1.  LPGA Tour plays matchmaker; 64 players tee it up for inaugural HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship
2.  Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open brings LPGA Tour stars to Central Florida; Premier full-field event to offer $2.5 million purse
3.  Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic presented by Kroger named U.S.-based qualifier for the Weetabix Women's British Open
4.  LPGA turns to Fairfield Language Technologies for language education
5.  Kim holes bunker shot on 18 to win U.S. Women's Open conducted by the USGA
6.  Pipeline to the LPGA Tour
7.  This Week - HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship, Hamilton Farm Golf Club, Gladstone, N.J., June 30-July 3, 2005, $2,000,000
8.  Next Week - Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, Ohio, July 7-10, 2005, $1,200,000
9.  LPGA News and Notes

1.  LPGA Tour plays matchmaker; 64 players tee it up for inaugural HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship

GLADSTONE, N.J. - It's time for bracket madness, women's golf style.

After a thrilling finish at the U.S. Women's Open conducted by the USGA, the excitement continues this week as the LPGA Tour heads to Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone, N.J., for the inaugural HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship, which pits 64 of the top golfers in the world head-to-head in six matches over four days.  The HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship marks the first U.S.-based official match-play event on the LPGA schedule since 1954.

The field will be narrowed with one round of play on Thursday and Friday, with 16 players teeing it up on Saturday morning followed by the quarterfinals in the afternoon.  The semifinals are set for Sunday morning with an 18-hole championship match that afternoon.

Annika Sorenstam sits atop the bracket as the No. 1 seed in the field, and the Tour's all-time money winner is looking to pad her $17 million-plus bank account with the $500,000 first-place paycheck, the largest winner's check in LPGA Tour history.

Rounding out the top four seeds are some of the hottest golfers on Tour.  No. 2 seed Cristie Kerr won the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill in early May, while No. 3 seed Lorena Ochoa is coming off one of the greatest comebacks in Tour history at the Wegmans Rochester LPGA two weeks ago.

The surprise in the top-four seeds has to be rookie Paula Creamer.  To get the No. 4 seed, the 18-year-old rookie won her first event on Tour at the Sybase Classic presented by Lincoln Mercury and finished second two weeks ago to Ochoa.  She already has racked up almost $700,000 in earnings in just the first half of her rookie season.

Courtesy of her best season to date, Natalie Gulbis will be the No. 5 seed.  Gulbis has tallied six top-10 finishes and currently leads the LPGA Tour in birdies.

Jumping into the tournament field is U.S. Women's Open champion Birdie Kim.  With her chip-in on the 18th hole, Kim not only clinched her first win on the LPGA Tour, but she also punched her ticket to fill out the 64-player field.  With her payday, Kim moved from 66th on the money list to sixth and will be the No. 6 seed.

Rounding out the top 10 seeds are Rosie Jones at No. 7, Candie Kung at No. 8, Catriona Matthew at No. 9 and Gloria Park at No. 10.

Potential quarterfinal match-ups are Sorenstam vs. Kung, an American matchup in Kerr vs. Jones and Creamer vs. Gulbis, with international stars Ochoa possibly taking on the U.S. Women's Open champion Kim.

While taking the top 60 from the ADT Official Money List after the Wegmans Rochester LPGA, the field is rounded out by the current money leader on the Japan LPGA Tour, Ai Miyazato, as well as sponsor exemptions Se Ri Pak and amateur Shinobu Moromizato.

The entire tournament bracket will be released on Tuesday.

HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship
Final field

Top-60 players from the ADT Official Money List as of June 19
(ranking at that time in parenthesis)
Shi Hyun Ahn (28)
Marisa Baena (52)
Tina Barrett (35)
Heather Bowie (25)
Silvia Cavalleri (36)
Paula Creamer (4)
Beth Daniel (45)
Laura Davies (12)
Dorothy Delasin (32)
Laura Diaz (22)
Wendy Doolan (51)
Moira Dunn (26)
A.J. Eathorne (50)
Natalie Gulbis (8)
Sophie Gustafson (55)
Hee-Won Han (15)
Candy Hannemann (54)
Rachel Hetherington (46)
Maria Hjorth (53)
Pat Hurst (30)
Karine Icher (33)
Juli Inkster (7)
Jeong Jang (10)
Rosie Jones (5)
Lorie Kane (38)
Jimin Kang (19)
Soo-Yun Kang (39)
Cristie Kerr (2)
Christina Kim (24)
Joo Mi Kim (40)
Mi Hyun Kim (16)
Young Kim (27)
Emilee Klein (34)
Carin Koch (13)
Candie Kung (14)
Meena Lee (37)
Leta Lindley (43)
Meg Mallon (60)
Catriona Matthew (6)
Jill McGill (17)
Janice Moodie (49)
Joanne Morley (59)
Liselotte Neumann (31)
Lorena Ochoa (3)
Gloria Park (9)
Grace Park (29)
Nicole Perrot (41)
Stacy Prammanasudh (18)
Reilley Rankin (42)
Michele Redman (21)
Laurie Rinker (56)
Jennifer Rosales (20)
Kim Saiki (47)
Annika Sorenstam (1)
Angela Stanford (57)
Karen Stupples (44)
Wendy Ward (11)
Karrie Webb (23)
Lindsey Wright (58)
Sung Ah Yim (48)

Leading Japan LPGA Tour player
Ai Miyazato

Sponsor exemptions
Shinobu Moromizato (amateur)
Se Ri Pak

U.S. Women's Open champion
Birdie Kim

Twenty-nine players in this week's 64-player field have match-play experience in LPGA Tour sanctioned events.  Below is a listing of those players and their records.  The list includes competition in The Solheim Cup, where matches can be halved.  

Heather Bowie: 0-1-0
Laura Davies: 5-5-0
Laura Diaz: 3-1-0
Wendy Doolan: 1-1-0
Sophie Gustafson: 2-2-1
Hee-Won Han: 3-2-0
Maria Hjorth: 0-2-0
Pat Hurst: 1-1-1
Karine Icher: 0-1-0
Juli Inster: 4-1-0
Rosie Jones: 5-4-0
Lorie Kane: 4-2-0
Cristie Kerr: 2-2-0
Mi Hyun Kim: 0-1-0
Emilee Klein: 3-1-0
Carin Koch: 3-3-1
Meg Mallon: 4-2-1
Catriona Matthew: 3-3-0
Jill McGill: 1-1-0
Janice Moodie: 3-1-0
Joanne Morley: 0-1-0
Liselotte Neumann: 2-2-2
Se Ri Pak: 4-2-0
Grace Park: 5-1-0
Michele Redman: 4-3-1
Angela Stanford: 0-1-0
Annika Sorenstam: 8-3-1
Wendy Ward: 0-1-1
Karrie Webb: 1-1-0

2.  Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open brings LPGA Tour stars to Central Florida; Premier full-field event to offer $2.5 million purse

REUNION, Fla. - Reunion Resort & Club of Orlando, Central Florida's newest and most comprehensive golf destination, will soon be home to the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour's newest Tour stop beginning in 2006.

The inaugural Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open will be played April 27-30, 2006, at Reunion Resort & Club of Orlando on a composite layout of two of the resort's courses, the Legacy Course designed by Arnold Palmer and the Independence Course by Tom Watson. The Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open joins the ADT Championship as the LPGA's premier stops in Florida.

Destined to become one of the LPGA Tour's premier events, the Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open will offer $2.5 million in prize money and joins the Evian Masters as events on the LPGA Tour with the highest total prize money.  Featuring weekend coverage on CBS Sports of the final two rounds, the Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open will be one of the Tour's elite events with a major television network broadcast package.  A worldwide audience will also see the 72-hole championship TV coverage.

"We are thrilled to be the home of the LPGA's only full-field tournament in the state of Florida," said Bobby Ginn, president and CEO of Ginn Clubs & Resorts.  "Our goal in hosting this tournament is to provide an exceptional experience for the players, their families and our guests."

Reunion is home to some of the greatest golf in Central Florida.  The 7,147-yard Independence Course, Watson's first Florida design, has garnered many accolades since opening in February 2005.  Equally beautiful and challenging is the 6,876-yard Legacy Course, designed by the legendary Palmer.  Reunion's third course, the Tradition Course, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design, is scheduled to open in early 2006.

The four-year agreement between Ginn Clubs & Resorts, tournament organizer Pantheon International and the LPGA, ensures that women's professional championship golf will be prominently featured at a first-class Florida venue for years to come.

