Creamer hopes to defend title at Torrey Pines

Paula Creamer seeks to defend her Samsung World Championship title starting Thursday as the LPGA returns to Torrey Pines golf course this week for the first time in over 25 years.

The American will have her work cut out for her as the one million-dollar tournament includes only 20 players, but 17 of the top 20 players on the season money list, including South Korean rookie Shin Ji-yai, are in the field.

Besides Creamer and Shin, the field also features all four LPGA major champions, Mexican star Lorena Ochoa and European tour money list leader Sophie Gustafson.

"This is going to be a true test, definitely," said American Juli Inkster. "You know you are going to finish in the top 20. You know you only have to beat 19 instead of 143. So you have a little more free-wheeling mentality."

Shin, who leads the LPGA tour in earnings this year, collected her third victory of 2009 last week in Arkansas.

Shin is trying to become the first women since Nancy Lopez in 1978 to finish on top of the money list and win the rookie of the year award in the same year.

American Cristie Kerr is a close second behind Shin in the money list.

Creamer has a half dozen top-three finishes and eight top-10 finishes but no victories since beating South Korea's Kim Song-hee by one stroke at last year's Samsung event, which was held at Half Moon Bay Golf Links.

This year's four major champions and first time winners - Brittany Lincicome (Kraft Nabisco Championship), Anna Nordqvist (LPGA Championship), Ji Eun-hee (US Women's Open) and Catriona Matthew (Women's British Open) - are all in the abbreviated field.

This is just the second time, and first since 1983, an LPGA tournament is being held at the San Diego-area course. Torrey Pines was also the site of last year's US Open Championship, which was won by Tiger Woods.

Inkster is the only player competing this week who played at Torrey Pines in 1983.

"I remember a few holes," said Inkster, who finished second that year. "It is great for the LPGA to play a prestigious golf course like this."