, when Karrie Webb chipped in for an eagle at the 18th to force a playoff with Ochoa (who also eagled 18). Kerr won with a birdie on the first extra hole.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - No contest, it was Jiyai Shin.

Each of the reasons listed above arguing for Shin as Player of the Year make her an easy selection as Rookie of the Year.

Although she won three times in 2008, including her first major at the Women's British Open, Shin played the entire season with no status on the LPGA Tour.

So 2009 marked her official rookie campaign, and it came with a money title and three more victories, also earning her the LPGA's official Rookie of the Year award.

GOOD YEAR

Wie not only spearheaded the U.S. win at the Solheim Cup, she also captured her first LPGA Tour victory at Lorena Ochoa's tournament in November. Wie played her first season as a full LPGA member after earning her tour card through Q-school last year.

Cristie Kerr and Ai Miyazato finished second and third on the money list, respectively, in between Shin and Ochoa. Kerr and Miyazato both captured a win and both had 13 top-10 finishes.

Na Yeon Choi was one of only four players --- Shin, Ochoa and Anna Nordqvist were the others -- to win more than once this season. Choi caught fire down the stretch, claiming her two victories in September and November.

Other than Lincicome at the Kraft Nabisco, all the year's majors were won by players born outside the United States: Sweden's Nordqvist at the LPGA Championship, South Korea's Eun Hee Ji at the U.S. Women's Open and Scotland's Catriona Matthew at the Women's British Open.

BAD YEAR

Dorothy Delasin, a four-time LPGA Tour winner, missed the cut in all 16 events she entered this season and lost her playing status. She tried to get it back during Q-school, but shot a dreadful 61-over 349 to miss the cut in last place.