What to Watch For: Thursday at the LPGA State Farm Classic

Two weeks after the cheers and tears at the final Corning Classic, the LPGA has landed at the State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill., another small-town tournament that feels a lot bigger. 

NBC and ESPN2 will be broadcasting the event, giving the LPGA another opportunity to showcase its players to a larger audience. Though No. 1 player Lorena Ochoa is not in the field, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome, Angela Stanford, Christina Kim, Laura Diaz, Natalie Gulbis and the ever-intriguing Michelle Wie will be front and center. In fact, Gulbis and Wie will be paired together at 12:10 cdt. That's where I'll be, too.

After following Wie at the Sybase last month I'm convinced that she's close to winning. I know, I know, close only counts in horseshoes and such, but when you watch someone stick a 4-iron to a foot on a hole where her competitors are bouncing balls off the green, it stays in your mind.

I'm also going to be watching Creamer, Kerr, Lincicome and Stanford. One of these four is the best American golfer in the world. That matters in a Solheim Cup year. Because of longevity, consistency and a U.S. Women's Open title, my pick is Kerr. The State Farm Classic is the last tournament before the LPGA Championship, the second major of the year. Let's see how Thursday shakes out.

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This Week in Tour Twitter: John Daly, Morgan Pressel and Christina Kim

It was a landmark week for golfers on Twitter, with roughly 15 LPGA players I've never heard of joining. (To their credit, I just became 15 percent more likely to watch the Michelob Ultra Open this week.)  Here's your weekly dose of the best you missed by denying the tweeting craze.

- Love3D is actually Davis Love III, and not a fake. I know this because he likes to take glamor shots while pulled over at gas stations.

- The LPGA's Christina Kim is on Twitter!! And she's a vodka drinker!! I prefer Ciroc personally, with Goose as a runner-up. Belvedere and Chopin is a bit biting for my gentle female palate! Lol!!! She also has a penchant for classical music (...and exclamation points): Now I've moved on to Mozart. My heart races and my hand trembles with excitement as the symphony reaches its crescendo!!!

- Morgan Pressel loves the Red Wings. And Auntie Anne's cinnamon sticks. And even though she's sponsored by Ralph Lauren, she still pays for some of their clothes, just like the rest of us: Just did some damage at the ralph Lauren factory store...shocker

- Stewart Cink, who has 158,716 followers (No. 150,000 won a free driver), was thinking about more than this week's tournament during his practice round at TPC Sawgrass: Fun practice round with Zach, FreddyC, Rollins, and DL3. Kissed butt to Freddy (Prez Cup cptn) but quit after 12. He keeps us in stitches.

- Natalie Gulbis supports the Special Olympics.

- Connecticut's finest, J.J. Henry, checked in from the Players Championship on Wednesday: Caddie closest to pin contest on the famous 17th hole...If you think we get nervous you should see the caddies try and take it back!! 

- Jane Park shows admirable humility: haha i dont think anyone really cares what im doing? lol. The Press Tent cares, Jane.

And the Top Tour Twit This Week: John Daly. I attempted to count the most tweets Daly had sent in an hour, but I ran out of fingers and toes; the man is obsessed. This week he tweeted about his crazy clothing choices at the Spanish Open and his decision to have lap-band surgery (ya, just tried alot of diets and found out it was in my genes), and how it's affected his game (just workin on adjustment because i was so used to goin around my stomach for so long) Then there was this gem: Kermit's last words: That pig told me she was clean. LMAO funny stuff

UPDATE: Stewart Cink might have stolen the show with a tweet late Thursday afternoon: Reliable source says Jason Dufner left important part of wardrobe behind today and is going commando. Remarkable considering 90deg heat.

Come on down! Natalie Gulbis stops by Price is Right

LPGA star Natalie Gulbis is hot enough to have been one of Barker’s Beauties from The Price Is Right, but she appeared on the show Tuesday to help the contestants win prizes not showcase them (although she’s still a pretty good model for sponsor TaylorMade).

Gulbis first appeared to help contestant "Zachary" with his putting skills. The 2007 Evian Masters winner suggested he "breathe" and "take a practice swing." Despite Gulbis’ advice, Zachary still skulled the putt, but it bounced off the back wall surrounding the green and slipped in the hole to win .. A BRAND NEW CAR! Cue the jumping and screaming.

Gulbis then returned at the end of the show in the final Showcase Showdown. For some reason, Contestant No. 1 turned down the hot tub and huge flat screen TV to see the second showcase. Luckily, Gulbis was behind door No. 2.  Her showcase started with TaylorMade gear and -- are you ready for it? -- a trip to Las Vegas, which included lunch with Natalie, and one-on-one time with her on the golf course over nine holes. Not enough Natalie? The showcase also included a trip to the 2009 Women's British Open! Oh yeah, and they threw in a digital camera and $2,000 in debit cards ... with Gulbis's face on them.

Unfortunately for the contestant her price was wrong -- a few hundred dollars over the actual retail value, which on The Price Is Right is like laying up into trouble on the golf course. That’s why when we finally get on The Price Is Right, our showcase guess will be $1.

