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Ochoa, Sorenstam to miss WWC
17/01/2008 07:47 - (SA)
Sun City - World No 1 Lorena Ochoa of Mexico and all-time great Annika Sorenstam have opted to miss the fourth edition of the Women's World Cup of golf starting on Friday.
The two superstars are not keen on travelling in January, which they like to set aside as a rest period for them ahead of their busy schedules which begin in mid-February.
It is planned to move the tournament to a new date in 2009, in the latter part of the year, to try and attract the likes of Ochoa and Sorenstam. The event is also likely to move out of South Africa, where it has been held every year since its inception in 2005, in 2010.
Ochoa and Sorenstam aside, this year's 20-nation line-up still includes some very strong teams.
Sorenstam and Lisolette Neumann won the Cup for Sweden two years, and even without these two players the Scandinavians are again considered favourites with Sophie Gustafson and Maria Hjorth on the team.
Gustafson topped the Order of Merit on the 2007 Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit, with Hjorth fifth so they could be the side to beat.
Domestic tour
The United States are represented by 47-year-old Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, owner of seven major titles, and 38-year-old Pat Hurst who is also one of the most experienced players on America's LPGA Tour.
Korea, too, look powerful, headed up by 19-year-old Ji-Yai Shin who won a record nine times in 18 starts on her own country's domestic tour in 2007. She is partnered by Eun-Hee Ji.
Germany (Bettina Hauert and Martina Eberl) and France, with the talented Gwladys Nocera and Virginie Lagoutee-Clement in their line-up, are also expected to mount a strong challenge in the 54-hole event which sees betterball being played on Friday, foursomes on Saturday, and betterball again on Sunday at the Gary Player Country Club course.
The individual medal of last year has been dropped.
"We found it took too long and also took some of the sparkle out of the event because it was the opening session and teams that played poorly on that one day effectively were out of the running for the rest of the tournament," said LPGA official Sue Witters.
Last year golfing minnows Paraguay - there are six courses in the entire country - stunned the game's big guns to score a runaway seven-stroke victory with a 72-hole aggregate of nine-under-par 279.
Julieta Granada and Celeste Troche combined for a final betterball round of a day's best seven under par 65 and they are back to defend their title.
Inkster and Hurst were second on 286 with the Korean pair of Ji-Yai Shin, then partnering Young Kim, were third on 287.
Teams
Australia: Lindsey Wright, Nikki Garrett
Brazil: Angela Park, Candy Hannemann
Canada: Alena Sharp, Lorie Kane
China: Zhang Na, Wang Chun
England: Trish Johnson, Danielle Masters
France: Gwladys Nocera, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement
Germany: Bettina Hauert, Martina Eberl
India: Simi Mehra, Irina Brar
Italy: Sylvia Cavalleri, Diana Luna
Japan: Shinobu Moromizato, Miki Saiki
Korea: Ji-Yai Shin, Eun-Hee Ji
Paraguay: Julieta Granada, Celeste Troche
Philippines: Jennifer Rosales, Dorothy Delasin
Scotland: Catriona Matthew, Mhairi McKay
South Africa: Laurette Maritz, Ashleigh Simon
Spain: Paula Marti, Tania Elosegui
Sweden: Sophie Gustafson, Maria Hjorth
Taiwan: Amy Hung, Yun-Jye Wei
USA: Juli Inkster, Pat Hurst
Wales: Becky Brewerton, Becky Morgan
- AFP
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