HSBC Brasil Cup 2011
Itanhanga Golf Club
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Pre-tournament Notes and Interviews
May 27, 2011
LPGA returns to Rio de Janeiro. The LPGA returns to Itanhanga Golf Club in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the third annual HSBC Brasil Cup. An international field of 30 players will compete across 36 holes for a $720,000, unofficial money purse and a first-place prize of $108,000.
Headlining the field this week are defending champion Meaghan Francella, Rolex Rankings No. 2 Suzann Pettersen and Rolex Rankings No. 4 Cristie Kerr. Last year, Francella defeated Maria Jose Uribe in a six-hole playoff to secure her second LPGA victory. Also playing this week is 2009 HSBC Brazil Cup Champion, Catriona Matthew.
They’re coming home! Brazilians Luciana Bemvenuti, Maria Iida and Victoria Lovelady head into the week as the hometown favorites. Bemvenuti, the first Brazilian to compete on the LPGA Tour, is from Porto Alegre located 697 miles from Rio de Janiero. Her career-best finish on the LPGA came when she finished tied for fourth at the 1998 Longs Drug Challenge. Lovelady and Iida are both natives of Sao Paulo, Brazil, located about 250 miles from Rio de Janeiro. Iida finished 25th at the 2010 HSBC Brasil Cup while Alimonda will play in her first LPGA event.
LPGA Futures Tour represented in Rio. The LPGA Futures Tour will be represented this week by Alimonda of Brazil, Paz Echevarria of Chile and Sofi Toccafondi of Argentina. Both Echevarria and Toccafondi are rookies this year while Echevarria is in her second season on the Futures Tour.
The trio will compete alongside 19 LPGA Futures Tour alumnae including defending champion, Meaghan Francella.
Fun in the Sun. Coming off impressive finishes last week, Rolex Rankings No. 2 Suzann Pettersen and No. 4 Cristie Kerr traded in the short grass for the sand of Rio de Janeiro’s Botafogo Beach located at the foot of the infamous Sugar Loaf Mountain. Pettersen and Kerr spent Thursday morning sipping fruit juice, lounging in beach chairs and exchanging bunker tips before they tee it up at this week’s 36-hole unofficial LPGA event.
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Suzann Pettersen and Rolex Rankings No. 4 Cristie Kerr
Q. What’s your first impression of the course? Have you practiced on the course?
Suzann Pettersen: I played the back 9 yesterday and I thought the course was great. It is challenging, you have to shape the ball off the tee and there are good, long par fours and par fives that you can potentially reach in two. It’s in great shape, hopefully the rain wont make it too wet. I’m looking forward to play.
Cristie Kerr: I played the front nine yesterday and I liked the course very much. Like Suzann said there are some challenging tee shots. I told my caddy Jason it reminds me of a course I grew up playing in Miami. It just felt very familiar to me so I’m hoping to have a good tournament.
Q. What would you like to improve or change in your swing?
Suzann Pettersen: I feel like my swing is very good at the moment. I’ve been working hard the last three years to make improvements. Right now I think I’m in a place I’m starting to own my own feels which ideally is where you want it to go.
Q. How do you feel in Brazil? What’s your expectation for 2016?
Cristie Kerr: I definitely want to come back
Full Article: LPGA.com News & Entertainment
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