Notebook: Webb Can’t Repeat

By Alex Miceli

Karrie Webb on Friday. (Pam Murphy/USGA)

Hutchinson, Kan. -- After shooting 79-73 to go 12 over par at the U.S. Women's Open on Friday, Karrie Webb joined the exclusive company of those players who won two consecutive U.S. Women's Opens and couldn't win the third.

While Webb hit the ball much better from both a statistical and scoring standpoint, she could never muster a credible threat to the cut-line, which included every player at 9 over and better.

"Today, I actually didn't play all that badly," said Webb. "I just didn't make any birdies and after yesterday I think obviously it took a big chunk out of my confidence, so I really didn't swing as freely as I was in the practice rounds."

Coming into Thursday's first round, Webb was one of six players to enter the Women's Open with a chance of a three-peat. After her first round concluded, Webb was just trying to find a way to make the cut.

"I said if I shot even par today that would probably be ... nine would probably be the number," said Webb.

She never had the game to compete on Prairie Dunes, hitting only 47.2 percent (17 of 36) greens in regulation and recording 29 and 31 putts, respectively, during the first two days.

Webb will play in the next three LPGA events before the Weetabix Women's British Open in the early part of August. She believes her game is coming around and while she feels good about the British Open, she will have three weeks to work out any kinks.

"My game wasn't as good as I thought it was," said Webb. "I think it was good without any pressure, but that pressure might have given me a bad swing on the 11th tee, and from there I was a little hesitant for the whole tournament."

Webb is the first defending champion to miss the cut since Alison Nicholas, who won in 1997 at Pumpkin Ridge and then left before the weekend in 1998.

"I have got at least 10 U.S. Opens left in me, so I have got nine more years of exemptions, so I can at least get that many together," said Webb. "I played so many tournaments in my career that if you let this one just affect you, I probably wouldn't have won 27 times by now."

Amateur Standing

Aree Wongluekiet. (Pam Murphy/USGA)

Fourteen amateurs started the first round of the U.S. Women's Open, and

two will see the weekend. Angel Jerman, 22, of Columbus, Ga., and 16-year-old Aree Song Wongluekiet of Thailand both made the cut. Jerman shot a 72-76, 8 over par, while Wongluekiet shot a 7-over 147 with scores of 71-76.

Those amateurs who didn't make the cut include seven of the eight women on the U.S. Curtis Cup team.  

Courtney Swaim finished 12 over; Laura Myerscough 13 over; Leigh Anne Hardin and Emily Bastel 16 over; captain Carol Semple Thompson 17 over; Meredith Duncan 17 over; and Mollie Fankhauser 19 over.

Jerman was the only Curtis Cup member to make the cut. Other amateurs who didn't make the cut were Jeanne Cho of Korea at 12 over, Vira Nirapathpongporn of Thailand, 13 over; Elizabeth Janangelo, who was 16 over; Kristin Tamulis, 18 over; and Nicole Hage, 26 over.

Low Round

Joanne Morley set the pace early for the best round of the day after shooting a 2-under-par 68.

"I was really pleased," said Morley about bettering her score by 10 shots from round one to round two. "I just golfed my ball really well really and just holed some putts basically."

Morley, who had missed her fist six cuts on the LPGA Tour and then made her next six, is playing in her third U.S. Women's Open; her best finish was a tie for 27th in 2000.

"That's golf, isn't it?" said Morley about the disparity between her first two rounds. "Yesterday when things went wrong they went wrong when I missed a lot of greens on the short side; left myself no easy shots to get up and down. Had a lot of eight- and 10-footers for pars, which in the end kind of grinds you down."

Morley, who hales from Sale, England, is used to these playing conditions -- windy and fast.

"It reminds me very much of a links course, with the wind that makes it tricky, but really the ground needs to be a bit harder," said Morley of Prairie Dunes.

Withdrawals

Lorena Ochoa of Mexico withdrew from the Open on Friday before her second round due to a neck injury. Ochoa was making her second appearance in the Open, but her first as a professional. Ochoa played in 2000 and missed the cut. Since turning professional this year, she has played on the Futures Tour, where she won her second start as a professional.

In three starts as an amateur on the LPGA Tour, Ochoa made the cut all three times, with her best finish a tie for fifth at the Welch's/Circle K Championship.

Canada’s A.J. Eathorne withdrew after nine holes, citing a wrist injury.

Also withdrawing was Deb Richard, who played three holes of her second round before leaving with a pulled stomach muscle. Richard was the only Kansan in the field and was very disappointed after shooting a first-round 82.

"That's as bad a round as I'm going to play," said Richard after her first round.

Miceli is a freelance writer whose work has appeared previously on www.uswomensopen.com.