Lunke a surprise win but what a pleasant one
IN: News | LPGA | US Women's Open (2003) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 08 Jul 2003
NBC commentator Johnny Miller described it as "perhaps the greatest win in golf". Coming just a minute or so after Hilary Lunke had made a fifteen footer at the last to win, it could been seen as a heat of the moment statement, but a closer analysis suggests he may not be far off the mark.
After all this twenty four year old with just a fifteenth placing as her best showing in her twenty two previous starts in her eighteen month LPGA career, hardly had the credentials to even be making the cut, let alone winning the greatest event in women's golf. She had gained access to the event by the local and sectional qualifying process and her win makes her the first to achieve such, having gone through the qualifying grind.
It would be fair to say that starting the day, Lunke would have been considered the one most likely to succumb to the intense pressure of being in contention over such a sustained period. She was after all up against a major champion and nine time tournament winner in Kelly Robbins and a winner last week on the LPGA, in Stanford.
Still Lunke controlled this playoff from the very opening hole. Her solid start when she reached two under through six holes, had her four ahead and although both Robbins and more especially Stanford came back at her late in the round it was always a catch up game for them.
Stanford's back nine of thirty two was brilliant as she fought to her way back into it after falling so far behind at the turn. That she was able to draw level following her chip in for birdie at the fourteenth, highlights a lady with some future in LPGA golf. Her thirty foot putt from off the green at the last for birdie, seemed at that stage likely to force extra holes, but the dream run for Lunke hadn't stopped yet. Facing a curling right to left fifteen footer herself, she calmly, at least outwardly, stroked it perfectly into the middle of the hole and the title was hers.
It is hard to describe the emotions Lunke must now be feeling, but throughout the last round she was like a swan on a lake. Calm and serene outwardly, but no doubt churning inside, as she tried to put the thoughts of winning a title that would change her life to the back of her mind.
It was a win for the short hitters also. Lunke ranked 57th of the 59 who finished the event, averaging just 230 yards for the week on holes where measurements were taken. It was her amazing putting, combined with solid accuracy stats however, that saw her through this week. She ranked second in putting and tenth in fairways hit, a lethal combination.
This win offers Lunke all sorts of benefits including the $US550,000, but more especially security of tenure, as a major winner, on the LPGA for at least the next five years. There are many courses that Lunke will find it difficult to win on because of her distance stats, but on courses where there is a premium on accuracy she will now be a serious force to be reckoned with given the confidence and self belief that she will have gained this week.
Lunke's demeanour throughout the event, given that she was very much in unchartered territory was outstanding. She endeared herself to the fans at the course and no doubt to the millions watching world wide. She can use this victory and the image she created, to launch a great career for herself on and off course.
