U.S. Women’s Open, Day 1
The women hit Cherry Hills (the longest course in U.S. Open history at 6,749 yards) for the first round of the U.S. Open. This well may be the most exciting time for the LPGA, given Annika’s quest for No. 3 of the Grand Slam, Michelle Wie’s rise, and the host of young up-and-comers who will make the LPGA’s future very bright. To get you warmed up, here are some pitch shots:
1. Annika had her press conference yesterday. Best Question: “A lot of people talk about the consistency of your ball-striking. Ben Hogan, probably the most consistent ball-striker of all time, used to say, in any given round there were only maybe two or three shots that turned out exactly the way he intended them to. For you, how is that in any given round how many shots turn out the way you want them to?” Money answer by Annika: “About 100 percent. [Laughter]. Give or take. [Laughter].”
2. Ron Sirak of Golf World (one of my favorites) writes this amazing article We Should Appreciate Annika Now. Money line: “Early this year, one of the young stars-in-waiting with designs on Sorenstam’s label as best in the world said: ‘She’s a great player, but she’s on a bit of a hot streak right now.’ When that comment was relayed to another player, the second player said: ‘Yeah, she’s on a hot streak. It’s called her career.'”
3. Tom Spousta of USA Today has another excellent article on Annika. Money line from David Leadbetter: “She psyches most players out before they tee it up. It’s a natural response, like the way players reacted to what Tiger did in 2000. When you win as much as she does, that aura rubs off on other people.” Still, Leadbetter sees a different mind-set among younger stars like Natalie Gulbis, Paula Creamer and Wie, who view Sorenstam as the standard rather than unbeatable. “They don’t want to be like her some day,” he says. “They want to be like her this week.”
4. Natalie Gulbis has posted again on Nat’s journal. Money line: “The golf course is very difficult, I think similar to the men’s Open; par is going to be in the hunt. The rough is very long and thick. We can only advance the ball about 40 yards from a good lie. Better stay out of it!!”
5. AP has a story on Michelle Wie. Money line, when told that Arnold Palmer drove the 1st green at Cherry Hills en route to winning the 1960 U.S. Open and beating amateur Jack Nicklaus, Michelle replied: “A lot of people have told me many times before, and it’s great. I mean, it’s really wonderful how he hit that hole with the persimmon wood. I could have never imagined hitting with a wooded head driver.”
Ah…the beauty of youth.
Tweet