Will Ochoa make amends at US Women's Open
IN: News | LPGA | US Women's Open (2006) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 28 Jun 2006
With the emergence in 2006 of so many players capable of mixing it with the world's best the US$3.1 million 2006 US Women's Open at the historic Newport Country Club on Rhode Island promises to be one of the most fiercely contested in recent years.
The Newport Country Club is steeped in the history of American golf. It was here in 1895 that the very first US Amateur Championship was played and, at virtually the same time, the inaugural US Open Championship.
The first professional at the Newport Country Club, William Davis, designed the first nine holes but in 1915 another nine were added by Donald Ross and in 1923 A.W. Tillinghast, who amongst many other fine courses designed this year's US Open venue at Winged Foot, rebuilt the eighteen hole layout to that which it is today. Significant modifications were carried out in recent years by Orrin Smith and Ron Forse.
Measuring 6616 yards, the layout is one of the longest in US Women's Open history. Only last year's venue at Cherry Hills was longer at 6749 yards was longer and with the rain in the north east of the USA in recent weeks the golf course can be expected to play at its full length. Also adding to the test that is the Newport Country Club is that it boasts tight fairways, demanding rough, and greens that contain considerable movement. The field of 156 will certainly know they have been in a golf tournament by the end of the week.
Defending champion is the 25-year-old Korean, Birdie Kim, who pulled off a miraculous birdie from the greenside bunker at the last to edge out the teenagers, Brittany Lang and Morgan Pressel. Kim has struggled for much of 2006 with a best of 19th in twelve starts this season. Mind you her lead up had not been a lot better in 2005.
The favourite on paper at least is Annika Sorenstam but there are many who feel this might just be the week for Lorena Ochoa to convert near misses in majors into her first win. Ochoa blew a great opportunity to win this event last year when she hit an awful tee shot at the final hole and found the water. The resultant quadruple bogey saw her chances disappear after she had worked herself into a winning position with a brilliant back nine burst. It took Ochoa some time to recover from the impact of that letdown but she is now back and, after a narrow loss to Karrie Webb at the Kraft Nabisco earlier this year, she is ready to elevate her status in the game even further.
Annika Sorenstam is not in quite the same form she was last year but she has hardly struggled. She has been outside the top ten only twice in nine starts in 2006 and is still well and truly the number one player in the female game.
Karrie Webb is back close to her best and importantly she is enjoying her work. Her lead-in event last week at the Wegmans tournament left a little to be desired but with two wins and three runner up placings in the weeks prior she is ready to perhaps add a third US Open crown to her already stunning list of trophies.
Michelle Wie's length from the tee will be a huge advantage on this rain sodden layout. She has proven in the majors over her short career that she is more than up to winning an event like this and with the conditions likely to favour her this could be a great opportunity to become the youngest ever winner of this event.
The Korean challenge is led by Hee Won Han but now that Se Ri Pak is back to somewhere near the form that she displayed when winning this title in 1998, she too must be some sort of chance. The Korean chances do not stop there either with the rookie Seon Hwa Lee, last week's winner Jeong Jang and Mi Hyun Kim all possible contenders.
Amongst the other Americans, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lang, Paula Creamer and the veteran Juli Inkster can not be left out of consideration.
Other than Webb, who is mentioned above, Australasia is represented by six other entrants with five of them earning their way to the event via the qualifying process. Only Webb and Rachel Hetherington gained exemption from the qualifying process.
Rachel Hetherington finally found some form last week after an indifferent start to the year. She started the Wegmans LPGA event well and although her latter rounds were not quite as good, the well credentialed Queenslander finished 10th, her best finish of the year. Hetherington's highest finish in this event was when 10th behind Meg Mallon in 2004 at the Orchards Golf Club but, given her season to date, it would be perhaps a surprise, albeit a pleasant one, to see her improve on that. Hetherington has twice been runner up in major championships.
Lindsey Wright has emerged as one of Australia's bright young stars. The Pepperdine graduate has established herself on the LPGA Tour since joining it in 2005. She is a grinding, never give up, type of player who could do well around a golf course where those attributes will be a significant asset. Wright missed the cut at her only US Open start last year but good tournaments in recent weeks suggest she can do better this year. She is not a long hitter and will need to make the most of her strategic approach to the game if she is to better her previous best major performance when 16th at last year's McDonalds LPGA Championship.
Lynnette Brooky arrives in Rhode Island after withdrawing from the Estoril Ladies Open of Portugal last week. Brooky finished 12th at Prairie Dunes in 2003, one of only two cuts she has made in five starts in this event. In 2003 however she recorded more birdies over the 72 holes than any player other than runner up, Annika Sorenstam, highlighting a capacity to handle what was a very demanding golf course that year. The New Zealander is having another good year in Europe having won the Spanish Open a few weeks ago.
Nadina Light will play her second US Open this week having missed the cut in her debut last year. With a best placing of 20th in thirteen LPGA Tour starts in 2006, making her first US Open cut will be a significant and important achievement.
Shani Waugh is an almost part time player these days but her third placing at the US Open at Prairie Dunes in 2003 was one of her great weeks in professional golf. She has only played in four events this season on the LPGA Tour and has a best placing of 39th so it is hard to imagine anything like a repeat of 2003 but the West Australian has done well to make the field.
Sarah Jane Kenyon, who plays the Duramed Futures Tour, has also done well to make the field via final qualifying. This will be her first US Open but will certainly not be her last. It will be an experience for her but at this stage of her career a cut made will be a good week.
Photo - WireImage
