Barbie partners with pro golfer Brittany Lincicome to inspire girls

Even as a young girl, Barbie was never my go-to doll.  Though not a huge Barbie  fan, I’ve admired some of the marketing moves Mattel has made over the years in an effort to keep the old girl relevant. Tattoo Barbie may have been my favorite.

As part of Mattel’s latest campaign comes this piece of press:

For more than five decades, Barbie has been a perfect reflection of fashion and culture and has served as an inspiration to girls of all ages. This year, as part of the Barbie brand’s I Can Be… campaign, Barbie is empowering girls to dream it all, try it all and live it all. As part of this commitment, Barbie has partnered with 10 women who continue to serve as ambassadors of dreams and role models for girls. Named earlier this year as one of Barbie’s 10 Women to Watch in 2010, Barbie has forged a partnership with LPGA player Brittany Lincicome, the defending champion of the 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship (KNC), to excite girls about the sport of golf and encourage them to live an active lifestyle.

Other women on Barbie’s 10 Women to Watch in 2010 list include snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler,  race car driver Danica Patrick and author J.K. Rowling.

So with the announcment of Brittany Lincicome as a Barbie partner, here’s what you have to look forward to: Throughout the year Brittany and Barbie will be hosting several clinics to further girl’s education and involvement with the sport of golf. This summer, Barbie is also introducing a new line of branded golf clubs with Accu-length and additional golf accessories bringing Barbie’s signature pink style to the course in a fun way. Barbie branded Accu-length clubs will be available online timed to the KNC. Together, Brittany and Barbie are paving the way for future generations of girls to tee up.

Can’t wait to see Barbie demonstrate the perfect backswing.

This is not the first time Barbie has tried to inspire girls to take to the tee.  They licensed the name for a line of kid-sized  Barbie  golf clubs replete with “girl-favorite features and detailing including lots of pink, flowers, hearts and butterfly graphics.”

We can’t really argue with Barbie’s choice of Lincicome as a role model or their effort to inspire girls to live an active lifestyle by encouraging them to get out on the course.  The Pepto-Bismal pink? That’s another story.

And the latest “Mad Men” Barbie collection? Don’t get me started.

About Brittany Lincicome
A golfer since she was nine-years-old, Brittany Lincicome is a professional golfer playing on the LPGA tour. Prior to going pro in October 2004, Brittany was a five time Rolex Junior All- American, winner of 3 AJGA titles and a two time PING Junior Solheim Cup Team member. As a professional, she is a 3-time winner. Her wins include the HSBC Women’s World Match Play Championship in 2006, the Ginn Open in 2007 and her first major victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship last year.. Brittany has represented the United States in 2 Solheim Cups and is the only player to have finished in the top 3 in driving distance each year for the past 5 years. Later this month, Brittany will be defending her title at the 2010 KNC being held in Palm Springs, Calif.

It’s a girl for Annika Sorenstam

Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorentam wrote in her blog that she and husband Mike welcomed daughter Ava Madelyn McGee at 3:30 am Tuesday morning. Baby weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces and was 19 inches long.

Sorenstam said both her and her daughter were doing well and that she was “very excited” about the new addition to the family.

The 38-year old Swede, widely regarded as the best female golfer of all time,  retired from the LPGA Tour last year after 72 victories and 10 major titles, saying she wanted to start a business and a family.

We think she’ll make a Pretty Tough mom.

Golfer Michelle Wie throws out the first pitch

On Saturday, August 8th, golfer Michelle Wie threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium when the Los Angeles Dodgers played the Atlanta Braves.

Before taking the mound, 19-year old Michelle took part in a putting contest against Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton in the dugout!

She said she was having a great time this year on the LPGA tour as a rookie, and was honored to be selected to the US Solheim Cup team.

Check out more pictures from the day.

Alexis Thompson: A new golf star is born

The U.S. Open may be over but it will not soon be forgotten. South Korea’s Eun Hee Ji curled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win the event on Sunday, beating Taiwan’s Candie Kung by one stroke for her first major title. The 23-year-old golfer finished even-par 284 at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to take home the trophy and a prize of $585,000.

American Christie Kerr, seeking her second US Women’s Open title in three years, seemed on the verge of winning the competition all weekend. Heading into Sunday’s final round  Kerr was two shots ahead of the field sitting at -2 for the tournament but the 12-time LPGA winner fell out of the lead for the first time since Friday and finished in a tie for third place.

In addition to the drama at the top of the leaderboard, there was a young teen player who also pumped some excitement into the tournament.

