#10 Angela Stanford will face #28 Sun Young Yoo in the finals of the Sybase Match Play Championship.

Click Here for the Complete Bracket
Click Here for the Semifinal Scorecards

WIN FREE TOURNAMENT MERCHANDISE AND AUTOGRAPHED HATS!!! Be the first person to meet our Tournament volunteer Bill around the first tee on Sunday for the beginning of the final round at approximately 1:00 p.m. on the 1st tee  and win a free autographed Jiyai Shin hat. Look for his pink Hawaiian shirt!

The best female golfer in the world defeated fan favorite Michelle Wie on the 17th hole winning 2&1 during the quarterfinals of the Sybase Match Play Championship. Shin will take on Sun Young Yoo who defeated Yani Tseng in the quarterfinals. The match will tee off at 8:08 a.m. off of Tee #1.

To read full transcript > click here

Amy Yang defeated Haeji Kang today in the quarterfinals of the Sybase Match Play Championship by outlasting Kang on hole 18 to go 1-up. Yang will take on Angela Stanford tomorrow morning in the semifinals teeing off at 8:00 a.m. on the 1st tee.

"I can't wait to play tomorrow," said Yang.

For the full transcript > Click Here

Tune in tomorrow as Golf Channel coverage begins for the semifinal and final rounds of the Sybase Match Play Championship. Coverage begins live from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. EST.

Unable to come to the course? Away from the television? Text ALERT to 792273 ("Sybase") to receive SMS alerts on important Tournament information and match results.

Spectators and fans were not limited to watching the world’s best players deliver exciting match-play golf this week at the Sybase Match Play Championship. Junior players had the opportunity to learn from professional instructors tunning up their game on Saturday. Hosted by MGA Metlife, the clinic saw about 75 youth players come out ranging in ages from 6 to 16. Several youth golf groups including 1st Tee and LPGA Girls Golf, brought members out for the day.

LPGA professionals, Christina Kim, Beatriz Recari, and Azahara Munoz, stopped by before the start to lend some encouraging words to the young players. Director of Instruction at The Golf Zone in Flanders, NJ, Gary Danback, applauded the young players for their attentiveness. “They listened, they did what we asked and they had a good time and picked up some pointers.”

The clinic was broken up into three stations: the driving range, the chipping area, and the putting green. Nine small groups received tips from instruction professionals throughout the two-hour clinic. Mark Harrel of Clinton Twp., NJ, took in some tips, particularly on the practice green. “I have to keep my weight forward more when I’m chipping so that I can get more accurate.” Harrel was one of two raffle winners at the clinic that landed him two Yankees tickets in which his father said ‘are pretty good seats too.’

Clinic attendee, Bradley Robinson of Jersey City, says his dad got him involved in golf at the age of six. Robinson, now fourteen, recently made his local travel team. He realizes the dedication required to excel at the sport and said that clinics like these help him. A true student of the game, he said, “Well I watch Golf Fix, I just follow that every night and that helps me a lot.”

With plenty of beginners on hand, Danback stresses the most important part of the game to new players. “Having fun, you want them to have fun. And then we’ll sneak in some things we’ll say ‘each time you start out to swing you get into the letter Y. And then we’ll say ‘feet together!’ or ‘small step left or small step right, bend from your waist!’ ”

Three-year amateur Dominique Wilcher of Irvington, NJ was notified about the clinic at the last minute, but couldn’t wait to attend. “I’m with Essex County First Tee and our coordinator, coach Chaz Moses, he told me about it today. And I said sure I’ll come!” Wilcher spoke about how clinics like this one is beneficial to young players.

“I think it helps kids to know more tools of how to play the game of golf, the different areas. There’s long game, there’s short game, there’s putting. And it also helps them to see other people playing golf and loving it, and then they’re just like, ‘oh cool!’ It gives them better insight.”

The setup not only allows the amateur golfers to have the opportunity to learn, but to actually play where the best players in the world swing their clubs. When asked how great it was to tee off where the pros practiced, Wilcher responded, “I know! That’s pretty cool, right?”

Written by Meghan Flanagan

Times for the semifinals of the Sybase Match Play Championship are now set. The Stanford vs. Yang match-up begins at 8:00 a.m. and the Shin vs. Yoo match-up tees off at 8:08 a.m.

Click Here for Full Bracket
Click Here for Quarterfinal Results

Angela Stanford beat Scotland's Catriona Matthew this afternoon in the quarterfinals 5&3 to advance to the semifinals of the Sybase Match Play Championship. Standford will take on Amy Yang who outlasted Haeji Kang through 18 holes winning 1-up.

"It's awesome to have Sybase on our schedule because you know it's going to be a first-class event," said Stanford. "This golf course is immaculate... they've done a great job."

