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Lorena needs a new nickname

Jack Nicklaus, arguably the greatest golfer that ever lived, went from "Fat Jack" to "The Golden Bear".  I think it might be just a tad overdue to give Lorena a new nickname and drop the "Ochoka" forever from her resume.

The No. 1 player in the game, Lorena had been frustrated by her inability to close out a major championships until she broke her 0 for 24 stat by winning the British Open last year at St. Andrews.

Yesterday, Lorena did something even more impressive - she became the 4th LPGA golfer in 45 years to win four tournaments in as many weeks, claiming the Ginn Open title on Sunday.  "Ms. 59", Annika Sorenstam, won four consecutive LPGA titles in 2001. Mickey Wright did it in 1962 and 1963 and fellow  Kathy Whitworth followed with her streak in 1969.

So what is it with nicknames?  It you take a look at all the great golfers, they usually all have nicknames - some more than one.  But in the men's arena, even the lackluster have them as well.  Our friend at The Sand Trap did a nice job listing a ton of male golfer nicknames for us, including:

Phil Mickelson - FIGJAM (I won't share with you what this means in a G-rated blog)
Craig Stadler - The Walrus
Ernie Els - The Big Easy
Retief Goosen - The Little Easy (also called the Silent Assassin by some)
Tim Herron - Lumpy
Mike Weir - Weirzy
Brian Gay - All Day Gay
Constantino Rocca - The Italian Bandit
Fred Couples - Boom Boom
K.J. Choi - Tank
Miguel Angel Jimenez - The Mechanic
Corey Pavin - The Bulldog
Greg Norman - The Shark
Loren Roberts - Boss of the Moss (I like this one personally :))

...to name a few.  Even PGA caddies have nicknames - like Jim Furyk's caddie, "Fluff" and Phil's caddie, "Bones".

So, why don't more women golfers have nicknames?  Sure, we have the Pink Panther (Paula Creamer) and The Big Wiesy (Michelle Wie).  And JoAnne Carner was called "The Great Gundy" and "Big Mama" in her heyday.  Nancy Lopez was sometimes called Slowpez (but not to her face).  Mae Louise Suggs was known affectionately as "Miss Sluggs."  So there are some, but I really could only find a handful in my research.

To this day, Lorena hasn't been given a nickname that does her justice.  She has a Superman club head cover and her coaches in college called her "Super Ochoa", but even that doesn't seem to be enough for a women who reigns supreme in Golf Stadium.

Hey, that's it!  Lorena Ochoa doesn't need a nickname, what she needs is a respelling of her name to:  Lo-Reign-a!

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Photo by: © Isogood | Dreamstime.com

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Ochoa simply dominant

The Vancouver Sun
21 Apr 2008

M I A M I — Wo r l d No . 1 Lorena Ochoa became the first player in seven years to win four successive LPGA titles with a three- shot victory at the Ginn Open in Orlando on Sunday. Mexican Ochoa, a stroke in front overnight at the Ginn Reunion Resort,...read more...

Tech Tags: The Vancouver Sun newspaper Sports

Winners don't have to take home the trophy

Lorena Ochoa ran away with the Kraft Nabisco Open today and she deserved it.  Par for the course this year, Lorena was rock solid all day - never bogeying a hole and making 2 birdies in her first 2 holes to kick off a 5 under par round that won her the tournament by 5 shots over T2 Annika Sorenstam and Suzann Pettersen.

I would never take away the honors from Lorena as she is a great ambassador for the game of golf and her country.  She is an amazing player and from what I've been told, she's an even better person.

But my golf cap this weekend really went off to a woman who has the tenacity of a bulldog, the stamina of a cheetah and the heart of a lion - a champion who never gives up - Annika Sorenstam.

Three time owner of the Kraft Nabisco title, Annika, was very ill for 3 out of 4 days at this year's first major.  And it wasn't the sniffles we've seen from other players who played with colds.  No, Annika had stomach cramps so bad she had to lie down the the course at one point.  We saw her doubled over in pain while speaking to reporters and yet she persevered.  The result on day 3 wasn't a blow-out round you would expect from someone that sick. No... Annika shot one over par, 73 - only her first over-par round of the season. 

"I just didn't know if I was going to make it." said Annika in her post-round interview on Saturday.  "You know, after yesterday's round, I never really got better, had a hard time keeping the food down".

During her third round, when things were the worst, this is the conversation she had with her caddie, Terry McNamara.  "I do not want to walk off the course.' He goes, you know, ‘Don't do it for me, do it for you.' And I said, ‘Well, I don't want to just walk off.' And then I got up there and I said, ‘I have a birdie putt.' And he said, ‘You have an eagle putt.' And I said, ‘Yeah, you are right.'

You know Annika is really not well when she can't tell a birdie from an eagle. 

Annika was always a hero of mine, but this weekend, she really stepped up a notch in my books.  I almost thought she should retire last year.  I am so happy I was wrong.  Annika isn't done yet!

Can you imagine how she might have played this weekend if she'd been healthy.  Lorena might not be holding that trophy today.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Annika photo by: © Isogood | Dreamstime.com

We need more women like these in golf media

After so many Michelle Wie and John Daly exemptions resulting in missed cuts, sometimes sponsor's exemptions can put a bad taste in your mouth,  But here is an exemption I'm really happy to see! 

Stephanie Sparks, best known for her co-host role on the Big Break has been offered a sponsor's exemption to the 2008 Ginn OPEN, April 14-20, and...she's accepted, back surgeries and all!  Well done Stephanie!

Sparks was an All-American at Duke University from 1992 to 1994.  Before turning pro in 1996 and joining the FUTURES tour, she won quite a few amateur events, including the Women's Western Amateur Champion, Women's Eastern Amateur Champion, Women's North and South Champion, and West Virginia State Amateur Champion.  She joined the LPGA in 2000, but back problems shortened her career before it really had a chance to take off.   

I really enjoyed the Vince/Stephanie combo on The Big Break.  Like Golf for Women's Stina Sternberg, Stephanie is great in front of a camera - she's stylish, beautiful and athletic and the camera loves her.  She's not the calendar girl type like Natalie Gulbis, and she doesn't have the same "quick come backs" that Kelly Tilghman has (that sometimes gets her into trouble), but she is a solid analyst and commentator and I'd like to see more of her on The Golf Channel or even network television like Dottie Pepper.

Now...Dottie Pepper...there's one talented woman, golfer and TV analyst. I am so impressed with her. She can play with the boys and hold her own without a flinch. You never see her intimidated by being the lone golfgal in a field of male players, commentators, reporters and other analysts.  To me she and Johnny Miller are the best analysts out there - a great team - even when they step in it with their Ben Hogan puking and chokin freakin dogs blunders.  I love it when they're calling the action.

Anyway, I was really pleased to see today that Dottie will be inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall-of-Fame this May.  No surprise, given she helped Furman to 4 straight appearances at the NCAA Championships, including three top four finishes. She was a star amateur golfer with many accolades and a star LPGA'er in her own right winning 17 LPGA titles.  She was on 6 U.S. Solheim Cup teams and a fierce competitor.

Now, what I'd like to see is more of Stephanie and Stina on The Golf Channel and other sports TV stations.   Both Stephanie and Stina made the Golf With Style shows fun and entertaining and made you want to play at every venue they visited. 

I am really looking forward to Stina co-hosting the Big Break Ka'anpali, which kicks off April 15th.  The previews look great and I'll bet this Big Break garners the largest audience ever.

Anyway, ladies...you may not realize it, but you are an inspiration to young women entering sports media careers.  My niece is one of those and I know she's watching you and loving it!

Golfgal

Carol Mann - golfer extraordinaire and 2008's PGA First Lady of Golf

Carol Mann...do  you know who she is?  Well, if you are a woman and you are a golfer, then shame on you!  And shame on me. I knew her name and I'd seen something about her at one time or another on The Golf Channel, but I never really looked any further than that into her amazing career and her unselfish gift to the game of golf.

Carol Mann is a golf legend and this week the Woodlands resident was named the recipient of the 2008 PGA First Lady of Golf Award, for being a lifetime contributor to golf. Previous winners include Barbara Nicklaus, Judy Rankin, Nancy Lopez, Judy Bell and Kathy Whitworth.

