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Webb Lurking at
Third Round of McDonaldÕs
By Rick Woelfel
Halfway through
the McDonald's LPGA Championship Suzann Petterson has a one-shot lead. There
are seven players within three shots of her however, including the woman who
came within an eyelash of winning this title a year ago.
And it will be a
rejuvenated Karrie Webb who will join Petterson in the final pair in Saturday's
third round at Bulle Rock. A year ago Webb won five times to reestablish
herself as one of the top players in the sport. She also lost to Se Ri Pak in a playoff here last year.
She hasn't won in
2007 but has recorded two top 10 finishes and after starting out at Bulle Rock
with rounds of 68 and 69 she should be a major force this weekend as she starts
the weekend at 7-undr-par 135.
Moreover, Webb
has regained the focus that once made her the number one player in the world.
"I guess I feel like I have the ability to be, if not the best player in
the world, one of the best players in the world," she says.
"Ultimately
that's my goal for the next few years, to work hard and let my ability prove to
people that I am capable of that. And then just to really enjoy the game a
little bit more."
That last part of
hat statement may be the key to Webb's resurgence over the last
season-and-a-half. She has always been a focused competitor on the golf course
but of late seems to be finding more satisfaction in her accomplishments.
"It's no fun
when you're not playing well," she says, " [but] you know, days like [Friday] I try not to be
too hard on myself and enjoy the fact that I am swinging it well and that I
have a chance to win another major, which I always a good thing."
Webb has had some
memorable moments at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, both warm and poignant.
She won this championship in 2001 when it was still being contested at DuPont
Country Club in Wilmington, Del. That win came only hours after the death of
her grandfather, who introduced her to golf in her native Australia by letting
his four-year-old granddaughter ride on his pull cart.
In 2005, the
tournament's first year at Bulle Rock, she officially qualified for the LPGA
and World Golf Halls of Fame after completing the first round of the 10th event
of her 10th Tour season.
Webb has been so
successful so long that it's easy to forget that she's just 32 years old.
"I was number one in the world six or seven year ago," she says. "it was something that I thought about all the time. But for me now, it's not something that I wake up and think about every morning. I just know that if I put all my ability together for a period of time that, you know, it's good enough to be the best or close to itÉI'd like to be up there with the top three or four players in the world for the next three or four years and then see where things are."
Petterson Has
Lead Midway Through McDonaldÕs
By Rick Woelfel
Halfway through
the McDonald's LPGA Championship, the field is looking up at Suzann Petterson.
Petterson, who won her first LPGA title last month, has a one-shot lead after
36 holes following a 67 in Friday's second round that put her at 8-under-par
136 after 36 holes.
Karrie Webb is
one shot back that put her at 137. Birdie Kim and Brittany Lincicome share
third place at 138 after shooting a 71 and a 69 respectively in the second
round. Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel are at 139.
Petterson played
her second round in the morning, before temperatures soared. She heated things
up herself by making five birdies coming in.
"You should
never say you're in control," she said, "Because then the game will
get you the next day. I hit some good shots. I hit some half-decent shots.
There's room for improvement [but] it feels like what I'm working on is pretty
good."
Petterson won for
the first time on the LPGA Tour at Williamsburg in mid-May but more attention
for a near miss at the Nabisco Championship in March when a late collapse led
to Pressel becoming the youngest major championship winner in LPGA history.
"I forgot
about that a long time ago," Petterson said. "Kraft was well
evaluated, I had a lot of good putts and I picked up some stuff that I wasn't
aware of, like a few things in my routine that changed on the last couple of
holes."
Webb played in
the worst heat of the day but hit 15 greens in regulation. "I tend to like
playing in hotter weather than colder weather," she said. "My body
seems to appreciate that."
Webb was actually
at seven under par after six holes but gave two shots back to par when she
missed the green at the par-3 third hole (her 12th) and wound up making double
bogey after leaving her chip in the left rough. She missed the green left at
the fourth as well but nearly chipped in for birdie before tapping in for par.
