Hurry Up And Wait

Filed in archive Golf News on June 30, 2007

Annika Finishes Round One on Saturday!
Courtesy: USGA

It's Saturday and the cut still hasn't been determined at the 62nd women's U.S.Open at Pine Needles Golf Club in North Carolina.

The 2007 version of this venerable women's event is causing fits for organizers anxious to conclude on time and it's causing long delays for players trying to find a rhythm in their games for this major tournament.

That's the overall plot but, like a great movie script, there are plots within plots.

Annika Sorenstam was in good shape after Thursday/Friday's first round, sitting in a tie for fourth 2 shots off the lead.

But after completing her second round on Saturday, Sorenstam blew up to a 77 and has slid well down the leaderboard to 58th spot. Still, at 5 over, the Swede who's looking for a record-tying fourth U.S.Open title was still within striking distance.

And what about two-time U.S.Open winner, Australia's Karrie Webb? Her first round was horrendous: an 83 was embarrassing enough. But she was one shot worse than the queen of blow-ups, Michelle Wie, whose run of rounds in the 80s continued at Pine Needles when she posted an 82.

Webb, early in her second round, was 2 under through six holes so she appeared to be moving in the right direction.

And the 12 year old, sixth grader, Alexis Thompson, whose brother Nick leads the money list on the Nationwide Tour, is truly the star of this tournament so far.

She was 3 over par for her first 9 when play was called on Thursday. She finished her opener yesterday and fired a 76!! 4 over par for a 12 year old whose average driving distance on day one was 218 yards.

This is an astonishing story despite her second round 82 that left her at 16 over. Tough to say what the cut's going to be but the kid's having the time of her life.

The lone Russian - and first ever to play the U.S. women's - had a terrible first round with an 89. Maria Kostina will miss the cut unless her numbers come way down. Through the first three holes of her second round, Kostina was already 3 over.

As for the world's number one golfer, Lorena Ochoa is faring much better than the defending champion, Sorenstam. Ochoa was even par on round one and through five holes of round two was one over par, just 4 back of the leaders.

Watch out for Morgan Pressel. Early Saturday she was T2 at 2 under. She knows how to win majors.

And those leaders? Two girls named Park were atop the leaderboard after round one: Angela Park from Brazil and Park In-bee from the United States.

In-bee had dropped down the leaderboard early on Saturday to 1 under while 18 year old Angela Park, who shot 68 in round one, was even par on her front nine on Saturday in round two.

I really have to think that, when you examine the women's tour more closely than you might, you can't help finding tremendous talent and exciting competition at every turn. It really is difficult to pick a winner, week in and week out, on the LPGA Tour.

It's literally anybody's to win and so is this 62nd women's U.S. Open.