July 3, 2006
Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
OK, so today was not the suspenseful affair that we had yesterday, when there was a solid handful of golfers with a chance to win in the final holes. But we do have a great champion, and a classy champion, in Annika Sorenstam. We were lucky to have her playing here in Newport.
It's going to be hard to go back to the office on Wednesday after being out in all this idyllic scenery with so much to write about. Such is life. Thanks for joining us, and pick up tomorrow's Providence Journal for more. Pick up the next day's too. Check out more tournament photos at projo.com. C'est fin.
-Mike McDermott
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Journal photo / John Freidah
Pat Hurst smiles after her improbable birdie putt on hole 18.
Pat Hurst says that she would have rather settled her tie with Annika Sorenstam last night, in a three- or six-hole playoff format, rather than coming back today for the full 18 holes.
"I wish we would have played last night," Hurst said. "The competitive juices weren't flowing quite as good today as they were yesterday."
She said her putting, which she felt had been her strongest trait before yesterday, let her down today; she just couldn't get the ball to the hole.
Asked by The Journal's Kevin McNamara what she did last night after her 36 holes of golf, Hurst answered, "I went to McDonald's." She said she tried to call around for takeout, but there was a wait, so she ended up at the fast-food joint.
Hurst was once again gracious today, even as she answered questions that once again sometimes had an edge to them. When someone asked if anyone knew who she was at any of the restaurants where she tried to get takeout, she just laughed and said, "I don't know if they know who I was." But she made it clear that she wasn't one to play the "Don't you know who I am..." card to get faster service.
- Mike McDermott
-Mike McDermott
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Annika Sorenstam's championship may be extra special because she just became a United States citizen last month. Sorenstam maintains dual citizenship in her native Sweden, but she says that she plans on spending most of the rest of her life here.
-Mike McDermott
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Annika Sorenstam is sitting in the interview room with her winner's medal around her neck, next to her brand-new championship trophy, and her words are as measured and unemotional as they've been all week. The only subject she appears somewhat uncomfortable addressing is her legacy; she may go down as the best women's golfer ever, but she doesn't have any interest in talking about that.
She did talk about a lot of other things. For example, walking up to the 18th green today alongside Pat Hurst -- Annika waited for Hurst to hit her approach so that they could walk together.
"We walked up to 18 and she said, 'I'm getting gooesebumps.' And I said, 'I agree, this is pretty cool.' "
She was asked about Hurst's 18th-green request for an autograph ball.
"I said, 'God you can ask for anything at any time; why do you have to ask at the 18th hole of the U.S. Open?' "
Sorenstam says this week has been one of the most draining of her career. She says she couldn't practice on Monday because of a sore neck. Then her practice was curtailed on Wednesday because of the poor weather. The best thing that happened to her may have been the fog on Thursday, which gave her the chance to get some extra sleep with a late tee time on Friday. She then got an early tee on Saturday, so she could get some extra rest again before going 36 holes on Sunday.
Still, she said: "I've never grinded so hard in my life. Every shot had a purpose, and every shot had a thought to it."
Annika says she also received encouragement from Tiger Woods, who has called her every day during the tournament.
"He's on vacation, so for him to be watching women's golf says something," Sorenstam said.
-Mike McDermott
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Annika Sorenstam, speaking immediately after today's U.S. Women's Open win, said she found Newport a beautiful place, and she wants to come back to hang out and do some shopping at some future, less stressful time.
Meanwhile, Pat Hurst, who just spoke to the media, said she asked Annika at the end of today's match for a signed ball, like everyone else. She hasn't gotten it yet.
-Mike McDermott
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Early Friday afternoon, 19-year-old Jane Park spoke to a small group of reporters about her 2-under par 69 on the first round of the U.S. Women's Open. Hers was the first threesome to complete play in the first round of the tournament.
