The Ladies Tune Up for Their First Major

Next week, simply in advance of the Masters, the women will play their first main -- previously the Kraft-Nabisco Championship, now known as the ANA Inspiration. Their track-up this week is the Kia Classic, which has been quite competitive on account that its inception but seems to be even greater exciting this time round.

First of all, in step with Tony Jesselli's preview of the occasion, 97 of the Top98 players on the LPGA Priority List may be teeing it up. (The one exception is Azahara Munoz, who is nonetheless recovering from hand surgery. In case you didn't hear, the lump turned out to be a innocent -- albeit painful -- cyst.) If getting on form for the Inspiration wasn't enough to get their juices flowing, this event also has a fairly large purse and 500 Race to the CME Globe factors up for grabs.

A range of gamers who've but to qualify for the LPGA's first main of the year also are inside the field. (Just like the men gambling the 2 Texas occasions trying to get in the Masters.)

And then we've the ever-present conflict among Ko, Park and Lewis. Here are the situations for a capability shift inside the World #1, as projected at LPGA.Com. (We have those almost each week now, do not we?)

Ko retains No. 1 if:

• She finishes in a three-way tie for second or better even if Park wins.
• Park finishes in a tie for second or worse regardless of what Lydia does

Park can visit No. 1 if:

• Park wins AND Ko finishes in a four-way tie for second or worse.
• Ko misses the cut AND Park finishes in solo second or better.

No. 3 Stacy Lewis cannot go to No. 1 regardless of what happens this week but she can move up to No. 2 if she wins and Park finishes in third or worse. So a number of things are in play this week, all of which promise to make the Kia Classic worth watching. GC will carrying LIVE coverage of every round starting at 6pm ET beginning tonight. Prime time women's golf -- you gotta love it!