Good company, eh?

“It’s a bit overwhelming,” said Mann, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and the LPGA Hall of Fame. It’s huge for me because I have so much regard for those named before me.  They are heroes to me.”

What a gracious and humble woman.

"There are golfers who have gone gently into retirement after their playing careers, and there is Carol Mann, who has made a career out of giving back to the game," said PGA of America President Brian Whitcomb. "The PGA of America is very proud to present Carol with the 2008 PGA First Lady of Golf Award in recognition of what she has done and continues to do to elevate the golf profession and make this game better for everyone."

Mann won the U.S. Women's Open and 38 events in her career.  But what is really amazing is that in 1968, she won 10 times!  She was the Tigeress of her era.

Mann served as one of the LPGA's most influential presidents, from Sept 73 to May 31st.  Sounds like a fun job, don't you think? NOT!!!  According to Mann, "By June 1976, I went down the tubes. I was depressed thinking that no one on tour would say thank you to me for what I had done. Some would, others never would, and 10 years later, players wouldn't give a damn."

Thankfully she was wrong.  In 1976, Mann received the Babe Zaharias Award and was recognized as one of the "100 Heroes of American Golf." She was inducted into the LPGA's Hall of Fame in 1977.

The 6' 3" giant of women's golf will be honored May 21 at a ceremony in Rochester, N.Y. in conjunction with the 69th Senior PGA Championship.

Carol, you are an inspiration to us all!  Thank you.  Without women like you, I'd just be watching golf on TV instead of playing it. 

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

So who is Louise Friberg?

So who is Louise Friberg and how did she beat the world's number one, Lorena Ochoa in Ochoa's home country when everyone expected Lorena to walk away with it?   Until yesterday, I didn't even know she existed, and now, she's part of golf history.

Louise Friberg is an LPGA rookie from Sweden, with her own website, who won her first LPGA Tour title in only her 4th start.   She's either very lucky or very good...

Friberg closed with an amazing round of 65 on Sunday, beating out Taiwan’s Yani Tseng by one stroke in the MasterCard Classic.  65 is great at anytime, but when only 4 other players break 70 on Sunday (one of which was Lorena with a 68), it is particularly impressive.   

Louise started off tied for 22nd place and 10 strokes behind the leader Ji-Young Oh at the start of Sunday's round.  18 holes later, she's holding the trophy.  Talk about a comeback - 22 spots!

“I didn’t think it would take me just three times to win,” Friberg said. “I’m going to stick with my game plan and keep going, but I don’t think this has all sunk in yet.”

It was obviously a tough course, given a winning score of just -6.  Not a lot of red numbers out  there.  Even wonder woman, Lorena, struggled big time on day 1 with a 76.  But she's such a gracious person, she just kept thanking the fans for supporting her in the tough times.  And at the end...she was positive as always... 

“It was a great day. I was due,” said Ochoa “I played really good, a solid day, and making birdies here in Mexico feels really great, just to hear the gallery and giving myself a chance to improve my position.”

Louise earned her card by tying for 9th in Q-school.  Already this year, she's had 2 top 10's and now a win.  This lady is one to watch! 

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Lorena a "slam dunk" this weekend - Does anybody care?

No sooner does Lorena Ochoa leave home to start her 2008 LPGA year than she's right back again in Mexico (good planning girlfriend). This weekend is the MasterCard Classic and Lorena is leading a full, if not "hot" field going into the weekend.

I always like to look at what happened the year before to see how players like the tournament...

Last year, some interesting things happened:

A virtual unknown, Meaghan Francella, won in a 4-hole sudden death playoff with defending champion, Annika Sorenstam, who shot 6 under par on the last day to force the playoff. It was only Meaghan's 7th start on the LPGA (her rookie year was 2006). So it was quite an upset for the field.

Meaghan's currently T59 on the money list this year, having missed the cut in the first two events and tied for 30th at the HSBC Women's Champions. I don't see her in contention this year. Too bad, we won't see Annika either.

More interesting stats from last year...

Lorena Ochoa only broke 70 1 day and ended tied for 6th - her best finish ever (but she obviously has some unfinished business).

