The pro first event of the 2026 season us, as the ladies head to Tempe for a long-running event in the Arizona Open. Legendary coach Jim Winterton has organized the event once again and has a solid draw of ladies pros in town.
R2 Sports App link: https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=47436
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I’m going to do the preview a little different this time, since to me there’s now a very clear-cut line between the top 4-5 players on tour and the rest of the draw. I’m going to call out some storylines to watch instead of playing out the entire draw.
– Mexican junior Mariafernanda Trujillo is set for just her second ever LPRT appearance after a long junior career; she’s still 21U eligible.
– Former top junior and a constant dark-horse when she plays Lucia Gonzalez is here, and she has a relatively winnable first round to get to the 16s.
– Newly elected Hall of Famer Rhonda Rajsich is playing in her home town; she says she’s playing the tour full time this season; can she get back to the top 10?
– Costa Rican phenom Larissa Faeth is here with a good shot at getting into the 16s.
– Erika Manilla is here, but runs into the #2 seed in the 16s. Coming back from zero points is super tough.
– Semis: hard not to predict the top 4 to the semis in Vargas, Longoria, Mejia, and Gaby.
– Vargas has won three straight, and I think she’s winning here again.
– Longoria is #3, but I like her for the final.
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Doubles review
There’s interesting teams here: Longoria no longer has her long-time partner Salas to depend on here, so she’s partnered with Gaby and they’re just the #4 seed. Watch out for that pair. Manilla & Key are seeded dead last but would probably cruise to the US national title right now. Munoz and Rajsich are the #6 seed; i’d be deathly afraid of this team in Outdoor; can they make it happen in indoor?
prediction: Herrera/Mejia over Longoria/Gaby in the final
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Look for Timothy Baghurst, Sandy Rios, Jerry J Josey Jr., and Tj Baumbaugh on the mike, calling the shots!
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