Park called the course "very playable" and said she was sure someone would come up with a better score. Park herself never came close again. Eventual champion Annika Sorenstam did not post a 2-under. In fact, it turned out that Park was wrong -- no one did better than 69. Annika Sorenstam's 1-under par in today's playoff was just the 19th below-par performance of the entire weekend.
The worst score of the weekend was a first-round 89 -- 18 over par -- by American player Nicole Hage.
- Mike McDermott
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Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
An exhausted-looking Annika Sorenstam celebrates her U.S. Women's Open title on the 18th green.
As if there were any doubt about the outcome of this playoff, Annika Sorenstam made a tremendous approach shot to the 18th green, putting her in a commanding position to make par. Pat Hurst's approach skidded, coming to rest far away from the pin, back at the front edge of a distant fringe.
As the two golfers approached, walking next to each other in their matching canary-yellow polos, the people in the bleachers mostly stood to applaud. Sorenstam and Hurst, who are both gracious people in their own, very different ways, each acknowledged the cheers. People wearing red shirts had carted out a table and some large flower pots to use as props for the Annika coronation ceremony.
Someone screamed Annika's first name, as they have been wont to do here. Then came more yelling: "Great show ladies!" and "Thank you ladies for the great golf!"
Silence again. And then Hurst, who was treated very warmly today by the spectators, gave the people one last thing to cheer about. She made her best shot of the day, a remarkable birdie putt from way back on that fringe -- I'm not sure how far away it is; I'll tell you later. She gave a pump of her fist, then gave her caddie, Dan Wilson, a high five one last time. The crowd went nuts.
Then Annika stepped up for her birdie attempt, which came up maybe 2 feet short. At this point she had a four-stroke advantage. And yet this very precise professional picked up her ball, set it down again, sized up the hole, backed up and sized up the hole some more, even swinging her club a couple of times to get the rhythm. And she made the putt. In celebration, she looked up at the sky, as if exhausted, lifted her club over her shoulders, and stood stone still for a moment. No more questions about droughts.
-Mike McDermott
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The official attendance for today's playoff was 4,655. By comparison, there were 12,710 people here for the fogged-out round on Thursday; 18,718 on Friday; 19,980 on Saturday; and 20,564 on Sunday.
- Mike McDermott
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Annika Sorenstam shot a 70, 1 under par, to win her third U.S. Women's Open title by four strokes over Pat Hurst. More to come, including the players' reactions.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 12:25 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Annika Sorenstam and Pat Hurst walk together during their 18-hole playoff today, the third playoff in which the two have faced off.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 12:11 PM | Permalink
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Yesterday afternoon, at the end of the third round, people were crushing against each other for a peek at the action on the 18th hole, as such celebrity players as Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie and Annika Sorenstam were wrapping up their rounds. A teenager asked me how much he could pay me for my media pass -- which gives me the chance to get up close to the action.
Today, as Sorenstam and Pat Hurst near the finish line, there are not many people gathered in the bleachers or around the ropes that surround the 18th green -- and a lot of the people who are here seem to know each other. Last night as I was going home, a woman from New Jersey was telling me how disappointed she was to be heading home without knowing the winner. If she's watching TV today, she probably feels better about not having extending her stay in the Ocean State.
Back in the press tent, there's no lunch out yet, and the coffee machine is out of order; it's making some strange whirring noises and its lights are flashing.
-Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 12:02 PM | Permalink
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Annika Sorenstam is just three holes from her third U.S. Women's Open championship. She has a commanding five-stroke lead as she and Pat Hurst approach hole number 16. Sorenstam has put up three birdies (on holes 1, 3 and 12) against two bogeys (on holes 6 and 13). Hurst has no birdies and bogeys on 1 and 9, with a double-bogey on 6.
- Mike McDermott
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Tom Drennan, head golf coach at the University of Rhode Island, has had a banner weekend here at Newport. As a volunteer committee chairman he has worked with members of the media -- about 400 have been credentialed from four continents -- to help facilitate our coverage of this event. He's had a great opportunity to view the action and to see the golfers answer questions about the way they've played.
