Bell Micro LPGA Classic Preview

The ladies return to Mobile, Alabama this week for the Bell Micro LPGA Classic.  Although many Tour events have been contested at Magnolia Grove, this is only the second time around for the Bell Micro.  It was originally planned for last October but course remodeling delays pushed it back.  Angela Stanford won the inaugural event in September 2008, holding off Shanshan Feng by one stroke.

Magnolia Grove has generally yielded great scoring, although the last event's number was elevated because of high winds from Hurricane Ike (another good reason to move this event to spring along with splitting the two Alabama tournaments).  Weather across the South this week looks great so I expect low numbers - this despite the course modifications which include nearly 300 extra yards.

Our first event without Lorena Ochoa will also be missing Paula Creamer, Catriona Matthew, Seon Hwa Lee, Lindsey Wright and Helen Alfredsson but the remainder of my current Top 40 will be in action.  Inbee Park, who has been playing very well in Japan, returns along with new Rolex #1 Jiyai Shin, Cristie Kerr and Yani Tseng (all of whom passed on Tres Marias).  Morgan Pressel has also jetted back to the States after winning the first JLPGA major of the year, beating Tseng, Ai Miyazato and a slew of that tour's best in the process.  The Bell Micro field ranks as a strong one, the best that either Alabama event has had over the last three seasons.  This is the next-to-last full-field event before the first Priority Shuffle of 2010.  With the field's cutoff point coming a little lower than usual (after #164), this is an important week for those players in the 150-160 range - gotta make the cut, girls!

In my nearly four years of blogging and prognosticating, I've picked no one to win or finish in the Top 10 more often than the recently retired star from Mexico.  Without my old reliables Ochoa and the injured Creamer, my chances of picking winners (which were already floundering) appear bleak indeed.  My Pakpicker results through five events have been laughable, so there's no where to go but up.