"We are very excited to welcome Ginn Clubs & Resorts to the LPGA sponsor family as title sponsor of our newest addition to the 2006 LPGA Tour schedule," said LPGA Commissioner Ty M. Votaw.  "LPGA players are excited to return to Central Florida with a full-field event and with Ginn Clubs & Resorts reputation for attention to detail I am confident that players, sponsors, fans and media will have a great week at Reunion." 

What LPGA Tour players and fans will discover at the event is the type of getaway destination that has prompted Reunion Resort & Club to be called "America's new breed of family resort towns."  The Resort's extraordinary clubhouse and championship practice facility will provide the special qualities tour players will appreciate and visitors will notice

"Bobby Ginn has established an impressive track record in developing prestigious resort properties and providing the highest quality of service," said Kent Atherton, president & CEO of Pantheon International.  "It is the same vision we share for the Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open, in producing a first class experience that establishes the highest event standards available on the LPGA Tour."

There are several other unique and exciting event activities that will be announced by the organizers over the next few months.  More information about the Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open can be found on the official event Web site at www.ginnopen.com.

About Ginn Clubs & Resorts
Ginn Clubs & Resorts is a privately held resort development and management firm which specializes in exclusive leisure lifestyle and vacation destination communities across the U.S.   From private residential communities to resort destinations offering unparalleled ownership and vacation opportunities, the common denominator throughout every Ginn Club & Resort is service.  The company's principals have more than three decades of experience in creating extraordinary large-scale, recreation-oriented communities. Current Ginn Clubs & Resorts projects include Cobblestone Park in Columbia, S.C. as well as Belvidere Club and Resort, which encompasses RiverTowne Country Club, The Cottages on Charleston Harbor and Patriot's Point Golf Course in the Charleston area.  The company also owns and operates Hammock Beach and Yacht Harbor Village near St. Augustine, Fla., Reunion Resort & Club of Orlando, Bella Collina north of Orlando and Tesoro in Port St. Lucie on Florida's historic "Treasure Coast."  The company also owns and operates Mahogany Run Golf Course in St. Thomas and has several projects under development in North Carolina, Vermont, Colorado and in the Caribbean.

About Ladies Professional Golf Association
Featuring the world's best women golfers, the LPGA's membership includes touring, teaching and club professionals. The LPGA Tour in 2005 features 34 events, with total prize money of $45.1 million. Since 1981, the LPGA and its tournaments have raised approximately $160 million for charity. From the dreams of its 13 founders in 1950, the LPGA has evolved into the world's preeminent women's 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. The LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) membership boasts a total of nearly 1,200 women golf professionals who serve as teachers, golf professionals, club managers and coaches. Through the LPGA T&CP membership, the LPGA is working to increase the involvement of women 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.

About Pantheon International
Pantheon International is a privately held, Westport, CT-based sports marketing & event management firm that own event properties in California, Indiana, New York and Florida.  Pantheon specializes in providing unique corporate marketing platforms through its high profile sports events. The company is a niche leader at originating and producing marquee live sports entertainment that create powerful bonds between corporations and the passionate affinity groups that permeate sports. The company's core properties include the prestigious John R. Wooden Classic and John R. Wooden Tradition college basketball invitational events, held in honor of the Hall of Fame coaching legend.

About Reunion Resort & Club
Located on 2,300 gently rolling acres in Osceola County, the Resort is 25 minutes south of Orlando, Fla., immediately south of Disney's Town of Celebration, 15 minutes from Walt Disney World and 25 minutes from Orlando International Airport.  In addition to championship golf, planned amenities include a five-acre, multi-pool water and swim pavilion, a first-class tennis complex, stables and riding trails, a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center, walking and biking trails, and terrific boutique shopping and dining in Reunion Square.  More information about Reunion Resort & Club is available at (888) 418-9611 and www.reunionresort.com.

3.  Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic presented by Kroger named U.S.-based qualifier for the Weetabix Women's British Open

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Next week's Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic presented by Kroger, July 7-10, has been designated the U.S.-based qualifier for the Weetabix Women's British Open, the final women's major championship of the season.
Five LPGA members who have not otherwise qualified for the major championship, have entered the Weetabix Women's British Open and who express their wish to compete in the U.S.-based qualifier can earn a spot in the Weetabix Women's British Open field via the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio. 

The top-five scores from the eligible players at the conclusion of the first 36 holes of play at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic will determine the players who earn spots in the Weetabix Women's British Open, July 28-31, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Merseyside, England.

