Evian Masters Preview

If the LPGA ever needs an event to step up and become a major championship (and these days, who knows?), the Evian Masters would be the perfect choice.  With a purse equaling the U.S. Open's as the richest in women's golf ($3.25 million), an elite limited field and a course set in one of most scenic areas you'd ever want to spend a summer vacation, Evian would be the lead contender for My Favorite Event if you really wanted to press me on the issue.  While it's been an official LPGA event since 2000, they've been holding this tournament at Evian-les-Bains next to Lake Geneva since 1994.  Helen Alfredsson won that inaugural event, won again in 1998, and then won it a third time in a three-hole playoff over Angela Park and Na Yeon Choi last year.

The course is of about average length but the elevation changes on many holes can wreck havoc on club selection.  The last two holes are rather short but particularly confounding at times.  17 is a 117-yard downhill par-3 while 18 is a 457-yard par-5 with a creek crossing in front of an undulating green.  The weather is usually beautiful this time of year and if the greens are holding like they were last year, the elite field can often light things up.

The field was determined by set of qualifications which can be found on the Final Field page at LPGA.com.  These qualifications always ensure that Evian has a very strong (and very international) field and 2009's edition has the highest Field Score of the season.  This is the first event this year where every player in my Top 30 is playing.  We also get the opportunity to see the best players from the Ladies European Tour (this week and next) and maybe get a better idea of what to expect at next month's Solheim Cup.  Thanks to the Rolex qualifier, we'll hopefully get a glance or two at Japanese and Korean Tour members Chie Arimura, Erina Hara, Mi-Jeong Jeon, Ji-Hee Lee, Eun-A Lim and Yuko Mitsuka.

Under normal circumstances, I would pick Lorena Ochoa to win this week.  Although she has never won Evian, Lorena hasn't ever finished worse than fifth here in six career starts.  Unfortunately, Ochoa isn't even in my Hot 20 this week as she has only one Top 10 in her last four starts.  There are three other players whom I believe have a better chance to win.