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The Hot List: July 11
Posted: Tuesday July 11, 2000 12:45 PM
Sports Illustrated's Alan Shipnuck takes a weekly look at who's hot and who's not in the golf world. HOT 1. Annika Sorenstam. The blazing Swede scores her fourth W of the season, in a playoff over saucy Aussie Rachel Hetherington, at the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic. Forget Klinger jokes. Does Annika still think she can be P.O.Y? "Of course," she says. 2. Lee Westwood. He defends his title at the Smurfit European Open, at the K Club, then shows up for the champion's press conference with a pint of black stout. Thus dispelling the myth that the Euro tour is one big party. 3. Robert Allenby. After dispatching Nick Price at the Western, the lanky Aussie is a shocking 6-for-6 in career playoffs worldwide. New nickname: the Goofy Assassin. 4. Leonard Thompson. He birdies the 18th hole at the State Farm Classic five times over three days, trumping Isao Aoki in a playoff. Note: Lenny should not be confused with Rocky Thompson. Or Bullwinkle, for that matter, despite the arresting resemblance. 5. Badgers. The Greater Milwaukee Open kicks off with four Wisconsin boys -- Steve Stricker, J.P. Hayes, Skip Kendall and Jerry Kelly -- playing well. Amazing how good these guys have gotten, considering it's only a two- or three-week season up there. NOT 1. Tiger Woods. Not only does he putt like Stevie Wonder in his worst showing of the season, but he bloodies a poor spectator during the final round. Jeez, he's playing so poorly he might only win the British Open by 10 strokes. 2. Se Ri Pak. Atop the Jamie Farr leaderboard with five holes to play, she blows the lead and then a 6-footer at the last to join the Sorenstam-Hetherington playoff, thus remaining winless on the season. With this kind of underachieving she oughta be playing the PGA Tour, not the LPGA. 3. Steve Flesch. The engaging lefty couldn't hold another third-round lead, remaining winless in his two and half years on Tour. Must've been watching that Davis Love instructional video ... 4. Nick Price. Still reputed to be among golf's best ballstrikers, he couldn't hit a fairway or a green down the stretch in Chicago and remains winless over the last two years. Still the nicest guy in golf, but, really, how important is that? 5. Colin Montgomerie. With Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood running away in the Order of Merit race, Monty skipped the Irish Open two weeks ago -- at august Ballybunion -- and instead turned up to bet on the ponies at Royal Ascot, in top hat and tails, no less. There's something you don't see every day. Don't forget to check out Alan's new column, On Tour, posting each Thursday. Click here to send him a question or comment.
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