Former champs scrambling
SOUTH HADLEY -- Had they been partners in a team event, they would have been smiling. But Karrie Webb and Se Ri Pak wore looks of anguish because they had failed miserably in yesterday's second round of the 59th US Women's Open.
Not that the former champions have been sent packing; each has made it through the cut and into weekend play. But in no way did they distinguish themselves and the reasons were clear.
For Webb, it was an unfaithful putter, with back-to-back three-putt bogeys closing out her round of 71--143 that dropped her into a tie for 17th. Having shot 1-over-par 72 in Round 1, Webb got back to even with a birdie at her second hole, the par-4 11th. But she three-putted to make double bogey at the par-4 15th, a mishap that she erased with birdies at Nos. 2, 3, and 6. The winner in 2000 and 2001 was 1 under and seemingly ready to charge.
Then she three-putted from 30 feet at the par-4 eighth and from 25 feet at the par-5 ninth, the bogeys costing her serious real estate on the leaderboard. Now six shots back, she was asked if she could rally.
"Not if I have five three-putts," said Webb, a reference to the three she had yesterday on top of the two in Thursday's opening round. "The putts have to go in or I'll be in the middle of the pack, like I am now."
In two days, Webb has putted 67 times to rank 10th worst, an even more painful stat considering she is second in greens hit in regulation.
As for Pak, the 1998 champion's problem is also no mystery.
"My driver. Oh, my driver," said the four-time major winner after her round of 76--146 pushed her down the leaderboard and into joint 45th. She had finished 1 under and was tied for fourth after the first round and she got to 2 under with a birdie at her fourth hole, the par-4 13th.
But Pak drove it errantly at the 14th and made a double bogey, then she drove it poorly at the 16th and made bogey there. In two days, Pak has hit just 12 of 28 fairways and her misses have cost her six shots -- four bogeys and a double.
"I'm doing everything else good, just my driving," said Pak. "It's the worst I've ever felt. I'm not confident."
Eagles land at 15th
If this keeps up, the US Golf Association may consider changing the 377-yard 15th hole at The Orchards Golf Club to a par 3. That's because for a second straight day, it was eagled. Amateur Brittany Lincicome did the honors Thursday, holing out with a 7-iron from 125 yards, and in Round 2, Kelly Robbins duplicated the effort from virtually the same spot -- just in the left rough from about 115 yards. The drama came on the heels of birdies at the 12th, 13th, and 14th holes, so Robbins was suddenly 2 under and three off the lead. But the roll halted quickly -- three straight bogeys -- before she righted the ship and played the front in 34 to shoot 67--141. She's tied with three others at 1 under . . . Defending champ Hilary Lunke shot 74--146 and is tied for 45th . . . The cut fell at 5-over 147, a number that got 66 players into play this weekend. Among those who won't be here for the festivities: Laura Davies (74--150); Sophie Gustafson (77--150); Virada Nirapathpongporn (78--150); Charlotta Sorenstam (76--153); Helen Alfredsson (78--154); and one of last year's playoff participants, Angela Stanford (73--149) . . . Only four of the 16 amateurs made the cut . . . One marquee name who made a spirited run to avoid an early exit was Aree Song. Having opened with a 77, she came back with a 70 to make the cut on the number . . . Grace Park easily made the cut, though her finish had to hurt. She was 1 under through 14 holes when she bogeyed the 15th, doubled the 16th, and bogeyed 18 to shoot 74--145 and sit joint 33d . . . It marks the fifth time in seven starts that Charlotta Sorenstam has missed the cut in this championship . . . Another player who hasn't exactly mastered this event is Emilee Klein. She shot 76--159 to miss the cut for the fourth time in 11 starts. She has broken 70 just once in 36 rounds and her best finish is a tie for 16th. Klein did make one birdie in two days, which is something a handful of others can't say. In all, there were four players who failed to make a birdie in two rounds -- Amanda Wilson (80-81), Chiharu Yamaguchi (78-79), Kris Lindstrom (80-82), and Smriti Mehra (80-83) . . . Briana Vega of North Andover shot 79--160 in her first US Women's Open appearance . . . Melrose native Michelle Bell shot 79--157.
In the red
For the players who had to come back early in the morning to finish their first rounds, things didn't go well. There were nine who returned with subpar scores, but only three of them -- Beth Daniel (69), Jennifer Rosales (70), and Pak (70) -- finished the first round with a red number . . . Annika Sorenstam, who settled for even-par 71 in Round 1, hasn't broken par in the first round of nine straight US Women's Open. She did so in 1995, the year she won, but hasn't done so since. Then again, it's not like she's shooting herself out early because other than 1997, when her bid for a three-peat went up in smoke with an opening 77, the Swede has scored between 70 and 73 in those first rounds . . . The second-round numbers for the brutally tough par-4 16th tell the story -- 10.9 percent of the field hit the green in regulation, even though 68.6 hit the fairway; it played to a field average of 4.814 to rank the toughest; and only one birdie was made there. Take a bow, Rachel Teske.
