Chick-fil-A Preview

As with every LPGA Tour event, there will be a lot of big names to watch at this week's Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez. LPGA Tour Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez, who became the event's official host following the 1999 event, welcomes a full field of 144 players to Eagle's Landing Country Club, April 28-30. It will be Lopez's first tournament since The Nabisco Championship one month ago, and she is joined by Australians Karrie Webb, a four-time winner this season, and defending champion Rachel Hetherington.

"Having my name associated with this tournament is a huge honor for me and a career highlight as well," said Lopez, a 48-time winner on the LPGA Tour. Her last victory came at the 1997 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship.

Webb, like Lopez, took a well-deserved break following her second career major championship victory at The Nabisco Championship. She will undoubtedly be a favorite among the strong field, which includes 49 of the top 50 players on the 2000 season money list. In her five starts this year, Webb has won four times and finished second once. She currently leads the Rolex Player of the Year standings, the Vare Trophy race and has earned $611,629, $331,976 more than the second-place position on the 2000 money list (Annika Sorenstam).

"Obviously, with the few weeks since The Nabisco Championship, players are going to be eager to play this week, and I'm one of those people looking forward to getting back out there," said Webb, who finished tied for third with Sorenstam at Eagle's Landing last year. "This month off was definitely a good break and a good chance for me to recharge my batteries and get back out on Tour, and hopefully be fresh for the whole summer. Eagle's Landing is in great shape and I'm looking forward to playing it again this year."

Fellow Aussie Hetherington hopes the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez will jumpstart her season the way it did last year. At the 1999 event, Hetherington defeated Lorie Kane on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff for her second LPGA win. Hetherington then won the very next week at the rain-shortened City of Hope Myrtle Beach Classic. The four-year LPGA Tour member, who turned 27 on Easter Sunday, has two top-10 finishes this season, including a fourth-place showing at the last LPGA event, the Longs Drugs Challenge.

In addition to Lopez, Webb, Sorenstam and Kane, other top players vying for the $135,000 first-place paycheck include Nancy Scranton, winner of the 2000 Subaru Memorial of Naples, and Betsy King, 2000 Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open champion. Five-time tournament winner Brandie Burton will use the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez as the starting point for a four-week tournament swing, the longest run for Burton since returning to play after reconstructive shoulder surgery in 1998. Burton, despite missing the entire 1999 season, has been a strong contender so far this year, finishing in the runner-up spot twice.

At last year's event, Sweden's Maria Hjorth fired a seven-under-par 65 to grab a one-stroke, opening-round lead over Kelly Robbins and Leslie Spalding. Hjorth and Spalding shared the second-round lead with Barb Mucha, Mi Hyun Kim and Hetherington at 134 (-10), one stroke ahead of Sherri Steinhauer and Kane.

During the final round, Hetherington took sole possession of the lead after three birdies on the first six holes. Disaster struck on the 10th when Hetherington double-bogeyed to let several other players back into contention. Kane finished the day at 12-under-par and waited while Hetherington played the final two holes, one-shot down. Hetherington birdied the 18th to force a playoff with Kane.

The two replayed the 18th hole, where the Australian had a 45-foot putt for eagle and two-putted for birdie. Kane three-putted for par and her sixth career runner-up finish. Kane has since taken that runner-up total to nine.

Jean Bartholomew, thanks in large part to a second-round 63, Webb and Sorenstam finished tied for third at 205 (-9). Rosie Jones, Robbins and Mucha finished tied for sixth at 206 (-8).