Sharp Selection for Second Annual
New Mexico Shootout at EB’s SDR

Former NMSU Standout & LPGA Tour Player
Will Join Returning Lopez, Jones, Albers and Whitworth

By Tony A. Archuleta
HERALD Reporter
Alena Sharp, a former New Mexico State University All-American and LPGA tour player since 2005, will be the featured newcomer at the second annual New Mexico Shootout.

Sharp, a Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, native who recently cracked the Top 100 in the Rolex World Rankings, will join returning Shootout stars Nancy Lopez, Rosie Jones and Kristi Albers Friday, Sept. 5, at Sierra del Rio’s championship golf course in Elephant Butte.

Shootout organizers also announced Kathy Whitworth, professional golf’s all-time winningest player, will return to reprise her popular instructional clinic.

Last September, Jones and Lopez of Team Sierra beat out Team Zia’s Natalie Gulbis and Albers in a chip-off on the No. 18 hole to claim the inaugural Shootout title in front of an announced crowd of 4,000.

In recently announcing the return of the Shootout in 2008 an Albuquerque TV sportscaster noted the absence of Gulbis, the LPGA’s glamour girl, will be a crushing blow to the younger male demographic.

But the addition of 27-year-old Sharp, who’s brainy and gorgeous (she was a three-year Crimson Scholar at NMSU from 2000-03) should keep that small subset of young guns interested long past high noon.

For golf purists, the return of Lopez and Jones, two of New Mexico’s premier golfing legends, to defend their title presumably against Albers, a former University of New Mexico All-American, and Sharp offers some early intrigue.

Shootout organizers have yet to announce player pairings, so feel free to speculate on a Lopez/Sharp vs. Jones/Albers match-up or even a Lopez/Albers vs. Jones/Sharp duel.

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A Brief History of Alena Sharp from her official website:

I love to compete and that was evident from a young age. My favorite sports to play were hockey, golf and soccer. As I grew older I became aware of my passion to play golf. With this passion came victories.

My golf talent landed me a scholarship at New Mexico State University, where at the time they were ranked in the top 10. At NMSU I was fortunate enough to play with some outstanding individuals who taught me a lot. I was successful at the collegiate level winning tournaments as an individual and with my team.

After college I decided to stay amateur for the remainder of the summer of 2003 where I collected a few more wins. When the summer was done I turned professional and went to LPGA q-school. I unfortunately did not have success and had to make a plan B for the upcoming year.

In 2004 I only played in a few Futures Tour events, but finished well when I did play. I did however have success on the West Coast Ladies Tour where I collected five victories and never finished outside the top 5. I also played a few Canadian Tour events where I also found success with a victory at the CPGA Women’s Championship.

I walked into q-school in 2004 with plenty of confidence but unfortunately only acquired a conditional card at my second attempt to make the LPGA.

I chose to play on the Futures Tour in 2005 because I did not think I was going to get into many LPGA events with my status and I worked to play golf competitively. I never won out on the Futures tour, but did finish inside the top 20 just about every week and never missed a cut.

From the experience I had gained in 2005 as a professional I knew this was the year for me to get my card. I was successful and got my card with a great last round that will always be a memory of mine. The last nine holes were magic. I holed out from the fairway and made three birdies to finish with a 33 to add to my 36 on the front, for a 69 and a full exempt card.

My first full year on the LPGA 2006 was a rocky one to say the least. I made some cuts and missed some too. I had a good run at the end of the season and felt I was going to keep my full exempt card but fell about $700 short. I received my non-exempt card, after finishing 91^st on the money list, but got into every tournament I would have wanted to play in.

2007 was my third year as a LPGA member, and my second full year. I made big strides this season, learning how to shoot low numbers, putting myself in position for the weekend, and seeing myself grow as an individual and a golfer. I broke the Top 10 barrier twice and love the success and fame I have seen.

It amazes me that 2008 is almost half over. I have had great memories so far. Some of these memories are representing Canada in South Africa, making the first 10 cuts in a row, bettering my stats in almost every category and making many new friends and fans along the way. Really looking forward to seeing what else this year has in store for me, and having my friends, family, and fans be along for the ride.

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Here’s a list of best results in major championships for Sharp, who resides in Phoenix, Ariz.