To read the full transcript > click here

Sun Young Yoo defeated Yani Tseng during the quarterfinals of the Sybase Match Play Championship to advance on to the semifinals where she will face the world's best female golfer Jiyai Shin.

"I played really good out there today," said Yoo. To read the full transcript > click here

To view the scorecard, click here.

12:51pm - #30 Yang vs. #61 Kang
12:59pm - #10 Stanford vs. #15 Matthew
1:07pm - $4 Tseng vs. #28 Yoo
1:15pm - #1 Shin vs. #8 Wie

Click here for the Full Bracket
Click here for Third Round Results

Michelle Wie defeats Karine Icher today during the morning's second round by using six birdies to Icher's three. Wie will advance on to face the world's best female golfer, Jiyai Shin.

"I grinded out there today," said Wie. "I had a couple missed shots... I'm proud of myself for grinding out there. You know I hit a couple of shots where I didn't want to hit it and I made a couple of putts which is good."

To read the full transcript > click here

In the sport of golf, some believe the ultimate advantage is to start at a young age. Developing the precise skills it takes to be successful early on has allowed many young players to push through to the professional ranks. Now how young is young? Take a look at 15-year-old Alexis Thompson who will turn pro in June.

Many see these early jumps to the pros as disasters in the making, but many players claim that it’s completely situational and a personal choice. Morgan Pressel, who selected the Tour over college, backs up her decision. “It was the right decision for me. But everybody's different. And I played in, you know, plenty of LPGA events beforehand, some sponsors exemptions, won the Women's Am, and I felt that I was ready and that writing essays on English literature wasn't going to help me in my career.”

On the other side, there are those players who opt for developing their game in the college circuit and stay the four years of what many say are the best years of their life. Rookie Tour player, Amanda Blumenherst, supports the idea of staying in school.  “I can show girls the benefit of going to school, that it isn't a waste of time or that it isn't -- you know, you aren't losing money because you're going to college, it's an amazing experience and something that everyone I believe should do.” She graduated from Duke in 2009 with a degree in history and was a four-time USGA National Player of the Year.

Blumenherst cherishes the fact that she held onto her childhood and couldn’t imagine turning pro at 15. “I just couldn't imagine; I could not imagine turning pro at 15… You know, that's also a lot of your childhood that you're missing. She's going to be missing prom probably and missing going to college.”

Michelle Wie, arguably the most notable young player on the Tour, turned pro a week shy of her 16th birthday in 2005. Ineligible to play at the college level, Wie appreciates the value of her education. “Getting my college degree is important as my golf. I always put education the same as my sport. Education is something that you should never give up just because you’re doing something else. Getting a college degree is extremely important and I value that highly. So walking down the isle getting my diploma is going to be amazing.”

Wie attends Stanford University which runs on quarters and allows her to stay for two quarters out of the year from September to mid March. She realizes the advantage of attending school while playing professionally. “I also get to be my normal 20-year-old self and I do things that add balance to my life. It does create a lot more of a workload at times but it’s worth it and it adds so much more to my life.”

No matter how you look at it, the decision is a tough one. Whether they’re hitting the books or the links full time, fans can be pleased that the Tour has some very intelligent and promising young players ready to take over.

LPGA Tour professional Amy Yang defeated Morgan Pressel today during the morning's third round. Yang will face Haeji Kang in the afternoon's quarter finals.

"Everything was working good and I just tried to play against par," said Yang. "I just played safely and that really helped today."

Read the full transcript > click here

Photos from the second round of the Sybase Match Play Championship are now available. To view the photos, click here.

MGA MetLife is hosting a free junior clinic golf event tomorrow from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on the driving range at Hamilton Farm Golf. There is no pre-registration required, just show up!

Spectators and media are invited to check out the 2010 LPGA Front Row Experience presented by Michelob Ultra on the driving range of Hamilton Farm Golf Club tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals will be hosting free 10-minute lessons to the public to help sharpen their game. There is no pre-registration.

Pairings for the third round of the Sybase Match Play Championship are set. The first tee time begins at 7:00 a.m. with the last group teeing off at 7:56 a.m. The quarter finals will begin in the afternoon following the conclusion of the third round. 

Click Here for the Third Round Pairings
Click here for Second Round Results

Fan favorite Michelle Wie advances on to the third round by defeating Hee Young Park on the 14th hole carding six birdies to Park's one. "I was just focusing on my shots, hitting the fairway, greens, and trying to make some putts out there today. I just put pressure on myself to try to play the best I can and obviously I want to provide the best entertainment out there."

To see the full transcript > click here

The number one golf in the world outlasts Hee-Won Han on the 18th hole of the second round. Shin used four birdies to Han's two to advance on to the third round. "First time here and it's in great condition and I really love that," said Han. "The greens are so soft, so we can't hit aggressive shots every hole. I think really good course for the match play... I'm really happy playing here."

