| World's best face-off at Evian Masters, led by defending champion Gulbis
It took nearly six years on the LPGA Tour before Natalie Gulbis tasted victory. But when she did at the 2007 Evian Masters, how sweet it was. Overcoming a back injury that had hampered her season, Gulbis defeated two-time winner Jeong Jang in a one-hole, sudden-death playoff for the win. As a result, she was awarded $450,000 and punched her ticket to the LPGA's season-ending ADT Championship.
This week's winner will have to overcome a talent-ladened field of 90 players who represent 21 countries. Among LPGA members, 46 have combined for more than 300 victories on Tour, including 46 major championships. The Evian Masters celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2008 and ninth year on the LPGA schedule. Since 2000, seven players have captured the trophy, including Annika Sorenstam holding the notoriety as the only player to win the event multiple times.
While this week's champion remains to be determined, the list is long for contenders, including the four multiple winners that the LPGA has seen this season in Rolex Rankings' number one Lorena Ochoa (six), Sorenstam (three), 2005 champion Paula Creamer (three) and Seon Hwa Lee (two). All four were named the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year for their respective rookie class. Determined to follow in their footsteps, the current leader for 2008 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year honors, Yani Tseng is making her first appearance at the Evian Masters with the experience of five top-10 finishes this season, including a major championship victory at the McDonald's LPGA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola. Meanwhile, fellow rookie Momoko Ueda, of Japan, is serving in her second year as an ambassador for the tournament. Ueda, who competed in the 2007 Evian Masters based on her performance on the LPGA of Japan (JLPGA) won the 2007 Mizuno Classic to earn her 2008 LPGA Tour card. Ueda has notched two top-10 finishes, but her first official victory as a member of the LPGA has eluded her.
The Evian Masters has developed into one of the Tour's premier stops and kicks off back-to-back events in Europe. It is the first of three consecutive Winner Events in the second half of LPGA Playoffs 2008 and just last week announced its purse increase to $3.25 million. The purse total matches the U.S. Women's Open as the highest purse on the 2008 schedule. |