"The opportunity for us to have the very best women in the world here in Newport, the chance to watch them at a course we all know so well, has been very special," Drennan said today.
He said the highlight of his weekend was the 18th hole yesterday: "Seeing the drama unfold, and then being able to see the golfers explain what happened in the interview room."
Before coaching golf, Drennan was head basketball coach at Roger Williams, and a former basketball assistant coach under Jack Kraft at URI. He's been the Rams' head golf coach since 1988, and he has led them on their current, most impressive streak of 15 straight NCAA Regional tournament appearances.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:38 AM | Permalink
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Journal photo / John Freidah
Fans cross a bridge between the seventh and eighth holes this morning at the Newport Country Club. Annika Sorenstam is at 1-under par, with a five-stroke lead, through 13 holes.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:28 AM | Permalink
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After yesterday's drama-filled action, the mood on the course, in the tent -- it is pretty flat. Sorenstam is at 1-under par, still with a five-stroke lead, and they're on the 12th hole. Nobody is talking about a comeback.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:11 AM | Permalink
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Gloria Park was never much of a threat to win here at Newport, but she had a great finish to her weekend on Sunday, going 3-under par for the last nine holes of the fourth round, including one of only three eagles registered for the whole tournament. This put her 12-over for the tournament, good for a four-way tie for 20th place. Big deal.
Except that it is a big deal to Park's wallet. If she had just played par over the back nine, she would have been in a five-way tie for 36th place. The four women who finished at 15-over each received $17,647 for their work at Newport. Park, by getting to 20th, takes home $41,654, more than doubling her paycheck.
Compare that to English golfer Karen Stupples, who went 4-over par over her back nine and ended up in that same 20th-place tie. If she had held par and stayed at 8-over for the tournament, she would have been in a three-way tie for eighth place. Rachel Hetherington and Shi Hyun Ahn got $82,460 at eighth place, so Stupples' payoff was basically cut in half because of her poor finish.
Likewise, Juli Inkster's bogey on the 16th hole yesterday meant more money for Stacy Prammanasudh, Se Ri Pak and Michelle Wie, who tied for third and each got $156,038. Inkster, who finished sixth, one shot behind those three players, gets $103,575.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:08 AM | Permalink
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The nation's sporting press is wrapping up its coverage in Newport today. Most have been thrilled with a week in Rhode Island's prettiest locale, even if it lasted one day too long.
Some writers have held back on the difference in physical stature between Annika Sorenstam and Pat Hurst. Others, however, have not. Consider this passage from a Sports Illustrated.com missive by writer E.M. Swift, which was posted on Saturday night in preview of Sunday's 36-hole marathon....``The 36-hole final doesn't bode well for Hurst, an unmade bed of a woman who doesn't seem to be in training for a marathon, or perhaps even a jog around the block. Her best hope is to play 18 and summon her remaining reserves to do a rain dance.''
Wow. Nice guy.
Posted by Kevin at 11:02 AM | Permalink
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After opening with a birdie, Annika Sorenstam is playing mistake-free golf while her opponent, Pat Hurst, just can't seem to get anything going. Sorenstam has a five-shot lead halfway through the 18-hole playoff, after Hurst bogeyed on nine.
-Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 10:49 AM | Permalink
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It was slim pickings at the merchandise tent at Newport Country Club but shoppers were greeted with a chance to save. All hats, visors and accessories like ball markers and cups were marked down by 30 percent. The few remaining golf shirts and tee shirts remained at full price and selection was quite limited.
The USGA runs the merchandise tent for the U.S. Open. Under its contract with Newport, club pro Barry Westall basically closes his shop for the week and lets the USGA push its wares.
