2010 ROY Frontrunners

Here are my mini-profiles of the top 2 tiers among those I've just divided the LPGA's rookie class of 2010 into over at Mostly Harmless:

Simply the Best
[high priority status, fantastic records]

Amanda Blumenherst: The medalist at LPGA Q-School may well have been the NCCA Player of the Decade, when you look closely at Ryan Herrington's nominees. Although she didn't rock the Futures Tour in the 6 events that she entered last season (finishing 30th on their money list), she played solidly in the LPGA events she got into via sponsor exemptions, even coming off a relatively down year at Duke in her senior season. She's 1 of many rookies this year that have me thinking that recent NCAA grads may make a much bigger splash on the LPGA than most of their recent predecessors did early in their careers.
Azahara Munoz: Also making Herrington's All-Decade list, this Arizona State grad already has an LET win under her belt and finished T5 at LPGA Q-School, so she'll be 1 of many players dividing her time between 2 tours in 2010. Given how many gaps there are in the LPGA's schedule, she could actually have an advantage on Blumenherst if she stays sharp and builds up momentum on the LET. She has a great chance to outdo Anna Nordqvist and win ROY on both tours this coming season.
Pernilla Lindberg: Even with big let-downs at LPGA and LET Q-Schools, where she finished T16 and T23, respectively, she's already a step ahead of where fellow Annika protege Anna Nordqvist was heading into her rookie season. Another legitimate threat for a double ROY, she played 10 events on the Futures Tour in 2009, finishing 11th on the money list and garnering the lowest scoring average on tour.

The Contenders
[high priority status, very good records]

Marianne Skarpnord: A 2-time winner on the LET, she was 1 of only 4 players to break the 200K-Euro barrier on their money list in 2009. And she followed it up with a T2 at LPGA Q-School. Looks like she made a quantum leap in 2008 and hasn't looked back; I wonder if, like fellow Norwegian Suzann Pettersen, she had to fight through some early injury problems?
Gwladys Nocera: A legitimate LET superstar, she broke 70 3 times in LPGA Q-School, including twice on the last marathon day, to secure T16. She hasn't often played her best off the LET, but strong performances at the Solheim Cup and during the LET's Asian swing suggests she may have reached a new level.
Mina Harigae: Yes, I know she rocked the Futures Tour, winning 3 events, finishing 1st on their money list, and declining her battlefield promotion to rest and prepare for the 2010 LPGA season. But her stats were not nearly as impressive as Vicky Hurst's were in 2008 and I think it's harder for precision players to make the transition to LPGA competition as opposed to a bomber like Hurst--plus, Harigae didn't even make the top 15 in driving accuracy or greens in regulation in '09, so it's not like she was even an exceptional precision player on the FT. Hence, while only Pernilla Lindberg had a lower scoring average than she did in FT play, I'm not expecting her to be a serious factor in the ROY race--but I'm open to being pleasantly surprised. If she improves her ballstriking in the offseason and putts like she did in '09 on the FT (despite hitting greens at a rate below 69.5%, she made birdies at a rate of 3.30 per round), she could surprise on the upside.
Maria Hernandez: The 2009 NCAA Player of the Year in women's golf had a little bit of a struggle adjusting to competition on the Futures Tour, finishing 85th on their money list in only 6 events, but she roared back at the end of the year, finishing T5 at the LPGA's Q-School and T8 at the LET's.
Mariajo Uribe: Yet another Spanish-speaker with dual LPGA-LET membership, this Colombian superstar finished T12 at LPGA Q-School and 3rd at the LET's. Plus she's a friend and former UCLA teammate of Tiffany Joh's, so I'll be rooting for her in 2010.
Beatriz Recari: She won on the LET in August and finished 22nd on their money list, making 2009 the best season of her 4 as a professional. Her stats weren't quite as impressive as Skarpnord's, but there's nothing like experience.