MAJOR - FIVE AUSSIES IN US OPEN

(6 July, 2011 – The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs)

2011 US Women&aposs Open Championship at The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs.

Five Australians will this week vie for the most prestigious trophy in women’s professional golf, the US Women&aposs Open. The third major on the 2011 women’s professional golf calendar begins this Thursday at The Broadmoor’s East Course in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Once again Australia’s No.1 and Rolex World No. 10, Karrie Webb will lead the Australian charge. The 2000 and 2001 champion is an automatic starter, along with Katherine Hull, Lindsey Wright and Sarah-Jane Smith, all of whom gained entry by finishing in the Top-70 on the 2010 LPGA Official Money List. Sarah Kemp played her way into the field through success at recent sectional qualifying.

The Broadmoor East Course will provide a stern test for the 156 professionals and amateurs this week. This week it will be playing as a par 71, approximately 6,444 metres in length or 7,047 yards, and it is the longest course in the Open’s history. The Broadmoor last held the Women’s Open back in 1995, with Swedish superstar Annika Sorenstam taking the title. It was her first victory on American soil and was the first of her three US Women’s Open titles.

American Paula Creamer is the defending champion after securing her first major title last year at the famous Oakmont Country Club. Creamer finished tied for third at the recent LPGA Championship and is certainly looking forward to defending her title. However, current Rolex World No. 1 Yani Tseng is the hot favourite. The 22-year-old is coming off back-to-back victories including the Wegmans LPGA Championship where she won by an incredible ten shots. If she wins this week she will have completed the grand slam of majors, the youngest player to do so and the youngest player, male or female, to collect five major championships.

Americans Cristie Kerr, Kraft Nabisco champion Stacy Lewis and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen are all in form coming into the tournament. All are major winners so they know what it takes and will be looking to add another title to their resumes.

The Australian contingent will be looking to improve on recent performances. Apart from Webb’s sensational start to the season with two wins, the stop-start nature of the tour does not appear to have worked for our players as they have been unable to build any momentum. There have been signs of brilliance from all the Australians, but putting four rounds together has been an issue for each of them.

Webb will have a welcome distraction this week, when she hosts the three leading amateurs from the 2010 Karrie Webb Series. She will treat Ashley Ona, Breanna Elliott and Jessica Speechley to the US Open experience during which they will walk practice rounds with their idol, meet many of the LPGA stars and administrators, and spend most of their off course time benefiting from Webb’s mentoring. For Webb it is a side of the week which she thoroughly enjoys, having stated that she feels she gets more out of the week than the amateur girls do.

156 players will tee it up Thursday after 36 holes the cut will be made to the low 60 scores and ties and any player within 10 strokes of the leader. Prizemoney for the Championship is US$3.25 million, which along with the Evian Masters as the biggest purse in women’s professional golf. The winner takes home $US585,000.