Inbee Park
EDMONTON - With the weight of history off her shoulders, LPGA leader Inbee Park says she's ready for a reboot at the CN Canadian Women's Open.
"I feel like I'm a lot more relaxed now. I experienced some big pressure in the British Open," Park told reporters after practice Tuesday at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club.
"I feel really good about this week. I'm hitting the ball great and I'm putting really good.
"I feel like I'm ready, and feel like all the pressure is off. I feel like I'm starting new now."
Two weeks ago, the spotlight was on the 25-year-old South Korean when she teed it up at the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, to try to become the first golfer to win four majors in a row in the same tournament year.
But in Scotland the woman famous for the softest hands on tour was gripping the club just a bit too tightly.
Park finished tied for 42nd, 14 strokes behind the winner, American Stacy Lewis, and admitted later the pressure wore on her.
"That week was big. It could have been great if I could've played a little bit better, but some weeks you don't play at your best," said Park.
"But I had a great experience there, and I think that experience will help me."
The British Open was an anomaly in what has been a season for the ages for Park.
She has won six tournaments and collected US$2,147,629 million in prize money.
She is No. 1 in player of the year points (281), No. 1 in putts per greens in regulation (1.726), and second to Lewis in scoring average (69.793).
Her forte is her putting. Park is known as a greens machine with a surgeon's eye for every nip and tuck of the putting surface.
She said balls on the greens at the Royal Mayfair are rolling true in practice, but said that doesn't mean short strokers won't be in for some cruel days.
"These greens are so quick that downhill putts you can overhit a little bit and it could go 15 feet past (the hole). I have been working a lot on the greens to get the speed right," she said.
She said the tricky winds whipping and twisting through the towering trees lining the holes at the riverside course will also be a factor.
But she the real nemesis will be hallway-narrow fairways fringed by tough roughs of Kentucky bluegrass that swallow up errant tee shots before spitting them back out as double bogeys.
"The fairways are just so narrow that when you're in the rough you can't go for anything here. You definitely have to be able to hit the fairway and attack the greens," she said.
A victory will see Park extend her healthy lead over No. 2 Lewis in the overall Rolex rankings.
THIS WEEK IN GOLF
LPGA TOUR - CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN
COURSE: Royal Mayfair Golf Club (6,403 yards, par 70).
PURSE: $2 million. Winner's share: $300,000.
TELEVISION: Golf Channel (Thursday, 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Friday, 12:30-2:30 a.m.; Saturday, 12:30-2:30 a.m., 4-6 p.m.).
CANADIANS IN THE FIELD: Isabelle Beisiegal, Nicole Forshner, Natalie Gleadall, Augusta James (a), Sara-Maude Juneau, Lorie Kane, Sue Kim, Jennifer Kirby, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Brittany Marchand (a), Samantha Richdale, Alena Sharp, Jessica Shepley, Stephanie Sherlock, Anne Catherine Tanguay (a), Jennifer Ha (a), Brooke Henderson (a), Nicole Vandermade, Jessica Wallace,
NOTES: Lydia Ko won at Vancouver Golf Club to become the LPGA Tour's youngest winner and fifth amateur champion. At 15 years, 4 months, the South Korean-born New Zealander broke the age record of 16 set by Lexi Thompson in the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic. Ko has two other victories in professional events, the New South Wales Open last year and New Zealand Women's Open this year. ... Caroline Hedwall and 17-year-old Charley Hull headline the 12-woman Solheim Cup winning team from Europe who are all in the field this week. ... South Korea's Inbee Park has six victories this year. She won the first three major championships of the season. ... Jocelyne Bourassa is the only Canadian to win an LPGA Tour event in Canada (1973 La Canadienne). ... Lorena Ochoa won the 2007 Canadian Open when it was last played at Royal Mayfair.
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PGA TOUR - THE BARCLAYS (FEDEX CUP PLAYOFFS)
COURSE: Liberty National Golf Club (7,353 yards, par 71).
PURSE: $8 million. Winner's share: $1.44 million.
TELEVISION: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m., 8:30-11:30 p.m.; Saturday, 1-2:30 p.m.; 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.; Sunday, noon-1:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m-12:30 a.m.) and CBS (Saturday, 3-6; Sunday, 2-6 p.m.).
