Hurst Set To Return To LPGA's Ginn Open

Monday, April 9th 2007, 7:41 am

By: News On 6

MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) _ A year has passed, but to Vicky Hurst, it's still a blur. The phone call with the news. The few hours in the hospital, before the life-support machines got turned off. The shock. The funeral.

She was 15.

And her father -- her mentor, her biggest fan -- was gone.

Vicky Hurst got the call from her mother while waiting out a thunderstorm before playing in the L-P-G-A's Ginn Open qualifying event, where she was expected to win a spot in the tournament field. Instead, still anguished, she and her mom wound up seeing the Ginn's third round as fans, quietly mingling among the gallery.

Joe Hurst would have loved what's coming this week.

His daughter will be alongside Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa and newly crowned major champion Morgan Pressel in this week's Ginn Open in Reunion, Florida, on a sponsor's exemption.

It'll be the second LPGA start for Hurst, who missed the cut at the US Women's Open -- Joe Hurst's favorite event -- last summer.