"It was
really important I think," she said, "especially playing that next
hole, which is a pretty difficult hole; to get that up and down was pretty crucial,
I think."
Sorenstam
Criticizes Wie for Withdrawal
By Rick Woelfel
As the start of
the McDonaldÕs LPGA Championship approaches, Michelle Wie finds herself at the
center of a controversy.
Wie, who has been
suffering from a wrist injury, withdrew after playing 16 holes in the Ginn
Tribute hosted by Annika. At the time she was 14 over par. Pars on the last two
holes would have given her an 86. Two bogies on the other hand would have put
her at 88 and activated an LPGA rule that bars any non-member who shoots 88 or
higher from LPGA events for the balance of the year.
An LPGA official
watched part of WieÕs round, which led to speculation that Wie decided to
withdraw to avoid having the rule invoked against her. She went on to practice
at Bulle Rock on Saturday and played in a pro-am on Monday.
At a
pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday Annika Sorenstam, who hosted the
Ginn event, rebuked Wie for her actions.
ÒI just feel that
thereÕs a little bit of respect and class,Ó Sorenstam said, Òjust to kind of
leave a tournament like that and then come out and practice here, especially
being the hostess. You know, I donÕt know the situation, if itÕs injury or
whatever it is. It just seemed really weird.
ÒWhen you get a
sponsor invite, I think you have some responsibilities to the sponsor, to the
organizer and I can tell you that from being part of it now, itÕs a different
side from that aspect.Ó
In her own press
conference, held shortly after SorenstamÕs. Wie claimed that the rule did not
factor into her decision to withdraw.
She was asked if
she felt she owed Sorenstam, who gave her an exemption into the Ginn
tournament, an apology.
ÒI donÕt think I
need to apologize for anything,Ó she said. ÒItÕs just I played bad but thatÕs
what golf is. Sometimes you play good and sometimes you play bad. I just wasnÕt
playing like myselfÉ So, you know, I donÕt really feel like I have to apologize
for anything. I just have to take care of my body and move forward and think
only of positive things.
Hanson Connects
With Young Golfers
By Rick Woelfel
It's a long way
from junior golf to the LPGA Tour. LPGA Tour veteran Tracy Hanson helped bridge
that divide however, by conducting a clinic for some young women who have
aspirations of making their own mark in the sport.
Hanson spent part
of her Tuesday morning at Gulph Mills Golf Club outside Philadelphia
conductinga clinic for the Women Golfers Give Back organization.
The group's
mission is to encourage young women to get involved in the sport and provide
support to young women who otherwise couldn't afford to play in tournaments on
a regular basis.
Hanson worked
with a group of eight girls on the fundamentals of putting, chipping and
finally the full swing.
"It's fun to
give back," she says. "When I was this age I never had these kinds of
clinics in the area where I grew up [Idaho]. It's fun to see them smile and see
them hit the ball."
Hanson says it's
important for girls and women to feel they have a place in the game. "It
used to be such a male-dominated sport," she says. "Not only can we
play but we can play well and hit the ball far and we don't have to look pretty
all the time doing it. We can go out, have fun and play well. Golf is such a
good game for life skills."
Alexandra Frazier
helped found the WGGB organization as a way of getting more girls involved in
golf. An outstanding amateur player in the Philadelphia area, Frazier enjoyed
seeing the interaction between a woman who competes at the highest level of the
sport and girls who are just discovering what golf is all about.
"Very few of
us get access to LPGA Tour players very often" she says, "especially
during the week of a major tournament. It's nice for the girls; I think this is
kind of a highlight. They've been working hard in their own individual
programs. This is a nice thing we can do for them and it kind of showcases what
we're interested in, which is getting girls to play golf."