To read the full transcript > click here

When several cancer patients and survivors received a visit from LPGA players and Sybase Match Play Championship participants, Amanda Blumenherst and Sandra Gal, they naturally had two players to cheer for during this weeks’ event. After being asked on Tuesday whether she will root for her visitors, Anna excitedly responded, “Oh, yes! Of course!”  Anna and fellow cancer survivor Irene had the opportunity to support in person yesterday by walking  inside the ropes with Blumenherst as honored guests during her first round of play.

It was their first golf event for both honorees and they mentioned that the day came with ‘a lot of learning.’ When asked what they enjoyed most about the day, Hendricks talked about how close the ‘game’ was. She also showed up to Hamilton Farm in red high heels in which the golf shop staff helped to provide her with red golf shoes for the day. Afterwards, Hendricks said how she didn’t realize how much walking was involved. “I didn’t expect all that work!”

Walking 18 holes in the mid afternoon heat is no easy feat for anyone, and Blumenherst can attest to that. “Oh my gosh yeah, I couldn’t believe it. When they said they were going to walk inside the ropes, I’m like ‘oh like the first and last hole?’ And they said no all 18, I was like, ‘they’re going to walk all 18? Ok!’ One of them made the entire round, I was so impressed.” 

Ai Miyazato, the second best female golfer in the world falls to M.J. Hur today after carding only three birdies for the round. M.J. Hur will play Catriona Mathew tomorrow.

"I played really, really good out there," said Miyazato. "But she [M.J. Hur] got a good finish, so I think she deserves it."

To read the full Miyazato transcript > click here

LPGA Tour rookie Amanda Blumenherst started off the second round match with two birdies and never looked back overtaking veteran and Hall of Famer Karrie Webb. Blumenherst used 7 birdies to Webb's none to finish the match on hole #12.

"I always love starting with a birdie," said Blumenherst. "Just kind of gets the momentum going... I just hit every fairway... all the greens. It was just a very, very solid day of golf."

About hearing herself being considered in the quest for the next great American player: "I definitely hear about it and think it's absolutely a wonderful honor to be mentioned as maybe the next great American golf... I dream to, I aspire to, hopefully I'll be able to fulfill it someday."

To view the full transcript > click here

LPGA Tour professional Morgan Pressel defeated Sophie Gustafson today during the second round of the Sybase Match Play Championship. Pressel used six birdies to Gustafson's 5 to defeat her on the 19th hole of match-play competition. "She gave me a little bit of a gift on 13," said Pressel. "But then I went two down again on 14, so I was in a bit of a hole and managed to pull it out... it was crazy. It's exhausting to play that many holes... I was nervous. Tomorrow, no extra holes."

In response to a question from the media about the state of the LPGA - "Our biggest thing is to get people out and get the sponsors involved, because once the sponsor plays in the pro-am or once a little kid comes out to watch, they've got memories for a lifetime, and I was that little kid and it inspired me tremendously and I was a very big fan of the LPGA," said Pressel.

To read the full transcript, click here.

LPGA professionals and amateur golfers joined together today to compete in the Chairman’s Challenge, a two-person team par-3 competition held at Hamilton Farm Golf Club.  The Chairman’s Challenge paired 24 amateur guests with 24 LPGA professionals who were eliminated during yesterday’s first round.

LPGA Tour professional Angela Standford eagled Hole #4 today during her second round match-up against Pat Hurst.  Her win on Hole #4 put her at even against Hurst. Stanford used a 6-iron for the 152 yard eagle. Stanford is currently 1-up on Hurst on Hole #7.

LPGA Tour professional Amy Yang defeated veteran Juli Inkster today in the second round of the Sybase Match Play Championship. Yang carded sevean birdies out of 12 holes to win 7&6. Yang will take on will take on the winner of the Morgan Pressel and Sophie Gustafson match in the third round.

"I was quite nervouse about playing with Juli Inkster, she's a really, really good player, Hall of Famer," said Yang. "I just played against par, just trying not too aggressive, just playing safely."

To read the full transcript > click here

Text ALERT to 792273 ("Sybase") to receive SMS alerts on important Tournament information.

