Lewis has extra motivation at Manulife Financial LPGA Classic

• By Associated Press
• Jun 20, 2012 8:00 PM ET

WATERLOO, Ontario – Stacy Lewis hopes to take advantage of top-ranked Yani Tseng's absence in the inaugural Manulife Financial LPGA Classic to make up some more ground.

Lewis has jumped to No. 2 in the world with two victories and four straight top-five finishes.

''It's pretty cool,'' Lewis said. ''It's crazy to think that just a couple of months ago I was pretty far behind Yani. I've played some really good golf the last couple of weeks and it's been fun, but I have to keep doing it. I want to be on top of that list in November.''

Heat and wind were big factors Wednesday in the pro-am round at Grey Silo.

''It's definitely a bomber's course,'' said Lewis, ranked 21st on the tour in driving distance. ''If you hit it far you can carry some bunkers and have a lot of wedges in to the green.

''I think length is a definite advantage on this course, but the greens are pretty tough. There's a lot of little humps and bumps in them and they're tough to read, and the main thing on this course is the wind. If the wind blows it plays completely different.''

After winning consecutive stroke-play events in Mobile, Ala., and Galloway, N.J., Lewis tied for second two weeks in the LPGA Championship in Pittsford, N.Y.

The Texan spent two days on the beach last week.

''It all caught up to me in this last week, so I just spent most of the time relaxing and getting ready for these next couple,'' she said.

LPGA Championship winner Shanshan Feng also in the field along with Michelle Wie, Suzann Pettersen, Paula Creamer, Ai Miyazato, Morgan Pressel, So Yeon Ryu, Lexi Thompson, Sandra Gal, Azahara Munoz and Canadians Lorie Kane and Alena Sharp.

Wie is trying to break out of a season-long slump. The recent Stanford graduate, the 2010 Canadian Women's Open winner in Manitoba, has failed to advance to weekend play in the five events she has played that had a cut and lost in the first round of the Sybase Match Play. She has broken par only once in 18 rounds, and is 104th on the money list ($16,401), 141st in scoring average (76.06), 153rd in driving accuracy (42 percent) and 149th in putting average (32.4 per round). She shot 74-82 in the LPGA Championship.