Can Tseng be challenged at US Open?
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2011 US Women's Open | Preview | 05 Jul 2011
The USLPGA Tour plays back to back major championships this week when the US Women’s Open is played at the East Course at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs in Colorado.
Just two weeks after Yani Tseng’s runaway victory at the Wegman’s LPGA Championship, the world number one seeks victory at the only major she has yet to win and it will be quite a surprise if she is not at least in contention this week.
The event is being played at this venue for the first occasion having first been used in 1995 when Annika Sorenstam won the first of her ten major championships. Broadmoor is an original Donald Ross design which in itself qualifies it for greatness.
The USGA have clearly recognised the quality of the facility with several of their championships having been played at the venue. The last of those was in 2008 when Eduardo Romero won the US Senior Open.
Tseng’s record at the US Women’s Open has paled in comparison to her results in other major championships with just the one top ten in four starts, that coming last year when she finished 10th behind Paula Creamer at Oakmont Country Club.
The course will measure over 7000 yards, the longest in the event’s history although it will play less than that due to the altitude factor near the base of the Rockies. Colorado Springs is close to 2000 metres above sea level.
It might be that her lack of accuracy from the tee has cost her over USGA set up layouts but the manner in which Tseng is playing now indicates she could win whatever the style of golf course or its set up. While she is one of the strongest hitters in the female game however she is only 82rd in accuracy from the tee in 2011 and at the US Open that sort of stat will not bring a lot of joy.
Cristie Kerr, like Tseng, is not particularly accurate from the tee but she has already experienced US Open success having won this event in 2007. Kerr is in the middle of a great run in 2011. She has finished inside the top tree in her last four starts including her strong finish at the LPGA Championship when coming from well off the pace to finish 3rd. Kerr is likely to challenge Tseng in the pre tournament calculations.
So too will Suzann Pettersen who has been the other standout of late on the LPGA Tour and the last couple of years have seen a big improvement in her performances at the US open. She finished runner-up to Creamer last year – that following a 6th place finish in 2009. Pettersen has just the one major to her name to date but few would be surprised if that total was added to this week
Pettersen tied with Kerr for third place at the recent LPGA Championship and two starts earlier won the Sybase Match Play Championship. She appears to be peaking at the right time and is sure to be a factor.
Jiyai Shin has not been the same consistent player we have seen in the past this season but she has still played well enough on occasions for her to be a consideration this week. She has just the one major championship to her name but she is good enough to add more. She has two top tens in four starts in this event and it would be a major surprise if she does not add at least one more this week.
Karrie Webb heads the Australians who have made it into the field. It has been ten years since the second of her two victories in this championship but she is sure to give a good account of herself. Following her great start early in the season she has not been quite as good and her record in this event since those two victories hardly gives reason for confidence but she is a hardened campaigner especially at the elite level.
Katherine Hull, Lindsey Wright, Sarah Jane Smith and Sarah Kemp all get their opportunity to grab some of female golf’s equal richest purse (US$3,250,000) a figure it shares with the Evian Masters.
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