Alfredsson Contends at U.S. Women’s Open

HELEN ALFREDSSON. NOW THERE’S A BLAST from the LPGA past. Ranked 116th in the world, the 43-year-old Alfredsson is right in the thick of things at the U.S. Women’s Open at Edina, Minnesota. I doubt that she’ll win, but what a story it would be.

If you watched the telecast today, you saw Alfredsson twist and turn and crane her neck after striking the ball. It could be a good shot. It could be a bad shot. You never know with Helen.

This is exactly the way I remember Alfredsson when she came out on tour, a very demonstrative player. Also, she would talk to herself. Loudly. Often Helen berated herself like a football coach giving his team a tongue-lashing at halftime.

Alfredsson holds the single round and 36-hole records for the women’s Open, once carding a sizzling 63 on her way to 132. She then proceeded to fritter away a six or seven shot lead to lose the tournament. That would definitely have you talking to yourself.

Meanwhile, Stacy Lewis is this year's 54-hole leader at nine under. Just one stroke behind, Paula Creamer is poised to win her first major. Annika Sorenstam is too far back at two under. And, well over par, Lorena Ochoa has completely lost her magic.

−The Armchair Golfer

2008 U.S. Women’s Open: Annika Sorenstam’s Encore?

WOULD ANYONE BE TERRIBLY UPSET if Annika Sorenstam won her fourth U.S. Women’s Open?

Sorenstam is retiring at the end of the season, and as much as I like Lorena Ochoa -- I think she’s awesome, actually -- I wouldn’t mind another shiny National Open trophy for Annika. The Swedish star has been terrific for women’s golf.

Sorenstam has amassed 72 LPGA Tour victories, including 10 majors. She and Ochoa will have plenty of competition in the championship that started today.

Currently, Annika is one under after six holes. Ochoa has completed her first round with an even-par 73. The clubhouse leader is Ji Young Oh with a 67.

U.S. Women’s Open Facts

Dates: June 26-29, 2008
Purse: $3,100,000
History: The U.S. Women's Open began in 1946 and is the longest-running event on the LPGA Tour.
Format: 72 holes
Course: Interlachen Country Club, Edina, MN
Par: 36-37, 73
Yardage: 6,789
Defending champion: Cristie Kerr

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
My interview with defending champion Cristie Kerr (last August)

No Happy Meal for Ochoa and Sorenstam

(Yani Tseng)

THE MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP had a full menu of golf drama, including a playoff and 19-year-old rookie winner named Yani Tseng, but it was no happy meal for Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam. Both finished one shot back in a tie for third.

Ochoa’s bid for the Grand Slam fizzled in the searing Maryland heat due mostly to a balky putter. Sorenstam also struggled on the greens.

“It was a strange day,” Lorena said. “Almost like … it wasn’t my time.”

“I am not ashamed. I'm proud of my finish. And I guess, you know, now I move on and continue and try to win the next few tournaments.”

“I felt good all week,” Annika said. “I thought this was going to be my week. So close and not being able to finish.”

The next major is the U.S. Women’s Open in two weeks at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minnesota.

−The Armchair Golfer

Memphis in the Meantime

“Let’s go to Memphis in the meantime, baby.”
−John Hiatt

This week definitely reminds me of the above lyric from the John Hiatt song.

I admit I’m looking ahead with a full shag bag of anticipation to the U.S. Open. Can’t wait. I think most golf enthusiasts feel the same way, especially anticipating the pairing of the world’s top three players: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott.

The PGA Tour is in Memphis in the meantime, with a logjam of players at three under. Tough conditions, apparently. Three under after two rounds? In Memphis? Surreal.

In Maryland at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, Lorena Ochoa is bidding for the second leg of the Grand Slam and her third straight major. She has a one-shot lead heading into the third round.

−The Armchair Golfer

Ochoa to Chair Sorenstam Retirement Party Committee

Lorena runs a few retirement party ideas by Annika.
(Gottwald/Flickr)

ACCORDING TO SOURCES, Lorena Ochoa, despite a heavy on- and off-course schedule, will oversee the retirement party of Annika Sorenstam. The news comes on the heels of yesterday’s blockbuster retirement announcement by Sorenstam.

“I feel strongly about giving back to my game, I mean, the game,” Ochoa said. “I’m anxious to give Annika the sendoff she deserves.”

While some are openly wondering why Annika will retire this season –- especially after three early-season wins –- Lorena isn’t one of them.

