While Karrie Webb, Annika Sorenstam and a cast of 148 other stars of the game prepared for today’s opening round, the USGA was making headlines by announcing host sites for the 2005 and 2008 championships.
The 2005 event goes to Cherry Hills Country Club in Englewood, Colo., with Interlachen Country Club of Edina, Minn., getting the 2008 championship.
This leaves 2006 and 2007 to be named, and with the U.S. Men’s Open being played on Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 Course in 2005, the smart money is that Pine Needles will have the women back in 2007.
Executive Director David Fay wasn’t giving away any secrets, however.
“I would hope, in not too long a period of time, that we’ll have an announcement in regard to the 2006 and 2007 championships,” he said. “And believe me, they’re going to be golf courses that won’t cause any scratching of heads as to what they are or about their pedigree or lineage.
“One course is a U.S. site and a U.S. Amateur site, and the other sites have also hosted national championships.”
Could one of those be Pine Needles?
Peggy Kirk Bell, owner of Pine Needles and probably the major reason that the fist Open was held here in 1996, certainly hopes that’s the case.
Cora Jane Blanchard, chairman of the Women’s Committee of the USGA, asked about whether finding sites for the Women’s Open was a hard sell, said, “I don’t think I’m out of line in saying that the chairman of the steering committee here, in an informal setting a month ago, said to me, ‘We’d love to have you back here.’ And we’d come back in a heartbeat, as soon as we can get the schedule cleared around.”
That statement prompted a cheer and a wave from Mrs. Bell, who was sitting in a front row seat during the interview.
Let the Play Begin
Meanwhile, there is golf to be played, finally. The LPGA professionals and 19 amateurs who are seeking to catch lightning in a bottle this week begin play at 7 a.m. this morning from both the No. 1 and No. 10 tees.
The international threesome of Kathryn Marshall of Scotland, A.J. Eathorne of Canada and Mi Hyun Kim of Korea will be the first group off No. 1, with Kathleen Robinson of Alexandria, Va., Joanne Morley of England and Dina Ammaccapane of Phoenix, Ariz., leading off on No. 10.
The championship favorite and winner of the event here in 1996, Sorenstam, goes off on No. 10 at 8 a.m. She is paired with Se Ri Pak, the 1998 championship and Meg Mallon.
Karrie Webb, the defending champion and LPGA Tour Player of the Year for the past two years, tees off at 1 p.m. on No. 1. She is playing with veterans Juli Inkster, the 1999 champion, and Laura Davies, who won in 1987.
Southern Pines resident Donna Andrews goes off No. 10 at 8:30, along with Lorie Kane and Kelly Robbins.
Morgan Pressel, the Boca Raton, Fla. prodigy who qualified the Open as a 12-year-old and only turned 13 last week, is paired with Heather Daly-Donofrio and Ashli Bunch. They tee off on No. 1 at 2:10 p.m.
Carin Koch is the newest winner on the LPGA tour and comes into the Open bubbling with confidence and enthusiasm. She should be, having posted a score of 18 under par in the Corning Classic.
“All the best players are here this week,,” said Koch, another Swedish player, making reference to a somewhat weak field in the Corning Classic, “and I’m sure they are all going to be in top form. It’s a tough one, but if I play like I did last week and keep making some putts, I definitely think I’ll have a good tournament.”
No player has won the week before the Open and then won the Open since the great Carol Mann in 1965, but Koch isn’t interested in such history.
“I try not to listen to that much,” she said. “I saw it on TV, that it has happened only twice since 1950 or something. But I just go into this week like any other week.
“It’s going to take perfect golf for four days to win here, because there’s so many good players, but this is a new week and I try not to put too much pressure on myself.”
‘Annika Elevates Everyone’s Play’
Koch played Pine Needles in 1996, but doesn’t expect to draw too much from that experience.
“I played bad when I was here then,” she said. I wasn’t able to reach some of the par-4s, but now I can reach all of them. It’s still a long course, but I think my short game is better now and I have a lot more confidence in it.
“Also, I’m more prepared. I’m carrying a 9-wood and an 11-wood, which is really good on a course like this because the ball comes in from higher and lands softer with them than with long irons. I can hit the 11-wood about 170 yards.”
The play of Sorenstam, while intimidating to some, actually inspires Koch.
“I think Annika’s play should elevate the play of all of us in the Swedish contingent,” she said. It’s kind of like Tiger Woods on the men’s tour. It definitely inspires you to do better, because you know they can do it and you want to keep up with them..”
