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US Women's Open notebook

Adjustment fails to qualify

Wie, Gulbis miss cut because of rule changes

By Michael Whitmer
Globe Staff / July 9, 2009
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Some small changes to the exemption criteria have made a big impact on who’s at Saucon Valley this week. Or, more accurately, who’s not here.

Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis, two of the most well-known and popular female golfers, weren’t exempt based on the new rules, and failed to qualify. If last year’s exemption rules were still in place, both would be in the field.

“Is this system perfect? No, and we readily admit that,’’ said Mike Davis, the USGA’s senior director of rules and competitions. “Trying to come up with exemption categories that work every year is just something that you’re never going to be perfect on.’’

Davis said they made the changes - exemption reviews are done every few years for all of the USGA’s championships - to be more in line with some of the other USGA events, like the US Open, and to put the focus on a larger body of work, as opposed to a small number of events.

Four changes were made: previously, the low 20 finishers and ties at the Women’s Open were exempt the following year. That has been reduced to the low 15 and ties. The number of exemptions to money leaders from three other tours (Japan, Korea, Europe) has been increased from three to five. The top 40 money winners from the previous year’s LPGA Tour used to be exempt into the Women’s Open; that number is now 50. And finally, the number of exemptions from the current year’s money list has been drastically reduced, from 35 to 10. That’s where Wie and Gulbis would have qualified, since Wie is 12th and Gulbis is 33d.

But Davis said the USGA felt that, with only 10 full-field events in the United States on the LPGA Tour schedule before the Women’s Open, it wasn’t enough to justify so many exemptions. This year, it happened to squeeze out two players that spectators, LPGA and USGA officials, and television advertisers want to see in the field.

Another piece not used by the USGA is the women’s world golf rankings, which debuted in 2006. Unlike the US Open, which awards exemptions based on world golf ranking, the Women’s Open does not. Wie is ranked 25th in the world, Gulbis 39th.

Local ties
There are three Massachusetts representatives in the 156-player field. Brittany Altomare, an 18-year-old amateur from Shrewsbury, is playing in her first US Women’s Open, after winning a qualifier in New Jersey by three strokes. Altomare, a quarterfinalist two weeks ago at the US Women’s Amateur Public Links at Red Tail in Devens, will be a freshman at Virginia in the fall. Alison Walshe of Westford and Briana Vega of Andover, two Duramed Futures Tour players, are making their second appearance in the Women’s Open. Walshe, 23, tied for 31st last year at Interlachen. Vega, 27, missed the cut at the Women’s Open in 2004, the same year she won the Massachusetts Women’s Amateur.

Teen scene
Hard to believe because she’s only 14, but Alexis Thompson is making her third start at the Women’s Open. She became the youngest player to qualify when she played in 2007 as a 12-year-old. The talented teenager from Coral Springs, Fla., has missed the cut in her previous appearances. Thompson is one of 24 teens in the field, but not the youngest. Cindy Feng of Orlando, Fla., is 13.

A cut in qualifying
Davis also announced that starting next year, qualifying for the Women’s Open will return to one stage, as opposed to two. The two-stage qualifying system was implemented in 2002, with 18-hole local qualifying followed by 36-hole sectional qualifying, the same as the US Open. It was done in an attempt to help grow women’s golf, but entries have only increased by 300. Davis said that eliminating local qualifying and leaving 36-hole sectional qualifying in place will also be less expensive for players, and easier for them to plan their schedules.

Michael Whitmer can be reached at mwhitmer@globe.com

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