Round 2 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship

Kristy McPherson, Christina Kim, Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr have put themselves in contention heading into the weekend at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Lorena Ochoa is making a move today, while Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis have some work to do. Check back later for a complete wrap-up, photos and a preview of Saturday's action from SI's Alan Shipnuck.

In progress: Round 2 scores | Recap | Round 2 Preview | Photos

Round 1 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship

The Masters is still a week away, but the LPGA Tour's first major of the year kicks off today at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa is the defending champion against a field that includes Michelle Wie and Paula Creamer, both trying to win their first major. Check back later for a complete wrap-up and photos from today's action.

In progress: Round 1 Scores | Preview | Michelle Wie Homepage

Blogging Round 1 of the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International

The LPGA Tour is back in the U.S. this week for the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International at Papago Golf Course. Two-time defending champion Lorena Ochoa headlines a field that includes Michelle Wie, Natalie Gulbis and Angela Stanford. One notable absent is Paula Creamer, who withdrew from the tournament.

Preview | Scores | Photos: Papago Golf Course

Natalie Gulbis has yet to stand out on Celebrity Apprentice

I don't want to be too hard on my girl Natalie Gulbis, but I'm a little concerned about how much longer she's going to last on Celebrity Apprentice. She's managed to make it through three episodes this season -- mostly because the men's team is an unorganized mess that continues to lose challenges. (The Donald isn't doing much to help the men out, though; the challenges have involved selling wedding dresses and making cupcakes. Advantage women.)

In the premiere, the two teams of celebrities were challenged to make cupcakes and sell them on the street for charity. There was a snafu in the kitchen on the women's team, and Natalie was in the middle of it. She must have forgotten an ingredient because her chocolate cupcakes came out of the oven flat. Strike one. Luckily, the ladies were saved by some chocolate ganache, and no one realized the cupcakes hadn't risen.

In the second episode, the challenge was to create an advertising campaign for Zappos.com. Natalie's role was to dress up as the company's spokesperson, Mrs. Z. The costume involved a very short skirt and some very high platform heels (see the video below). Natalie was relatively vocal about her distaste for the outfit, calling it "Halloween meets stripper," and didn't shy away from telling the Donald that she felt uncomfortable. Way to support the team. Strike two. 

She fared better in the third episode, helping the ladies pick out wedding dresses in her team's store. Perhaps it's just the editing that makes Gulbis, one of the LPGA's most successful stars on and off the course, seem timid compared to the rest of the cast. Scanning the extra footage on NBC.com, I came across this clip of Natalie ripping apart the men's advertisement for Zappos. She's insightful. Maybe she does stand a chance against the likes of the outspoken Joan Rivers, poker champion Annie Duke and Playboy playmate Brande Roderick. Let's hope so.

The Celebrity Apprentice airs Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on NBC. You can catch up with blogging about her experiences on LPGA.com.

GOLF.com Interview: Natalie Gulbis  |  More Photos  |  Swing Sequence  | More on Gulbis

Preview: Natalie Gulbis on the Celebrity Apprentice

Here's a look at the upcoming season of the Celebrity Apprentice hosted by Donald Trump, starring LPGA player Natalie Gulbis. She'll go up against the likes of Dennis Rodman, Joan Rivers, Tom Green and Herschel Walker. In the video she discusses why she'll be a contender.

From the looks of this preview and comments about her baking, as well as another preview that doesn't even mention Gulbis, it's questionable whether or not her time on the show will be that long lasting. The show premiers on March 1st at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.

How do you think Natalie will fair against the competition? Does she have what it takes to stand up to The Donald? Let us know in the comment section below.

Photos, news and more on Natalie Gulbis

Natalie Gulbis joins Twitter

Natalie Gulbis is one of the latest stars to jump on the twittering bandwagon, posting her random thoughts to the social-networking site Twitter.com and giving fans an even closer look into her everyday life.

Ever wonder what she eats for breakfast?

FOR BREAKFAST? I TRY AND KEEP IT SIMPLE, PROTEIN SHAKE THATS NO MORE THAN 250 CAL , GREEN TEA..SOME TIMES FATFREE LATTES OR PROTEIN BAR about 20 hours ago from web

What movies she's been watching?

did anyone see marley and me? what a tear fest..great movie though 4:07 PM Dec 27th, 2008 from web

What she did for New Years?

I'm on a 200ft. Yacht in Caribbean! 9:09 AM Dec 31st, 2008 from web

Don't expect her to twitter about who she was kissing at midnight though. “I don’t think I would ever Twitter about my personal life, who I was dating, who I was going out with. That is something I would be very protective of,” she said to the NYTimes.

If her tweets aren't enough, and you're in the Las Vegas area, you can catch Natalie in person.

Having a 26th Birthday Bash at Blush Nightclub at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas, Jan. 6th - You're Invited! 6:18 AM Dec 22nd, 2008 from web

Follow her twitter posts here.

(Photo: Jeff Zelevansky/SI)

GOLF.com Interview: Natalie Gulbis  |  More Photos  |  Swing Sequence  | More Gulbis