Fifteen More Players Solidify Their Spot in the Season-Ending Championship
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – At the conclusion of The Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions in Mobile, Ala., on Sunday, 15 more LPGA players added their names to the 32-player field for next week’s season-ending ADT Championship at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. Thirteen players secured their spots by finishing in the top 13 spots on the Second Half ADT Points list while two more players added their name as wildcard selections.
Maria Hjorth of Sweden, led the 13 players with a list-topping 756,904 ADT Points. Joining her are Jeong Jang, 748,129 ADT Points; Se Ri Pak, 490,656; Christina Kim, 434,742; Ai Miyazato, 427,108; Laura Davies, 354,785; Inbee Park, 349,906; Laura Diaz, 326,537; Annika Sorenstam, 325,940; Sherri Steinhauer, 302,618; Shi Hyun Ahn, 292,816; Reilley Rankin, 281,929 and Sophie Gustafson, 264,607. Catriona Matthew and Meaghan Francella secured their spots as wildcard selections by finishing in 28thand 29th place, respectively, on the LPGA Official Money List; they were the highest-ranked players on the LPGA Official Money List who had not yet qualified.
"I’ve done well at ADT in the past. I really like it. It’s a big event for us at the end of the year and now that I’m healthy and ready to play, I want to play as much as I can," said Annika Sorenstam, who jumped from 14th place to 9th on the ADT Points list after finishing in a tie for third place at The Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions. "It means a lot to me to get in that event with a new type of format. I’m just happy to be playing and competing."
Sorenstam and the 14 other LPGA players join 17 players who already qualified for the ADT Championship either by claiming a victory at a designated Winner event, or by finishing in the top-11 spots on ADT Points list during the first half of the LPGA Playoffs 2007. Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, led the 11 players on the first-half ADT Points list with a list-topping 1,524,404 ADT Points. Joining her were Paula Creamer, Mi Hyun Kim, Sarah Lee, Stacy Prammanasudh, Jee Young Lee, Karrie Webb, Cristie Kerr, Angela Park, Juli Inkster and Angela Stanford.
Morgan Pressel (Kraft Nabisco Championship), Brittany Lincicome (Ginn OPEN), Suzann Pettersen (Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill, McDonald’s LPGA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola) and Nicole Castrale (Ginn Tribute Hosted by ANNIKA) secured their spots in the 2007 ADT Championship by winning one of the five designated first-half Winner events.
Seon Hwa Lee and Natalie Gulbis both qualified via Winner events in the second half of the season. Lee, of South Korea, became the 16th qualifier for the ADT Championship when she claimed her second career victory at the HSBC Women’s World Match Play Championship, while Gulbis, of Lake Las Vegas, Nev., was the 17th qualifier after she claimed her first LPGA Tour victory at the Evian Masters.
The LPGA Playoffs 2007, a yearlong competitive structure that splits the official LPGA season into two halves, culminates at the ADT Championship, Nov. 15-18, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. Fifteen players from each half qualify for the ADT Championship using a performance-based points system—ADT Points—throughout the year. Two additional wildcards were determined after the completion of The Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions.
The 2007 ADT Championship will feature a $1,550,000 purse with the winner taking home a $1 million paycheck, the largest first-place prize in the history of women’s golf. The ADT Championship will also feature three days of playoffs with a cut after the 36 holes. Players start with a fresh scorecard for the third round, which ends with another cut to the top eight players. A final-day shoot-out with the remaining players will have them, again, starting with a fresh scorecard for their chance at the $1 million winner’s check.
"I’m stoked to be going out and possibly ending my year with a $1 million win. Its nice knowing that, in the end, one round will determine who will get $1 million," said Christina Kim. "It’s exciting and one of those things where, if you’re on the ball, you’re going to get the prize."
Tickets for the ADT Championship can be purchased onsite at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. All children fifteen and under will receive free grounds admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
First-half qualifiers for the ADT Championship
Top 11 qualified through the ADT Points list
Player Name ADT Points
Lorena Ochoa 1,524,404
Paula Creamer 685,729
Mi Hyun Kim 647,110
Sarah Lee 580,948
Stacy Prammanasudh 552,707
Jee Young Lee 521,842
Karrie Webb 407,786
Cristie Kerr 395,180
Angela Park 375,519
Juli Inkster 372,980
Angela Stanford 367,855
Morgan Pressel Winner Event champion – Kraft Nabisco Championship
Brittany Lincicome Winner Event champion – GINN Open
Suzann Pettersen Winner Event champion – Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill
Nicole Castrale Winner Event champion – Ginn Tribute Hosted by ANNIKA
Second-half qualifiers for the ADT Championship
Top 13 qualified through the ADT Points list
Player Name ADT Points
Marie Hjorth 756,904
Jeong Jang 748,129
Se Ri Pak 490,656
Christina Kim 434,742
Ai Miyazato 427,108
Laura Davies 354,785
Inbee Park 349,906
Laura Diaz 326,537
Annika Sorenstam 325,940
Sherri Steinhauer 302,618
Shi Hyun Ahn 292,816
Reilley Rankin 281,929
Sophie Gustafson 264,607
Meaghan Francella Wildcard
Catriona Matthew Wildcard
Seon Hwa Lee Winner Event champion – HSBC Women’s World Match Play
Championship
Natalie Gulbis Winner Event champion – Evian Masters
About ADT Security Services
Celebrating its 132nd anniversary, ADT Security Services, a unit of Tyco Fire & Security, is the largest provider of electronic security services to nearly six million commercial, government and residential customers throughout North America. ADT’s total security solutions include intrusion, fire protection, closed circuit television, access control, critical condition monitoring, electronic article surveillance, radio frequency identification (RFID) and integrated systems. ADT’s Web site address is www.adt.com.
About the Ladies Professional Golf Association
Featuring the world’s best golfers, the LPGA’s membership includes touring, teaching and club professionals. The LPGA Tour in 2007 features 35 events, with total prize money of nearly $55 million. Since 1981, the LPGA and its tournaments have raised approximately $180 million for charity. From the dreams of its 13 founders in 1950, the LPGA has evolved into the world’s pre-eminent professional sports organization. The LPGA has grown from its roots as a playing tour into a non-profit organization involved in every facet of golf. In addition to the LPGA Tour members, the LPGA membership includes nearly 1,200 certified Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) who serve the golf industry in teaching, coaching and management positions. The LPGA T&CP member programs focus on increasing the involvement of women, girls and youth in golf, as well as contribute to the growth of the sport overall. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the LPGA, log on to www.LPGA.com.
Contact:
Rebecca Seelig; 561.628.5929, rseelig@pbpronline.com
