ROGERS -- Na Yeon Choi is healthy and ready to defend her title this week at the Wal-Mart NW Arkansas Championship.
Choi, or NYC as she's known on the LPGA Tour, staged a dramatic run over the final three holes last year to overtake tournament favorite Stacy Lewis and charged to her ninth tour win. The Pinnacle Country Club course has been a favorite for her with four top-10 finishes in addition to her win last year.
"This course suits me," Choi said Wednesday in a news conference. "This is only a three-day tournament, so I think I can play aggressive from the first day. I think there are a lot of birdie chances out there, so if I get one, I try to take it."
Following last year's win, Choi suffered a back injury that shelved her for three months. But she said Wednesday she is healthy and ready to go this week.
Choi is currently ranked No. 21, but admitted that she is not happy with where her game is right now coming back from the injury.
"The last two weeks I didn't play well," she said. "Especially my driver, hitting the fairway and my GIR (greens in regulation) is bad. So I'm focusing on my game and trying to get back on track.
"My back is getting better after that three months off. I did a lot of rehab training and I feel a lot stronger now."
Choi said the injury and the struggles she's having this year are all related, but she's working nightly on rehabbing and hopes to use this week as a springboard to another top finish.
"It's definitely related to my golf swing," she said. "This is 21 years playing golf right now, so I think golf's affected it a lot, too."
Lewis spends time with young stars
While most of the focus this week has been on the professionals at Pinnacle Country Club, the next wave of rising young golfers have been in action a few miles south at The Blessings in Johnson.
The Stacy Lewis All-Star Invitational attracts some of the top young male and female golfers in the world. One of those competing this week is Harmie Constantino, who shot a 63 last week at Lost Springs to win an AJGA event.
"She's playing in my event now and I saw her on Monday night," Lewis said Wednesday. "Shauna (Estes-Taylor, the Arkansas women's golf coach) actually pointed her out. She's like, 'she shot a 63!' I'm like, what? Yeah, I just told her, she came up for an autograph. I told her congrats on the 63 and she kind of got a little bit shy, but 63 on any golf course is good."
Constantino shot a 4-under 68 on Tuesday at the Lewis event, one shot off the lead.
The AJGA tournament will wrap up today and Lewis, who is also planning for her upcoming wedding later this summer, will be at The Blessings for the final round and she will present awards to the top golfers at the end of play today.
Lopez back at home in rookie year
Gaby Lopez used a sponsorship exemption in last year's event as a springboard to earning her LPGA card. The former Arkansas golfer, who returned to finish her degree, is a tour rookie and is enjoying her first season.
"It was very, very special for me to come back to graduate and finally get my degree," Lopez said. "My parents raised me that school was first and golf was second. I never thought of leaving school. I was always planning on graduating, so it was very, very special for me to walk with my teammates and my classmates."
Friday pairings
Choi will tee of at 1:36 p.m. Friday on No. 1, and Lewis will go off at 8:47 a.m. on No. 10. Lydia Ko, the No. 1 ranked player on the tour, will be in Lewis' group.
Other notable Friday tee times are Maria Fassi, the Arkansas golfer who earned a sponsorship exemption, who will tee off at 2:31 p.m. in a group that includes Michelle Wie and Annie Park.
Sports on 06/23/2016