Meunier-Lebouc a week late?

BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2002 State Farm Classic | Wrap | 02 Sep 2002

France’s Patricia Meunier-Lebouc may well be ruing the fact that the European Solheim Cup team was named last week. So may Dale Reid as, if it was named this week, then surely Meunier-Lebouc would have forced her way into calculations at least. After all she was a member of the winning Solheim Cup team in 2000 and has done enough in her two seasons on the USLPGA Tour to warrant consideration. In that 2000 event she was a narrow loser to Meg Mallon in the singles and gained a half point for the team when combining with Neumann in the fourball. Irrespective she may have still fallen victim to Dale Reid’s policy of selecting only those who support the European Tour and with Lebouc having played only one more event than Matthew it may be that she still would not have gained a spot.

This was the French golfer’s first win in the US but she handled the situation as if it was something she did on a weekly basis. Leading into the final round tied with Mi Hyun Kim she produced a mistake free round of 67 with no bogies to win by two from the fast finishing Se Ri Pak and Kim, whose last hole bogey eliminated any chance of a playoff. Beth Bauer, Emilee Klein and Laura Davies tied for fourth.

Shani Waugh was the leading Australian in 10th, Joanne Mills 26th,Rachel Teske 38th and Tamie Durdin 82nd.

Importantly this was the final event before the selection of the US Solheim Cup team. Several players still had the opportunity to play their way on to the team more especially Nancy Scranton who had a serious chance of winning the event until the last round. Her 76 on Sunday eliminated not only her chances of victory but also her chance of a spot on the team. It will have been a hard pill to swallow.

Patty Sheehan has selected her final two captains picks they being Kelly Robbins and Pat Hurst with Dorothy Delasin getting the travelling alternate spot.

Hurst’s top ten finish here no doubt consolidated the opinion of Sheehan that she was right for the job and ready for the task on September 20th.

Final Round – Australasian Scores
T10 -11 Shani Waugh
T26 -7 Joanne Mills
T38 -5 Rachel Teske
82 7 Tamie Durdin

• Missed Cut *
  Jane Crafter
  Karen Pearce
  Mardi Lunn
  Carmen Hajjar
  Marnie McGuire