Rosales, who has just gained a breakthrough win on the LPGA tour in Georgia, is now in New Rochelle, New York, waiting for the go-signal from the LPGA medical staff for her participation in the Sybase Classic at the Wykagyl Country Club, according to the Filipina ace’s swing guru Bong Lopez.
The 25-year-old Filipina was forced to skip the recently-concluded Franklin American Mortgage Championship as she hurt her back on a slip after doing a shoot for a golf magazine hours before the opening tee-off of the Tennessee tourney.
But despite her absence, Rosales kept her spot in the Top 10 of the LPGA money leaders two months into the current tour on the strength of her conquest of the Chick-fil-A Championship in Georgia on May 2.
The Filipina ranked No. 7 in the latest money ranking with total earnings of $315,231 (about P17.6 million) in seven starts in the 2004 tour. She earned P13.4 million and ranked a personal best of fourth place in the money ladder after the Chick-fil-A Championship.
A five-time winner of the RP Ladies Open and former US NCAA champion whose best finish in the LPGA money ladder was 30th in 2002, Rosales could have earned a shot at the Top 5 anew if not for the freak accident before the Franklin American Mortgage Championship where Fil-Am Dorothy Delasin earned $36,952 for placing fifth.
Lopez said Rosales is confident she’ll be back in the hunt for a second LPGA title in the Sybase Classic. Afterwards, she plans to take a brief rest here before resuming a search for a first major title in the McDonald’s LPGA Championship in Delaware set June 10-13.
While in Manila, Rosales is to celebrate her Chick-fil-A Championship victory with a fun golf tournament dubbed the "J-Ro Cup" at her home course at the Manila Southwoods.
The one-day event will serve as Rosales’ thank-you tournament for her friends and backers who supported her throughout her five-year campaign on the lucrative LPGA tour, also according to Lopez.
However, some observers said Rosales may shelve her plan to go home for a brief rest because of the proximity of the LPGA first major tourney.
Rosales seems headed for her best LPGA tour showing. She was 79th ($109,075) in the money ladder in 2000, 87th ($94,475) in 2001, 30th ($342,887) in 2002 and 32nd ($366,564) last year.
Delasin, Rosales’ former teammate in the national team, is also doing well at 29th with $110,239 also in seven starts.
Born in Lubbock, Texas and now based in San Francisco, California, Delasin, 22, had a high finish of 14th in 2001 where she first ruled the Giant Eagle Classic. She amassed $620,442 then.
On the current tour, Annika Sorenstam is the money-winner leader with $546,483 only in five starts. Grace Park is at second with $538,725, followed by Franklin American Mortgage Championship winner Lorena Ochoa with $485,661, Se Ri Pak with $477,886, Christie Kerr with $444,281, Mi Hyun Kim with 357,676 then Rosales.