2012 Sybase Golf Match Play Championship a battle for Munoz, Kung and Pressel

Gladstone, NJ (MAY 20, 2012) – Azahara Munoz won the 2012 Sybase Match Play Championship after defeating Candie Kung 2&1 in a back-and-forth match in the final round at Hamilton Farm Golf Club.

 

“We congratulate Azahara Munoz on her outstanding play over six exhilarating matches,” said John Chen, Chairman, CEO and President of Sybase. “It’s great that she becomes a Rolex First-Time Winner at our tournament, a memory both Aza and Sybase will cherish. We would also like to recognize Candie Kung for advancing to the finals by eliminating some of the top competitors in the field. We love the excitement the Sybase Match Play Championship brings to the LPGA Tour, and this was a beautiful week for great golf.”

 

 

With the victory, the 24-year-old Spaniard becomes a Rolex First Time Winner on the LPGA Tour and adds $375,000 to her career earnings. After turning professional in September 2009, Munoz became the first Spaniard to win the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year in 2010, and finished in the top-10 three times in 2011. Munoz is also a member of the Spanish National Team.

 

“The golf course is unbelievable and the maintenance guys have done an amazing job,” said 19th-seeded Munoz. “The weather’s been perfect, the crowd is amazing here, and everything about Hamilton Farm is great – the food, the volunteers, so we all love coming here.”

 

Over the four-day tournament, Munoz faced a tough road to the finals, taking down Lindsey Wright (4&3), Hall of Famer Karrie Webb (2&1), Jodi Ewart (3&1) and Stacy Lewis (5&4). In the semifinals, Munoz defeated good friend Morgan Pressel (2&1).

 

It wasn't an easy day for Munoz who mentioned, "it's been ‑‑ you know, none of us play our best, but we didn't make many mistakes.  I feel at the end hole, 16 was kind of weird.  She got really unlucky on the ball bounce way left, so I got a good break there.  But other than that, I started pretty slow and then made really good birdies on 11, on 13, so that kind of got me going."

 

There were two incidents which cast a pall over the event. The first was a slow-play, loss-of-play ruling against Morgan Pressel. Pressel then turned the tables by calling a violation (unsupported) on Munoz for allegedly touching her putting line with her golf club.

 

All ended politely for the two ladies as Munoz stated, "We are really good friends. I guess what happens on the course stays on the course.”

 

As the 49^th seed, Kung’s route to the finals wasn’t any easier. After facing Catriona Matthew (3&1) in the round of 64, she defeated Haeji Kang (3&2), No. 1 Ranked Yani Tseng (3&1), Julieta Granada (2&1) and Vicky Hurst (2&1) before losing to Munoz in the final. Every player Kung faced was seeded higher than her. For her second place finish, Kung earns $225,000.

 

Morgan Pressel finished third, earning $150,000 by defeating fellow American Vicky Hurst in the consolation match, 2&1. Hurst banked $112,500 for her fourth place finish.

 

Through their finishes, Kung, Pressel and Hurst qualified for the year-ending CME Group Titleholders. Munoz punched her ticket through finishing tied for second at the LPGA LOTTE Championship.

 

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Photo credit: Sina.com

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

Can Morgan Pressel help unite World through golf?

LPGA star Morgan Pressel is traveling to Israel making Aliyah for the first time in her life this week to tour the country and host golf clinics for local children. Pressel will also be leading a roundtable discussion with Israeli and Palestinian youths in hopes of using golf as a medium for teaching valuable life lessons.

 

 

The 2011 LPGA Championship runner-up will take a tour of some of Israel’s most historically-rich places including a private tour of the Western Wall, a visit to Yad Vashem (Israel’s national Holocaust Memorial Museum) and the Dead Sea. Morgan will also be meeting with various Israeli signatories and leaders, including former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

 

With the inclusion of golf at the 2016 Olympics, Morgan plans on leading more trips to Israel, to create additional awareness and support for the game, especially among young children and adults.

 

Perhaps more than just children can benefit from the lessons of the First Tee Program...?

