Sorenstam chasing historic US Women's Open victory
IN: News | LPGA | US Women's Open (2005) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 22 Jun 2005
The US Open season is now in full swing and just four days after the battle that was Pinehurst, the USGA move their operations west to Colorado for the staging of their US Women's Open.
The venue this year is the William Flynn designed Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver. Opened in 1922 the course has quite a relationship with the USGA. Although this is the first time the US Women's Open has been staged here, the US Open has been played three times previously, the last of which was in 1978 when Andy North beat J.C. Sneed and Dave Stockton to win the first of his two national titles. In 1938 Ralph Guldahl won the second of his back to back titles when he beat Dick Metz by six shots and in 1960 Arnold Palmer won his one and only US Open when coming from behind to beat the young whippersnapper Jack Nicklaus. The US Seniors Open was played here in 1993 when Jack Nicklaus beat Tom Weiskopf.
The course therefore is one of only three courses to host all three versions of the National Opens and joins Hazeltine National and Winged Foot in this category. The course is a typical 'traditional' US style 1920's course with mature vegetation lining what will be narrow fairways, small fast greens and has been regularly rated inside the top fifty in the US. It will measure 6473 yards for this event.
With Tiger Woods missing the chance last week to keep alive his hopes for a calendar Grand Slam, much of the spotlight this week will be on the game's hottest player, Annika Sorenstam, to keep her dream of a similar accomplishment going. With six wins this season and a rapidly increasing domination of major events in recent years, it is hard to imagine she is not going to be right in the firing line on Sunday.
The interesting fact about Sorenstam however, is that is has been nine years since she won her last US Open when winning her second consecutive title in 1996. She has been twice runner up in the last three years, losing out to Juli Inkster (2002) and Mega Mallon (2004) but even allowing for her lack of recent success in this particular event clearly she is the one everyone knows they will have to beat. If Sorenstam is able to win she will join Babe Zaharias, Mickey Wright and Pat Bradley as the only winners of three majors in a season with the prospect of an historic fourth at Royal Birkdale in a month's time.
The number two player on this season's money list, Cristie Kerr has not won this title, or any major for that matter, but she has shown a capacity to play well in the big events and there is none bigger than this week. She has had two top tens in this event including a runner up to Karrie Webb in 2000 and she is certainly a lot more experienced and credentialed player now. The concern regarding Kerr is that she seems to have lost, in recent weeks, the form she displayed a month or so ago but with six top tens this season and the capacity to get up for the big time, she is likely to be some sort of threat to Sorenstam.
Lorena Ochoa showed once again last week, with her win in Pittsford, that she is destined to one day challenge for the title as the leading player in the female game. She does not have a good record in the three US Opens she has played, perhaps because of her lack of accuracy from the tee, but she is clearly back in good form after being knocked around by her demise at the Safeway International when she let an almost unassailable lead slip. After a recent three week break she is back larger than life with a 5th placing and a win and so heads into this week ready to challenge at a higher level. That one weakness in her game, her accuracy from the tee, could really hurt her on a golf course like this though.
Juli Inkster is certainly playing well enough to win if Sorenstam falters. Inkster has the game and demeanour for US Open golf having won two of the last six. At almost 45 years of age she has the added advantage of being a cagey golfer to go with her brilliant short game and although, like Ochoa, not the most accurate of players from the tee, she has the memory of running down Sorenstam three years ago at Prairie Dunes to inspire her.
Paul Creamer has come of age very quickly. Just 18 years of age, she has already won on the LPGA Tour and was 13th in this event last year at the age of 17. It might be a bit much to expect her to win at this stage of her career, but she has shown no fear in her rookie season to date. A win and four other top tens already this season indicate that she is in the right form to play well again this year.
The LPGA Tour's most accurate driver and one of its best putters, Rosie Jones appears to have found a new lease of life in recent times and will enjoy the premium that will be placed on accuracy this week. She has yet to win a major but there is clearly a new dimension to her play of late. Thirteen wins on the LPGA and numerous top tens in Majors makes for a strong contender this week.
Jeong Jang has had top tens in each of the last two Opens and is in the middle of some very good form of late. She has yet to win on the LPGA Tour but that milestone is approaching fast. It may be a bit much to expect it to be this week, but a top placing is certainly not.
Candie Kung has shown in her few attempts that major success is not beyond her. At just 24 years of age she has already won three LPGA titles but has shown in events such as the 2002 British Open and the US Open last year that she can contend at the highest level and on tough golf courses. She has played well in the last few weeks.
Grace Park would in normal circumstances be considered one likely to do well but her ongoing battle with a back injury is a concern and it may yet be that she does not tee it up this week.
Laura Davies certainly has played a lot better in recent weeks including her third at the LPGA Championship two weeks ago. Her win in this event back in 1987 was the catalyst to get her to America and in her current form she could do well. Her recent record in the US Open is not good but she is in form.
Scot, Catriona Matthew, is another Brit who could do well. She has often played well in this event and is having one of her best years in the game in 2005 with six top tens. I can't see her winning but the possibility of a top five finish does exist.
Michelle Wie will capture nearly as much attention as Sorenstam especially following her runner up placing to the Swede at the LPGA. She has yet to win an event on the LPGA but surely that is just a matter of time even for one as young as fifteen.
Also adding interest to the event will be Japanese stars Ai Miyazato and Yuri Fudoh.
Of the Australians I can't get too excited about their winning prospects. Karrie Webb, who has been twice a winner of this event, does not appear to be playing well enough to figure on Sunday.
Rachel Hetherington is in the same boat as Webb with little good form to suggest that she will be a contender this week.
One Australian who just might do well is Lindsey Wright who is finding her feet in her rookie season. She was 16th in her very first major just two weeks ago and possesses a game built around accuracy and a good short game. A member of the winning Australian Espirtio Santo team and a winner on the Futures Tour in the last two seasons, she has made the step up to the LPGA without to much fuss. She would surprise with a top ten but she has a chance to be the leading Australian for the third week in succession.
Other Australians in the field are Katherine Hull, Wendy Doolan, Michelle Ellis Nadina Taylor, and Toowoomba's Leah Hart who for the third year in succession has made it into the event via qualifying. Hart played collegiate golf in the US before turning professional.
The event carries prizemoney of US$3.1 million, the richest purse in the Ladies game.
