When I read Hound Dog's article on his ranking system, I mostly thought it was very good. However, he designed the system to rank a limited number of players for each year. The idea was to redesign the system to rank all of the players. Starting with the players currently playing, then adding all of the players listed in the mini biographies on the LPGA web site. All official tournament winners were then added. Additional players were then added using the players listed in the career money list. Even more players were added by looking at the Qualifying School Results to find those who qualified to play on the tour. A lot of the data was taken from the LPGA web site. The second source was the Golf Observer web site. Finally, names of players are being  taken from the players shown in individual tournaments on the Golf Observer web site. Currently, the database has data on over 900 players. The biggest problem in developing a comprehensive ranking system is the limited data from 1950 thru 1962. Another smaller problem is the conflicting data between the the two sources.  Also, the Golf Observer web site has some tounaments with two sets of results on the same date. However, the following describes the current ranking system, which must be about Version 5.0. A rating is calculated for each year there is data, an average yearly rating is calculated and a value for the All Time Best List is calculated.

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This is my answer to Hound Dog's greatest 50 LPGA players of all time.  My rating system is loosely based on Hound Dog's. The biggest difference between the systems is the inclusion of the number of active players per year (10 tournaments or more played) as a factor in the calculations in my system. Also, the rating for my system is based on average yearly ratings. My system is modified to calculate a rating for every player for every year that data is available. Currently there are over 900 players in the database. The rating system will change as more data is added and analyzed, which will result in changes to the list. The first column is Hound Dog's list, the second column is my list, the third column is the rating, and the fourth column is the decade the player turned professional. The number of players on the list for each decade is listed.

     1940's   5 players      1950's   6 players     1960's   9 players

      1970's  9 players      1980's 10 players     1990's   8 players

      2000's  3 players

Fourty eight players are on both lists. Just over half the players are ranked within 3 positions on both lists. Lorena Ochoa is 15 positions higher on my list, which is the greatest difference between the two lists.

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Q AND A WITH FRANKIE C

Paula Creamer failed to start today's opening round of the J-Golf Phoenix LPGA International presented by Mirassou Winery.  I have been unable to find an explanation in the traditional media and none of the blogs I regularly frequent has posted anything about her withdrawal either.

Earlier this month, at the HSBC, Paula was ill but that didn't prevent her from competing. 

It there were lots of bloggers credentialed at this event, is there any doubt all available details would be posted?

In honor of the Futures Tour's start this week in Florida, I've put together a preseason top 50 list.  Taking into account LPGA status or NCAA commitments, here are my projected top 30 finishers on the '09 FT money list, with notes on my top 10:

1. Onnarin Sattayabanphot: This member of the LPGA's Class of 2008 will be playing full-time on the FT in 2009. I don't know why I'm so high on her for her to add to her 2007 FT win this season, but I am.
2. Mina Harigae: Having entered this week's event, she probably will be a fixture on the FT this season. Look for her to bounce back from a disappointing college career, but it may take her some time to adjust to professional life.
3. Alison Walshe: Tuned up on the ALPG this winter and had some very good rounds, but could only manage to place 49th on their money list due to playing in only 2 events. Going by her professional record to date, Walshe may find herself struggling to close the deal down the stretch this season like M.J. Hur did last one on the FT, but I'd be shocked if she didn't follow in Hur's footsteps and win high-priority status on the LPGA in '10.
4. Haeji Kang: #230 on the LPGA's priority status list, low among the Category 16 players who just missed the top 20 on the LPGA's Q-School last season, so look for her to rock the FT when she plays, which should be fairly often.
5. Pornanong Phatlum: This 4-time winner on the LAGT has been playing well this winter and practicing hard, so when she doesn't get into LPGA events, expect to see her winning on the FT in '09. Strangely enough, she shows up in neither the alternates list for Mexico nor the field for Florida. I guess that's what happens when you're #319 on the LPGA's priority status list....
6. Song Yi Choi: At the top of the LPGA's Category 17, she's #232 on the priority status list, thanks to her near-miss at a top 5 on the FT last season. I think it's going to be tough for her to avoid the same fate this season, particularly as she's focused on the LPGA so much. (Contrary to her rookie blog, however, she is playing in Florida, not Mexico, this week.)
7. Hannah Jun: The medalist from FT Q-School last season will be playing full-time here this season, so she has a great chance for a top 10.
8. Eunjung Yi: She's the highest-ranked member of the LPGA's Super Sophs on the FT this season, but with Category 15 status on the LPGA and at #152 on the priority status list, she should get into a decent number of events there. Case in point: she's playing in Mexico this week. If she plays as well on the LPGA as I expect her to, she may end up much lower on the FT list than this.
9. Emily Bastel: She's dominated the Futures Tour before, but will find it harder to do it this time around.
10. Sarah Kemp: Like Yi, she has Category 15 status on the LPGA, but will get into fewer events than her due to her #162 placement on the priority status list. Still, as I expect her to do well in those events, she, too, could end up much lower down the FT money list than this.
11. Hannah Yun
12. Liz Janangelo
13. Kristie Smith
14. Sophia Sheridan
15. Jessica Shepley
16. Pernilla Lindberg
18. Gerina Mendoza
19. Briana Vega
20. Sara Brown
21. Kate Golden
22. Nontaya Srisawang
23. Angela Oh
24. Garrett Phillips
25. Chris Brady
26. Jane Chin
27. Jennie Lee
28. Samantha Richdale
29. Jessica Yadloczky
30. Virada Nirapathpongporn