Wall Street Journal writer John Paul Newport caddied for LPGA Tour professional Christina Kim during Sybase Match Play Championship's Official Pro-Am on Wednesday. See Newton's article from the Wall Street Journal below:

I spent a couple of days this week in the hyperkinetic orbit of LPGA player Christina Kim, and I'm still worn out. At a book party in her honor Monday night in Manhattan, I heard her across the room before seeing her. "Hi, Honey!" she whooped, and came charging across the room with fingers wiggling high overhead to greet Michelle Wie, her fellow LPGA star. On Wednesday, when I caddied for her in the pro-am at the Sybase Match Play Championship in New Jersey, the happy talk and wise-cracking stopped only once or twice, after she hit a bad shot and stalked down the fairway cursing like a sailor.
It's worth noting, as always with Ms. Kim, what she was wearing: a low cut black sheath dress, spectacular jewelry and lacey, high-strapped, four-inch Rene Caovilla heels which must have cost at least $1,000 when she bought them in December in Dubai. "They've even got sparklies on the bottom," she told an admiring cluster as she demurely balanced on one shoe to show off the sole of the other. A few minutes earlier she had smashed a few 250-yard drives on the range at Chelsea Piers, just behind the party room, wearing said impossible heels.

The title of Ms. Kim's book, appropriately enough, is "Swinging From My Heels: Confessions of an LPGA Star." Written with Sports Illustrated's Alan Shipnuck and structured as an account of her 2009 season, it's just the kind of saucy tell-all you'd expect from perhaps the Tour's most flamboyant personality. Among the controversial topics she choses not to avoid are the influx of South Koreans on the LPGA Tour (Ms. Kim herself is Korean-American), lesbianism (by her reckoning, the percentage of gay players on the Tour is roughly the same as in the general population, about 10%) and how the economic crunch led to the ouster last summer of LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens (Ms. Kim was on the Tour's Board of Directors during the putsch). Readers will find at least one sexual double-entendre or irreverent laugh-line per page of text. Example: "When it comes to equipment, I am a total slut. I've never signed an exclusive deal with any manufacturer because I want to be able to spread it around to different companies."

But behind the breezy, high-octane prose lies a surprisingly affecting story of a 25-year-old girl ("girl" is the word she uses most often to describe herself and the other LPGA players) desperately seeking her identity, not to mention a boyfriend. And that deeper vulnerability came through in personWednesday, too. "The only place I really feel at home these days is at a Marriott," she told me as we marched up a fairway.
Ms. Kim is very bright and very quick. When I accidentally left a towel behind on a tee box, she noticed instantly, seemingly from eyes in the back of her head. "I'm part Ninja," she explained. And she never missed an opportunity to playfully misinterpret remarks by her partners, frequently with the addendum "That's what she said." Her pro-am ate it up, especially since she was also attentive to their games. "Somewhere between those two," she said more than once after the first amateur sliced and the second hooked.

Ms. Kim was a straight-A student growing up in San Jose, California, but decided at 16 to drop out of high school to devote herself to golf. Her father, a South Korean immigrant, first put a golf club in her hand when she was 11 and directed her to swing as hard as she could 500 times a day. Dutifully she did so, in the backyard. After several weeks of this she finally got to hit an actual golf ball at a range. At 17 she shot 62 in qualifying for the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship. At 18 she turned pro and has since won $3.5 million on the LPGA Tour, with two victories.

Her game was not at its best on Wednesday. "I'm here for entertainment value only. In pro-ams I usually play to a six handicap," she said. Her driving was superb. "I love my driver. But my putting—that's the eternal quest. That's my White Whale," she said. A couple of months ago she starting putting cross-handed for the first time, with the right hand lower on the grip than the left. "So far it's helped me lip out putts that I used to miss entirely," she said.

Although Ms. Kim plays at a high level, the putting swoons, late-round blow-ups and weeks-long lapses of confidence that she details in her book are familiar to golfers everywhere, but in her case are linked to off-the-course turmoil. Shortly before the book-year began, she broke up with her boyfriend of more than two years, a non-Korean caddy of whom her parents disapproved. She also cycled through caddies, clubs and confusing body image issues. By the end of the year, with great effort, she had lost 40 pounds. "It was the year I grew up," she said.

But it's hard to know whether that process is complete, if it ever is for anyone. This year she continues to plow through caddies, and was dealt a blow two weeks ago by the still-unexplained death of her Tour pro friend and fellow 25-year-old Californian Erica Blasberg. "I've known her half my life," she said in the 18th fairway, moved to tears. "I should have called her more, I could have done more."
The hardest part of the book to write, she told me, was the section about Koreans. "It's such a weighted topic," she said. Since Ms. Kim understands Korean fairly well and speaks a little, some American players consider her a liaison to the 45-woman contingent from South Korea. "But the Koreans, they don't really know what to make of me," she said. "I'm loud, I'm not thin and I say what I think. I've got a bunch of good friends among the Koreans, but it's complicated."

