Tue Mar 29 04:30pm EDT
Handicapping the field at LPGA’s first major is no easy task
If we've learned something about the LPGA and PGA Tour this season, it's that parity is alive and well on both tours. Yani Tseng and Martin Kaymer may be the top players at the moment, but they have a host of players banging on the door just waiting to take over the top spot.
As opposed to years past where it was easy to pick Lorena Ochoa or Annika Sorenstam to win a major championship, it's become increasingly difficult to pick one from the pack of highly talented golfers. That's why there really isn't a wrong pick at this week's Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major of the LPGA season.
But since I'm in the business of giving you my best guess (read: I threw darts at a board with names on it), here are the five golfers that have the best chance to take a celebratory dip in Poppy Pond at the end of the week:
Yani Tseng: The No. 1 golfer on the planet is a logical choice at Dinah Shore. She won last season's Kraft Nabisco and already has one win this season. While she's not Annika or Lorena, she's about the closest thing the LPGA has to a superstar.
Karrie Webb: Talk about a career resurgence from one the LPGA's top players. One year after going winless on tour, Webb already has two victories in three starts, making her the prohibitive favorite going into the tournament. She's also a two-time Nabisco winner.
Paula Creamer: I know, I'm really going out on a limb with Creamer. A year removed from thumb surgery, Creamer's game is in top form after a second-place finish at the Founders Cup. Sure, her best finish is a tie for 15th at this event, but I've got a hunch Creamer will be in contention on Sunday.
Suzann Pettersen: Like Phil Mickelson at the U.S. Open, Pettersen has never been able to close the deal at the Kraft Nabisco. She's been close, oh, three out of the last four years, finishing in second on three occasions. She's due for a win.
Michelle Wie: I'm expecting to get ripped for this pick, but I really don't care. Wie is done with classes, which means she can concentrate on just golf. She finished in seventh at the Kia Classic and has some history at the Kraft Nabisco, finishing tied for third and fourth as a amateur. I think her maturation over the last year has put her in a good position for a major championship run.
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