A three-time
Academic All-American at San Jose State, Hanson says the game offers long-range
benefits to today's young players. "There area lot of opportunities out
there to get your college paid for or partly paid for and get an
education," she says. "Golf is great in all aspects of life, whether
it's business or whatever you're doing, whether you're a stay-at-home mom or in
the working world."
McDonaldÕs Preview
By Rick Woelfel
Tournament week has arrived.
The 27th. McDonaldÕs LPGA Championship gets underway Thursday at
Bulle Rock Golf Club in Havre de Grace, Md.
Defending champion Se Ri Pak will be trying to become the first player to win
the championship four times. Last year she defeated Karrie Webb on the first
playoff hole to record her first victory in more than two years, after
overcoming a series of injuries.
Pak will be officially
inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame after she completes her first round on
Thursday. She earned the required number of points some time ago, but induction
had to wait until the 10the vent of her 10th Tour season. The
championship will mark her 10th start of 2007.
ÒItÕs something very, very
special,Ó she says.
In her early years on Tour
Pak was something of an enigma, distancing herself from the rest of the Tour.
But she worked hard to improve her English, which she did but watching American
television and in recent years has become much more outgoing.
ÒI had many great years,Ó she
says, Òbut I never enjoyed it. But last year and this year has been totally
different. I know my game is not quite as great as before, but I know itÕs
getting close and itÕs more fun. ItÕs very exciting and fun to play events
every week. I like being out here again, which is very different.
As always, the McDonaldÕs
field will be a deep one. Lorena Ochoa, the top-ranked player in the world,
comes into the championship off a playoff loss to Nicole Castrale at the GINN
Tribute Hosted by Annika. In her previous start she won the Sybase Classic.
Annika Sorenstam, who won the
tournament three straight times from 2003-05 is expected to compete, after
returning to competitive golf at her own tournament following a two-month
layoff due to a neck injury.
Juli Inkster, another
three-time champion is also in the field, along with Nabisco Championship
winner Morgan Pressel and a bevy of other players who, like Ochoa are seeking
their first major title, including the likes of Paula Creamer, Stacy
Prammanasudh.
Another contender is Castrale, who opened last yearÕs championship with a 64 to
take the first-round lead.
The field will play for a $2
million purse with the champion pocketing $300,000. Golf Channel will provide
live coverage of all four rounds. Since 1981 the tournament has raised for than
$45 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
When the tournament became a
major championship in 1994 the LPGA attached the history of the LPGA
Championship, which was first
played in 1955.
The history reflected below
is the history of the McDonaldÕs tournament as a distinct entity,
Past Tournament Champions
McDonaldÕs
Classic
1981 Sandra Post
1982 Joanne
Carner
McDonaldÕs Kids
Classic
1983 Beth Daniel
1984 Patty Sheehan
McDonaldÕs
Championship
1985 Alice Miller
1986 Juli Inkster
1987 Betsy King
1988 Kathy
Postelwait
1989 Betsy King
1990 Patty
Sheehan
1991 Beth Daniel
1992 Ayako
Okamoto
1993 Laura Davies
McDonaldÕs LPGA
Championship
1994 Laura Davies
1996
Laura Davies
1997
Chris Johnson
1998
Se Ri Pak
1999
Juli Inkster
2000
Juli Inskter
2001
Karrie Webb
2002
Se Ri Pak
2003
Annika Sorenstam
2004
Annika Sorenstam
2005
Annika Sorenstam
2006
Se Ri Pak
LPGA
Veteran Wood Enjoying Exempt Status as McDonaldÕs Event Nears
While the likes of Se Ri Pak
and Lorena Ochoa are thinking about winning the McDonaldÕs LPGA Championship,
Carri Wood is on a quest of a different sort. Wood is playing for her career
each time she tees it up.
The 36-year-old has been a
professional since the fall of 1993 but the 2007 season is the first in which
she has enjoyed exempt status on the LPGA Tour. All told, sheÕs been to
Q-School 13 times.
It wasnÕt supposed to turn
out this way.
