Twenty of the best female golfers in the world are hitting the links at Torrey Pines this week for the Samsung World Championship. The 29th annual event began on the South Course on Sept. 16 and will run until Sunday, Sept. 20. “Samsung is a wonderful event for us,” defending champion Paula Creamer said. “We view it as one of the top tournaments and one of our best tournaments that we play in.” The Samsung World Championship is a 72-hole stroke play tournament with no cuts and a purse of $1 million. It is the first LPGA Tour event in San Diego since 1993 and the first at Torrey Pines since the Inamori Classic in 1983. The field for the Samsung World Championship features 20 elite female golfers, including Creamer, three-time LPGA Player of the Year Lorena Ochoa, winners of each of this year’s major tournaments, the leading money winner from both the LGPA and Ladies European tours and the top money holders on this year’s tour. Creamer said the competition is what makes the tournament exciting. “You can’t get any better than that — that’s what you want to go against, that’s what you want to win against,” Creamer said of the field. A unique aspect of the Samsung World Championship is that it is not played at the same course each year. Last October, Creamer won at Half Moon Bay Golf Links in northern California, and in 2007 it was held at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert. “It’s exciting, it’s different,” Creamer said. “I loved Half Moon Bay, but I’m going to have to love it here more. I’m excited to be here — Torrey Pines is a great golf course.” Creamer has never played Torrey Pines. She said she is looking forward to playing the course and will study tape from last year’s U.S. Open during her preparation to get an idea of how the course might play. “Men’s golf is so different from women’s golf, but I got the gist of the golf course and you have to hit it in the right spots,” Creamer said. “That’s what it comes down to and that’s something that is one of the strengths in my game — I can control the ball pretty well on the golf course and give myself good birdie opportunities.” The Samsung World Championship kicked things off with the Pro-Am Competition on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The four rounds of championship play will be held from Sept. 17 to 20, with an awards ceremony following play on the final day. Tickets for rounds on Thursday and Friday are $24 in advance and $29 at the gate, and tickets for Saturday and Sunday’s rounds are $29 in advance and $34 at the gate. A five-day ground pass is available in advance online for $83, and corporate skybox packages for the tournament are also available. Children 17 and under are admitted to the tournament free with a paying adult, and parking is $5 per vehicle each day. For tickets or information, visit www.samsung.com/golf.
