Jenny ready to launch tour bid

Except for the debilitating heat, everything’s fine as far as Jenny Rosales’ game and preparations for the kickoff leg of the 2004 LPGA Tour — the Welch’s/Fry Championship – are concerned.

"She’s hitting the ball well and according to her, okay ang pakiramdam nya kasi hindi na sya nag jetlag unlike last year," said Rosales’ swing coach Bong Lopez in a message to The STAR on the eve of the traditional pro-am event in Tucson, Arizona Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).

The tournament proper fires off at the par-70 Randolf North Golf Complex Thursday (Friday here) with Rosales confident of improving her 62nd place finish last year in a bid to start her campaign on the lucrative circuit on an inspiring note.

"She’s looking forward to doing well here so she can start her LPGA season on a positive note," added Lopez. "Pero sobrang init lang talaga.. mga 91 degrees nga kanina. Dry heat, bago ka pawisan nag-evaporate na."

Rosales, the first PLDT Global endorser, actually started her 2004 season rather impressively, finishing joint third in the recent ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia ruled by world’s No. 1 Annika Sorenstam.

But the Swede ace will not be around when the Welch’s/Fry Championship gets underway and that could all the more fire up the ace Filipina shotmaker, who is out to snap her four-year title drought on the tour.

Rosales and Lopez arrived in Los Angeles Sunday and drove six hours to Arizona Tuesday night. The 24-year-old former US NCAA champion then took a light workout Wednesday morning, hitting balls for about 30 minutes before doing the pitch-and-putt routine.

"Prior to going here, puro light practice lang kami sa LA... driving range lang at putting," said Lopez.

Rosales will tee-off at 12:10 p.m. in the pro-am event, according to Lopez, and will be seeing the course for the first time this year although her caddy Sam said that nothing has changed on the makeup of the venue.

For her Filipino fans, the change should come from Rosales’ game. — Dante Navarro