Yes, I know Virada is still recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and that Lindberg, Chin, Lee, and Yadloczky still have to finish out the spring semester--and that Jessica's "winnings" will only be virtual.  And, yes, I'm picking Amanda Blumenherst, Tiffany Joh, Maria Hernandez, Paola Moreno, Natalie Sheary, Lisa Ferrero, Mo Martin, Kim Welch, Sofie Andersson, Caroline Larsson, and many other worthy candidates to finish out of the top 30.  Which gives you all the opening to outdo me!  Looking forward to it....

The last few years real-time scoring at lpga.com has had a feature where one could select up to ten players for an individualized leaderboard.  It's not on this year's version.  That's too bad because in the past, when the golfers were on the course and I was stuck at work, I was able to take a quick glance to see how my favorites that week were doing.   This year I'll have to scroll through up to 144 names to see how they're doing.  Bummer.

Does anyone know if this is a permanent condition?

The US Women’s professional golf circuit tees it up for the first time at the SBS Open in Hawaii. The 2008 event was won by Annika Sorenstam who has since stepped away from the game. Also not in the field is World #1 ranked player Lorena Ochoa. The SBS field is strong however with Paula Creamer, Suzann Pettersen, and Ji-Yai Shin. Shin who won the final LPGA event of 2008, the ADT Championship, looks to begin where she left off.

So another LPGA season is about to underway. A slimmer one than the 2008 schedule, with the loss of quite a few tournaments. The 2010 schedule is looking rough already, with the SBS Open already down as history.

Some off the course news, the LPGA signed a 10-year deal with the Golf Channel. This is great news for the tour.

As much that news sounds interesting, I prefer talking about what goes on during tournaments than all off the course distractions. Here are my predictions for 2009

Player of the Year- Ji Yai Shin. Shin is ranked #5 in the world and has 26 professional wins at age 20. Last year she won 3 LPGA titles, including a major championship. She has a unflappable personality on course, and I personally think she’ll top Ochoa this year. Golf blogger Mulligan Stu is on board the Shin Express also.

Ochoa won’t lose the money title by much and will retain #1 ranking in the world.

Rookie of the Year- Shin. The 2009 LPGA rookie class is incredible with Shin, Vicki Hurst, Michelle Wie, Stacy Lewis, and a few more could have immediate impact. Shin however is going to win the ROY title in a runaway.

Comeback of the Year- Brittany Lincicome. If she is healthy, I see her returning to her 2007 form.

The come out of nowhere award- Amy Yang. She shouldn’t really be a contender for this, but even my LPGA golf buddies Hound Dog, The Contstructivist, and Ryan are not paying any attention to this golfer’s chances in 2009, so why would the golf media. Yang won twice on the LET last year and I’ll go out on a limb by putting her in the top 5 players for 2009. More on that later.

1st time winners for 2009- Wie, V Hurst, Yang, Angela Park

How many times will naturalized US citizen Angela Park be mislabeled as South Korean by the golf media in 2009- At least two times

The 2009 Solheim Cup matches- US wins 16-12

The 2009 US Solheim Cup qualifiers- Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford, Wie, Hurst, Christina Kim, Morgan Pressel, Nicole Castrale, Brittany Lang, and Stacy Prammanasudh

Beth Daniel’s Captain’s selections- Two potted plants Juli Inkster and Natalie Gulbis. Any Asian American golfer if they want to play in the matches, should only plan on making it via the points list. As I pointed out two years ago, the team’s Captains have done great gymnastic work om order to avoid selecting Asian golfers for the team, even if the criteria they used is in conflict with what they or past Captains have said or done.

So Wie, Hurst, Kim, Prammanasudh, Jane Park will have to make the team by performance. Daniel will pick potted plants for the US squad before choosing any of those talented ladies.

How many tournaments will the South Koreans win in 2009- Ten. Five by Shin. Plus at least two more from Wie, C Kim, and half Korean V Hurst.

How many members of the media will bemoan the Asian invasion- Three.

How many times will I say Carolyn Bivens should be fired before she gets fired the 2009 season ends- Three

How many LPGA writing related Knucklehead awards will I give out in 2009- Five, starting with this guy.

How many times I will be a credentialed member of the LPGA media in 2009- Zero

How many times will I apply- Zero because the LPGA has left the building so far as Florida goes.

2009 Major Champions- I hate picking way in advance, but I’ll go out on a limb. Shin(US), Ochoa(Kraft Nabisco), Creamer(LPGA), and someone else. Ok, that’s 3 out of 4. My crystal ball is not working too well at the moment. Put me down for Hee Won Han at the British Open.

Miscellaneous predictions-

Katherine Hull will take over as Australia’s #1 golfer from Karrie Webb
Se Ri Pak will win the Jamie Farr Classic for a record breaking sixth time
The Korean LPGA tour stop curse aka No winner of the tournament since 2003 has won a LPGA event afterwards, will finally be broken with Suzann Pettersen taking home a LPGA win in 2009

Now for my my top 30

1 Shin JY
2 Ochoa
3 Yang
4 Creamer
5 SH Lee
6 Hull
7 Tseng
8 V Hurst
9 Pettersen
10 Wie
11 Han
12 Jang
13 Kerr
14 A Park
15 Stanford
16 Webb
17 JY Lee
18 EH Ji
19 Feng
20 Castrale
21 Lewis
22 IK Kim
23 Prammanasudh
24 Pak
25 Pressel
26 C Kim
27 MH Kim
28 Stupples
29 NY Choi
30 Lincicome

We’ll come back at the end of the year and see how I did.

And Ron Sirak has his top 30 predictions again. I don't have to pick with it like I did last year but.....

He's got Katherine Hull way too low

He's got Karrie Webb and Helen Alfredsson too high. I doubt Helen will make the top 30.

Only 3 Koreans in the top 10, but Shin, SH Lee are good choices. NY Choi, I don't know.

He's got Inbee Park way too high. Picked over A Park, IK Kim,  JY Lee.

Ueda in the top 30? I like Momoko but I think Sirak chose the wrong Japanese golfer.

Biggest omission- Christina Kim and Eun Hi Ji. Christina wants to make the Solheim after being passed over. He's got Juli Inkster over her. That figures......

Oh and his top 5 rookies to make an impact doesn't list Ji Yai Shin. I know she played 10 tournaments already but she is technically a rookie. She should be on the list, because Sirak in his top 30 even admits she could be POY this year. If he meant top 5 rookies other than Shin, he should have said it.

I just got it back from the geek squad. For some reason I was getting Peter Kessler on The Golf Channel from it. Talk about time warps......

Here we go

1 Shin JY*

2 Ochoa*

3 Yang

4 Creamer* **

5 SH Lee

6  Hull

7 Tseng

8 V Hurst **

9 Pettersen

10 Wie **

11 Han

12 Jang

13 Kerr **

14 A Park

15 Stanford **

16 Webb

17 JY Lee

18 EH Ji

19 Feng

20 Castrale **

21 Lewis

22 IK Kim

23 Prammanasudh**

24 Pak

25 Pressel**

26  C Kim **

27 MH Kim

28 Stupples

29 NY Choi

30 Lincicome

*- Denotes winner of a major championship

**- Make the Solheim Cup team. I also predict no Asian American golfer(Under the age of 35. Call this the Pat Hurst clause) gets picked by Beth Daniel as a captain's selection so Wie, Hurst, Prammanasudh, C Kim or any others(Jane Park) will have to make it the old fashioned way. If you want to know why I say this, click here.

Hound Dog has his 2009 preseason picks out. And The Constructivist is threatening to have his soon. So I suppose it's time for me to chime in again, too. Let's see how lucky I can get with this years picks (because apparently I got very lucky with last year's).

Mulligan Stu's Top 30 for 2009

1. Ji Yai Shin

2. Lorena Ochoa

3. Paula Creamer

4. Cristie Kerr

5. Angela Park

6. Jee Young Lee

7. Karrie Webb

8. Michelle Wie

9. Suzann Pettersen

10. Seon Hwa Lee

11. Stacy Lewis

12. Yani Tseng

13. Jeong Jang

14. Hee-Won Han

15. Angela Stanford

16. Christina Kim

17. Stacy Prammanasudh

18. Song-Hee Kim

19. Karen Stupples

20. Eun-Hee Ji

21. Natalie Gulbis 

22. Ji Young Oh

23. Shanshan Feng

24. Amy Yang

25. Lindsey Wright

26. Na Yeon Choi

27. Ai Miyazato

28. Se Ri Pak

29. Minea Blomqvist

30. Sandra Gal