subject: Give an Eye to PGA Tour----2010 [print this page] Author: Tinny Author: Tinny
Where does Tiger Woods saga go? What will be the PGA Tour in the upcoming season? Amanda Blumenherst Let me suggest that 2010 would be the perfect year to start following the LPGA Tour. I know, the LPGA has been struggling itself lately. It has lost more than a few tournaments from its schedule over the past couple of seasons, and the dearth of American winners in 2009 has made it difficult for some fans to stay interested in the women's pro game here in the U.S. However, brighter times are ahead for the LPGA and I predict some exciting performances in 2010 from a bunch of new young players that you will love to follow week in and week out. Mina Harigae I had the chance to attend the LPGA Q School tournament earlier this month in Daytona Beach (I even caddied for one of the players) and can tell you that Amanda Blumenherst is definitely one new rookie who merits notice. Blumenherst won the five-day Q School event with a solid 9-under-par performance. She is the "real deal," and I would be surprised if she does not win on the LPGA Tour next year. Blumenherst has done what many current LPGA stars have not done. She spent a full four years in college, graduating with honors from Duke where she was an All-American and a three-time NCAA Player of the Year. She is also a past U.S. Women's Amateur champion. Watching her play and handle herself with reporters after her Q School victory it was apparent she has the mental maturity to go along with the physical talent necessary to compete at the highest level in women's professional golf. The Scottsdale, Ariz., native is also as nice and friendly a person as you will find on a golf course. Spectators at events and viewers on TV will thoroughly enjoy watching her play. American golf fans should prepare themselves for some exciting and hard-fought battles in 2010 between Blumenherst and Michelle Wie. With her first LPGA victory this fall, Wie has finally "come into her own" as a professional golfer and will most likely be near or at the top of the leaderboard in many LPGA events in the upcoming season. Wie's victory came none too soon for the tour, which is hoping to capitalize on her popularity among golf fans. A rivalry between Blumenherst and Wie would be wonderful for the LPGA. Wie is already a household name, while Blumenherst is well-known to those following women's golf, but she could take on superstar status and become another household name if she plays up to her capabilities. There are several other youngsters coming out of Q School and the Duramed Futures Tour who could also make their marks on the LPGA in 2010. In fact, the talent level on the tour has probably never been higher. Some other LPGA rookies to keep your eye on in 2010: Mina Harigae from Monterey, Calif., Jean Reynolds from Newnan, Ga., and Misun Cho from South Korea. They earned their LPGA cards by finishing in the top three on the season money list on the Futures Tour, with each notching multiple victories in 2009. Reynolds came into the national spotlight last summer when she contended for the victory at the U.S. Women's Open. Among the other new LPGA rookies who earned their cards at Q School this month and could contend in 2010 are: Mariajo Uribe, Colombia