Part of the problem, she said, is that several years ago she became a devisive figure in South Korea after praising American speed-skater Apollo Ohno as a sexy male athlete. Mr. Ohno, it turns out, is a persona non grata in South Korea because his gold medal at the 2002 Olympics was awarded only after the South Korean skater who crossed the finish line in front of him was disqualified—unfairly and because of Mr. Ohno, most South Koreans think. The negative press about Ms. Kim in South Korea has, if anything, become stronger in recent years, she said. Last year she sued a leading South Korean newspaper for defamation.
All of which makes establishing her own identity even more difficult. She remains close to her parents. Last year she bought them a shiny new Mercedes-Benz and shares a house with them in Orlando. Florida. "My parents came to this country because they wanted the best possible life for me and my siblings. They want me to be who I am, and that's why I speak out. Writing the book, getting my life down on paper, that's the American side of the Korean-American thing. It has been incredibly liberating," she said.

Thus far, however, it hasn't helped her putting much. And she washed out of the Sybase Thursday, losing her first match to Jee Young Lee of South Korea. View the article here.

NY Times writer Bill Pennington caddied for LPGA Tour professional Brittany Lincicome who finished T2 at last week's Bell Micro Classic.  Pennington assisted Lincicome during Wednesday's Official Pro-Am. See Pennington's article from the NY Times below:

GLADSTONE, N.J. — Caddying for the L.P.G.A. star Brittany Lincicome on Wednesday, I suddenly felt nervous and jumpy near the 14th green, as if the responsibility of the job had finally hit me.

It wasn’t about choosing the right club to hit or helping read a worrisome birdie putt.

No, I was certain I had lost two of Lincicome’s club head covers. Oh, and when she asked for the golf ball she had just handed me to clean, at that particular moment I could not find that, either.

As you might have surmised, caddying is harder than it looks, especially when it is for a top pro who:

a) hits the ball 285 yards (hard to see that far);

b) hits shots precise yardages and requires accurate preshot distance calculations (so much math);

c) putts perfectly straight but wants a seasoned eye to point the safe path through every green’s hills and swales (who am I, Sacagawea?);

d) expects you not to lose her stuff, most especially her golf ball seconds after marking it and placing it in your palm (caddie jumpsuits have too many pockets).

The idea was for me to caddie for Lincicome in the pro-am tournament of this week’s Sybase Match Play Championship at the Hamilton Farm Golf Club to get a better sense of what caddies actually do, and to have an insider’s view of the imperative partnership between golfer and caddie during those tense moments of competition.

Take, for example, this moment Wednesday that had me rummaging through Lincicome’s golf bag trying to ascertain just what she needed as we contemplated par from the contoured fairway of the devilish 11th hole. I pondered the options, then handed over my best choice.

“No, not that one,” she said. “The one next to it.”

“This?” I said. “But that’s what I gave you on the sixth hole.”

“I like the crunchy nut bars,” Lincicome said.

In all seriousness, although truthfully a pro-am is not all seriousness, being a caddie is a hard, demanding job. First of all, a tour pro’s bag is heavy, laden with balls, clubs, towels, notebooks, tools, rain clothes and, yes, snacks. It is wide and bulky to make room for sponsors’ logos. It might weigh 35 pounds. For the first few holes, that weighs on your shoulder. By the 10th, it weighs on your back because your shoulder is numb.

Making things much worse is that the golfers walk fast — they are young and in shape — and you are usually expected to get to the ball, wherever it is, about when they do. You must do this even though you might have to first chase after a divot, grab it and replace it, then clean the club the player just hit with a wet towel, put the club away and lift the bag to your shoulder, again.

The routine never changes: comment on shot (“Nice ball”), get divot, clean club, chase everyone down the fairway. When you catch up at the ball, you have to pull out the course’s yardage book, which has annotations, markings and drawings that resemble Egyptian hieroglyphics. In a matter of seconds, you find a nearby sprinkler head or edge of a bunker, which, according to the book, is, let’s say, 125 yards from the front of the green. You march off how many yards your player’s ball is from this landmark. Let’s say in this case it is five yards farther from the green.

Then you consult your pin-placement page, which shows where the hole has been placed on all 18 greens. You find the appropriate green and see that the hole is six yards from the front of the green. Then you check the personal caddie notes you would have made two or three days earlier while walking the course with a range finder and see that shots to this particular green will play three yards farther because the green is elevated above the fairway. At this point, you might also factor in wind (no charts for that, just an experienced estimate).

Anyway, at that point, you declare to the player: “It’s 136 yards playing uphill, so the number is 139.”

And don’t forget that number.

I recall doing this Wednesday on one hole for the 24-year-old Lincicome. A few minutes passed as her pro-am partners hit their shots. When it was her turn, she stood over her ball, then hesitated.

“What was the number again, Bill?” she said.

I had completely forgotten — there had been so many numbers already. And did I tell you my shoulder was numb?

Lincicome, who could not be more polite and pleasant, waited as the number was calculated again.

To read the full article, click here.

Some grounds crews in sports claim that they have a tough job. Whether it be covering a baseball diamond in a rain storm or smoothing the ice in a rink, no other crew in professional sports has the daunting task of facility management like a country club maintenance staff. With over 600 acres of land to tend to, the Hamilton Farm Country Club crew needs eyes and hands on not only the championship Highlands Course but also the only USGA rated par 3 course in the country, the Hickory Course.

This battle of the rookies is a match to watch.  Both players scored upsets in round one.  Beatriz Recari, playing on a sponsor’s invitation, eliminated three-time LPGA tour winner Brittany Lincicome, while Azahara Munoz sent last week’s winner and LPGA Hall of Fame member Se Ri Pak home early.  Munoz is currently second in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race behind Amanda Blumenherst. Munoz has made three cuts this year to Recari’s one.  Munoz is also 14th in scoring and fourth in greens in regulation.

The rookies tee off at 12:30 p.m. off of Tee #1.

Results from Wednesday's Official Pro-Am are now available.

This should be one of the premier matches of the day.  Amanda Blumenherst put an exclamation point on her win yesterday over Stacy Lewis by making eagle on the reachable par-5 18th.  She finished 2nd at the Mojo 6 earlier this year, but will face one of the tournament’s fiercest competitors in the second round.  Rolex Rankings No. 7 and LPGA Hall of Fame member Karrie Webb has 36 LPGA victories.  Blumenherst currently lead the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race.

Webb & Blumenherst will tee off at 11:40 a.m. off of Tee #1.

Rolex Rankings No. 2 Ai Miyazato will play second-year player M.J. Hur in the second round.  Miyazato, who was the runner-up at the 2007 HSBC Match Play Championship, has won three of the six LPGA events this year. She is vying for the No. 1 position in the world.  She leads Hur in almost every statistical category, except, surprisingly, putting.  Hur is T14 in putting average and T15 in greens in regulation putting average. Miyazato ranks 27th and T100 respectively.

Miyazato and Hur tee off of on Hole #1 at 11:20 a.m.

Sandra Gal barely held on to defeat Katherine Hull in the first-round after having a 4-up lead through ten holes. Haeji Kang posted an upset against Rolex Rankings No. 11 In-Kyung Kim. Gal has played very well in 2010, making five of six cuts.  Kang’s best finish so far this year is a T26. This match could go either way.  Kang should be feeling confident after upsetting Kim, and one can only wonder how much Hull’s back-nine rally took out of Gal.

Gal and Kang tee off in the third match-up at 10:50 a.m. off the first tee.

LPGA Tour Professional Amy Yang, who battled back from a 3-down deficit against Michele Redman, will take on LPGA Hall of Fame member Juli Inkster in the second round.  In the first round, Inkster took Rolex Rankings No. 3 Suzann Pettersen to the 21st hole before finally clinching the match. Inkster is one of the greatest match-play competitors of all-time. She has a 6-1-1 Solheim Cup singles record.  Yang is a talented young player with three top-14 finishes in 2010.  Inkster has 29 years of experience over Yang.  Inkster is 49 years old, Yang is 20.

Inkster & Yang will be the second to tee off during the second round at 10:40 a.m. off of Tee #1.

LPGA Tour professional Morgan Pressel will take on the longer hitting Sophie Gustafson in the second round.  Pressel proved herself yesterday by making birdies on 17 and 18 to come back and defeat Jimin Kang. Gustafson easily handled Na On Min averaging 261.6 yards off the tee. Pressel averages 242.1 yards.  Statistically, Pressel holds the advantage in putting, ranking 6th in putting average to Gustafson’s T99 although Gustafson has a good history at Hamilton Farm Golf Club.  She advanced to the quarter finals of the HSBC Match Play contest at Hamilton Farm in 2005 and 2006. Pressel has the experience with match-play after winning numerous amateur match-play tournaments, including the 2005 U.S. Amateur.

Pressel & Gustafson will kick off second round play today, teeing off at 10:30 a.m. off of Hole #1.

Photos from the first round of the Sybase Match Play Championship are now available. Click here to view.

Second rounds matches for the Sybase Match Play Championship are set for Friday, May 21st.  The first group will tee off at 10:30 a.m. from tee #1 at Hamilton Farm Golf Club.

Click Here to View the Matches
Click Here to Read More on the Match-Ups
Click Here for First Round Results

There is no denying the amount of preparation and work that is needed to make a professional golf event run smoothly. When asked about how much volunteer assistance is needed to help run an event, volunteer Lisa Monti, answered with wide eyes, “there’s a lot that goes into it.”

Volunteering for her fourth year at an LPGA Tour event, the Montclair, NJ, native listed several positions from transportation services to walking scorers. Monti recognized the importance of volunteers to an event like the Sybase Match Play. “Octagon does all the behind the scenes as far as recruiting the volunteers, then you get here and the volunteers are pretty much the backbone of what goes on.”

