Confident Teske returns

By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
VIENNA -- Defending Giant Eagle LPGA Classic champion Rachel Teske is glad to be back in the Mahoning Valley.
Teske, from Queensland, Australia, won last year's tournament by beating Annika Sorenstam, Lorie Kane and Jennifer Rosales in a three-hole sudden-death playoff at Squaw Creek Country Club.
She went on to win the Wegmans Rochester LPGA title the very next week.
"Last year was something else," Teske said Wednesday. "It wasn't that it was that tough, but really more exciting than anything.
"I feel like when I play well and have that confidence to make putts or to hit shots I have to, then it is exciting and all those things will be easier to do," Teske said. "It was nice to start off here and I got a lot of great support from the local people, and to follow up with Rochester was something else. That's always been one of my favorite events too.
"I've been hitting it pretty well mostly all year and been really happy with that," she said. "My putting has been a little bit off and on, but I really feel like it's coming along. I'm happy with where my game is right now."
The field
Teske doesn't look at this year's Giant Eagle field as a weak one.
"I think any week that we play now there is such great depth on our tour that anyone can really win and this week is no exception," Teske said. "But you know, you still have Natalie Gulbis, Pat Hurst and still a great pool of talent this week and that's something exciting for the tournament as well."
Teske said that exciting finishes like last year tend to make a player play better.
"I think it really does," Teske said. "Not only are you excited about the way you are playing yourself, but it adds a little more atmosphere to the event."
Teske doesn't know why she's been so successful in playoffs, with a 4-1 record.
"When I'm playing well and in contention for a tournament, when it comes down to the last few holes, I have a lot of confidence in my game," she said.
Renovation
Teske said that she really liked the changes that were made this year to the Squaw Creek clubhouse.
"When you come to an event and see improvements, it is exciting that the people involved have an interest and want to make things better," Teske said.
Teske likes Squaw Creek Country Club and feels that it fits her game.
"I like that there is a big mixture of holes -- you have some straight away, some you have to work the ball off the tee," she said. "It has a lot of pretty holes; it's nice to have defined fairways, tree-lined fairways. It has a lot of character and a nice style to it."
mollica@vindy.com