Sky-High McKay Takes Aim At Title
By Ken Klavon, USGA
North Plains, Ore. – Mhairi McKay doesn’t have agendas. There’s
nothing in her personality that suggests controversy, smugness or
brashness. Simply put, all she wants to do is play golf, and play
it well.
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| Mhairi McKay celebrates her birdie putt on
the par-5 fourth hole Friday. A 1-under round left her in the
lead and poised heading into the weekend. (Steve Gibbons/USGA) |
Emboldened by a 1-under 70 that put her at 6-under 136 for the
58th U.S. Women’s Open Friday, McKay took a four-shot
lead into Saturday’s third round at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club (Witch
Hollow Course).
Defending champion Juli Inkster, Hilary Lunke and Angela Stanford
were chasing her at 2-under 140. Only one other player, Donna Andrews,
was under par (1-under 141). Nine players finished even par.
Of the 60 players to make the made the cut, eight were amateurs.
The cut was established at 7-ove149. Leigh Anne Hardin and 17-year-old
Aree Song were low amateurs at 1-over 143. Morgan Pressel, 15, and
13-year-old Michelle Wie will also be playing this weekend.
Inkster had gotten to 5 under for the championship, but wound up
playing even-par golf.
"You get so tired of playing 36 holes of conscious golf, that
it wears on you," said Inkster.
McKay (pronounced muh-KYE) echoed the same thought after finishing
her round with a triple bogey on the dogleg left par-4 ninth hole.
After putting her tee shot into a right fairway bunker, McKay chunked
out only 10 feet. The next offering, from 145 yards to the hole,
rolled off the green and down a steep hill.
Three putts later she put both arms up and then formed a V.
For the sake of foreshadowing, it could have been ‘V’ for victory.
And for the record, the last winner to go wire to wire was Amy Alcott
in 1980.
"Number nine wasn’t that bad," said the 28-year-old McKay,
originally from Scotland. "It was pure circumstance if you
look at everything else."
That much is agreed. McKay, beginning the day at 5 under, went
to 7 under at the turn. Consecutive birdies on the fourth and fifth
holes seemingly had her running away with the championship. At the
par-3 fifth hole, the last of her five birdies, she converted a
40-foot putt from the top of a slope. With the greens just a hair
under 12 on the Stimpmeter, it had to go in or would streak by.
Sunny and warm conditions the last two days have firmed up the
6,509-yard layout. Which was part of the reason why McKay didn’t
pull the driver out once. A solid ball-striker, McKay relied more
on an antiquated 3-wood to hit 85 percent of fairways in regulation.
On Thursday, she had struck a little more than half her fairways.
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| Juli Inkster wades through the tall stuff
as she makes her way to the seventh fairway. (John Mummert/USGA) |
Putting was a strength, as she ranked third in average putts per
hole at 1.47.
McKay is playing in her fourth Women’s Open with two top-10 finishes
(seventh in 1998 and sixth last year). There are no LPGA wins but
one Australian Women’s Open victory to her credit. Other than revamping
part of her swing, she confesses there isn’t much more to her life.
"I’m quite boring really," said the 28-year-old McKay,
trying to become the first foreign-born player to win since Karrie
Webb in 2001.
She’s aware of her position and won’t look too far ahead. So devout
in sticking to positive mental images while she’s playing, she won’t
look at the scoreboard. No matter what.
"What’s the point in looking at the scoreboard, because [its]
really not there for me; it’s for the spectators and that,"
said McKay.
She couldn’t put a finger on why she hasn’t been able to put four
solid rounds together in her five years on the tour, or why she
hasn’t won, other than half-seriously suggesting it was from "watching
leaderboards."
Taking the other approach, Inkster noticed McKay’s climb while
double bogeying the par-4 eighth hole to fall back to 3 under. Inkster
birdied the 18th hole, her fourth of the round, to get
back to even.
"It’s tough defending," said Inkster. "You want
to put on a good show. … Mhairi’s going to be tough to beat because
she has some confidence."
The 24-year-old Lunke, formerly known as Hilary Homeyer, was a
member of the 2000 USA Curtis Cup Team and the 2000 Women’s World
Amateur Team. She hasn’t gone into a third round this year
in second place. A competitor in seven U.S. Women’s Amateurs, she
has appeared in three Women’s Opens, missing the cut in 1997 and
withdrawing last year. A round that reaped five birdies and 10 pars
left her pleased.
"I would say I’m surprised," said Lunke, who shot 2-under
69 Friday. "I always said to my dad that if I win an LPGA event,
I think my best chance would come at a U.S. Open."
Last week, the 25-year-old Stanford won the ShopRite Classic, her
first victory. She has failed to make the cut in the last three
years of the Women’s Open. Her highlight came on the par-4 14th,
where she chipped in from 25 feet to save par.
The 1-under 70 round that helped elevate her into second place
was a shocker.
"I’m in second?" she said. "I really don’t words
for that right now."
Annika Sorenstam finished her two rounds at 2-over 72. Players
who have won a Women’s Open to miss the cut were Laura Davies, Liselotte
Neumann, Betsy King, Meg Mallon and Karrie Webb. Other notables
to miss the cut were last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Becky
Lucidi and runner-up Brandi Jackson.
Wie, 2 over Friday, led all players in driving at 286.8 yards off
the tee.
Asked what it would take to win, Wie quipped, "A good score."
Ken Klavon is the USGA Web Editor. E-mail him at kklavon@usga.org
with questions and comments.
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