Paula Creamer missed the cut (but, remember, it was early in the season, before her game caught fire). Maybe that left a bad taste in her mouth - she's not coming back. Or maybe she just needs a rest.  Time to come back to the mainland after weeks away in Hawaii and Singapore.

Natalie Gulbis, who started so well on day 1 with a 69, then proceeded to add 10 more shots to her score on day 2 with a 79. She also decided to no-go this event this year.

So this year, it could be anyone's game with many of the best taking a pass, except for one - the most dangerous of all.  Lorena's never won this event, but her game is already hot, winning her first tournament at the HSBC Women's Champions two weeks ago.  No one expects anything but a win from her this tme around (a big win!).  Should be a slam-dunk. 

But does anybody care?  I am very suprised that The Golf Channel hasn't committed to broadcasting it with Lorena in the field.  After looking at their packed schedule today and tomorrow, it appears they'd rather run hours of infomercials. It's too bad...but I guess she doesn't have the network pull Tiger has (yet).

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

Pace of play only applies to amateur golfers (and the LPGA)

I was reading the March 2008 edition of Golf Digest this week and saw a little side story titled "Venting".  It shared the thoughts of some PGA players and their caddies on the biggest breaches of golf etiquette that amateurs make during Pro-Ams.

No surprise, the number one was the amateur moving while another player is hitting.  Hard to believe anyone who actually plays the game does that more than once.  Even at municipal courses, new players are given the evil eye if they try that. 

Anyway, the 2nd most unpopular practice was "slow pace of play".   According to Aqua-man Woody Austin, "Nothing tops pace of play. Amateurs refuse to pick up their ball or they take too long to make a decision."

I find it amusing to hear the pros talk about pace of place.  I guess they are oblivious to their own failings in that area.   I watch a lot of European Golf and it is rare that I don't see at least one group being "put on the clock".  However, I've never seen them actually penalized for slow play. 

The rules of golf are severely enforced by officials all the time in the PGA (even calls in from spectators can make an official go back and watch replays of a shot to see if a rule was broken.  They have no qualms about enforcing a rule long after the fact..  But pace of play is a joke in the PGA.

Last week's PODS Championship was a good example.  The winner, Sean O’Hair is a really nice guy, and his history with his estranged father gets him the sympathy vote, but on the course, he's the guy you want to report to the marshal.

I’m a regular reader of sports writer, Karl MacGinty of the Irish Independent.  And as he puts it, "This guy spends so much time agonizing over the most obvious options on the golf course, one wonders how he manages to get out of bed in the morning.  It probably takes a couple of calls to the tailor before deciding which trouser leg to pull on first."

O’Hair was put on the clock on Sunday in Florida, but it made little difference to his play. And no penalty ensued.  Why?  I expect the answer is something like, “How do you penalize a player who's in contention?”   And my response would be, “Oh, you don't know?  Easy...just watch the LPGA.  Angela Park was "awarded" two extra shots for slow play at the SPG in Hawaii, without warning.  And she was in contention - if they hadn't penalized her, she would have finished 2nd at worse.  Who knows, she may have actually won the tournament, but having to play 8 more holes knowing she was dinged really could have been the difference between winning and losing for her.

Back to the PGA...

JB Holmes is another example.  I love MacGinty's description of JB, " Holmes resembles a preying mantis painstakingly stalking its lunch as he goes through his staccato pre-shout routine."

Wood's website posted a plea for action against slow play a week after Tiger beat Holmes at the Accenture Match Play.  Coincidence?  I don't think so.

But even when the world's number one complains, the "entitled" Holmes could care less, "You’re playing for $1m. If someone thinks I’m slow or taking too long, I don’t care.”  Hey, maybe that's the difference between the PGA and LPGA.  The LPGA is only playing for $150K, while Holmes is chasing a million!  Oh, don't get me on that rant again!

Slow pace of play isn’t new.  Remember back in 2005 when hothead, Rory Sabbitini walked off the 17th green and headed to 18, because he was so angry at Ben Crane's painstakingly slow pace of play (Crane was still on the fairway!)? Sure Rory isn't my favorite sportsman, but it's hard to judge him too harshly on that move.  If I was playing with them, I'd probably have laid down on the grass for a nap at the 17th green to get my point across.

