Thanks to a bigger purse, a strong field will be playing this weekend at the LPGA Sybase Big Apple Classic.

The tournament, as it has since 1990, tees off today at Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle. Because there will be greater prize money this time around, the 72-hole shootout has drawn five of seven LPGA tournament winners from this season.

While Annika Sorenstam, who played with the boys at the Colonial last year, is skipping Wykagyl this year, five 2004 winners will line up to take aim at Hee-Won Han’s title on the venerable par-71, 6,161-yard track.

Last year Han, No. 4 on the ADT official money list, won her first pro title at Wykagyl with an 11-under par finish that earned her $142,000 before she went on to win the Wendy’s Championship. In 2002, Han lost in a playoff at Wykagyl to Gloria Park, but has since risen to the top echelon of the LPGA rankings.

In eight starts this year, Han has one top-10 finish and is hoping a return to the familiar grounds here can bring her first win of the year.

“The first win gave me a lot of confidence,” she said. “I played pretty good here the last two years. I am comfortable here.”

Last year the Big Apple purse was $950,000 but has since ballooned to $1.25 million through increased sponsorships. The larger purse has attracted several of the LPGA’s hottest golfers this season, including Grace Park, Se Ri Pak, Cristie Kerr, Jennifer Rosales and Karen Stupples, who have all won tournaments this season.

Park, No. 2 on the money list behind Sorenstam, has four top-10 finishes in 10 starts this season with a win at the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Rancho Mirage, Calif., under her belt. A big hitter with a 278.3-yard driving average, Park may not have the accuracy to overtake Han, who may not hit the ball as far (248.5 average) but hits nearly 80 percent of her fairways.

Se Ri Pak, No. 4 on the money list and a winner earlier this year at the Michelob Ultra Championship in Williamsburg, Va., is another long driver (271.2) who’s been struggling with her accuracy off the tee.

Kerr, No. 5 on the money list, has four top-10 finishes in 10 starts this season and has been hitting fairly straight, hitting just under 74 percent of her fairways, which will be crucial at Wykagyl.

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Local pros Jean Bartholomew (Queens) and Laura Diaz (Garden City) will again compete at Wykagyl. Last year Bartholomew finished T-32 (4-over par 71) and Diaz finished T-16 (1-over).

Naree Song, the identical twin sister of 18-year old LPGA rookie Aree Song, will compete under a sponsor’s exemption. Naree is a member of the Futures Tour, while Aree sits at No. 11 on the money list.

Sybase Big Apple Classic

Wykagyl CC, New Rochelle

6,161 yards, par 71

Defending champ: Hee-Won Han