“I’ve always respected Annika’s decision-making on the golf course. I have no doubt that she’s also making the right call in this situation. She has my full support.”

However, there is a potential scheduling conflict. Ochoa would like to schedule the retirement party for June 9, two weeks before the U.S. Women’s Open. Yet Sorenstam has already said she plans to finish the 2008 LPGA season.

In related news, Paula Creamer will reportedly chair the decorations subcommittee.

-The Armchair Golfer

(This is an ARMCHAIR GOLF spoof.)

Sorenstam Laps Field at Michelob ULTRA Open

THOSE TIRE TRACKS up the backs of LPGA Tour players at the Michelob ULTRA Open belonged to Annika Sorenstram.

Annika notched her third win of the season with a truly dominating performance. Rounds of 64, 66, 69 and 66 put Sorenstam at 19 under for a seven-shot victory over four players.

As crazed hoopster analyst Dick Vitale might say, “She’s back, baby!” With a vengeance.

Along with everyone else, Lorena Ochoa was choking on Sorenstam’s fumes, 12 shots back after a respectable but distant seven-under finish.

As my golf blogging friend Mulligan Stu of Waggle Room points out, it’s turning into a three-person tour. Ochoa, Sorenstam and Creamer have cleaned up with 10 victories in the first 12 events.

−The Armchair Golfer

The Young and the Restless: Kim and Creamer Lead

Anthony Kim

THEY'RE TWO of the brightest young stars in professional golf. And they’re leading their respective tour events heading into Sunday’s final rounds.

They’re Anthony Kim, 22, and winless on the PGA Tour, and Paula Creamer, 21, and already a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour.

Kim, or “AK,” as his friends call him, is primed for a breakout win. Everyone, it seems, has been raving about Anthony since he came out on tour last season. He’ll take a four-shot lead into the final round of the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Look for Kim to close it out unless, well, anything can happen in golf. But he definitely has the look. If not this week, soon.

Creamer, nicknamed the “Pink Panther” for her pink outfits and pink golf ball, has a two-shot lead over veteran Juli Inkster and is four clear of the rest of the field on a tough scoring week at the SemGroup Championship in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Paula will have to grind it out in Sunday’s final round, but after losing to Annika Sorenstam in a playoff last week she should be up to the challenge.

In her bid for a fifth straight win, Lorena Ochoa is eight back and will need a hot round and ton of help to extend her streak. Not likely.

−The Armchair Golfer

Lorena Ochoa’s Magical Wrists

(N Gottwald/Flickr)


When Lorena Ochoa was five years old, she climbed a tree at the Guadalajara Country Club and tumbled to the ground, breaking both of her small wrists. Young Lorena wore a cast that extended from her shoulders to fingers for three months.

“They said the doctor gave me magical wrists, some magic in my hand,” the AP quoted Ochoa as saying earlier this week.

I guess.

Will Lorena Ochoa out-Tiger Tiger? That’s the hot topic of many recent stories with both world No. 1 players out of action this week. Woods is recuperating from knee surgery; Ochoa is taking a break after winning four straight events.

Like Tiger, Lorena is casting a long shadow on her tour. Ochoa is the subject even when she isn’t playing. Media conferences with other players routinely include at least one Lorena question.

For example, here’s one posed to Annika Sorenstam yesterday:

“With Lorena Ochoa on this run, is that a bit dispiriting, or how do you deal with what she's doing?”

“Well, I really have to mind my own business,” Annika said. “She's playing some amazing golf. There's nothing to say about that other than congratulate her.”

With five wins in six events, including the year’s first major, Lorena is on her way to a truly dominant season. One, perhaps, that even Tiger Woods might envy.

−The Armchair Golfer

Will Ochoa Play Against Men? She Answers

At yesterday’s Ginn Open media conference, Lorena Ochoa was asked if she would ever consider playing in a PGA Tour event.

“No,” Lorena said. “My idea was first to play on the LPGA and dominate here and just try to do my best and achieve my goals.”

Not that Ochoa hasn’t been approached.

“I've had a few offers to play, especially in Mexico, in the PGA Tour event that goes to Mayakoba. But right now I have no intentions to do that.

“I think there are other things that I could do to improve my game or to have an experience, maybe an exhibition, but not to play on the PGA.”

Smart move.