There are a lot of slow players in the PGA.  So I ask again, why doesn't the PGA do something about it like the LPGA?  Maybe it all comes down to "balls" and who has them.

Golfgal
www.golfgal-blog.com

Photos by: © Anita Patterson Peppers | Dreamstime.com

Lorena starts her year with a bang and a whimper?

If you were watching golf on TV this weekend like I was, you might have noticed a slight discrepancy in the TV coverage of the different tournaments.  While the Honda Classic and European Tours enjoyed 3 hours per day of coverage, the LPGA was only afford 1 hour a day by The Golf Channel.  1 hr...sigh...

But in those few minutes we were granted by the powers that be...we enjoyed a very exciting debut of the world number 1, Lorena Ochoa, at the HSBC Women's Champions.

It was amazing to watch her break away from the pack, but it was also exciting to watch Annika and Paula push hard to try and catch her.  Too bad that Suzann Petterson struggled all weekend - not breaking 70 across all 4 days.  But I'm not too concerned. She'll be back.

Meanwhile back to the pathetic inequality in golf - one of my favorite rants.  Women golfers being treated as second class citizens is not "news".  It's par for the course, as is a huge disparity in purses in the professional tours.  Let's take a look at 2008:

PGA Tour: US$300 million
LPGA Tour: US$60 million
Champions Tour (9 less events than the LPGA): US$55.2 million

With numbers like those, it's no wonder that the two best players in the world don't even come close in terms of winnings.

Sometimes it seems like the golf equality battle will never be won. Even Lorena said in an interview with the Sunday Times, "Sometimes you have to understand that's just the way it is and there's nothing we can do."  Nothing we can do???  Oh Lorena, I wish you hadn't said that.  Don't wimp out on us girlfriend!  We need you to drive progress and change in this sport. 

Yes, yes...it all comes down "Show me the money".    But did you know that the TV networks PAY PGA Tour to broadcast their events, the LPGA has to PAY the TV networks to get coverage.   I find that shocking.

LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens said the strive for parity is one of the LPGA's top priorities, "If we don't strive to be equal, then we're going to be under-achieving."   I'm glad to hear her say that.

We've seen "No dogs, no women" signs in UK clubs, and "white men only" clubs in the US.  These battles for gender and race equality are almost behind us, but we're still seeing appalling stories of discrimination.

But let's not role over and play dead on the greens!  Let's take a lesson from some of the great ladies of sport and see what their determination and drive has achieved for their sport. 

Almost 30 years ago, Billie Jean King went on a mission to gain support on equalizing the purses in tennis.    She was insulted and ridiculed for her efforts, but did you know that today, because of women like her, women's tennis achieved equal prize money in all four of their majors last year?

So there is hope.  The LPGA is the strongest its ever been in terms of talent and competition.  What we need now is for more women (and their supportive golfguys)  to speak out and drive equality forward at their home clubs, in the media, through blogs, Facebook and Yahoo groups, in golf magazines and on golf forums everywhere.   

Never give up...never surrender.  Let's make that the new motto of the LPGA.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

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The Straits Times
02 Mar 2008

Dare to Dream: LPGA + PGA Championship

Yesterday, I posted about the new Captains of the President's Cup and asked why we don't have a Ladies' President's Cup.   I'm sure the problem is getting sponsors, but let's get creative people!

Sponsors want network coverage.   How do you get it?  Well, do something different.  When Michelle Wie played in the Sony for the first time in 2004, the ratings skyrocketed.  Even if some fans hated her being there -they flocked to watch.  Even later when she couldn't make a cut, the cameras still loved her.

So maybe we should learn from that - putting men and women together in a tournament is a good thing.  And we've seen that with the Merrill Lynch Shootout, the Tavistock Cup and some Skins Games, but what if we could take that fun and good natured competition to the next level.

What if we had a tournament that brought together the very best of the LPGA with the best of the PGA in a "world championship".  I think that would be awesome.  We could match 1 male and 1 female player by nationality. They'd play three days of golf - best ball, alternate shot and possibly combined stroke play.  We could match man/woman by country or by continent, but in the end, this would be an international event that would draw a huge TV audience (if the best of the best really participated).

