Notebook: Webb Notices Course Changes

Southern Pines, N.C. - Is it possible that Karrie Webb didn’t win the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles six years ago? Was she dreaming that she cruised to an eight-shot victory over the likes of Se Ri Pak and Dottie Pepper?

No, she wasn’t dreaming.

It was the young Australian that won her fifth major that week, defending her Women’s Open title from the previous year at The Merit Club. It was the first time that a champion successfully defended since Annika Sorenstam in 1995 and 1996. Both defenses, by happenstance, occurred at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club.

Karrie Webb shares her recollections Tuesday of winning the 2001 Women's Open. (John Mummert/USGA)

In returning, Webb finds Pine Needles a different place then she experienced in 2001. Since then, the turf has undergone a transformation from perennial rye grass with an underlying Bermuda turf to predominately Bermuda grass for the Women’s Open, according to Chris Hartwiger, USGA Senior Agronomist, Southeast and Florida Regions Green Section.

In addition, architect John Fought renovated the course in 2003 and 2004 to bring it back closer to Donald Ross’ original design.

"I did notice them quite a bit, actually," said Webb Tuesday said about various changes. "My vision of what I remembered from the two times I’d played here before yesterday was a lot different, where bunkers used to be now and now chipping areas. The greens for the most part are a little bit different. I felt instead of having to just cruise around for a couple of practice rounds to refresh my memory, I think I’m having to learn the course all over again."

The changes were a combination of enlarging the greens back to the original Ross design, as well as bringing the fairway bunkers more into play. The course was lengthened from 6,256 yards for the 2001 Women’s Open to 6,664 yards that it will play this week.

Webb believes that the changes and the time of the year - May compared to the end of June - will make a difference as well, especially with chipping. The grain of the grass matures, becoming more of a factor with getting the clubhead through it, she said.

"The fairway wood shot or the 5-iron chip up the slope, I don’t feel like it was consistent enough," said Webb. "I don’t feel like it was consistent enough. I don’t feel like you can judge the bounce as much."

That said, Webb feels she is playing as well as she has over a two-month stretch over the last four or five years. But not having won this year, Webb is taking the positives from her consistent play.

"I haven’t gotten a lot out of the good swinging," Webb said. "I’ve putted fairly inconsistently. I had a good showing at the [LPGA] McDonald’s [Championship], which was a huge confidence boost for me and I’m going to take that into this week."

Wie Back

This isn’t Michelle Wie’s first trip to the Sandhills. She actually played in the 24th U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links in July of 2000. At the time Wie was 10 years old. After a 74-76-150 she made it into match play, losing in the first round to Cindy Lee of Tempe, Ariz., 3 and 2.

Two other golfers, Jimin Kang and Candie Kung, also played in the match play field in 2000 and are in this year’s field.

Repeating

Over the course of the Women’s Open, only six times has a champion successfully defended her crown: Mickey Wright in 1958 and 1959; Susie Maxwell Berning in 1972 and 1973; Hollis Stacy in 1977 and 1978; Betsy King in 1989 and 1990; and Sorenstam and Webb.

If Sorenstam can win this week, it will be her 11th major championship. It would also move her out of tie with Babe Didrikson Zaharias but put her into another one with Louise Suggs. She’d be tied for third on the all-time list behind Patty Berg’s 15 and Wright’s 13.

"I’ve won so many tournaments around the world that I never thought I could," said Sorenstam. "I’m satisfied. I’m happy."

New Faces

As of Monday 44 players were scheduled to play in their first Women’s Open.

Alex Miceli is a writer for the Golf Press Association whose work has appeared previously on www.uswomensopen.com.