The five players from the U.S.-based qualifier will join the top-70 LPGA players from the 2005 ADT Official Money List as of June 26, the top-35 Robe di Kappa Ladies European Tour (LET) players from the 2005 LET Order of Merit as of June 26 and the players who qualify via the Weetabix Women's British Open final qualifier held in Europe. The final qualifier will be held at Hillside Golf Club in Southport, Merseyside, England, on Monday, July 25.

4.  LPGA turns to Fairfield Language Technologies for language education

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has signed a two-year agreement with Fairfield Language Technologies (FLT) to become an official partner of the LPGA. Through this agreement, FLT will offer Rosetta Stone(r) language-learning programs to the LPGA Tour and Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) memberships, as well as LPGA staff.

Rosetta Stone is a series of revolutionary language-learning programs on CD-ROM and online acclaimed for their speed, power and effectiveness. Rosetta Stone's award-winning Dynamic Immersion(tm) method develops everyday proficiency in 28 languages and is used by more than five million people in more than 150 countries.

"We are very pleased to partner with Fairfield Language Technologies and the Rosetta Stone language learning program," said Dr. Betsy Clark, vice president of professional development for the LPGA. "As the LPGA membership becomes more international, it is important for our staff and members to be able to communicate effectively with people from around the world. With the Rosetta Stone system, our staff and members will have the opportunity to develop their skills in other languages, and our international members will have an opportunity to enhance their English skills."

Fairfield Language Technologies will also work with the LPGA to provide tracking functionality to assess the progress of each individual within the Rosetta Stone language-learning programs.

"All of us at Fairfield Language Technologies are proud to partner with the Ladies Professional Golf Association, our first partnership with a professional sports organization," said Tom Adams, CEO of Fairfield Language Technologies.

"One of our core company values is to work hard and play hard, very much like the outstanding athletes on the women's tour. The LPGA has a reputation for excellence in performance, and chooses only the best products and services for its players and staff. As the LPGA's official language sponsor, we continue this tradition of excellence with the very best language learning programs available, and look forward to serving the LPGA for many years to come."

About Fairfield Language Technologies
Fairfield Language Technologies publishes Rosetta Stone, the revolutionary CD-ROM and online language-learning software acclaimed for its speed, power and effectiveness. Teaching 28 languages to millions of people in more than 150 countries throughout the world, Rosetta Stone is the key to language-learning success. Fairfield Language Technologies is one of the fastest growing technology companies as ranked by Deloitte and Touche. The company was founded in 1992 on two core beliefs: that the natural way people learn native languages as children remains the most successful method for learning new languages; and that interactive technology can replicate and activate that immersion method powerfully for learners of any age. The company is based in Harrisburg, Va. For more information, visit RosettaStone.com.

5.  Kim holes bunker shot on 18 to win U.S. Women's Open conducted by the USGA

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo., June 26, 2005 - There was only one birdie on the 18th hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open conducted by the USGA, and it decided the tournament and put Birdie-Kim, that is-in the winner's circle.

Second-year player Birdie Kim was in the right greenside bunker after two shots on the 459-yard, par-4 finishing hole-the longest par 4 in U.S. Women's Open history and the most difficult hole of the week-and then promptly holed her bunker shot for birdie and the win.

Kim, who played as Ju Kim in 2004, finished the tournament at 74-72-69-72=287 (+3) and two shots clear of amateurs Morgan Pressel and Brittany Lang to become a Rolex First-Time Winner on the LPGA Tour.   It was the highest finishing score at the Open since 1998 when Se Ri Pak won in a playoff after finishing regulation at 6-over-par.

To say Kim is a surprise winner is an understatement.  She made only three cuts in 20 events in 2004 and her best finish this year was a tie for seventh at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez.  She had only one other top-20 finish in her career coming into the week and has made the cut in only seven of 14 events this year.

Not that any of that matters now.  Kim is the 10th international winner of the national championship and with first-place earnings of $560,000, she now owns the largest paycheck in the history of women's golf.

Kim, who was a sectional qualifier, was tied for 141st in sand saves this year, capitalizing on only six of 27 opportunities coming into the week.  She knows she has work to do on her sand game, but her shot on 18 is the kind that defines careers and establishes legacies.

"Actually, I am not a real good bunker player," said Kim, who estimated it would take her more than 50 shots to replicate the one that won her the U.S. Women's Open.  "Also, I change my sand wedge about two weeks ago.  That club is not used yet to me.  So I have a lot of misses this week with bunker shot.  Finally I make it."