CANADIANS IN THE FIELD: Graham DeLaet, David Hearn
NOTES: Tiger Woods leads the points standings heading into the playoffs. He has five victories this year to push his PGA Tour total to 79, three short of Sam Snead's record. ... The top 100 after this event will be eligible for the Deutsche Bank next week in Norton, Mass. ...DeLaet enters the tournament ranked 34th. He's had five top-10 finishes this year. ...Hearn enters the week 53rd in the points. His best result this year was a playoff loss at the John Deere Classic. ...The links-style course near the Statue of Liberty was recently renovated. Five greens were rebuilt entirely, six were reconstructed and 13 landing areas were altered.
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CHAMPIONS TOUR - BOEING CLASSIC
COURSE: TPC Snoqualmie Ridge (7,183 yards, par 72).
PURSE: $2 million. Winner's share: $300,000.
TELEVISION: Golf Channel (Friday, 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30-4:30 a.m., 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30-4:30 a.m., 7-9:30 p.m.).
CANADIANS IN THE FIELD: Jim Rutledge, Rod Spittle
NOTES: Rod Spittle currently sits 31st on the money list. He needs to get into the top 30 in order to secure his 2014 Tour card. ...Fred Couples of Seattle is in the field. Last year, he withdrew because of back pain after hitting his opening tee shot. ... The tour will be in Canada the next two weeks for the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta, and the Montreal Championship.
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EUROPEAN TOUR - JOHNNIE WALKER CHAMPIONSHIP
COURSE: The Gleneagles Hotel, PGA Centenary Course (7,296 yards, par 72).
PURSE: $2.2 million. Winner's share: $363,430.
TELEVISION: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon; Sunday, 1-2:30 a.m., 8 a.m.-noon; Monday, 1-3 a.m.).
NOTES: American Peter Uihlein is in the field. The 2010 U.S. Amateur champion won the tour's Madeira Islands Open in May. ... The 2014 Ryder Cup will be played on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Centenary Course.
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WEB.COM TOUR - COX CLASSIC
COURSE: Champions Run (7,161 yards, par 71).
PURSE: $800,000. Winner's share: $144,000.
TELEVISION: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 12:30-2:30 a.m.; Saturday, 3-5 p.m.; Sunday, 2-4 p.m.).
CANADIANS IN THE FIELD: Adam Hadwin, Matt Hill, Richard Scott, Roger Sloan
NOTES: This is the final event of the regular season with next week's Hotel Fitness Championship kicking off the first ever Web.com Tour Finals. ...The leading money winner at the end of the weekend will be fully exempt for the 2014 PGA Tour season and receive an invitation to The Players Championship. ...The top 25 on the money list will all be assured of PGA Tour cards as well. ...The top 75 leading money winners will advance to the Finals, where another 25 PGA Tour cards will be up for grabs. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., currently sits 64th while Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., is 89th. ...Any player finishing in the top 100 on the money list is guaranteed a spot on the Web.com Tour next year. Richard Scott of Kingsville, Ont., who had his best finish of the year in Knoxville last week, a ninth, sits at No. 100 . His lead on No. 101, Kyle Reifers, is $200. Matt Hill of Sarnia, Ont., is currently 129th.
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PGA TOUR CANADA - THE GREAT WATERWAY CLASSIC
COURSE: Upper Canada Golf Course (6,926 yards, par 72)
PURSE: $150,000
NOTABLE CANADIANS IN THE FIELD: Stuart Anderson, Albin Choi, Mitch Evanecz, Derek Gillespie, Michael Gligic, Mackenzie Hughes, James Love, Matt McQuillan, Taylor Pendrith, Corey Renfrew, Justin Shin, Nick Taylor, Eugene Wong, Ryan Yip
NOTES: Through the first five events of the season, there have been five different winners. ...Eugene Wong of North Vancouver will attempt to become the first player to successfully defend a title since Brian Kontak at the 1999 Alberta Open. ...Despite a season-best four top-10s, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. finds himself just outside the top five on the Order of Merit. ...The top five finishers on the money list at the end of the season will earn a full exemption on the 2014 Web.com Tour. ...Matt McQuillan of Kingston, Ont., will make his first professional start since last October's Frys.com Open. After posting three top-10s on the PGA Tour in 2011, he struggled in 2012, making just two cuts and losing his full status. ...PGA Tour rookie Brad Fritsch is the Honourary Chairman of the event. Fritsch finished 142nd on the PGA Tour money list in his rookie season and will next tee it up in the four Web.com Tour Finals events to try and regain full status for next year.
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NGA TOUR - EAGLE'S LANDING CLASSIC
COURSE: Eagle's Landing Country Club (6,954 yards, par 72)
CANADIANS IN THE FIELD: Marc-Etienne Bussieres, Will Mitchell, Christopher Ross, Ben Silverman,
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