Ai Miyazato vs. Cristie Kerr – the better player?
Ai Miyazato and Cristie Kerr have quite a history together. In 2012, they replaced each other at the number one position in women golf. Since then, they have been compared to each other.
In June 2010, Miyazato was the number one player. This changed in July 2010 when Kerr snatched the title. However, Miyazato reclaimed the title in October only to lose it to Jiyai Shin from South Korea. This is the main reason why many people compare these
two players.
The question that who is the better player is very tricky. Both the players are very talented and have a large fan following. When comparing such players, two important factors are decisive in the final analysis. The first is the overall record and the second
is the performance in the current year.
Let us start with Cristie Kerr. The American player went pro in 1996. Since then she has been a well known name in women golf. She has mostly played on LPGA, the American women golf body. This is where she lags behind Miyazato, who has a wider exposure of
international golf.
Kerr has won 20 pro titles so far. Out of these, 14 are LPGA tournaments. This is an impressive number and has made Kerr a highly respected member of the tour. Kerr has won two major LPGA events.
Her first win was the 2007 US Women’s Open. This was where Kerr became an international phenomenon. With a score of 279, she managed to beat players like Lorena Ochoa and Se Ri Pak. Miyazato finished the event tied in the 10th place.
Kerr’s next major title was the 2010 LPGA Championship. She scored 269 points and won by an incredible lead of 12 strokes. Miyazato finished third in the event.
So far this year, Kerr has managed three top 10 finishes. Her first finish was a 6th position at RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup.
She next played in LPGA LOTTE Championship, presented by J Golf and finished in the fourth place. Her most recent top-10 finish was in the U.S. Women's Open, where she achieved the 9th place.
Now let us move over to the sensation from Japan, Ai Miyazato.
Miyazato has 25 professional wins to her credit. She has played on both LPGA and LET. She is one of the recent waves of the Asian players who have taken the women golf world by storm.
Ai Miyazato won the 2009 Evian Masters in a dramatic manner by shooting a birdie on the first extra hole. She was facing Sophie Gustafson in the final round.
This was followed by another win in the 2011 Evian Masters. This was a narrow win by 2 strokes. She was facing top talent, such as the American Stacy Lewis.
So far this year, she has won two important tournaments. The first was the LPGA Lotte Championship held in April. She won by a margin of four strokes while facing the top players.
Her next win was in Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. This was a close call with a single stroke victory against players like Mika Miyazato and Azahara Muñoz.
To sum up, based on statistics so far, Ai Miyazato appears to be a better player. She has won two titles while Kerr still has to start her count. Chances are that this year, Miyazato will prove to be the better player than Cristie Kerr.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: