Golf Capsules: Americans no longer dominating US Women's Open

OAKMONT, Pa. — Maybe it’s the growth of the game internationally, or the lack of star-quality golfers being groomed on American courses. Whatever the reason, there’s something missing from the U.S. Women’s Open.

Namely, the U.S.

When the women’s national championship starts Thursday morning at Oakmont Country Club, temperatures will be in the 90s and the USGA’s Mike Davis estimates a few scores will be, too, in a field that includes golfers from 30 countries.

The number of qualifiers from Pennsylvania, the home of Arnold Palmer? Zero.

An American victory in its national championship, once all but a certainty, now would be a surprise. Cristie Kerr is the only American to win in the last five years and, since 1995, there have been nearly as many South Korean champions (4) as U.S. winners (5). By comparison, Americans won all but five Women’s Opens from 1946-1994.

For every homegrown golfer like Michelle Wie who turns pro with pomp and circumstance, there are foursomes after foursomes of skilled and highly trained golfers being exported annually by South Korea, Japan and Thailand.

“There are a lot of players that can contend to be the No. 1 player in the world,” Paula Creamer said. “Any given week, that bunch is just so close together.”

Increasingly, that bunch includes fewer and fewer Americans.

The LPGA Tour, which supplies much of the field, now appears to stand for Let’s Play Globally. Of the 27 LPGA tournaments this year, fewer than half (13) will be played in the United States, due in part to dwindling sponsorship dollars and the lack of big-name American golfers.

“As (LPGA commissioner) Mike Whan says, ‘We’re going global and get over it,’ “ Juli Inkster said. “So that’s where we’re going.”

The last American to win the tour’s money title was Betsy King in 1993. Ten of the last 15 U.S. Open winners have been non-Americans.

That’s one reason why Kerr hopes her remarkable 12-shot victory in the LPGA Championship two weekends ago signals an emerging revival of the American women’s game. Just as South Korean youngsters crowd driving ranges, hire swing coaches and watch video to try to become the next Eun-Hee Ji, Inbee Park or Birdie Kim, all U.S. Open winners since 2005, Kerr hopes young Americans will do the same to emulate her.

“I would see the Nancy Lopezes, and Juli Inksters, Patty Sheehan, winning these tournaments and I said, ‘I want to do that,’ “ Kerr said. “If we can touch a couple of them, maybe they’ll turn into great players in 20 years.”

Palmer envisioned pro golf’s far-reaching expansion years ago.

“You cannot deny the international aspects of women’s golf — it’s very important and it is very good,” Palmer said Wednesday. “The kids from Korea have come on and they will all enhance the game. Keep in mind the American girls will have to hold their own.”

If they do, Kerr said, there will be more than a handful of Americans who are truly capable of winning on tour during a given week as there are now, compared to 45 or 40 international players. Currently, only two of the top 10- and five of the top 20-ranked women’s golfers are American. And all 20 will be at Oakmont, including LPGA money leader Ai Miyazato, a four-time winner this year.

Maybe soon that charismatic figure who spurs growth will be the No. 10-ranked Wie; when she won Lorena Ochoa Invitational last year, the normally infinitesimal TV ratings for women’s golf spiked nearly four times.

For now, America’s best hope is Kerr, the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open champion who will be trying to build off one of the most dominating performances in any major while her game, confidence and momentum are at all-time highs.

She doesn’t rank among the LPGA’s Top 10 in driving distance, accuracy or putting, the keys to winning at Oakmont, but she understands the implications of what she calls her “monumental win.” Give her the 36- or 54-hole lead, like she owned last year at cross-state Saucon Valley before losing out to Ji, and it may be difficult to get it back.

“I’ve got to somehow — and I’m working on that — keep my expectations low and just try to my job out there,” said Kerr, who understands that the winning score won’t be anything like her 19-under at Locust Hill last month.

The 108-year-old Oakmont course is about 600 yards shorter than it was for the men; by Davis’ estimates, it will play at 6,613 yards from the tee signs compared to 7,230 for the men’s U.S. Open in 2007. The 477-yard No. 9 hole, a par 4 for the men, will be a par 5 for the women, but there aren’t many other changes other than slightly wider fairways.

“Listen, we’re going to have the women play three years after the men,” said Davis, who set up the course. “Let’s try to see how the women play Oakmont and virtually try to set it up in the same manner.”

With mid-90s temperatures forecast for the opening round, and a heat index of 100-plus, Oakmont’s treacherous and tabletop-slick greens may need more watering than normal. The hundreds of unforgiving bunkers, like the course’s signature Church Pews between the No. 3 and 4 fairways, will be as difficult as ever.

“It’s hot. It’s humid. It’s gross,” Creamer said. “You know, this golf course just eats you alive mentally.”

Healthy Stricker eager to defend Deere title

SILVIS, Ill. (AP) — Hanging out at home sits well with Steve Stricker — for a while, anyway.

Stricker, who’ll defend his title at the John Deere Classic starting Thursday, got plenty of time at his Madison, Wis., home earlier this year when he took six weeks off to rest an aching right shoulder.