The tournament has over 400 volunteers on staff for the week, and they do not leave unappreciated. Gloria Serleto of Mt. Arlington, NJ, welcomes the perks that come with volunteering at an LPGA event. “It was nice that they included tickets for the tournament just for volunteering, for our family and friends. You didn’t get that at the Open (laughs). Serleto credits her husband for getting her involved in volunteering after he suggested that she and a friend work the PGA’s U.S. Open. “I did the U.S. Open out in Southampton, NY in 1995 at Shinnecock. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see the beautiful country and these beautiful golf courses.”

Serleto and friend Cathy Weeks of Hamburg, NJ were serving as media runners for the day. Their responsibilities include transporting players and caddies back to media headquarters after rounds for interviews as well as checking in members of the media and distributing credentials. “I’m excited to get out there and bring them back and meet them, it should be fun,” said Weeks.

Not only do volunteers get the opportunity for a closer look at the pros, they also get to visit the pristine grounds of Hamilton Farm Country Club. “The course is exquisite. The greens and the way they have kept this course are magnificent. Their fairways look like the average greens on some other courses,” said Serleto. When asked how the venue compares to her other volunteer sites, she responded, “Certainly Shinnecock is a beautiful course but this is magnificent.” 

Monti could not have agreed more. “It’s gorgeous, it’s a gorgeous club. I even like the country road you drive down, I think that’s pretty cool.

The volunteers can be accredited for taking on a big work load, but they realize that their jobs are easier from the preparation and attention to detail by the event’s sponsors. “The way Sybase runs it, it’s excellent” says Serleto. As she looked down at her volunteer polo shirt she was pleased that they provided a female friendly style. “They did a nice job with the ladies’ shirts. They put a little nice touch here.”

Written By Meghan Flanagan

LPGA Tour fan favorite Michelle Wie defeated Stacy Prammanasudh on the 18th hole at Hamilton Farm Golf Club during the first round of the Sybase Match Play Championship by 2 holes. Wie will play Hee Young Park tomorrow during the second round. The match-up will begin Friday at 1:00 p.m. off of Hole #1.

"It was a fight," said Wie. "She played extremely well... and fortunately enough I can play tomorrow, so I'm happy about that."

To read the full transcript, click here

LPGA Tour professional Morgan Pressel defeated Jimin Kang today on the second hole playoff during the first round of the Sybase Match Play Championship. Pressel carded six birdies out of 20 holes. Pressel will take on Sophie Gustafson who defeated higher seeded Na On Min in the first round. The match-up will begin Friday at 10:30 a.m. off the 1st Tee.

"Yeah, it was a little more work than I wanted to have today, but I felt like I played well," said Pressel. "I think the course is great.. I'm impressed with the way the course has dried out... I'm sure it looks beautiful on TV because it's very green."

Read the full transcript > click here

LPGA Tour professional Sophie Gustafson beats Na On Min in her first round match-up through 14 holes. Gustafson birdies six of the 14 holes and will advance on to play the winner of the Anna Nordqvist and Shi Hyun Ahn match-up. Nordqvist and Ahn match currently tied through 9 holes.

When asked how Hamilton Farm compares to other courses she said, “I think it’s very well managed. It’s a really nice course for us and the Tour. We’ll see how it plays this week in competition but I’m really looking forward to playing on it again.”

Photos from Wednesday's Official Pro-Am have been uploaded to the Tournament's photo gallery. Click here to view.

The tournament matches are now set for Thursday's first round. Many LPGA players took part in a blind draw at Hamilton Farm that determined the matches. The top 32 seeds randomly opened envelopes and unveiled their opponents to a crowd of media, players and guests.

Click here for the Full Bracket
Click here for the Time Schedule  
Click here for Photos

NY Giants football professional Justin Tuck is at Hamilton Farm Golf Club today to participate in the Sybase Match Play Championship's Official Pro-am. Tuck is paired with LPGA Tour rookie Azahara Munoz.  Tuck's foursome teed off this morning at 9:10 a.m. off of Tee#10.

Tuck is preparing for his second annual Tuck's Celebrity Billiards event benefiting Tuck's R.U.S.H. for literacy program on June 3, 2010 at Slate NYC.

LPGA players and Sybase Match Play Championship participants, Amanda Blumenherst and Sandra Gal, had the opportunity to visit the Somerset Medical Center's Steeplechase Cancer Center on Tuesday morning. The $28 million outpatient center, located in Somerville, houses state-of-the art technology within a newly built treatment facility. Click here for photos

Michelle Wie sat down with Tournament officials today to discuss her return to Hamilton Farm Golf Club and the new match-play format. Click here to read the story.