- Kevin McNamara
Posted by Kevin at 10:38 AM | Permalink
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Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Annika Sorenstam, shown celebrating her birdie on the par-4 third hole, has a four stroke lead on Pat Hurst through six holes.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 10:23 AM | Permalink
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After following the players for the first few holes, it is clear that conditions are easier than they have been all week.
Most tees have been moved up a bit, or at least kept where they had been. Nothing is back to the tips. What's more, flags that hang over the grandstands are limp for the first time all week.
The bottom line is that the USGA seems to be going the kinder, gentler route, and even the weather is making for much more manageable conditions for Sorenstam and Hurst.
The two, both of whom play quickly, also are flying around. This will not be a 5:15 or 5:30 round as was the case all week. Seveny five minutes in the two players are on the seventh green.
- Paul Kenyon
Posted by Mike McDermott at 10:17 AM | Permalink
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Much has been made about the difference between Sorenstam and Hurst, two veteran players, in terms of glamour and name recognition. Here's something that puts it into some perspective: Out of several corporate logos on Sorenstam's outfit, the casual fan will instantly recognize Lexus, the car maker, and Kraft, the food company. The logo you might notice on Hurst's polo shirt is for a less-glitzy product: Band-Aid.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:54 AM | Permalink
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Journal photo / John Freidah
Annika Sorenstam, left, and Pat Hurst get ready to tee off at the start of today's 18-hole playoff at the Newport Country Club.
Annika Sorenstam and Pat Hurst got their 18-hole playoff started with drives off the first tee just after nine o'clock this morning. The golfers, who were tied at the end of the first, second and third days of action, are even dressed alike today; each has a yellow polo shirt and a white visor. Sorenstam is sporting knee-length gray shorts, while Hurst is wearing black shorts.
The crowd, which has been solidly behind Sorenstam the entire weekend, really gave Hurst a big ovation this morning. Her engaging personality and gritty play seem to be winning people over. But Sorenstam established a two-stroke lead right away with a birdie on the first hole, while Hurst, who has lost two playoffs to Sorenstam in the past, bogeyed.
The winds today are calmer than they have been in the tournament to this point. The USGA is expecting the winds to stay light, and the temperature to top out around 82 degrees about noon.
Both of these women are quick players, so the action today should move at a brisk pace. We may be able to report a winner soon after 1. Unless they tie again after 18 holes.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:51 AM | Permalink
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The USGA announced the crowd for yesterday's 36 holes of action at 20,564. That equals attendance of 59,262 so far for the three days in which golf was actually played, not an overwhelming number. Today, a workday for most people, the crowd is quite sparse at the start. So if you want to see some golf, it might be a good day to come down here.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:28 AM | Permalink
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July 2, 2006
There's a sign-up sheet in the media room that invites us, the privileged members of the press, to play a round at the Newport Country Club tomorrow. But Annika Sorenstam and Pat Hurst just KO'd our chance to get out on the links. Rather than playing ourselves, we'll be back covering the action, as two players who are much better than we are battle for the top tournament in women's golf. We'll start the blog up again tomorrow, probably not right at 9, but not too long after. You can check projo.com throughout the day tomorrow for updates. You should most definitely pick up The Providence Journal for better, more thorough commentary than I can provide.
Over and out.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 8:31 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Pat Hurst celebrates her birdie on the 14th hole.
Pat Hurst sat forward in her chair in the interview room. She said she "can't wait for tomorrow."
"My arm is hurting from carrying my daughter," Hurst said. "It's cramping, I guess, from being so tired. But out there I felt fine. I'm ready to go one more round, of course. I'd die for this. This is what we live for, and I've got that opportunity."
Hurst has been called an underdog by a lot of people this weekend (including me), but she shakes off the label by saying sensibly that all that matters is what she does with her clubs. Someone in the media room asked her a strange question about whether she has felt like an underdog for much of her life. She chuckled a bit and said, no, she has a husband and a family, she has a good life, and she does not feel like an underdog.
