1. Lorena Ochoa is seeking her third career major and second Women's British Open title. She won the 2007 RICOH Women’s British Open and the 2008 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

        2. This will be the final major as an active LPGA player for Annika Sorenstam who’s retiring at season’s end. Sorenstam, who won this event in 2003, has major finishes of T-2, T-3 and T-24 this season.

        3. The Women’s British Open was first played in 1976, but joined the LPGA schedule in 1994. It was designated a major championship in 2001 when it replaced the du Maurier Classic.

        4. This is the final major of the LPGA season. Previous major winners in 2008 include Lorena Ochoa (Kraft Nabisco) and a pair of 19-year-olds; Yani Tseng (LPGA Championship) and Inbee Park (U.S. Open).

        5. In contrast to the PGA TOUR where a guy named Tiger tends to win majors by the boatload, 12 different players have won the last 13 LPGA majors. Lorena Ochoa (2007 RICOH Women’s British Open and 2008 Kraft Nabisco) is the only player to win multiple majors over this span.


        TV SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES EASTERN)
        Thursday, July 31:      10:00 am – 12:00 pm (TNT)
        Friday, August 1:       10:00 am – 12:00 pm (TNT)
        Saturday, August 2:      1:30 pm – 3:00 pm (ABC)
        Sunday, August 3:        1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (ABC)


        FUTURE RICOH WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN SITES
        2009: Royal Lytham & St. Annes
        2010: Royal Birkdale


        CUT
        A total of 144 players will compete at Sunningdale with the leading 65, and those tied for 65th place after two rounds, qualifying for the final 36 holes.


        PLAYOFF
        Unlike the aggregate 4-hole playoff in the Open Championship, the RICOH Women’s British Open will utilize a sudden-death format in the event of a tie after 72 holes.


        THE VENUE
        The RICOH Women’s British Open will be played over the Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club, Berkshire, England. Sunningdale Old Course, which opened in 1901 and was originally designed by former Open Champion Willie Park, is one of the most beloved inland courses in the British Isles. Sunningdale’s New Course opened in 1923. Sunningdale is approximately 30 miles (45 km) west of central London and 10 miles (15 km) southwest of Heathrow Airport. It has a rich heritage of hosting professional and amateur events, including the Women’s British Open on three occasions, 1997, 2001 and 2004, as well as the European Open, the inaugural Seve Trophy and the Walker Cup.

         
       

        WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN WINNERS


        Year            Champion                        Course                  Score
        1976            Jenny Lee-Smith         Fulford                 299
        1977            Vivien Saunders         Lindrick                        306
        1978            Janet Melville          Foxhills                        310
        1979            Alison Sheard           Southport & Ainsdale    301
        1980            Debbie Massey           Wentworth                       294
        1981            Debbie Massey           Northumberland          295
        1982            Marta Figueras-Dotti    Royal Birkdale          296
        1983            No Championship
        1984            Ayako Okamoto           Woburn                  289
        1985            Betsy King                      Moor Park                       300
        1986            Laura Davies            Royal Birkdale          283
        1987            Alison Nicholas         St. Mellion                     296
        1988            Corinne Dibnah          Lindrick                        295
        1989            Jane Geddes                     Ferndown                        274
        1990            Helen Alfredsson                Woburn                  288
        1991            Penny Grice-Whittaker   Woburn                  284
        1992            Patty Sheehan           Woburn                  207 (3 rds)
        1993            Karen Lunn                      Woburn                  275
        1994            Liselotte Neumann               Woburn                  280
        1995            Karrie Webb                     Woburn                  278
        1996            Emilee Klein            Woburn                  277
        1997            Karrie Webb             Sunningdale                     269
        1998            Sherri Steinhauer               Royal Lytham            292
        1999            Sherri Steinhauer               Woburn                  283
        2000            Sophie Gustafson                Royal Birkdale          282
        2001            Se Ri Pak                       Sunningdale                     277
        2002            Karrie Webb                     Turnberry                       273
        2003            Annika Sorenstam                Royal Lytham            278
        2004            Karen Stupples          Sunningdale                     269
        2005            Jeong Jang                      Royal Birkdale          272
        2006            Sherri Steinhauer               Royal Lytham            281
        2007            Lorena Ochoa            St. Andrews                     287
        2008                                            Sunningdale

        Past Women’s British Open Championships at Sunningdale
                Winner        Score Margin
        1997    Karrie Webb     269   8 over Rosie Jones
        2001   Se Ri Pak       277   2 over Mi Hyun Kim
        2004   Karen Stupples  269   5 over Rachel Teske