Pairings for the Tournament's Official Pro-Am on Wednesday, May 19th have been released. Click Here

Notable Pairings Include:
Morning Tee Times
7:00 am (Tee #1) - Michelle Wie
7:10 am (Tee #1) - Ai Miyazato - Three-time 2010 Champion 
7:20 am (Tee #1) - Morgan Pressel - 2009 Solheim Cup participant
7:20 am (Tee #10) - Christina Kim - 2009 Solheim Cup participant
7:30 am (Tee #1) - Natalie Gulbis - 2009 Solheim Cup participant
7:30 am (Tee #10) - Brittany Lincicome - T2 at 2010 Bell Micro
7:40 am (Tee #1) - Suzann Petterson - T2 at 2010 Bell Micro Classic
7:40 am (Tee #10) - Juli Inkster - 31 LPGA Tour Career Victories
8:40 am (Tee #1) - Yani Tseng - 2010 Kraft Nabisco Champion
9:00 am (Tee #1) - Cristie Kerr - 12 LPGA Tour Career Victories

Afternoon Tee Times
12:00 pm (Tee #1) - Jiyai Shin - 2009 LPGA Rookie of the Year
12:50 pm (Tee #1) - Song Hee Kim - #4 on 2010 Official Money List
1:10 pm (Tee #10) - Se Ri Pak - 2010 Bell Micro Classic Champion

LPGA Tour professional Christina Kim will emcee tomorrow's Professional Pairings Party at 3 p.m. in the Hamilton Farm Clubhouse. Christina Kim will join the top-32 LPGA professionals as they draw their first round match play opponents. LPGA professionals, tournament staff, media representatives and LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan will also be in attendance. Stay tuned tomorrow evening for Thursday's First Round Pairings.

LPGA Tour professional Michelle Wie will sit down with Tournament officials and media representatives in the media center tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Hamilton Farm Golf Club.  Wie will speak on the state of her game, course conditions and her expectations for the week. Video from the interview will be posted to the Tournament website after 5 p.m. under the video tab.

Most fans attending the 2010 Sybase Match Play Championship at Hamilton Farm Golf Club will only see what happens on the links Thursday through Sunday, but there is a lot more going on behind the scenes before, during and after the Tournament to ensure that things run smoothly. Here is a look at what it takes to keep the 2010 Sybase Match Play Championship up and running... by the numbers.

8 Electronic Scoreboards

14 golf clubs allowed in each player's bag

With 64 players that's 896 clubs on the course during ONE round

20 phone lines for Tournament officials & media

40 on-course restrooms

64 golfers playing in round one

80 total golf carts

95 radios to keep Tournament officials, volunteers and staff in touch

200 linear feet of tee fences

288 boxes of Titleist range balls (that's 3,456 golf balls!)

1,200 stakes & 50,000 feet of rope to designate spectator & hazard areas

The field of 64 for the Sybase Match Play Championship is final with the conclusion of this weekend's Bell Micro Classic. Rookie Amanda Blumenherst and veteran Grace Park are among the group that earned the final spots. Rookie Beatriz Recari and veteran Laura Diaz received sponsor exemptions. Pictured are #1 Ranked Jiyai Shin and Spanish rookie Beatriz Recari.

Click Here for the full field.

Hamilton Farm Golf Club's Superintendent Patrick Husby sat down with Tournament officials for a quick interview about his responsibilities, advice for LPGA players playing the course and tips for maintaining residents' lawn.
Click Here to Read the Interview

Proceeds raised from this year's Sybase Match Play Championship will be donated to Somerset Medical Center (SMC), the only hospital located in Somerville, NJ. Somerset Medical Center is a 355-bed nonprofit teaching hospital that serves residents and employees of central New Jersey by promoting wellness and improving health. Somerset Medical Center recently undertook an extensive $100 million expansion and modernization project that included a new 40,000-square-foot Emergency Department, two hotel-caliber pavilions for oncology and surgical services, and seven additional operating suites.  SMC has a 650 board-certified staff of physicians representing all major medical, dental and surgical specialities.  Somerset Medical Center is a recent recipient of HealthGrades 2010 Joint Replacement Excellence Award, ranking among the top 10% of hospitals nationwide in joint replacement surgery. To learn more about Somerset Medical Center, please visit www.somersetmedicalcenter.com.

The Rolex Rankings are the first comprehensive world rankings for women's golf. The Rolex Rankings are sanctioned by the five major women's professional golf Tours: Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA); Ladies European Tour (LET); Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan (JLPGA); Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA); and the Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG), as well as the Ladies' Golf Union (LGU), which administers the RICOH Women's British Open. 

Click here for the official Rolex Rankings website.

The LPGA Tour has launched an all new website for new LPGA products. Check it out and get merchandise from the winning 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup team, or just support the longest-running women's professional organization with some logoed apparel.