Another reporter asked Hurst the same question about Annika that he had earlier asked Sorenstam about Hurst: What is she like as a person, what is she like to play with? Hurst got a roar from the crowd when she said, "Well, first of all, what did she say?"
-Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 8:13 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Annika Sorenstam can't believe her near-winner on the 18th didn't find its way home.
Annika Sorenstam says she's never done anything like the 18-hole playoff that she'll have tomorrow, starting at 9 a.m., with Pat Hurst. And she allows that playing the Newport course is not an easy way to spend a day.
"It was funny, I was out there [today] and said, 'I won't play this hole anymore,' but I guess I will play it again."
It's going to be a different mindset. I've never been in a playoff like this before. I'm happy with who I'm playing and I'm looking forward to it."
Sorenstam says the toughest thing about this course is "the wind, obviously."
"It's really long. I've never hit so many long irons into the par-4s. I've never hit so many long irons or woods to par-3s; it just makes it really difficult."
Back in the media tent, Sorenstam was stoic, precise in her words. She sat back in her chair and acknowledged the emotions that ran through her mind when she narrowly missed the winner on 18. She says she's hungry and determined to get a victory.
-Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 8:06 PM | Permalink
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A few names that we haven't talked much about are included in our wrapup of the top scores for round 4:
1. Pat Hurst -2
Se Ri Pak -2
3. Annika Sorenstam, Even
4. Stacy Prammanasudh, +1
Sherri Turner, +1
Gloria Park, +1
Amy Hung, +1
Aree Song, +1
Posted by Mike McDermott at 7:31 PM | Permalink
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Annika Sorenstam and Pat Hurst are tied atop the leaderboard at even par through 72 holes. The fans on 18 really thought Annika had the win with her long birdie putt on the 18. But they gave Pat Hurst a very warm ovation when she made her pressure-packed four-footer to seal the tie.
As the crowd rushed to the exits, there was laughter, there was cursing and there was some head-shaking. "She's going to be seeing that one in her sleep," someone said, presumably talking about Sorenstam's near miss on the 18. Stay tuned to the blog tonight for reaction from Sorenstam and Hurst.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 7:24 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Annika Sorenstam drives during fourth-round play today.
A big roar just went up among the spectators gathered at hole 18, as the scoreboard posted Annika Sorenstam's birdie on hole 16. It's getting chilly out there, and the crowd on 18 is much smaller than it was at the end of the third round. There is a building police presence, though.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 6:50 PM | Permalink
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At the end of the first round, Pat Hurst and Annika Sorenstam were tied. At the end of the second round, Pat Hurst and Annika Sorenstam were tied. And here we are, after they've played 15 holes side-by-side over 10 hours, and Pat Hurst and Annika Sorenstam are tied. If it does indeed come down to these two at the end, that seems perfectly appropriate.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 6:30 PM | Permalink
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Here's a sure sign the action is winding down: They just removed all the information from the main leaderboard at the entrance of the golf course.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 6:08 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Se Ri Pak is shooting at a 2-under par pace through 14 holes of the fourth round, putting her just one stroke off the lead.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:54 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Pat Hurst has a share of the lead with six holes left to play. Here she celebrates a good shot on hole number five with her caddie, Dan Wilson.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:43 PM | Permalink
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Sophia Sheridan, a 22-year-old native of Guadalajara, Mexico, who now lives in California, bowed out of the tournament after the second round after finishing 13-over par. But some of Sheridan's band of fans, dressed to stand out in matching green T-shirts with Mexican flags in the front and "Sophia" written on the back, are still here watching the action. They may just make up the most colorful cheering section we have here.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:40 PM | Permalink
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Here's how our top six players compare when you look at their average drives, through all rounds of the tournament.