Kim jumped from 66th to sixth on the ADT Official Money List and played her way into this week's HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship, where she will receive the sixth seed.  She is also the 14th player and first since Hilary Lunke in 2003 to make the U.S. Women's Open her first-career win.

Pressel, 17, who was playing in her third U.S. Women's Open, began the day tied for the lead with reigning Weetabix Women's British Open champion Karen Stupples and 15-year-old Michelle Wie.  She was gallant all day and showed poise and vigor beyond her years.  Pressel shot 71-73-70-75=289 (+5) for the tournament and had a view of Kim's shot from the fairway.

"That was unbelievable that she made that shot," said Pressel, who put her hands to her head in disbelief when Kim's shot rolled in.  "I saw her in the bunker (and thought) maybe par will win it.  That's a tough hole.  She hit a great shot.  I was like, I can't believe this is happening to me."

Pressel had an opportunity to tie Kim and force an 18-hole playoff, but she was short and right of the green after two shots.  She tried to chip it in, but her attempt went by the cup.  She two-putted for bogey and a tie for second place with 19-year-old Lang.

Lang, who just finished her sophomore year at Duke, teed off an hour before the final group and played her first six holes at 3-over-par to go to 8-over-par for the tournament.  She quickly turned things around and got into contention at 4-over-par heading to 18.  Her par putt on 18 lipped out, leaving her at 5-over-par for the championship.

"I was happy with my week so I wasn't disappointed she made that bunker shot or how they finished up," said Lang, who was playing in her first U.S. Women's Open.

Lang said she was not disappointed, but she was surprised how Kim won the tournament.

"That's a tough hole," she said.  "I was shocked, but that's how things go."
Lorie Kane, who was the only player to break par in the final round, tied for fourth with Natalie Gulbis.

Annika Sorenstam, who was trying to become the first player to win the modern-day Grand Slam, tied for 23rd for her worst finish since missing the cut at the 2002 Weetabix Women's British Open.

With her win at the U.S. Women's Open conducted by the USGA, Birdie Kim earns the following:

* $560,000
* Five-year exemption on LPGA Tour
* 10-year exemption into the U.S. Women's Open
* Five-year exemption into the Kraft Nabisco Championship
* Five-year exemption into the McDonald's LPGA Championship Presented by AIG
* Five-year exemption into the Weetabix Women's British Open
* Entrance into the 2005 HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship
* Entrance into the Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions
* Exemption into the 2005 Samsung World Championship
* Exemption into the 2005 Evian Masters
* Rolex watch as a Rolex First-Time Winner
* 60 Rolex Player of the Year points

Players who made the U.S. Women's Open their first-career win

Name    Year  Total LPGA wins to date
Murle Breer   1962    4
Mary Mills    1963    9
Sandra Spuzich   1966    7
Catherine LaCoste (amateur) 1967    1
Donna Caponi   1969    24
Jerilyn Britz   1979    2
Janet Anderson  1982    1
Kathy Baker (Guadagnino) 1985    2
Jane Geddes   1986    11
Laura Davies   1987    20
Liselotte Neumann  1988    13
Annika Sorenstam  1995    62
Hilary Lunke   2003    1
Birdie Kim   2005    1

International winners of the U.S. Women's Open
Birdie Kim, South Korea, 2005
Karrie Webb, Australia, 2000 and 2001
Se Ri Pak, South Korea, 1998
Alison Nicholas, England, 1997
Annika Sorenstam, Sweden, 1995 and 1996
Liselotte Neumann, Sweden, 1988
Laura Davies, England, 1987
Jan Stephenson, Australia, 1983
(a) Catherine Lacoste, France, 1967
Fay Crocker, Uruguay, 1955

Amateurs who have either won or finished second in a major championship (1950-present)

Year Tournament  Winner Runner-up(s)
2005 U.S. Women's Open Birdie Kim Brittany Lang (a) and Morgan Pressel (a)
2005 McDonald's LPGA Championship Annika Sorenstam Michelle Wie (a)
1998 U.S. Women's Open Se Ri Pak Jenny Chuasiriporn (a)
1967 U.S. Women's Open Catherine Lacoste (a) Susie Maxwell and Beth Stone
1956 U.S. Women's Open Kathy Cornelius Barbara McIntire (a)
1951 Women's Western Open Patty Berg Pat O'Sullivan (a)
1951 Titleholders Championship Pat O'Sullivan (a) Beverly Hanson
1950 U.S. Women's Open Babe Zaharias Betsy Rawls (a)
1950 Titleholders Championship Babe Zaharias Claire Doran (a)

(a) denotes amateur

6.  Pipeline to the LPGA Tour
June 26, 2005
The players finishing in the top five on the final 2005 Futures Tour money list will receive exemptions onto the 2006 LPGA Tour.

