American's battle for title at U.S. Women's Open
The 65th Women's U.S. Open began today at the Oakmont Country Club. The course is known for fast difficult greens, but the world’s best female golfers will battle it out to see who will raise the Harton S. Semple Trophy Sunday night.
Among the 156 competitors, 66 of them are American. However, despite the number of home-grown participants, the tournament as a whole speaks to the globalization of golf.
“Our players are definitely global, out website hits are global, out TV eyeballs are global” said LPGA commissioner Mike Whan. ”It’s not surprising that we’ve brought on new suppliers in Korea or Japan or Singapore, and at the same time we have good business with some regional superstars.”
Whan became the eighth LPGA tour commissioner in January of this year. He came into the position as golf was emerging from difficult times with the tough economic climate and a shrinking tournament schedule. In 2000, 34 events where scheduled where as this year there are only 25. Of that 25, less than half of them are played in the U.S. The U.S. fan base has been tested under these circumstances, as have American golfers. Business has suffered as sponsorship dollars dwindle and there are no big-name American golfers to headline tours or sponsorship campaigns.
“You know, it’s different. It’s more business,” said Juli Inkster who finished second in the US Women’s open in 1992. The tournament was also held at Oakmont, and this year’s Open will be the second time the course hosts the event.
“It was definitely more domestic,” Inkster said of her early years in the LPGA Tour. Inker joined in 1983.
American sponsorship has decreased because there are not as many dominant American players, so players are forced to travel to accommodate foreign sponsors and players. Two-time Tour winner Christina Kim said it was simply a sign of the times.
“The business is built on empowering and encouraging and creating opportunities for women in the game of golf and through the fame of golf. It isn’t about putting money on the bottom line, or how high your margin is,” said Whan.
The increase in international sponsorship and players doesn’t mean America is a dwindling golf nation. It means female American golfers need to work harder to distinguish themselves and their country.
Talk around the Open water cooler has Christie Kerr as the tournament favourite.
The 32-year-old currently holds the number one spot on the Women’s World Golf Ranking and she won the LPGA Championship last month with a 12-stroke lead. Kerr’s score was record breaking and earned her the current number one position.
Kerr has won two of the first 10 LPGA tour events this year. She has usually been the runner-up, but is having a great year of golf and is playing in top form. Kerr’s strengths are with the putter, and she has finished in the top five on the LPGA Tour putt/greens lists in recent years. Of the LPGA Tournaments she enters, Kerr usually finds herself in the top 10.
Her win at the LPGA Championship is the major reason she is favoured for the Open, and she has her competition set out for her.
Last year’s Womens Open champion Eun-Hee Ji is back to defend her title. She defeated Candie Kung last year by one stroke, and finished with scores of 71-72-70-71. Rolex Ranking No.2 Ai Miyazato, and No.3 Jiyai Shin are former holders of the number one title, Kerr has it now, and will also be in attendance at the Open.
This year 128 professionals and 28 amateurs will come compete against each other for the $3.25 million purse and first place prize of $585,000.
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