PETE MOLLICA | Golf Rising stars to take spotlight

In 1990, the first year the LPGA Tour came to the Mahoning Valley, Nancy Lopez, Patty Sheehan, Betsy King, Pat Bradley and Beth Daniel were the big names.
Lopez, Sheehan and Bradley have retired from active competition. King is winding down her career and Daniel, well heck, nobody really cares what's she's doing anyway.
When the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic comes to Squaw Creek Country Club on July 12-18, none of the above mentioned will be in the field.
The No. 1 player in women's golf, Annika Sorenstam, also won't be in the field. Last year, Sorenstam finished deadlocked for first place before losing to Rachel Teske on the third sudden-death playoff hole.
Does that make this year's tournament field a weak one? Not really. It may not have the big names, but it will include some of the hottest young players on tour.
Defending champion
Teske will be back to defend her title, something that might not have been assured if Sorenstam had made one putt on the tournament's final nine holes last year.
"She's been known not to come back to defend a title, if she so feels like it," Giant Eagle tournament director Eddie Thomas said about Sorenstam. "There's no guarantee if she wins that she'll be back."
Sorenstam has only been in the Mahoning Valley twice in the 14 previous tournaments. In 1998, she finished ninth at Avalon Lakes and last year.
She probably wouldn't have been here last year if Thomas hadn't called in favors. She came late and didn't stay around long after the finish. She's a great player, but she'll never be another Nancy Lopez.
In fact, Lopez is such a great draw in the Valley that Thomas contemplated inviting her here just to play in the pro-am and sign autographs.
"I just would like to have her here in any capacity," he added.
But this year's field still has plenty of outstanding talent.
In addition to Teske, four other past champions have signed to play. They are 2002 champion My Hyun Kim, 1999 champion Jackie Gallagher-Smith and two-time champions Tammie Green (1994-97) and Michelle McGann (1995-96).
This year's field features eight-year veteran Cristie Kerr, who is enjoying her best season as a professional.
The Miami, Fla., native is one of just two multiple winners on the LPGA Tour this year. The other is Sorenstam.
Kerr won the LPGA Takefuji Classic in Las Vegas in April and last month won the ShopRite Classic in New Jersey. She is third on the LPGA money list with nearly $700,000.
Two other 2004 LPGA tournament winners are also in the field. They are Jennifer Rosales of Manila, Philippines, and Sherri Steinhauer of Madison, Wis.
Rosales, now in her fifth season on tour, won the Chick-fil-A Charity Classic in Stockbridge, Ga., in May and is No. 8 on this year's money list.
Steinhauer, a 19-year veteran on tour, posted her sixth career victory in May at the Sybase Classic in New Rochelle, N.Y. She is 11th on the money list.
The tournament will include 25 of the top 50 money winners. Four of the top nine candidates for player of the year will be here, including Kerr (3), Kim (6), rookie Shi Hyun Ahn (7) and Rosales (9).
In fact, fans will see 10 of the top candidates for rookie of the year honors.
Ahn leads the way, but she's being pushed hard by Aree Song, who failed to qualify for this event two years ago as an amateur.
Ahn, from Inchon, Korea, is No. 9 on the money list, while Song, a Bangkok, Thailand, native, is No. 11 on the list.
The field also includes fan favorites Liselotte Neumann, Pat Hurst, Natalie Gulbis, Kelly Robbins, Donna Andrews, Kelli Kuehne, Emilee Klein along with Parma native Barb Mucha.
Thomas said Middletown native Marianne Morris and Suzie Whaley have received sponsors exemptions to play in the event.
Tickets are available by calling the tournament office at (330) 565-LPGA or at Giant Eagle area stores.
mollica@vindy.com