2008 Pre-Season Rankings

For the first time since my very first player ranking back in July 2006, I’m going to post a totally subjective list of the top LPGA players. Of course this list has basis in all the numbers I’ve been looking at for the last two months, but in principle this is my “educated” guess at who the best players will be in 2008.

The closer a player is to #1, the more likely I feel they will win Player of the Year. Just because I put your favorite at number five or fifteen or even left her off completely, that doesn’t mean I believe they have NO chance to contend for that title or to make the Top 10 or make my Top 30. Also, past history tells us that every year one player (and sometimes two) who was outside the Top 30 comes flying into the Top 10. Last year it was Pettersen and Angela Park. In 2006 it was Seon Hwa Lee. Because I don’t have any idea who that player is going to be this year (and you don’t either!), I toyed with the notion of putting “unknown player” in the #10 slot. Maybe I’ll try to get away with that trick next year!

1. Lorena Ochoa
2. Paula Creamer
3. Annika Sorenstam
4. Suzann Pettersen
5. Jee Young Lee
6. Seon Hwa Lee
7. Jeong Jang
8. Mi Hyun Kim
9. Se Ri Pak
10. Stacy Prammanasudh
11. Morgan Pressel
12. Brittany Lincicome
13. Natalie Gulbis
14. Angela Stanford
15. Cristie Kerr
16. Angela Park
17. Hee-Won Han
18. Nicole Castrale
19. Shi Hyun Ahn
20. Christina Kim
21. Catriona Matthew
22. Karrie Webb
23. Eun-Hee Ji
24. Sophie Gustafson
25. Laura Davies
26. Ai Miyazato
27. Juli Inkster
28. Momoko Ueda
29. In-Kyung Kim
30. Maria Hjorth

Others with good chances to make the Top 30 sometime this year:
Jane Park, Laura Diaz, Reilley Rankin, Sherri Steinhauer, Rachel Hetherington, Linda Wessberg

In my Elevator post, I mentioned that Pettersen could fall out of the Top 10. I think it is more likely she will only fall a couple of spots. I also chose Stacy P as one of those who could fall out of the Top 10. I don’t feel that putting her at #10 here totally contradicts that prediction.

As you can see, I don’t expect too much from this year’s rookie crop. I’ll go into more detail about what I do expect, but Ueda is the only rookie I’m comfortable enough with putting on this list. There was no problem putting Eun-Hee Ji on it. I think she’ll be the new face on Tour that makes the most noise. This is a moot point but – if Ji-Yai Shin were joining the LPGA this year, I probably would have slotted her at #10.

The great part about predicting the coming season is, everybody can do it! Let me know what choices you agree with, and what choices are stoopid.