The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

If there’s any player who is eager to return to play in the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic this weekend, it’s defending champion Ilhee Lee.

Lee, who made her LPGA debut in 2010 even though she turned pro from 2006, is already in town getting ready for the tournament that will swing into high gear on Thursday at the Ocean Club Golf Course, Paradise Island.

The 25-year-old native of Seoul, South Korea, who now resides in Dallas, Texas, had her spectacular showing in May when the initial Pure Silk Tournament was held here as she became a Rolex first-time winner. Throughout the year, she participated in 26 events, but only made 19 cuts.

However, she crossed the $1 million mark in career earnings with a tie for third place at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. So it’s no surprise that Lee has a special place in her heart and on her resumé for the Bahamas.

“It has been a great year since my win here, but I don’t think I changed at all,” said the free spirited Lee, who boasts a big smile. “People can see me and recognise me because they have my pictures all over the place. That makes me feel so special.”

Accolades aside, Lee admits that it’s now time to get down to work and she intends to do just that this weekend.

“I practiced hard in the winter and I feel good about this week, so I will try to defend my title,” she said.

As the defending champion, Lee acknowledges that the rest of the field of 108 players will all be gunning for her to claim that top prize of $195,000 from the total purse of $1.3 million.

“I think because of all of the pictures around here of me, that’s going to put a lot of pressure on me,” she said. “But it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be okay. I like the weather right now. This is perfect for golf. I love it. Hopefully I will play my best.”

While she comes in as the defending champion, there are 11 major winners who have captured a total of 23 major titles in their careers.

The list of who’s who on the LPGA Tour is made up of the following:

Na Yeon Choi (1) – 2012 US Women’s Open; Paula Creamer (1) – 2010 US Women’s Open; Pat Hurst (1) – 1998 Kraft Nabisco Championship; Juli Inkster (7) – 1984 and 1989 Kraft Nabisco Championship, 1984 du Maurier Classic, 1999 and 2002 US Women’s Open, 1999 and 2000 LPGA Championship; Jeong Jang (1) – 2004 Women’s British Open; Stacy Lewis (2) – 2011 Kraft Nabisco, 2013 Ricoh Women’s British Open; Brittany Lincicome (1) – 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship; Se Ri Pak (5) – 1998, 2002 and 2006 LPGA Championship,1998 U.S. Women’s Open, 2001 Women’s British Open; Suzann Pettersen (2) – 2007 LPGA Championship, 2013 Evian Championship; Morgan Pressel (1) – 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship and Sun Young Yoo (1) – 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

The Bahamas won’t be left out as Georgette Rolle, 28, has received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the field. The two-time Bahamas National Women’s Amateur champion (2003 and 2007) attended Texas Southern and is currently an LPGA teaching professional. She relocated home in January where she intends to take her expertise into the schools when the tournament is completed.

Also expected to compete for the Bahamas is top female amateurs - Danielle Robinson, who attended Alabama State University, where she was a member of the school’s golf team in 2009-2011 and earned first-team All Conference (Southwestern Athletic Conference) in 2010 and Taneka Sandiford, who is currently in her junior year at Redlands Community College in Oklahoma.

For Lee, she’s not going to let any of the names deter her from her goal.

“It’s going to be tough,” she said. “But I’ve worked hard in the offseason, so it will be a good test at the beginning of the year. I think everybody will be trying hard to win because it’s the first one for the year, so it’s not going to be easy.”

Unlike last year when the tournament came in the middle of the season, the LPGA has decided to kick off the calendar year here, which sweetens the pot a lot more for all of the competitors.

But unlike last year, Lee said the course should play out much different than it did when they were forced to end up playing under adverse conditions. “It’s very beautiful. It’s always beautiful here,” said Lee as she looked over the course with the clear blue ocean in the background.

The course is looking perfect this year. This is one of the best golf courses that I’ve ever played on. I think everybody thinks the same thing. It has a nice view. It has perfect greens and perfect fairways. There is blue and green. It’s so perfect.”

With fantastic weather predicted, Lee and the rest of the field will have to play 18 holes of stroke play on each of the four days of competition through Sunday. There will be 10 hours of live coverage by the Golf Channel 11:30am to 2:30 pm on Thursday and Friday and 3-5 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Admission for all sections are free of charge to the general public.