Two years after becoming the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, and after two missed cuts, 14-year-old Alexis Thompson pushed her way up the leaderboard Friday and moved into contention at the big time tourney.

Whether or not you seriously follow golf, it’s hard to ignore such a tremendous accomplishment from such a young athlete. The ninth-grader from Coral Springs, Florida, who is an avid fan of Hannah Montana and MTV, is  the youngest person to make the cut at the Open since Marlene Hagge did it in 1947 at age 13.  Thompson entered Saturday tied for ninth place.

Displaying a solid all-around game and course management that defied her age, Thompson eased her way around the Old Course, shooting a second-round 73 for a two-day total of 2-over 144.

On Saturday, Thompson made pars on her first two holes of the day before bogeying the next three holes and beginning her slide down the leaderboard. Although her round ultimately ended in disappointment, Thompson hit shots that wowed the gallery and showcased her potential.

Though the young teen has quite a bit of competition experience, playing the U.S. Open was different on a myriad of levels. At a typical American Junior Golf Association event,  Thompson’s play wouldn’t be beamed worldwide via television.  She wouldn’t have adults twice her age standing outside the gallery ropes in anticipation of an autograph.  And she wouldn’t be ushered to waiting national journalists for post-round interviews.

The dream for Thompson capturing the U.S. Women’s Open title will  have to wait until another time but this experience in the big leagues should bode well for her future.  She is definitely one player to keep an eye on.

Check out her website for more info.

Cheyenne Woods has a mean golf swing and an uncle named Tiger

Tiger Woods’s niece, a rising star in the golf world, has a big swing to live up to.

Cheyenne Woods, 18, ranked the 100th best female golfer by Golfweek magazine, recently opened up to NPR about following in her uncle’s footsteps and also setting herself apart from his image.

“I try to set myself aside from the Tiger Woods name and just make a name for myself,” she said. “So I guess that’s my goal now.”

Young Woods plays for Wake Forest University’s Demon Deacons, ranked 12th in the NCAA. Her uncle, ranked the best golfer in the world, prepares to compete in his 15th Masters Tournament, and seeks to win his fifth green Masters jacket.

Cheyenne was taught how to swing by the same person who taught Tiger, the late Earl Woods Sr., her grandfather and Tiger’s dad. Earl Sr. started teaching Cheyenne before she was in kindergarten and she played in her first tournament by age 8.

Once Cheyenne graduates from Wake Forest, she wants to play professionally. She’s been drawing crowds since playing at Xavier College Preparatory High School in Phoenix. Let’s see if she can give her famous uncle a run for his money.

Annika’s Letter to Fans

December 19, 2008 – It’s official. Annika’s competitive career is over:

Dear LPGA fans,

My last event is over and it is time to step away from competitive golf. As I sat on the plane home from Dubai I had a chance to reminisce about the last 15 years. It has been an incredible ride and I could not have asked for anything more. This wonderful game took me from a small town in Sweden and introduced me to the world. I have met some incredible people and traveled to so many wonderful places. I have learned many lessons, matured and built friendships that will last a life time. I have so much for which I am thankful!

More

Sorenstam named ambassador to to promote golf’s 2016 Olympic bid

December 18, 2008 – Two of the game’s all-time greatest players, Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam, will serve as Global Ambassadors in support of the IGF’s bid to reinstate golf as an Olympic sport, the International Golf Federation announced on Thursday.

“It is an honor and privilege to take an active role in assisting golf’s bid to become an Olympic sport,” said Sorenstam, a native of Sweden whose stellar career includes 89 world-wide victories as a professional, 72 on the LPGA. “Now, as I step aside from competitive golf, a major objective of mine is to help grow the game around the world and I can think of no better way to grow it than through the Olympics.”

Golf is one of seven sports vying for inclusion in the 2016 Games. The others are baseball, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens, softball and squash. Golf was last an Olympic sport in 1904 in St. Louis, Mo.

What do you think? Should golf be added as an Olympic sport?

Annika, Venus & Serena among ESPN’s top stories of 2008

December 8, 2008 – As ESPN Magazine says goodbye to 2008,  Chris Jones recounts the best storylines of the entire year in one massive yarn. “The Things We Forget” is a chronicle of 2008 in sports presented in 11 parts. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but most of all, you’ll remember.