1. Michelle Wie, 265.3 yards
2. Pat Hurst, 253.1 yards
3. Se Ri Pak, 246.9 yards
4. Annika Sorenstam, 240.3 yards
5. Juli Inkster, 233.7 yards
6. Stacy Prammanasudh, 230.7 yards
Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:31 PM | Permalink
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Michelle Wie's birdie on hole number 12 not only ties her with Pat Hurst and Annika Sorenstam for the lead, it breaks a personal streak of 21 holes without a birdie.
- Kevin McNamara
Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:26 PM | Permalink
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I guess merchandise sales are going well, despite the pretty prices. Paul Kenyon just pointed out that the mannequins in the window of the merchandise tent are almost all naked.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:20 PM | Permalink
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Men or women, the true mark of a United States Open are golfers making mistakes they normally would not most any other week. That's why, after 9 holes, it's clear the tournament has officially begun.
When Annika Sorenstam double bogeyed the 7th hole by hitting an 8-iron into the pond in front of the green, she started leaking oil. When she hit her chip shot into the 8th green, she made a cardinal error and left the ball above the pin and missed the par putt. On the ninth, she again was short of the green in a sand bunker. A 5-foot miss on the par putt made it another bogey and loss of four strokes on holes 7-8-9. Welcome to the Open.
Up two strokes after chipping in for birdie on the 8th hole, Pat Hurst caught Open Fever. At the ninth hole she 3-putted from just off the green, giving back a shot and bringing even more golfers into the mix.
As the experts often say, the Open doesn't begin until the back 9 on Sunday. That old axiom is once again holding true.
- Kevin McNamara
Posted by Kevin at 5:05 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / Kathy Borchers
Members of the media watch from the lunchroom of the press tent as Michelle Wie plays a hole.
I've said a few things in past days about the folks in the media tent occasionally having their attention elsewhere. Today is a whole different story.
For the first time I can think of, every television in here (and there are a lot of TVs) is tuned into golf. And there is something like emotion in the air as well. There were big groans just recently when Juli Inkster and Pat Hurst narrowly missed birdie putts.
Now that Annika has double-bogeyed to knot up the leaderboard, things are likely to get a lot more tense in here, as well as out there.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 5:02 PM | Permalink
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The crowd on par-4 hole nine almost went into despair when Annika Sorenstam's second shot failed to come close to the elevated green.
When Sorenstam followed up with a beautiful chip that put her in good position to save par, the crowd erupted. Someone screamed Annika's name, and she gave a little wave. But people were bummed again when Sorenstam misfired and ended up with a bogey.
As Sorenstam made the walk from 9 to 10, you could see some stress in her face. Nine holes to make up two shots. This time, as the cheers came, there was no wave of acknowledgment.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:58 PM | Permalink
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Meg Mallon was walking off the eighth hole when a photographer asked her whom she was rooting for. "The Red Sox," she joked. When pressed, she said, "I'm rooting for the one who is closest to my age." In other words, the 43-year-old Mallon is behind her friend, 46-year-old Juli Inkster.
- John Freidah
Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:54 PM | Permalink
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Catriona Matthew, 36, is one of two players in this tournament from Scotland, which bills itself as the home of golf. The other Scot, Mhairi McKay, did not make the cut. Matthew has not been mentioned until now in this blog, and she has no chance of winning. But she's playing a great fourth round so far, with three birdies through her first seven holes. Only Pat Hurst, who just surged into sole possession of the lead, is doing better than Ms. Matthew in this round.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:21 PM | Permalink
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Gloria Park, who was under par after the first round but struggled to a 7-over yesterday, came up with the tournament's third eagle, scoring a 3 on the par-5 first hole. The 26-year-old from Seoul, South Korea, remains 15 shots off Annika Sorenstam's lead.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:55 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Stacy Prammanasudh sizes up the par-3 hole four today at Newport.
Stacy Prammanasudh, the 26-year-old player from Tulsa, Okla., may not get a victory today. But she's had a real fine and consistent tournament, and that has made her name a fixture near the top of the leaderboard. Prammanasudh shot one over par in the first round before matching par in the second and third rounds.