−The Armchair Golfer

Kraft Nabisco Championship: Who Lorena Ochoa Always Watches

(N Gottwald/Flickr)





Here’s an interesting excerpt from Lorena Ochoa’s press conference after yesterday’s first round at the Kraft Nabisco Championship:


Q. Lorena, playing up ahead of you was Annika. A lot of players are saying they are looking for your name on the board, to keep track of you. Do you still look at Annika and where she is, even now?
LORENA OCHOA: All the time.

Q. All the time?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes.

Q. Tell me why.
LORENA OCHOA: Because she is a player to watch. She is so good and so consistent and she likes to win, and that gives − that always keeps me, you know, in a way alert and motivated and know where I stand. I am a person that always likes to look at the leaderboard, even if it's not Annika, some other player, but to see her name means something, you have to watch out.

Lorena shot a 68 in the opening round and is currently tied for the lead part way through her second round. And Annika? She is within striking distance, just a few shots back.

−The Armchair Golfer

Lorena Ochoa: ‘I Like the Way I’ve Started’

Twenty under. That pretty much says it all about the first 2008 start for Lorena Ochoa at the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore. Lorena won by 11 strokes over second-place finisher Annika Sorenstam.

When asked to put her opening victory into context, Lorena said:

It means a lot. To me it's a great motivation, you know? It makes me want to play better, to win more. But like I said, sometimes there is just no explanation. It just happens and it was a great win for me. Everything came together at the right place, and I'm ready to keep going. I do want to have a great year this year. I know it's going to be tough, we're just at the beginning, but I like the way I've started.

And what did Annika think of Lorena’s performance?

She's playing well, but it's nothing I don't think that's not achievable by any means. I think I'm playing as good from tee to green, so I'm very proud of the way I hit it.

It’s only one tournament, but I think Annika and the rest of the ladies have their work cut out for them.

The Armchair Golfer

Statement? You Tell Me, Says Sorenstam

Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam.
(N Gottwald/Flickr)

Annika Sorenstam left it up to the scribblers to decide the significance of her season-opening win at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay in Kahuku, Hawaii. It was Sorenstam’s 70th LPGA Tour title.

“What kind of statement do you think this makes?” Annika was asked at the post-tournament press conference. “With Lorena playing so well last year and you were injured last year, what kind of statement do you think this victory sends to them?”

“You tell me,” Annika replied. “I don't know how you feel about it. But I feel great. I'm excited to be back. I got a win here. I think that's going to be easier the rest of the year for me.

“Again, knowing that I'm swinging better again and knowing that the desire is there. Those are two key components to play well. Last year the desire wasn't there. And my swing was definitely not there. Now it is. And, like I said, those are two important components you need to play well and to be the top player out here.”

Statement? It’s just one tournament, but I think Annika is healthy again and very determined. She’s back.

Still, Annika faces a tough assignment to reclaim world number one from Lorena Ochoa, who keeps getting better. And there are a handful of other LPGA Tour players ready to challenge at every tournament. It should be an interesting year.

The Armchair Golfer

Armchair Q&A: Lorne Rubenstein

Mike Weir is mentally tough says Lorne Rubenstein.
(fbrennanphotography.com)

Lorne Rubenstein is a veteran golf journalist and author who writes a regular column for The Globe and Mail. Lorne co-authored A Disorderly Compendium of Golf with Jeff Neuman, a 2006 book for “golf obsessives” I recently received as a birthday gift. Last month he answered my questions in an e-interview.

ARMCHAIR GOLF: I enjoyed A Disorderly Compendium of Golf. Who came up with the idea and how did you and Jeff divide the writing?

LORNE RUBENSTEIN: Jeff Neuman and I were playing golf a couple of hours from Toronto when we started talking about all sorts of arcane bits and pieces about the game during the drive back. The drive took two hours and we weren’t even close to exhausting the subject. One subject led to another. We figured we had a book. We divided the work based upon our interests. I like the ins and outs of instruction, and everything that goes with it, and Jeff likes stats and equipment, so I did the sections to do with the former and he with the latter. That’s the way it worked for most of the segments. We also collaborated by sending material back and forth, adding, subtracting, etc.

AG: Are you working on another book?

LORNE RUBENSTEIN: I’m putting together my second anthology, which will include pieces I’ve written in the Globe and Canadian and American magazines over the last 15 years. I last did an anthology in 1993, called Touring Prose. I’m writing an introduction and prefaces and afterwords to some of the pieces. The book will be published in 2009.

AG: Do you think the Tour’s new drug policy will be a help or distraction for pro golf?

