The LPGA's top-ranked golfer and a former NW Arkansas Championship winner is entering this week's tournament on a major high note.
Inbee Park, the 2013 winner of the tournament at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, captured her sixth major title at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship on June 14, a victory that vaulted her past Lydia Ko back into the No. 1 world ranking.
The Ticket
What: NW Arkansas Championship
When: Tuesday-Thursday, practice rounds, gates open at 8 a.m.
Friday, First Round, gates open at 7 a.m.
Saturday, Second Round, gates open at 7 a.m.
Sunday, Final Round, gates open at 8 a.m.
Where: Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers
Notable: Features 17 of top-20 players in Rolex Rankings, including Michelle Wie, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner and top-ranked Inbee Park, No. 2 Lydia Ko and University of Arkansas graduate Stacy Lewis, the defending champion.
Park and Ko will be in the field when the tournament begins Friday, along with 15 other players in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings top 20, another strong field for a tournament featuring a purse tied for third among the LPGA's 27 non-majors.
It wouldn't be a stretch to expect another strong showing from Park this week. In addition to the 2013 win, she has three other top-10 finishes in her seven appearances at the tournament.
Still, she won't be the fan favorite. That distinction goes to University of Arkansas graduate and defending champion Stacy Lewis, who won the tournament for the first time in front of a raucous crowd last year.
"The win in Arkansas felt like a major championship to me," Lewis said. "It was just hard, I guess, more than anything because so many people wanted me to do well. You could feel it in the crowd. They wanted the ball to go in, I wanted the ball to go in and you'd start to force things. It takes a little bit of learning in how to deal with that. I think playing there helped prepare me for the majors for everything else down the road."
Lewis is third in the Rolex Rankings entering the week after leaving Northwest Arkansas ranked No. 1 last year en route to her second LPGA Player of the Year award. She hasn't won since last year's tournament, but has played well this year, making eight top-10 finishes and losing in a sudden-death playoff at the ANA Inspiration, the year's first major.
Another golfer playing well entering the week is Morgan Pressel. She is coming off a tie for fifth at the Women's PGA, one of four top-five finishes already this year.
"I have a great run for me coming into this event," Pressel said. "I've made some swing changes which have helped my confidence a lot and have certainly made golf more fun. I am looking forward to the week at Pinnacle -- this is an event I want to win badly with so many friends here in Northwest Arkansas, I hope I can get in contention late on Sunday."
Pressel has recorded five top-25 finishes at the NW Arkansas Championship. She finished tied for 23rd a year ago.
"This is one of the most special events each year," Pressel said. "The community, sponsors, volunteers and fans are the most welcoming on our tour. In addition to the great golf, the event week keeps getting even bigger with more ways for us to get involved with the community. It's going to be an exciting week and I'm looking forward to seeing the fans in Northwest Arkansas again."
The qualifying round is today. Gates open Tuesday for the first of three days of practice rounds before the first round Friday.
Jimmy Carter can be reached at jcarter@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAJimmy.
Sports on 06/22/2015