Right by her side all the way is her father and caddie, Lou, whom Stacy Prammanasudh calls one of her greatest supporters.
Prammanasudh's name has had some tongues wagging in the press tent. But it is not the longest one in this championship. That honor would go to the Thai player Virada Nirapathpongporn, who failed to make the cut.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:51 PM | Permalink
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As is the case at most televised sporting events, the people who produce the pictures everyone gets to see at home get first choice on how and where to set up their equipment.
If you're watching at home and wondering about the gorgeous scene behind announcers Dan Hicks, Johnny Miller and Dottie Pepper, the setup is an ideal one selected by NBC.
The television booth is adjacent to the 18th green, giving the announcers a great view. Even better, it is on the far side of the green, away from the clubhouse, tucked between a large section of grandstands and the end of the luxury suites that line the fairway. The on-screen pictures from the booth are shown with the classic Newport clubhouse as the backdrop.
- Paul Kenyon
Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:38 PM | Permalink
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The television cameras, as they should, will keep you clearly focused on what's going on with the leaders in this tournament. For that reason, TV is probably a superior way to observe the competition than seeing it live. But if you are here, you get a chance to see some pretty big stars, who happen to have fallen out of contention, play out their rounds -- something TV will not show you.
Here are some of the star golfers who have made the cut, but are out of contention, and so only will be seen today by those who have come to Newport: Natalie Gulbis, Lorena Ochoa, Cristie Kerr, Karrie Webb, Gloria Park, Morgan Pressel. Of course, any one of these golfers is good enough to make an unbelievable shot at any time, as Becky Iverson proved earlier in the weekend.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:25 PM | Permalink
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When you've just played 18 holes of golf, and you have just a half-hour or so before you go out for another round, you might take the time to change clothes. Maybe for comfort; maybe for sponsorship reasons. Then again, maybe you head right back out for some more golf. In the second round, Annika Sorenstam, Michelle Wie, Juli Inkster and Paula Creamer, to name a few, opted for new outfits. Pat Hurst and Brittany Lincicome, on the other hand, are staying in the same clothes.
The most radical change probably goes to Jeong Jang, who changed from powder blue to fire-engine red.
-Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:16 PM | Permalink
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TV is about to restart its coverage after an hour delay. Here's where the leaders stand now, and what hole each is on in Round 4.
1. Annika Sorenstam, -2 through 2 holes
2. Juli Inkster, Even through 4 holes
Michelle Wie, Even through 3 holes
Pat Hurst, Even through 2 holes
5. Brittany Lincicome, +1 through 6 holes
Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:58 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Annika Sorenstam is wearing blue today, like a lot of other players, but her golf is standing head-and-shoulders above right now.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:55 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / John Freidah
Teenagers Michelle Wie, left, and Jane Park have exhibited a certain camaraderie while playing together today. While Wie remains in the thick of things, Park has fallen off to 4-over par for the tournament. In the photo above, the 6-foot Wie hugs the 5-4 Park at the end of the third round.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:53 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / John Freidah
Nineteen-year-old Paula Creamer came into today's action with a fighting chance, but she is virtually out of contention now after going 5-over par for the third round. Above, Creamer tries in vain to urge on a birdie putt on hole number 17.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:48 PM | Permalink
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Annika Sorenstam must be able to smell victory now. She birdied on hole number two to start the fourth round with consecutive birdies, and she now has opened up a two-shot lead. Pat Hurst, playing alongside Annika, has also opened the fourth with consecutive birdies.
- Mike McDermott
Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:43 PM | Permalink
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Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach
Pat Hurst chips out of a sandtrap below the 17th green. Hurst, who entered the day tied with Annika Sorenstam for the lead, fell off with a 2-over par performance in this morning's third round. But she scored a birdie on the first hole of the fourth round and hopes to steal her way back into the thick of things.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:41 PM | Permalink
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