LORNE RUBENSTEIN: It’s necessary to nip any potential problems in the bud. It will probably take time to get it all sorted out — medical exemptions, for instance — and it could be a distraction should a player make a mistake. Players certainly need to educate themselves on the policy. The Tour is making efforts to ensure that happens.

AG: You’ve covered golf for a number of years. What still excites you about covering the game?

LORNE RUBENSTEIN: I love watching golf played a high level, whether it’s the U.S. Open or Canadian Amateur. The game is all about bringing out your best stuff when it matters most. Not many players can do that. There’s nothing quite like the tension of a tournament down the last few holes when it’s all on the line. Meanwhile, it’s also exciting to watch golfers such as Tiger Woods or Annika Sorenstam or Lorena Ochoa dominate fields when they do. They’re masters of their craft. I also enjoy learning about and following young players, and, of course, I appreciate the opportunity to discuss the game with the people who play it best.

AG: What are you looking forward to covering in 2008?

LORNE RUBENSTEIN: I look forward to watching young players such as Anthony Kim and Jason Day. I look forward to seeing how Mike Weir, Stephen Ames and Jon Mills fare this year, and to seeing how David Hearn and Ian Leggatt and other Canadians do on the Nationwide as they try to return to the PGA Tour. Will Lorie Kane and Alena Sharp have good years? What about an amateur such as Kira Meixner? How will the Ryder Cup go? Will Tiger win the Masters and increase the anticipation of a possible, if unlikely, Grand Slam? Will Annika return to form and challenge Lorena Ochoa? Will Michelle Wie recover her form? There’s no end to what I’m looking forward to watching.

AG: Any predictions?

LORNE RUBENSTEIN: I learned long ago not to make any in this game.

AG: How is Mike Weir doing? What do you expect from him this year?

LORNE RUBENSTEIN: I think Mike will play really well in places, as long as he holes putts. He’s so tough mentally that he’ll continue to contend in majors, and perhaps win another. He’s certainly capable of it.

AG: How’s your golf game? How often do you get to play?

LORNE RUBENSTEIN: My game is improving after a few years in the doldrums. My index is 7.8. I play in bursts. I’ll play three or four times one week, and then not play for a couple of weeks. I particularly enjoy hitting balls and working on my game, although I’ve had way too much instruction over the years. But I enjoy keeping up on what people are teaching, so that’s a problem I’ve willingly accepted.

The Armchair Golfer

Johnny Miller's Class of '08 Picks

At GolfDigest.com, Johnny Miller opines on the game's best performers, from driving to putting.

"You might be asking why Tiger's name isn't on all of them -- some would argue that it could be," Johnny writes. "But from my spot in the NBC tower, I definitely see players who have an edge over Tiger and everyone else in certain performance areas."

BEST PUTTER
Tiger Woods
(Honorable mention: Tim Clark)

BEST SCRAMBLER
Rory Sabbatini
(Honorable mention: Tiger Woods)

BEST DRIVER
Hunter Mahan
(Honorable mention: Charles Warren)

BEST SAND PLAYER
Mike Weir
(Honorable mention: Tim Clark)

BEST MIDDLE IRONS
Lorena Ochoa
(Honorable mention: Tiger Woods)

BEST SHORT IRONS
Jim Furyk
(Honorable mention: Phil Mickelson)

There's no category for course management, but I know who I would pick.

Read entire Miller piece here.

The Armchair Golfer

Lorena Ochoa: The Best Dame Athlete, Period

Lorena Ochoa is not just the best female golfer. She is also the best women's athlete of 2007, according to The Associated Press.

No argument here.

Lorena Ochoa won her second straight AP Female Athlete of the Year award in a landslide, collecting 71 votes. Tennis star Justine Henin was a distant second with 18 votes.

"My main goal is to maintain myself as the No. 1," Ochoa said in an email to the AP. “Therefore, I can promise to keep improving.”

"I have a lot of respect for Lorena. I think she’s a fantastic player," Annika Sorenstam, the player Ochoa dethroned, told the AP. "She deserves to be No. 1. She’s playing consistent every week. She’s playing as good as anybody can play.”

Besides Ochoa, other consecutive award winners in women’s golf are Sorenstam, Kathy Whitworth, Mickey Wright and Babe Zaharias.

The Armchair Golfer

Is Annika Sorenstam on Her Way Back?

