Exemption on the line
The inaugural Yani Tseng Invitational presented by the Swinging Skirts has more than a trophy at stake. The champion of the first-year event will receive an exemption into the LPGA Tour’s 2015 Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. The inaugural Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic was held in 2014 at Lake Merced Country Club in San Francisco, where Lydia Ko edged out AJGA alum Stacy Lewis to win by one stroke.
Beware of the Bruins
The 72-player field includes golfers from 14 states, China, Colombia, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Taiwan, Thailand, and Venezuela but four of those players have something in common. Aliea Clark, Bethany Wu, Lilia Vu and Lydia Choi will play college golf at nearby UCLA. Clark, Wu and Vu have verbally committed while Choi has signed her National Letter of Intent.
The 2014 season proved to be a strong year for the Bruins. The team took third place at the NCAA National Championship, had three players represent at the Curtis Cup and AJGA alum Alison Lee received the first-ever ANNIKA Award presented by 3M, given to the most outstanding female collegiate golfer.
Top-level talent
The Yani Tseng Invitational presented by the Swinging Skirts field consists of 32 players who have either signed a National Letter of Intent or verbally committed to play college golf, 28 AJGA champions, 11 Rolex Junior All-Americans and three of the top-five players in the Polo Golf Rankings. Sitting at No. 1 is Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, California, who has collected 12 top-10 finishes in AJGA Invitationals. Also represented in the top five is two-time defending ANNIKA Invitational champion, Bethany Wu of Diamond Bar, California, at No. 4 in the Polo Golf Rankings, and her future college rival, USC verbal commit Amy Lee at No. 5.
A course to match
The AJGA makes its first trip to The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, located just outside San Diego. With members like Phil Mickelson, Tom Lehman and Annika Sorenstam, The Farms Golf Club is known for attracting some of the best golfers in the world. Designed by the Dye family, the par-72 course utilizes the natural contours of the coastal landscape to create a challenging, scenic experience for golfers.