Kraft Nabisco facts

All you need to know about the Kraft Nabisco Championship - the first women's major of the season.

This week's Kraft Nabisco Championship will see golf's first major champion of 2011 crowned, beating the Masters by one week. Like the men's first major, the ladies game's first major has a tradition of the winner wearing a new piece of clothing after victory. But whereas the winner at Augusta National earns a green jacket, the KNC champion dons a white dressing gown after jumping (or being pushed) into the lake that protects the 18th green. Here's the our guide to the first big event of the LPGA season. What's the tournament history?
First played in 1972, it became a major in 1983. Juli Inkster, who plays this week, won the first of her two titles in 1984, before most of this week's field were even born. In 2007 Morgan Pressel became the youngest ever winner of an LPGA major, winning aged 18 years and 313 days. The defending champion is Taiwan's Yani Tseng. Where is it played?
The Mission Hills Country Club in Palm Springs has hosted the event every year. With a dramatic backdrop of the snow-capped Californian mountains, it traditionally plays quite tough and has a par-five final hole that is noted for dramatic finishes. In 2006 Karrie Webb holed out from the fairway for an eagle to force a play-off with Lorena Ochoa which she subsequently won. Three years later Brittany Lincicome stood on the final tee one shot behind the clubhouse leader. She smashed her second shot to six feet and holed out for a winning eagle, the very first time a major winner - man or woman - had eagled the 72nd hole to win by one shot. Any course specialists?
Aside from Webb - who has won the event twice - Norway's Suzann Pettersen loves the track. In the last four years she has finished twice no less than three times and fifth once. Who are the form players so far in the 2011 season?
The year started with Taiwan's Yani Tseng on fire: she won four times (in Taiwan, twice in Australia and then in Thailand) to race to number one in the Rolex World Rankings. Since then Australia's Karrie Webb has won both the HSBC Champions event and the inaugural LPGA Founders Cup. Don't overlook Korea's Na Yeon Choi either - since last year's event she has played 24 times, won twice and has 18 top ten finishes. The world number one spot has become a hot potato, right?
Yes. Following the retirement of long-term number one Lorena Ochoa last April there have been four players to assume the mantle. During 2010 Korea's Jiyai Shin, Japan's Ai Miyazato and American Cristie Kerr all held the top spot on more than one occasion. Tseng's superb 2011 form saw her overtake all three of them. Anyone else to watch out for?
Michelle Wie is still seeking her first major win and played well when finishing seventh last week. She's struggled at Mission Hills in the last two years but had been third and fourth before then. The state of Paula Creamer's fitness is again in question ahead of a major - she won last year's US Open with a bandaged wrist and emerged on Tuesday with a wrapped-up thigh. If there is to be an emotional winner this week it might be Japan's Chie Arimura who was ninth in the event in 2010 and second behind Webb in the recent HSBC Champions event. Any European interest?
Plenty. Only last week Germany's Sandra Gal won her first professional title, the Kia Classic. It was another sign that Europe's under 25s are catching up with the established Europeans on the LPGA (the likes of Suzann Pettersen, Maria Hjorth, Catriona Matthew and Karen Stupples). Two years ago Anna Nordqvist was a two-time winner on the LPGA and in 2010 the Spaniards came to the fore: Azahara Munoz won Rookie of the Year and Beatriz Recari a maiden LPGA title. Two more Spaniards, Maria Hernandez and Belen Mozo, plus England's Mel Reid and Sweden's Caroline Hedwall all played against and with one another in amateur golf. Their youthful success is now being transferred to the paid ranks. Does this bode well for the Solheim Cup?
It does. Just as it is with the Ryder Cup, in a Solheim Cup year there is always half an eye on the big match (which takes place at the end of September at Killeen Castle in Ireland). Europe's captain Alison Nicholas has flown to California to join her vice-captain Annika Sorenstam and they will run their eyes over the likely team members. The legendary Swede is taking particular notice of form in the majors: "How do they handle pressure? What attitude do they possess? I'll be watching that sort of thing." What about the Americans?
They, too, are likely to have lots of new young talent to sit alongside the established stars. Stacy Lewis, Vicky Hurst and Amanda Blumenherst are all on track to make their debuts alongside Creamer, Christina Kim and the other stalwarts of Team USA. Any tweets from Mission Hills?
The LPGA has many Twitter fans and they are keeping fan updated all week: @ThePCreamer: Alright Kraft Nabisco here I come!!! Can't wait to get to the desert it has been two years!!! @Kstupples: Mission Hills is in fantastic condition :-) love this place @themichellewie It Kraft Nabisco week everyone!! Let's get excited :) @Brittany1golf High of 85 today here in Palm Springs. 98 on Thursday and Friday!!!! Holy cow :-) @LorenaOchoaR: Good luck to all players this week at the KNC, great event, staff, course and memories! @BethAllenGolf: In Palm Springs supporting @melreidgolf get ready for @KNCGolf! Going to be a cheerleader this week! Dying to play :-( @BethAllenGolf It's weird being at a golf tournament with no responsibilities. I suppose I do the same things off the course, just feel less guilty about it! Who's worth a bet this week?
With those two wins this year and two wins in the event Karrie Webb has to be considered. Her win and top five percentages are good enough to make 15/1 a fair price with SkyBet. Scotland's Catriona Matthew is a decent outsider at 80/1. She's a major winner (2009 Ricoh Women's British Open), has been second (and twice fifth) at Mission Hills and was eighth in both of the Asian Swing events.