Tournament Field Announced For 2016 ANA Inspiration
RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA, March 23, 2016 – Defending champion
Brittany Lincicome will headline a field of the LPGA’s biggest stars at
the 45th annual ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club next
week. The LPGA’s most iconic major championship will feature 110 of the
world’s best golfers, including the top 15 players on the Rolex Women’s
World Golf Rankings.
Last year, Lincicome made eagle on the 72nd hole to force a playoff
with Stacy Lewis before winning with a par on the third hole of sudden
death. It was the second major championship win and second ANA
Inspiration win for the Florida native, who made her first leap into
Poppie’s Pond in 2009.
“The course sets up perfectly for me and I can’t wait to get back and
relive some many special memories,” said Lincicome. “Even if I had
never won the ANA Inspiration, this tournament would be special to me. I
can say it’s my favorite championship we play. For me, it’s the
spiritual home for the LPGA and has so much history and now I’m part of
the history.”
Commitments to the ANA Inspiration field are closed, however the
field remains preliminary and subject to change based on the LPGA
Official Money List at the conclusion of the Kia Classic.
Lincicome and Lewis (2011) are two of nine past champions of the
event returning to Rancho Mirage with their eyes on the Dinah Shore
trophy and traditional Imabari champion’s robe. Other past winners in
the field at Mission Hills include World No. 3 Lexi Thompson (2014),
World No. 2 Inbee Park (2013), Sun-Young Yoo (2012), Yani Tseng (2010),
Morgan Pressel (2007), Karrie Webb (2000, 2006), 2015 and 2017 U.S.
Women’s Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster (1984, 1989) and Amy Alcott
(1983, 1988, 1991), the first to leap into Poppie’s Pond.
World No. 1 and 2015 Rolex Player of the Year Lydia Ko will make her
fourth appearance at the ANA Inspiration with her sights set on winning a
second-consecutive major championship. Last September, Ko became the
youngest major winner in LPGA Tour history at the Evian Championship,
where she carded a final-round 63.
2015 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Sei Young Kim will return
to the ANA Inspiration this year after holding the 54-hole lead in 2015,
before tying for fourth. Last week, she won the JTBC Founders Cup and
tied the LPGA Tour record held by Annika Sorenstam for lowest four-round
total in relation to par at 27-under.
“ANA first supported this historic tournament last year and we felt
it couldn’t have gone any better. In Brittany we had a champion to be
proud of. Players and all connected with the event felt the championship
had experienced an upgrade whilst the tournament’s fine traditions were
upheld,” said Hideki Kunugi, Senior Vice President of the Americas, All
Nippon Airways. “This year we’re even more excited by what lies ahead
with new traditions starting and a tournament line-up that now includes
the ANA Junior Inspiration and the ANA Inspiring Women in Sport
Conference for the first time.
“With these new initiatives as part of one of the most iconic golf
events in the world and the starting point of major golf in 2016, an
Olympic year, we believe the game has the potential to reach new
heights. We’re absolutely thrilled that the best players in the world
will start on their own inspired journey for major success at the ANA
Inspiration.”
Other top-ranked players in the field at the ANA Inspiration include
World No. 6 Ha Na Jang, winner of the Coates Golf Championship and HSBC
Women’s Champions this season; Canadian star and World No. 8 Brooke
Henderson, who tied for 26th as an amateur in 2014; and Cristie Kerr,
the all-time leading American money winner in LPGA history.
Six amateurs have accepted invitations to play in the ANA
Inspiration, including 2015 U.S. Amateur Championship winner Hannah
O’Sullivan, Sierra Brooks, Karen Chung, Bronte Law, Leona Maguire and
Albane Valenzuela.
The newly named ANA Junior Inspiration will tee off on Monday, March
28 with the winner receiving the final amateur exemption into the
tournament field. This year, with the assistance of the Southern
California Golf Association (SCGA), title sponsor ANA worked to expand
invitations for the Junior Inspiration field to amateurs in key gateway
cities for the airline.
The world’s best golfers will not be the only champion female
athletes at this year’s ANA Inspiration, as Missy Franklin, Jessica
Long, Julie Foudy, Lindsey Vonn, Abby Wambach and Kristie Yamaguchi will
headline the first-ever ANA Inspiring Women in Sports Conference,
slated for Tuesday, March 29 at Mission Hills Country Club.
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