I know..I know...trying to get Tiger to play would be tough. But what if he did...can we dare to dream?  Make it count towards Fedex, Ryder or Solheim Cup points if that will bring them out.  Money isn't the answer...so find the carrot that is!

Some of my "dream pairings" would be:

• - Annika Soremstan and Henrik Stenson
• - Paula Creamer and Tiger Woods
• - Karrie Webb and Adam Scott
• - Se Ri Pak and K.J. Choi
• - Laura Davis and Justin Rose

I could go on and on and on...

Okay, so we would have a few challenges - for example, South Africa...who would we pair with Ernie Els or Retief Goosen?  Who would we pair with Lorena Ochoa from Mexico?  I don't think Lee Trevino would come out of retirement for this. :)

But these are just technicalities...

The point is that combining the best of both the PGA and LPGA would create an event to which male and female golfers would flock, and over which sponsors and TV networks would salivate.

Anyway, I think it's a great idea.  Why hasn't it been done before?  We'll have to ask the commishes..Tim and Carolyn...what on earth are you waiting for? 

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com 

Pink Panther Paula Looking to Make a Killing at HSBC Champions

While many golfers dream of being number 1 in the world, most hesitate to share their dream publicly...and with good reason.

Take a look at Ian Poulter, Jason Day, Rory Sabbitini and Sergio Garcia.  The moment they uttered words even close to saying they wanted to be #1 in the world or beat Tiger Woods (or even contend with him), they were practically drawn and quartered by the media. 

But in Wednesday's issue of The Straits Times, Paula Creamer is quoted as saying, "My main goal is to be the No 1 player in the world.”  And, according to this article, the No 5 ranked, Creamer hopes to be in contention for the throne by next year.

Excuse me, but did she say, "next year"?

Okay, people...where's the "how dare she!" rant?  Hmmm?  Sorry...I don't hear you.  Don't you think it's just a little cocky of the young upstart to be so forward about taking on the two queens of the LPGA, Ochoa and Annika next year? NO?  Well, neither to I!

I know, Paula hasn't even won a major yet (The closest she came was finishing T3 at the LPGA Championship in 2005.). But she's got game and she's got focus and she's got spunk - the perfect combination for a champion in my books!

I love it that she's stepped up and shared openly that she's got a dream, a plan and a timetable.  With drive and determination like that, she just might surprise us.

It's hard to believe she was once a "would be cheerleader".  Thank goodness her father counselled her well at a young age, “My dad asked me if I wanted to cheer for other people or have people cheer for me”.  I love that line so much I'm going to use it if our 12 year old decides she wants to be a cheerleader.

Anyway, the HSBC Champions will be very exciting with a field that hosts the best the LPGA has to offer, including Annika, Lorena and Paula. 

I love how Christina Kim put it, "In our era, there hasn't been anything like this.  Annika and Webbie went back and forth in the early to mid-90's.  Before them, there was a rivalry between Beth Daniel and Nancy Lopez, this is different.  The way Paula Creamer made her splash - second on the money list and fastest to win $1M - then there's Morgan Pressel winning her first Major last year, and Brittany Lincicome, and Suzann and her five wins. When people look back in 20 years time, they'll still be talking about this period as one of the most exciting in LPGA history." 

I couldn't have said it better myself, Christina.  This is going to be a year for the record books. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Paula's going into round 2 of the Fields Open in Hawaii only 2 behind the leader.  And who's not far behind...would you believe it...Michelle Wie (she even beat Annika in round 1)!  Golf Girl did a nice post on Michelle's round today - check it out.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com

© Photographer:Isogood | Agency: Dreamstime.com

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Creamer targets 1st major this year
By Lin Xinyi
The Straits Times
20 Feb 2008

PAULA Creamer is coming to Singapore next week with one singular idea: To win. It does not matter that she will be facing the world’s top players in the inaugural HSBC Women’s Champions tournament, golf’s “Pink Panther” will be looking to make a... read more...

Tech Tags: The Straits Times newspaper Sports

I couldn't have said it better myself, Christina.  This is going to be a year to remember.

Golfgal

www.golfgal-blog.com