Safeway Classic - Epilogue

Ai Miyazato has won five of the 15 events played thus far in 2010.  Five victories in one season is quite the milestone - other than Sorenstam and Ochoa (who seemed to win five more years than not), the only others to accomplish the feat in the last eight seasons are Suzann Pettersen (five in 2007) and Karrie Webb (five in 2006).

Miyazato has just now taken over the Rolex #1 spot, the Hound Dog #1 spot, the lead in the Rolex Player of the Year points race and the top position on the LPGA money list.  She leads with just over $1.3 million dollars but there are five other players who have already cracked the million-dollar barrier this year and one more (Song-Hee Kim) knocking on the door.  If it seems odd that the player with five victories isn't head-and-shoulders above the field when no one else has more than two, consider this - none of Ai's wins have been majors, she has only two Top 10s other than the victories, and she has missed two cuts while most of her closest competitors haven't missed any.

A big shout-out goes to Laura Davies, who finished tied for eighth to collect her second Top 10 of the year and keep our hopes alive that she may yet earn those final two Hall of Fame points.  The Big Surprise is shared this week by two other players who tied for eighth - Teresa Lu's first Top 10 since November 2008 and Mina Harigae's first career Top 10 earn the award.  The Big Disappointment belongs to Paula Creamer, who misses the cut so rarely that it is always a disappointment when she does.

Speaking of disappointments, after eight holes on Sunday Vicky Hurst was -5 overall and looking at a likely Top 10 finish.  She played the final ten holes in +7 (back-to-back doubles at 11 and 12 did the most damage) to wind up +2 T45.  Vicky has now gone 13 straight events without a Top 10 and has collected only one Top 20 finish in that span.

I was hoping to give you a Priority Status update but the money list standings are currently a little screwy so I can't give you many specifics.  I do know that Alison Walshe helped her cause greatly at Safeway by finishing T16 (she probably deserves a slice of the Big Surprise if you really wanted to push me on it).  When the official list is released by the Tour, Alison should be somewhere around Position #150 which will gain her entry into most any full-field event she wishes to enter.