The problem, an inflammation in the joint where the clavicle meets the sternum, interrupted a promising year for the 43-year-old Stricker. He is ranked fourth in the world, has made the cut in all 11 tournaments he’s played and has four top 10 finishes, including a victory in the Northern Trust Open in February.

But rest accompanied by therapy was the only cure, so Stricker sat.

Not that it was a hardship.

“It’s not hard for me to stay home,” he said with a laugh. “That part of it wasn’t too hard. But it got to a point where I’m like, geez, I gotta get going. And I wasn’t quite ready yet.”

Stricker pulled himself off the tour after tying for 30th at the Masters. He didn’t play again until late May at the Colonial, where he was the defending champion and finished in a tie for 38th at 8-under.

He has played only twice since then, tying for 17th at the Memorial and finishing 15-over at the U.S. Open to tie for 58th.

For the rest of the time, it’s been home sweet home.

“I do a lot of family things, try to do some things with my kids,” said Stricker, who has two daughters, ages 4 and 11. “I took my daughter fishing last week for a couple of days, just to try to get away from it and not play at all and not even think about it at all.

“But then, when that’s over, you realize you gotta get back to work.”

For Stricker, getting back to work at TPC at Deere Run is as good a place as any.

Stricker tied the tournament record when he shot a 61 in last year’s second round, then came back with a 68 and 64 in Sunday’s 36-hole finale to beat Brett Quigley, Brandt Snedeker and local favorite Zach Johnson by three strokes.

“It’s always exciting to come back to a place where you’ve had success,” Stricker said. “Just driving in the gates and remembering some of the shots that happened down the stretch, the way the whole week played out last year, is always fun to look back at and reflect on a little bit. Coming off a couple of weeks off, I feel fresh and excited to play.”

Stricker said he’s having no problem with his shoulder, no pain, no tenderness. He’s not so sure he can say the same about his game.

“My game has kind of slowed a little bit, I feel like, the last couple of months,” he said. “I haven’t played a lot. I’m surely fresh and rested and ready to play. But I’ve been working on some things, too, and hopefully some of those things are starting to pan out in the right direction.”

With the Deere Classic falling the week before the British Open, many of the big names skip the event. But it still has a solid field that includes nine winners on this year’s tour.

Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, won the Colonial. This is the closest thing to a hometown tournament for Johnson, who grew up 75 miles to the west in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is on the event’s board of directors.

South African Tim Clark, second here in 2007, got his first PGA Tour victory when he won the Players Championship in May. Bubba Watson is coming off a victory at the Travelers Championship two weeks ago, while 22-year-old Australian Jason Day gained his first PGA win at the Byron Nelson Championship.

Clark experienced another first Wednesday, though not the kind he wanted. His clubs got hung up in Chicago during his travels and never made it to town, so he borrowed a set to play in the pro-am.

“Playing today, it’s not a big deal,” Clark said. “I still got out there and saw the course and played, but if I don’t have them tomorrow, I’ll be in trouble.”

Clark, Stricker, Johnson, Day and Watson are among the Deere Classic players who’ll take advantage of a charter jet that tournament organizers arranged to fly them to the British Open on Sunday night.

Tournament officials hoped the charter would encourage more golfers to play here this week. Anyone flying commercially from here — Silvis is 165 miles west of Chicago — would have to change planes three or four times before getting to St. Andrews.

“It certainly made it easier for us and I certainly think it’s helped attract a better field,” Clark said. “The British Open is an extremely important tournament for us. We want to be as well prepared as we possibly can be.”

Mickelson could claim No. 1 ranking in Scotland

LUSS, Scotland — Phil Mickelson is choosing competition over course conditions as he prepares for the next major.

In a year when several players are skipping the Scottish Open, Mickelson tops the field at Loch Lomond, which also features U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell. A victory by the left-handed American would put him at No. 1 in the world.

The Masters winner is the only player from the top 10 entered for the $4 million event which starts Thursday.

“I always look forward to these two weeks,” Mickelson said. “I really enjoy this tournament and obviously really enjoy next week’s event, too.

“I think the best way to get in playing condition for the Open is to play well, get into contention and compete on Sunday for the title here. Having lost a couple of times in close matches here, I would like to win this tournament. It would mean a lot for me to win here.”

Mickelson insists reaching No. 1 is not his priority this week.

“It would be cool to go to the home of golf as No. 1 but it’s not something I’m thinking about yet,” he said. “I’m just trying to get my game sharp. I always felt like if I play well enough, the results would happen. It would mean a lot to me to break through and finally win.”

A lack of topflight players can be traced to a two-day pro-am in Ireland as well as others deciding the tournament didn’t fit their plans.

Woods and many top European players took part in the two-day JP McManus pro-am in Limerick, Ireland, an event that raises millions for charity.

McDowell of Northern Ireland, who had not played since his win at Pebble Beach, felt rested enough to take on both.

Meanwhile, world No. 3 Lee Westwood is resting while attempting to recover from the calf and ankle injury which severely impeded him at last weekend’s French Open.

Paul Casey of England said the condition of the greens for the Scottish Open would not suit his preparations for St. Andrews.

“The last thing you want to do in the week before the Open is to lose any confidence with your putting stroke,” Casey said.

--Graham Otway