 Player Events played Earnings
1 Nicole Castrale 8 $29,371
2 Kyeong Bae 10 $27,320
3 Virada Nirapathpongport 8 $26,109
4 Jenny Gleason 9 $25,512
5 Seon-Hwa Lee 10 $24,594

Next tournament
July 8-10
CIGNA Chip In For A Cure Connecticut FUTURES Golf Classic
Gillette Ridge Golf Club, Bloomfield, Conn.
Purse: $70,000
www.futurestour.com

7.  This Week - HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship, Hamilton Farm Golf Club, Gladstone, N.J., June 30-July 3, 2005, $2,000,000

Par:  36-36, 72
Yardage:  6,523
Purse: $2,000,000
Winner: $500,000
Runner-up: $300,000
Format: Match-play competition
Defending champion: Inaugural event
LPGA contacts: Paul Rovnak

TV Times
TGC
June 30  9-11 p.m. (Tape delay)
July 1  9-11 p.m. (Tape delay)
CBS
July 2  3-5 p.m.
July 3  2-4 p.m.

All times Eastern

8.  Next Week - Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, Ohio, July 7-10, 2005, $1,200,000

Par: 34-37, 71
Yardage: 6,408
Purse: $1,200,000
Winner: $180,000
Runner-up: $109,590
Format: 72-hole stroke play
Defending champion: Meg Mallon
Victory Margin: Defeated Se Ri Pak by one stroke
Tournament information:  419-531-3277

TV Times
ESPN2
July 8 4-6 p.m.
July 9 4-6 p.m.
July 10 2-4 p.m.

9.  LPGA News and Notes

LPGA.com traffic for majors hits all-time high.  LPGA.com, which has enjoyed steady growth in traffic in recent years and especially since the launch of the strategic plan in 2002, set record traffic numbers during the first three majors of the season, when compared to the same time period in 2004.  Page views and visitors to the site during the Kraft Nabisco Championship, McDonald's LPGA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola and U.S. Women's Open conducted by the USGA, are up considerably, no doubt due to the incredible performance of Annika Sorenstam and her quest for the Grand Slam, as well as increased attention and interest in Michelle Wie and stars of the LPGA Tour like Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Jennifer Rosales.

During last week's U.S. Women's Open, LPGA.com had more than 5.4 million page views, up 145 percent compared to the 2004 U.S. Women's Open.  Traffic was up 112 percent in visits and up 89 percent in unique visitors.  Traffic peaked during the final round on Sunday with 1.4 million page views.

The excitement surrounding the McDonald's LPGA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola brought more than 5 million page views on LPGA.com for the week, up 131 percent compared to 2004.  Those numbers represent a 66-percent increase in visits and 76-percent increase in unique visitors.  Traffic peaked during the final round with 1.2 million page views.

During the first major championship of the year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, LPGA.com saw more than 4 million page views for the week, up 9 percent compared to 2004.  

The fourth and final major of the season, the Weetabix Women's British Open, will be played from July 28-31 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, Merseyside, England.

LPGA.com provides fan interaction; in-depth player, tournament and statistical information; real-time scoring and easy site navigation.  These features make LPGA.com the premier destination for women's golf.

Kim's $560,000 check represents 87.52 percent of her career earnings.  Birdie Kim earned $560,000 for her win at the U.S. Women's Open, a number that represents 87.52 percent of her career earnings.  Before last week, she had earned $79,832 but now she has $639,832 in career earnings.

Kim fourth Rolex-First Time Winner this year.  With her win at the U.S. Women's Open, Birdie Kim became the Tour's fourth Rolex First-Time Winner this year.  She joins Stacy Prammannasudh, Paula Creamer and Jimin Kang as those who be sporting a new Rolex for earning their maiden win.  All four of these players have found the winner's circle in the last nine events on Tour.  The LPGA record for most Rolex First-Time Winners is 11, which was set in 1995.

