On biggest stage, youthful U.S. women come of age

Mike Dudurich

Posted 2009-08-23

So as a fan of women’s professional golf in the United States, why should you be more than a bit encouraged by what the young ladies from the U.S. did in winning the Solheim Cup this weekend?

Well, perhaps – and I emphasize perhaps – the youngsters representing the LPGA Tour finally had their games come together at a most opportune time, giving hope for a return to dominance in that sport by the United States.

Paula Creamer was once again a Solheim stalwart. Morgan Pressel won the match that clinched the Cup victory. And finally – and I emphasize finally – Michelle Wie displayed the kind of quality shot-making and precision putting that she’s been programmed to produce since a very young age.

That trio was once described as the future of women’s golf in the United States, but it has failed to live up to that hype. Creamer has come under a fair amount of criticism this year for not having won a major yet. Pressel’s game was at the point earlier this year that the thought of her making the team was not given much consideration.

And Wie, well, Wie has been victim of some very misguided decisions by her controlling parents and has been put into situations where she had absolutely no chance to succeed, i.e., playing in PGA Tour events.

Maybe it was pure coincidence, but with the parents kept behind the ropes for most of the week at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill., Wie seemed to blossom before our eyes. She appeared to enjoy playing, she played well and she was a good teammate.

Even more importantly?

SHE FINALLY WON SOMETHING!

All of the things mentioned above are good, as is the 16-12 beat-down the U.S. laid on Europe to run their Cup winning streak to three and continued the streak of having not lost a Cup match on U.S. soil.

Now, let’s not get crazy and start thinking that the axis of women’s golf went into a severe tilt as a result of the United States victory. They beat a team that was supposed to be beaten, one that had four team members ranked lower than 125th in the world.

This was a team from Europe and, in women’s golf these days, the power is much farther east, as in the Far East, especially Korea.

When the discussions begin about what’s wrong with the LPGA – and there’s plenty to discuss on that subject – one of the issues revolves around the dominance of Korean players in terms of victories and number of players.

American players have had plenty of opportunities to put an end to all of the Korean influence, but have failed to deliver in the clutch repeatedly. And there’s no guarantee that the strong play exhibited by the three youngsters this weekend is a barometer of how things will play out from this point forward.

But they gave us a glimpse of what might be possible this weekend. Of course, with the LPGA’s incredibly shrinking schedule, the Terrific Trio will have to make the most of every opportunity they get to become consistent winners.

This was a start, though, and it came on what has become one of the premier stages in the sport.

And, on the subject of this stage, I have to say I’m becoming more and more a fan of these team golf events.

The Ryder Cup has been around forever and it always provides great drama when the best male professionals in the U.S. face off against Great Britain and Ireland. The Presidents Cup, while much younger, has grown up quickly, and provides plenty of thrills as well.

The Solheim Cup has only been played 11 times (the U.S. has won it eight of the 11 times). That kind of won-loss record doesn’t do much to create a rivalry. You couldn’t tell the competitors, however, that there wasn’t much of a rivalry over the last three days. It was pretty obvious on TV that all of players were deeply into this competition and greatly enjoyed the battles.

There’s one more major team event left on the 2009 schedule: the Walker Cup, played Sept. 12-13 and Merion Golf Club just outside Philadelphia, Pa. It has the same basic format as the Ryder Cup, but the teams are made up of amateur players from the U.S. and Great Britain and Ireland.

Just as match play made for a rare bit of spice on the PGA Tour when the International was being held, team events aren’t routine by any means and that’s probably why they draw fans to them so much.

And, of course, it certainly doesn’t hurt when you think you might have witnessed a pretty special moment in the careers of three talented female golfers.

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About Mike...
As a sports writer for over 35 years, Mike Dudurich has seen a lot of great things, covered spectacular events, but his passion is, and has been golf. He recently ended a 29-year career at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and will now be a frequent contributor on GolfGearReview.com. Mike hosts a weekly golf radio show on 1250 ESPN in Pittsburgh from the beginning of April through the end of August. The show airs Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. and can be heard online at http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/espnradio1250/show?showId=insidepghgolf - Listen to Mike Here!.

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