Wood grew up on Cape Cod and
started out in sports playing ice hockey before switching over to golf. She won
several amateur titles in her home state, including the 1989 Massachusetts
Amateur championship.
After high school, seeking to
test herself against better competition, she headed to Mississippi State. ÒI
guess that was a good measuring stick,Ó she says. ÒTo see how I was going to
compare against other people golf-wise because Cape Cod was not an area where
you got to play year round, so never knew how well you stood up to the national
averages and how good you were.Ó
As a collegian, Wood was a
three-time All American and won the 1992 Southeastern Conference individual
title. She also reached the finals of the 1991 U.S. WomenÕ Amateur Public
Links.
Wood turned professional in
1993 but never quite achieved the level of success others had predicted for
her. She has spent much of her career shuttling between the LPGA Tour and the
Futures Tour, with a stop in Asia thrown in for good measure.
The road she has traveled is
one that has been taken by the vast majority of her peers; making a living as a
professional golfer is no easy task, regardless of how effortless the likes of
an Ochoa makes it look.
What has changed over the 13
seasons that Wood has been a professional is the makeup of the tour. Not only
are there more international players in each weekÕs field, but also an
increasing number of young players are bypassing college and turning
professional straight out of the junior ranks.
ÒIn this day and age nobody
seems to be going to college anymore,Ó Wood says. ÒA lot of the girls are so
good theyÕre coming out directly, if they can make it. The only thing I can
offer is that college does offer you a lot of different aspects. You learn to
live by yourself, do your own laundry, manage your own money and be on your
own.
ÒIf you come out [on the
LPGA Tour] at 18 you canÕt do a whole lot by yourself. YouÕve got to have Mom
and Dad with you because you canÕt rent a car, you probably donÕt have a credit
card to get into a hotel. To do a lot of things you need somebody with you.
ThatÕs not growing up and thatÕs not being around people your own age and
learning how to mature on your own.Ó
When she returned to
Q-School last fall, 13 turned out to be WoodÕs lucky number. She tied for
seventh place in the 90-hole tournament and was one of 15 players to earn
exempt status for 2007, which assured her of being able to get into the TourÕs
full-field events on a week-to-week basis.
She has taken advantage of
the opportunity; heading into the championship she has made seven cuts in nine
starts and has earned just over $59,000, which puts her 75th on the money list.
The top 90 are assured of exempt status in 2008.
Wood started off by tying for 25th and then 28th in the
seasonÕs first two events in Hawaii. She also tied for 29th in
Corning, N.Y. two weeks ago and might have recorded some better finishes were
it not for a balky putter.
ÒThe last few events IÕve
been struggling with putting,Ó she says. IÕve been hitting a lot of greens and
hitting the ball pretty well. You just go through those stretches where youÕre
not making many putts. Previously it used to be that my tee ball was a little
bit weak [but] it seems to have gotten a little better.Ó
Wood admits that she has a
tendency to get down on herself when she isnÕt playing well. ÒIÕve got to learn
that ÔOkay IÕve had a bad week but IÕve got next weekÕ and learn from it,Ó she
says. ÒAt Q-School if you had a bad round you could cost yourself your whole
year. Whereas out here you can have a bad round and you still have next week.
Mentally youÕve got to stay positive.
ÒIf thereÕs any weakness to
me itÕs my attitude or inability to stay up. I tend to get hard on myself.Ó
Unlike team sports, golf is
an endeavor where there are no guarantees. A player retains the right to
compete soley on the basis of how she performs, day-to-day, week-to-week and
year-to-year.
However long WoodÕs career
lasts, the fact that she has at long last earned exempt status on the LPGA Tour
is a source of tremendous personal satisfaction.
ÒI think thatÕs one of the
highlights of my career,Ó she says, Òbecause it took me so long to get there. I
guess lucky 13 might be my lucky number. It took me 13 tries and maybe thatÕs
the number IÕm hoping it will be.Ó