In particular, check out Part 4 on Annika Sorenstam:

In May, Annika Sorenstam announced that 2008 would be her last year on the LPGA Tour. One of the most dominant athletes of the past decade had decided to disappear. She had known she would retire since the previous winter, when she peeked at her watch on the driving range and wondered if it was time to go home. “I stopped and thought, Wait a minute, I used to love this,” she said. “All of a sudden, I’m watching the clock. That’s when I knew this would be my last year.”

And Part 6 on Venus and Serena Williams:

Of all the great stories of this year, the resurgence of Venus and Serena Williams was the most overlooked. After their domination at the All England Club—the first time they had met in a Grand Slam final since 2003 and the fifth time Venus had won Wimbledon—they snagged doubles gold together in Beijing. Serena then went to New York and won the U.S. Open without losing a set. (Her toughest opponent was Venus in the quarters.) After being ranked as low as 140 two years ago, Serena was once again the best women’s player on the planet. In almost any other year, the Williams sisters might have basked in a long glow. Instead, even for them, 2008 was a flash that was doused too soon.

Annika Sorenstam plays her last round of LPGA golf

November 21, 2008  Arguably the most dominant female golfer of all time, Annika Sorenstam has transcended her sport to become a prominent mainstream athlete and celebrity. Throughout her career, she has rewritten the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards and events and brought unprecedented attention to women’s golf.  Along the way, she has inspired millions of young women worldwide.

And today, Sorenstam’s storied LPGA Tour career is coming to an end.

From ESPN:

The 72-time tour winner shot a 3-over par 75 on Friday at the ADT Championship, making her 5 over through two rounds of the LPGA’s season-ending event. The projected cut was 1 over, meaning it was virtually certain Sorenstam’s week — and career — was done.

“I know it’s over,” Sorenstam said.

She announced six months ago she was leaving the tour at year’s end to pursue business interests, get married and start a family. Sorenstam is still is No. 2 in the world rankings, but at 38 she says it’s time for new challenges.

Annika’s legacy is undeniable.  Often called the female Tiger Woods,  Sorenstam locked up 72 LPGA titles, made more than $20 million in earnings on the LPGA, and was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2003.

A win this week would have been the perfect ending to her career, but alas…the legend departs before our eyes.  She is, and has always been, a class act who will be sorely missed on the LPGA. 

After her LPGA Tour swansong this week Sorenstam will play in the Lexus Cup in Singapore later this month before bringing down the curtain on her competitive career at the Dec. 11-14 Dubai Ladies Masters.

Sorenstam won’t be out of the limelight for long however.  Surely she’ll be back for a random tournament here and there and she’s launching a signature fragrance called ANNIKA for Mother’s Day 2009.  The fragrance is said to evoke the essence of Annika –  confident, casually elegant and naturally beautiful.  Won’t be nearly as good as watching her play but hey….it’s something.

Annika Sorenstam website

Lorena Ochoa – a leader on and off the links

November 13, 2008 – You don’t get to be the No. 1 women’s golfer in the world by backing down from challenges.  Lorena Ochoa is a perfect example. And it’s the mental as well as the physical challenge that she enjoys.

Since she joined the LPGA in 2003, Lorena Ochoa’s 24 tournament victories are second only to Annika Sorenstam. Last year she became the first woman to earn more than $2.9 million in a single season, topping $4.3 million in prize money.

Ochoa, who turns 27 on Saturday, takes another big step in her career today when she plays host to the Lorena Ochoa Invitational at her home course in Guadalajara, becoming the 15th woman in history to have her own LPGA tournament.

The LA Times reports that while Ochoa has come to define women’s golf, the sport is a long way from defining her.

“Who wins a golf tournament or leaves with that beautiful trophy is only a memory for a while,” Ochoa says in a second-floor ballroom overlooking the Guadalajara Country Club course, where she learned to play the game while in kindergarten. “And it’s only satisfaction mostly for you and the people around you. It sounds a bit selfish. I prefer to be remembered for other things. Being a good person. Giving back to the community and help[ing] others.”

Ochoa’s humility is evident in all aspects of her daily life. While others on the LPGA tour travel in private jets or at least fly first class, Ochoa insists on going coach. And as many as a dozen times each year she sets aside a morning to meet or make breakfast for the groundskeepers at tour stops.

The world’s No. 1 women’s golfer also has a foundation that helps with education in her native Mexico. She helped save an elementary school in one of Guadalajara’s poorest neighborhoods and now La Barranca has 245 students and a waiting list of dozens. Ground is about to be broken on a high school complex next door, a $650,000 project funded by Ochoa’s foundation.

For Ochoa, challenges come in a variety of shapes and sizes and she tackles all of them with a stroke of genius.

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