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Bauer Captures Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year
9/18/2002 1:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Sept. 18, 2002
From LPGA.com
PORTLAND, Ore. - Twenty-two-year-old Beth Bauer of Tampa, Fla., has captured the 2002 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year, becoming only the third American since 1991 to earn the honor.
Bauer took the lead away from Natalie Gulbis, who had led the point standings for 11 straight weeks, after a tie-for-eighth finish at the First Union Betsy King Classic on Aug. 28. Then she pulled away from the pack with top-five finishes at the State Farm Classic and Williams Championship.
Bauer's lead in the rookie race was so strong entering last week's Safeway Classic, that she could only have lost the honor if Gulbis won the tournament and she herself finished 37th or lower.
Bauer tied for 18th at the Safeway Classic to finish with 772 points, 155 points ahead of Gulbis, marking the first time since 1995 that Americans finished first and second in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race.
"I'm so happy to be the Rookie of the Year," said Bauer, who has earned $429,353 so far this season and ranks 17 on the LPGA money list. "It's been such a great year for me, and I feel my golf game improved so much over the course of the year. It was so exciting to battle it out with Natalie for top honors, and I'm sure we both are looking forward to doing it again next year."
Bauer joins a stellar list of past Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year winners, including LPGA Tour Hall of Famers JoAnne Carner (1970), Amy Alcott (1975), Nancy Lopez (1978), Beth Daniel (1979), Patty Sheehan (1981) and Juli Inkster (1984), as well as future LPGA Tour Hall of Fame members Annika Sorenstam (1994) and Karrie Webb (1996).
"Beth is a very talented player and a wonderful new addition to the LPGA Tour," said LPGA Commissioner Ty Votaw. "Her performance this year demonstrates that she is most deserving of this honor, and this should be the start of a long and successful career."
Bauer finished 17th on the 2002 U.S. Solheim Cup Team standings, an impressive showing for a rookie who had only six months in which to earn points. Her performance impressed 2002 U.S. Team Captain Patty Sheehan, who watched Bauer during her run at the State Farm Classic.
"Beth had a legitimate chance of getting on this year's Solheim Cup team, which is really amazing," said Sheehan. "You don't see too many rookies, especially Americans, coming up, having a chance to make the team in only one year. I'm very excited about the future of U.S. girls, women, coming up and filling all of our shoes. I really look forward to watching her progress in years to come."
Gulbis' quest for the honor hit a speed bump three weeks ago when she came down with salmonella poisoning and was severely dehydrated while trying to compete at the State Farm Classic and Williams Championship, where she missed both cuts. However, it has been more than a successful debut for Gulbis, the second-youngest player on the LPGA Tour at age 19; she has posted four top-10 finishes this season and has so far earned $246,040 and ranks 35th on the money list.
About Beth's season
Bauer got off to a respectable start in her rookie campaign, posting two top-30 finishes in her first four tournaments, but fell into a bit of a lull in late April and early May, missing three cuts in a row. She got her game back on track with a tie-for-16th finish at the Asahi Ryokuken International Championship at Mount Vintage in late May, then put herself into contention to win the LPGA Corning Classic, where she eventually finished tied for sixth, the first of what would be six total top-10s this season.
Bauer continued making cut after cut. Her breakthrough came at the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic Presented by ALLTEL, where she earned a spot in the final pairing on Sunday, sharing the 54-hole lead with Karrie Webb, and finished second to Rachel Teske. Bauer continued to close the gap on Gulbis' lead in the points standings and pulled to within two points after a tie for eighth at the Weetabix Women's British Open, her best showing in an LPGA major championship and the first of four consecutive top-10 finishes.
In her next event, the First Union Betsy King Classic, Bauer tied for eighth again and passed Gulbis by two points. She posted a career-low 65 during the third round of the State Farm Classic the following week and actually held the final-round lead until an unfortunate double-bogey on the 16th hole. She would eventually tie for fifth.
About Beth Bauer
Prior to joining the LPGA Tour, Bauer won 17 events on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) circuit, was an AJGA All-American from 1993-98 and earned Player of the Year honors from 1997-98. She was a two-time member of the U.S. Curtis Cup Team in 1998 and 2000 and a member of the 1999 NCAA Championship team at Duke University.
Bauer left school early to turn professional but failed to qualify for the LPGA Tour at the 2000 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, which she now admits was a blessing in disguise. She spent a year on the Futures Tour, where she won four tournaments, was named both Player and Rookie of the Year and set a single-season earning record of $84,529. Her first-place finish on the Futures Tour money list earned Bauer an automatic exemption for the 2001 LPGA Tour season.
About the points distribution
Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year points are awarded at all full-field domestic events and doubled at the LPGA's four major championships. The point system is: 150 points for first; 80 points for second; 75 points for third; 70 points for fourth; and 65 points for fifth. After fifth place, points are awarded in increments of three, beginning at sixth place with 62 points. Rookies who make the cut in an event and finish below 41st each receive five points.
The 2002 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year will receive the Louise Suggs Trophy, which is named in honor of the LPGA Tour Hall of Famer and founder. The trophy is an original design by Steuben, the LPGA's official crystal.
Check out the final standings in the 2002 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race.
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