The notice from the USGA on Tuesday told the story at Shoal Creek:
Due to weather, Tuesday’s U.S. Women’s Open practice rounds are canceled and Shoal Creek is closed to the public.
Thank-you sub-tropical storm Alberto.
Things could get very interesting this week at the ladies U.S. Open.
Shoal Creek, already soggy before Alberto, was expected to get inundated and that could prove dicey come Thursday.
First, the USGA isn’t going to be un-creative like the LPGA. When confronted with rain, the LPGA simply cancels a day and reduces its events to 54-holes. There will be no such silliness from your United States Golf Association. There WILL BE 72 holes, always have been with this event.
Second, consider the USGA despises the “lift-clean-and-place” rule that both the LPGA and PGA Tours go to when things get wet. As far as the USGA is concerned, that’s purely cheating.
What the USGA typically does when confronted with wet venues, is mark off generous “Ground Under Repair” areas that allow a player to retrieve the golf ball, clean it then drop it in a nearby somewhat dry area.
Which brings us back to Shoal Creek.
There are no clear cut favorites this week — could be anyone.
Pernilla Lindberg was the surprise winner of the season’s first major — the ANA Inspiration.
If you want to go by recent winners — Minjee Lee won last week in Ann Arbor, Ariya Jutanugarn won the week before at Kingsmill and Sung Hyun Park won in Texas at the Volunteers of America event.
If you like world rankings — Inbee Park is your No. 1, Shanshan Feng is No. 2, Lexi Thompson is No. 3, Sung Hyun Park is No. 4 and Ariya Jutanugarn is No. 5.
Of those, Thompson has been in a slump. She hasn’t had a top 10 finish in more than three months and failed to make any kind of run in defending her title at Kingsmill.
Both the Korda sisters, Jessica and Nellie have been on their games and the other sister act — the Jutanugarns — saw Moriya get in the winners circle earlier this season.
Whatever happens this week, it’s bound to be a challenge with the soggy conditions.
Don’t worry, they’ll play all 72 holes, the LPGA isn’t running this one.