Third Korean player to win a women's major.  With her win at the U.S. Women's Open, Birdie Kim becomes the third Korean member of the LPGA Tour to win a women's major championship.  Se Ri Pak was the first Korean major champion when she won the 1998 McDonald's LPGA Championship.  Pak has also won the U.S. Women's Open (1998), Weetabix Women's British Open (2001) and another McDonald's LPGA Championship title in 2002.  Grace Park won the 2004 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Pressel perfect in cuts made this year.  Seventeen-year-old amateur Morgan Pressel has played in four LPGA events this year and has made four cuts, although she has yet to break par in an event.  Pressel tied for second at last week's U.S. Women's Open and has also tied for 19th twice and tied for 23rd in her other starts this year.

Only 14 players break 70.  How tough was Cherry Hill Country Club where last week's U.S. Women's Open was contested?  Only 14 of the 156 players in the field posted a score in the 60s over the four-day event.  Four of those 14-Amie Cochran, Brittany Lang, Paige MacKenzi and Michelle Wie-are amateurs.  For the week, the par-71 track played at 75.797, nearly five strokes over par.

Gulbis moving up Solheim Cup standings.  Fourth-year professional Natalie Gulbis tied for fourth at the U.S. Women's Open and continued her move up the U.S. Solheim Cup Team standings.  Entering the week, she was 10th in the standings, but after her high finish in a double points event she sits in sixth place with 318.5 points.  Gulbis is 13 points ahead of seventh-place Christina Kim and 50 points clear of Michele Redman in 10th place, the last position for automatic qualifiers.  The U.S. Solheim Cup Team will be announced Aug. 28, at the conclusion of the Wendy's Championship for Children.

Gulbis turning 2005 into breakout year.  Natalie Gulbis is not only making her mark in the U.S. Solheim Cup Team rankings, but also on the ADT Official Money List.  Gulbis, who never broke the $300,000 mark in single-season earnings her first three years on Tour, has already earned $669,913 this year.  She is ranked fifth on the ADT Official Money List and is 14-for-14 in cuts made this year, recording six top-10 finishes as well.

Kane records best major finish since 1999.  Lorie Kane was the only player to shoot under par during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open, and in doing so she moved up the leaderboard to finish in a tie for fourth with Natalie Gulbis.  It was Kane's second-best finish in a major and her best finish since she placed fourth at the 1999 U.S. Women's Open.  

Stupples records six consecutive birdies.  Reigning Weetabix Women's British Open champion Karen Stupples birdied holes nine through 14 in the third round of the U.S. Women's Open for six consecutive birdies, tying the best mark on the LPGA Tour this year for consecutive sub pars.  Shi Hyun Ahn had six straight sub-par holes at the LPGA Takefuji Classic and Jimin Kang did as well at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, where she shot an LPGA-record 27 on the back nine.  The LPGA record for most consecutive sub pars was set in 1999 when Beth Daniel rolled in nine straight birdies at Philips Invitational Honoring Harvey Penick.

Baena wins Futures Tour event.  Cristina Baena, younger sister of LPGA Tour member Marisa Baena, won the $65,000 Bank of Ann Arbor Futures Golf Classic by one-shot of Julieta Granada, who turned professional last week.  Baena rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the 54th hole of the three-day event to earn the win.  She now is ranked ninth on the Futures Tour money list.  The top-five finishers on the season-ending Futures Tour money list receive exempt Tour cards for the 2006 LPGA season.  The next Futures Tour event is the $70,000 Cigna Chip In For A Cure Connecticut Futures Golf Classic, which will be contested July 8-10 at Gillette Ridge Golf Club in Bloomfield, Conn.

Media credential applications for the 2005 Solheim Cup are available.  Log on to http://www.solheim-media.com/ for complete details.  All requests must be submitted via the online process.  By logging on to http://www.solheim-media.com/, you will have access to the online media credential application, phone/wireless ordering information and the media hotel reservation form.  If you have any questions about the process or the 2005 Solheim Cup in general, please contact the LPGA Communications Department at 386-274-6200 or Jeff Weitekamp of the Indiana Sports Corporation at (317) 237-5016.

LPGA birthdays.  The following LPGA Tour members are celebrating a birthday this week.

June 29
Jeanne-Marie Busuttil (29)
July 2
Linda Ishii (28)
July 4
Eva Dahllof (40)
Suzanne Strudwick (40)