The LPGA returns to the continental United States (and our domestic TV schedules) this week to play the seventh edition of the Michelob Ultra Open.  Kingsmill's River Course along the James River has hosted this tournament every year of its existence and this time is no exception.  Annika Sorenstam won her 72^nd and final career victory here last year, winning by seven shots just two days prior to her announcement that she would step away from competitive golf at the end of 2008.

Despite its reputation as one of the more difficult courses on Tour, Kingsmill hasn't really bared its teeth at the players since 2005.  The averages of '06 and '07 listed above are about normal for a par-71 layout and last year's 71.55 was an event record by almost three-quarters of a stroke.  Sorenstam's winning score of -19 broke the previous tournament record by five shots.  The unsettled weather moving up the East Coast this week might take us back to the 73-73.5 averages we saw in the early editions of this event.  For some reason, the tournament page at LPGA.com isn't listing the par or course yardage as yet - the numbers above are last year's - but the downloadable River Course scorecard shows par still at 71.

As one of the highest-dollar events on Tour (only three events this year have a larger purse - U.S. Open, Evian and Canadian), the Michelob always draws a strong field.  One marquee player is missing however - Paula Creamer chose to play at the Salonpas Cup, one of the JLPGA's majors.  Jeong Jang is still recovering from wrist surgery but Karen Stupples returns from her emergency appendectomy following the event in Phoenix.  38 of my current Top 40 players will be teeing it up on Thursday.

I finally broke through at Corona with my first winning pick of 2009 (Thank you Lorena!).  At first glance, predicting Michelob doesn't look easy.  Not that predicting is ever easy...  Of the returning players who finished in the Top 10 in last year's event, only Christina Kim and Katherine Hull come in with good recent results and the ones who are playing well didn't crack last year's Top 15.  Here are the Twelve: