Lewis, Gulbis Among Pros Who Will Play Alongside Local Residents

By Carin Schoppmeyer
THE MORNING NEWS

ROGERS – Former Lady Razorback-turned pro golfer Stacy Lewis was greeted with a standing ovation from the more than 500 guests Tuesday evening at the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship Pro-Am Pairings Party.

Amateur golfers found out at the event who their Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour professional teammate would be for the Pro-Am Tournament today and Thursday.

After revealing the pro-am teams, P&G Global Wal-Mart President Jeff Schomburger turned the stage over to P&G Beauty Team Leader Tia Jordan for a fashion show featuring local models as well as tour pros Natalie Gulbis and Anna Rawson.

The show was narrated by Charla Krupp, author of “How Not To Look Old,” and finished with America’s Next Top Model winner Saliesha taking the runway.

Krupp told the crowd that current fashion trends include what she called “mineral splendor,” “wonderland,” “with large florals,” and “industrial beauty.”

Featured teams were Stacy Lewis, who will play with Razorback head basketball coach John Pelphrey, football coach Bobby Petrino, Michael Bahn and Christopher Green today, and Natalie Gulbis, who will play with Jeff Schomburger, Bill Suestka, Jay Allen and Jason Dial today.

David Lang, Neil Buffington, Marvin Childers and Gary Murphy will play with U.S. Women’s Open Winner Inbee Park today.

Christie Kerr was paired up with Dick Bond, Eddie Chancellor, Gena Johnson and Gary Sheneman for Thursday.

Also playing Thursday are Morgan Pressel with Tim Marrin, Andy Bush, Daniel Martin and Jack Armstrong.

The extensive buffet offered a traditional sports fare such as chicken wings and pizza, a large fruit and cheese area, crab legs and sushi.

After the pairings announcement and fashion show, guests were invited to gaming tables to play the $1,000 in chips their tickets gave them.

ROGERS – When she burst onto the LPGA Tour scene in 1989, Michelle McGann didn’t have many contemporaries. Back then, teenagers didn’t exactly rush into turning professional. Couldn’t blame them.

ROGERS – Inbee Park turns 20 next week. So, the recent U.S. Women’s Open champion already had planned on skipping the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic and flying back to her native South Korea.

ROGERS – When she burst onto the LPGA Tour scene in 1989, Michelle McGann didn’t have many contemporaries. Back then, teenagers didn’t exactly rush into turning professional. Couldn’t blame them.

ROGERS – When she burst onto the LPGA Tour scene in 1989, Michelle McGann didn’t have many contemporaries. Back then, teenagers didn’t exactly rush into turning professional. Couldn’t blame them.

U.S. Women’s Open champion Inbee Park talked to the media today in an informal press conference at Pinnacle Country Club.

Contrary to the rumors swirling around the media center yesterday, Park said she was never planning to withdraw from the P&G beauty NW Arkansas Championship this week. Park’s 20th birthday is next week and she said she was planning all along to go back home and have a celebration with her family in South Korea.

Below are a couple notable things that Park had to say about winning the U.S. Open and this week’s tournament.

On winning the U.S. Open: “It’s been a crazy last two days. I haven’t gotten too much sleep, and there were a lot of phone calls coming from Korea. It didn’t matter what time it was, at night, in the morning, whenever.”

On playing in this week’s tournament: “It’s a great golf course here. I really enjoyed it last year. We just didn’t get a chance to finish it last year, so I really wanted to come here and play all three rounds. I really like this town, and a lot of people come out here to watch. That’s why I wanted to come here.”

On having an unusual/slow backswing: “I’ve actually tried to quicken my backswing with my coach. It’s gotten a little faster. But having a unique swing and a good rhythm for yourself is a good thing. I’m not going to try to change too much. I’m just going to try to stick with my rhythm. I don’t know. It just happened that way. I never had rhythm taught. My backswing has just been that way since I’ve been younger.”

After an afternoon of some confusion, it was announced by tournament officials a few minutes ago that U.S. Women’s Open champion Inbee Park will play this week in the LPGA NW Arkansas Championship.

Park is going to play this week and has decided to withdraw from next week’s Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio, said Ashley Cushman, LPGA media relations coordinator.

Also, a number of press conferences have been called for Wednesday and Thursday:

Wednesday — Stacy Lewis, 10:30 a.m.; Natalie Gulbis, 1:45 p.m.; Inbee Park, 2:30 p.m.

Thursday — Morgan Pressel, 1:45 p.m.; Paula Creamer, 2 p.m.

Today, Stacy Lewis has already briefly met with the media, where she talked about her experience at the U.S. Women’s Open. Lewis finished tied for third place and won $162,487.

— NATHAN ALLEN

Ok, so the rumor mill is running rampant here at the LPGA NW Championship media center.

I’m sure pretty sure nobody knows for sure what Inbee Park is going to do this week, whether she is going to play in this week’s tournament or not. We’re having a fun time listening to conversations among LPGA officials. Some have said that she’s in Arkansas (possibly considering to go ahead and play this week) and others are saying that she’s flying back to South Korea tomorrow to spend time with her family. To be honest, we don’t know what is true and what is false.

Either way, we’ve been promised that an announcement will be made later today on Park’s status and whether or not she will play.

Park, 19, won the U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday in Edina, Minn., finishing with a 9-under 283 and earning $585,000. She pulled away with crucial putts on three straight holes — two birdies and one par — early on the back nine and added a final birdie for a 2-under 71 and four-shot victory over Helen Alfredsson.

— NATHAN ALLEN

Ok, so the rumor mill is running rampant here at the LPGA NW Championship media center.

I’m sure pretty sure nobody knows for sure what Inbee Park is going to do this week, whether she is going to play in this week’s tournament or not. We’re having a fun time listening to conversations among LPGA officials. Some have said that she’s in Arkansas (possibly considering to go ahead and play this week) and others are saying that she’s flying back to South Korea tomorrow to spend time with her family. To be honest, we don’t know what is true and what is false.

Either way, we’ve been promised that an announcement will be made later today on Park’s status and whether or not she will play.

Park, 19, won the U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday in Edina, Minn., finishing with a 9-under 283 and earning $585,000. She pulled away with crucial putts on three straight holes — two birdies and one par — early on the back nine and added a final birdie for a 2-under 71 and four-shot victory over Helen Alfredsson.

— NATHAN ALLEN

Ok, so the rumor mill is running rampant here at the LPGA NW Championship media center.

I’m sure pretty sure nobody knows for sure what Inbee Park is going to do this week, whether she is going to play in this week’s tournament or not. We’re having a fun time listening to conversations among LPGA officials. Some have said that she’s in Arkansas (possibly considering to go ahead and play this week) and others are saying that she’s flying back to South Korea tomorrow to spend time with her family. To be honest, we don’t know what is true and what is false.

Either way, we’ve been promised that an announcement will be made later today on Park’s status and whether or not she will play.

Park, 19, won the U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday in Edina, Minn., finishing with a 9-under 283 and earning $585,000. She pulled away with crucial putts on three straight holes — two birdies and one par — early on the back nine and added a final birdie for a 2-under 71 and four-shot victory over Helen Alfredsson.

— NATHAN ALLEN