(N Gottwald/Flickr)

Annika Sorenstam capped a tough year with a victory this past weekend at the Dubai Ladies Masters, avoiding her first winless season since 1993.

In 2007 Sorenstam lost her world No. 1 ranking to Lorena Ochoa and ruptured a disk in her neck that sidelined her for two months. Now that she’s healthy, Annika has one thing in mind.

“I want to get back to the top and this is definitely extra motivation to work hard and be ready for 2008,” she was quoted as saying by the BBC.

And at her blog, Annika wrote, “It was so great to be in contention again. I had almost forgotten how much I love the feeling of coming down the stretch and battling for the trophy.

“My adrenalin was flowing and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I finally got a win and it was a nice way to end the season. I am excited for 2008, because my motivation is back!”

I think it will take every ounce of motivation she has to reclaim the top spot in women’s golf. The competition on the ladies circuit is not backing down. Annika has her work cut out for her.

The Armchair Golfer

Lorena Ochoa: Million Dollar Woman

(N Gottwald/Flickr)




Lorena Ochoa won the ADT Championship on Sunday with an unlikely birdie on the final hole. The two-shot victory over Natalie Gulbis earned the women’s No. 1 golfer a $1 million first prize.


That’s eight wins and more than $4.3 million for Ochoa in 2007, tying her with Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez for most wins in a season and obliterating the money mark set by Sorenstam five years ago.

Welcome to the reign of Lorena.

The Armchair Golfer

More on Lorena Ochoa at Down the Middle.

Annika Sorenstam Has the Book on St. Andrews

As well as having a friendly rivalry, Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam are golf pals, which is why Tiger offered the former world’s No. 1 woman golfer his St. Andrews yardage book before her departure for Scotland.

“He said, ‘I have my yardage book. Do you want to use it?’” Sorenstam told the Associated Press on Wednesday. “I replied, ‘I would love to. Are you sure?’”

Not only does Sorenstam have good yardages and notes on St. Andrews, she also appears to have her game intact after opening rounds of 72 and 71. Annika is three under for the tournament and currently trails leader Lorena Ochoa by four shots. Three-time Women’s British Open champion (including last year’s winner) Sherri Steinhauer is tied with Sorenstam in fourth place. Wendy Ward and Catriona Matthew are currently second and third.

An Ochoa-Sorenstam showdown would be splendid theater for the women’s first major competition at the Old Course. No. 1 and former No. 1 trading shots down the stretch at the home of golf -- now that would be fun to watch.

The Armchair Golfer

Ochoa, Sorenstam and Pressel Earn ESPY Nominations

From LPGA.com:

Rolex Rankings world number one Lorena Ochoa led a trio of three LPGA players who earned ESPY nominations on Monday, garnering nominations in the categories of Best Female Athlete, Best International Female Athlete and Best Golfer. Annika Sorenstam, a two-time Best Female Athlete ESPY honoree, joins Ochoa in the hunt for the Best International Female Athlete honor, while Morgan Pressel's win at the Kraft Nabisco Championship put her in the race for Best Breakthrough Athlete.

The ESPYS will be televised on ESPN Sunday, July 15, at 9 p.m. ET.

You can vote here.

The Armchair Golfer

U.S. Women's Open: Is Annika Sorenstam a Factor?

Coming back from a serious injury with only two tournaments under her belt, Annika Sorenstam would appear to be a part of the supporting cast at this week's U.S. Women's Open as emerging LPGA stars such as Lorena Ochoa, Suzann Pettersen and Morgan Pressel attract increasing interest.

But a Reuters article stated, “Sorenstam cannot be overlooked. She is the defending champion and if she can capture the coveted trophy, she will join Mickey Wright and Betsy Rawls as four-time winners.”

I tend to agree. Experience is a huge factor in majors, especially in the Open. It would be unwise to dismiss Sorenstam. After all, she owns three U.S. Women's Open titles and has won a total of 10 majors. In fact, just a year ago people were questioning Annika's abilities when she snatched the Open trophy from Pat Hurst, Michelle Wie and others.

(Of course, she wasn't returning from an injury at the time.)

Currently there is a weather delay, but Sorenstam is off to a good start: 1 under after five holes. Veterans Juli Inkster and Laura Davies are also at 1 under and still out on the course.

Angela Park is the clubhouse leader with a 68. Lorena Ochoa, Cristie Kerr, Morgan Pressel and Brittany Lincicome have all completed their first round at even-par 71.

The Armchair Golfer