Stat profiles for 1500 golfers
A look at how Yani Tseng made up 8 shots on Karrie Webb on her last 12 holes and isn't it about time that Laura Davies gets into the World Golf Hall of Fame?
How many times in golf have we seen this, two favorites in the final round of an event and basically knock each other off and somebody that plays well slips in to win? That is what happened down under in the Women's Australian Open as Yani Tseng shot a final round 66 to story to victory.
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But golf is a fickle game and Webb found out that fact when she played some loose shots and as she said, "I played a couple of scrappy holes on six and seven and really lost a lot of momentum there." After making bogeys at 6 and 7, she ended her nine with another bogey at nine. Meanwhile in front of her, Tseng birdied 7, 8 and 10 to erase six of the seven shot deficit.
The back nine started promising for Webb with a birdie at 10, but she quickly gave that back at 11 and by the time she made bogey at 15, Tseng had birdied 13 and 14 giving her a two shot lead. With birdies at 17 and 18 she capped off her victory.
The fickle part of golf, on Saturday night Tseng has a feeling that she was going to play well on Sunday but as she told her caddie, "let's try to get second place." In the end Tseng shot 66 for a 9 under part total of 283, thanks to hitting 17 of 18 greens and taking only 29 putts. Over the course of her last six holes, she one putted them five times. Tseng was three better than Davies, who finished her day with birdies at 17 and 18 for a 71 getting second place. Webb shot 74 on a day in which she hit 11 of 15 fairways, 13 of 18 greens but took 31 putts and finished third. The rap on Webb is again the lack of confidence causing her not to complete a round. As she said after her round, "I didn't trust myself as much as I would have liked and then the putts just weren't going in so it was a tough struggle on the back nine."
Italian Giulia Sergas finished T4th place with Australian Katherine Hull who shot a 1-under par 72. Australian Lindsey Wright closed with a 3-under par 70 to take sixth place while American Stacy Lewis finished one stroke ahead of leading amateur Hyun-Soo Kim from Korea at 1-under in 8th place. World Number 7 Anna Nordqvist finished at even par for the championship in ninth place while amateur Alexis Thompson finished T16th with a 3 over par total.
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Frankly she has now been in that position since her last LPGA victory in the 2001 Wegmans. But not taking into account is the fact that she has won ten other times on the Ladies European Tour in some events that have had great fields like this week. The big question in the Davies quest is how the Rolex rankings, which were put into effect in February of 2006 and gives points for every tour like the Ladies European Tour, Japan Ladies Tour and Korean Ladies Tour, doesn't give Hall of Fame points from these other tours? I am not saying that a win in say the Japan Ladies tour event should count the same as a win on the American LPGA Tour, but some points need to be given or else this Rolex rankings is a sham.
Of course Davies will get in under the veteran's category, but she has to be inactive or retired for five years. I can't see Davies, who really loves playing retiring any time soon. Frankly Dottie Pepper, another player who deserves entry, will probably get into the Hall faster because she retired young and could get voted in via the veteran's category. Is it fair, who knows but maybe the Hall of Fame who has just about exhausted who to bring in will be smart and put her on the ballot for Lifetime Achievement, there is not better person that deserves this and it should happen now instead of later. Can Davies win again on the LPGA Tour? Yes, but I feel that winning a major or two regular events may be out of the question, I hope that I am wrong.
One thing that we need to mention in this debate is the fact that Laura is her own worst enemy on this. I haven't talked with her in years now but I remember having talks with her in 2001, 2002 on this and she would always say that she wants to get in off the point list. But back then it looked like she would easily win two more times. In talking with other media members and Judy Rankin, they say the same thing that Laura still feels today that she can qualify under the point system so that is a reason for the lack of rushing to get her in. Still it's getting time to start thinking of making her a member in some manner. Golf has become a worldwide sport and Women's golf should change with time and make sure to reward those that play internationally and win on Tours other than the LPGA Tour. If they are giving points on a ranking system to other tours, the same should happen on entry into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
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