 Recently, Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney pledged to a group of Jewish conservatives that his first trip as Commander in Chief would be to Israel. I wonder if a foursome including Iranian, Syrian, Israeli and USA leaders would improve global diplomatic relations?

 

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and friend on Facebook.

 

Read an interview about how Morgan Pressel prepared for the U.S. Women's Open

 

photo credit: @wmgllc

 

 

 

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

Tiger Woods captures virgin FedEx Cup, Team USA clobbers ROW to retain Solheim Cup, sweep uphill chips and how to acheive a winning attitude

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Tiger Woods took home a bevy of accolades yesterday, the culmination of a yearlong effort to embrace the virgin FedEx Cup and confirm his status as Player of the Year.

In addition to a $1.25 million purse from his win at the Tour Championship, Tiger also hoisted a beautiful crystal trophy (which will have to be either repaired or replaced as a part of it was damaged at the ceremony). But, the moment which placed the gleam in Tiger's eyes and a wide, Cheshire-cat grin on his face was when he caressed the still "never-been-kissed" FedEx Cup. The virgin trophy is now in the hands of the golfer who deserves it the most. As Tiger Woods recounted, "I think once you experience it, you want to have it again. It's like winning a major championship. It feels so good, you want to get another one." Enough said!

We discuss the defense of next year's title in this week's show as well as the inability of PGA Tour golfers to keep up with Woods.

Did the knowledge that they were to receive a FedEx Cup bonus of $2 or $3 million dollars in spite of how they played on Sunday curb the charge of Stricker and Mickelson?

Introducing the subject of frustration, Sunday singles matches at the Solheim Cup proved that Team U.S.A. is once again the dominating partnership, even when on foreign soil. From Morgan Pressel's confident thrashing of Annika Sorenstam right down to the final putt of Nicole Castrale which clinched the Cup, the ladies showed spunk and determination. Although European Team Captain Helen Alfredsson tried to put a good spin on the whole affair, I think she felt that being part of a team was the most important part of the experience.

Alfredsson stated, "They're very tough on their own, and we do enjoy a lot of strength when we are a team because we like to be a team. They are a lot more individual, and I don't have the answer to them, but, in a way I'm happy that we are the strongest team because that makes us be very fun."

If fun were one of the prerequisites to winning the Cup, I'm sure Natalie Gulbis and Paula Creamer would have had a grand old time but I'm also positive the Americans celebrated with the Cup in hand as a group!

As for Team Europe, there isn't much fun and to be had as 100,000 fans come to watch you sweat.

Our golf tips this week feature lessons from both Chuck Evans and David Leadbetter. Evans helps us to develop a winning mindset during a tournament and Leadbetter's instruction on how to sweep uphill chips will save strokes for those of us who play on courses designed for billy goats.

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed:http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

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Does Michelle Wie stand a chance at the U.S. Women's Open, dealing with adversity, proper drop technique and more!

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Lorena Ochoa will be heading into the 2007 U.S. Women's Open exuding confidence after her sudden-death victory at the Wegman's LPGA this past weekend. She has also successfuly knocked Annika Sorenstam off of her perch as the number-one golfer in the Rolex Rankings. Congratulations Lorena!

Michelle Wie will also be in attendance at the Open (since this Golf for Beginners broadcast was produced) but we believe, with less self-assurance than in previous years. Wie has decided to skip the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic due to the length of the course so it is uncertain how she will fare at Pine Needles. Confidence is everything in a match-up where ladies like Ochoa and Kraft Nabisco winner, Morgan Pressel, are tuning up their games seeking the coveted title.

Barry and I offer you our predictions this week as to whom we feel has the right stuff to hoist the trophy.

We also discuss how we fared on our rounds and the lessons we have learned from them. Barry and I played about two holes of twilight golf when darkness appeared and the sky opened up. The following day, both of us played in different groups. My foursome included a guy who tried to teach me the game in the middle of my swing. The game lies in your mental fortitude, folks!

During Barry's round, one playing partner had to take a drop but did so improperly. He could have received a one-stroke penalty had Barry known this Rule of Golf for proper drop technique. You can't be expected to know every rule, so keep a copy of the book in your golf bag.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Pioneer Golf and Florida Golf Travel.

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