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U.S. Open is not child's play
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. -- While Karrie Webb should have been the main attraction, the U.S. Women's Open last week at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club turned out to be nothing but a three-ring circus. Webb was on her way to winning her second straight title, but the sideshows -- which included a very pregnant golfer and a seventh grader -- stole the spotlight. The only thing missing were clowns juggling fire on a high wire. While a woman wearing XXL shirts has every right to play for the national championship, kids who can't even drive a car for three more years should be out of bounds.
The U.S. Women's Open should be an assemblage of the greatest female golfers from all around the world, not of people who just got an A in world geography. The USGA has restrictions for other events, and the U.S. Open should be closed to anyone under the age of 16. If you haven't been to a high school prom, you should not be able to be Cinderella at golf's biggest dance. Kendra Graham, the director of the women's committee for the USGA, disagrees. "The U.S. Open is just that, the Open -- open to anyone who qualifies," Graham said. "You have to remember, Morgan qualified -- she wasn't invited. We have no plans of putting an age restriction on the U.S. Open. Any kid, with their parents' consent and the proper handicap, is eligible to try to qualify." While the parents -- or, in this case, an overzealous grandfather, Herb Krickstein -- may be to blame, it's not as if a 13-year-old girl has no other places to play. There are AJGA events, USGA-sanctioned tournaments or, perhaps most appropriate, in their backyard with a dog or a best friend. Kids need to be kids. They don't need to compete in the richest golf tournament of the year with grown-ups old enough to be their mothers. There are two concerns when underage golfers play against professionals: psychological side effects they may suffer and the damage they do to the integrity of the game. Last week Pressel shot two very impressive 77s. But during and after both rounds, she struggled to hold back tears. I can't imagine what would've happened had she shot a 90 like former tour pro Nina Foust did in the second round; that might have scarred her for life. Also, youngsters are not always polished in rules, procedures and just general golf etiquette. This lack of experience often confounds playing partners. An episode early Saturday morning showed why kids don't belong in this arena. Pressel was putting the final touches on what would make an excellent What I Did on Summer Vacation essay when she got in the way of someone trying to make a living. Distressed about missing a birdie opportunity, Pressel hopped over the cup, which is a no-no, and nearly into the line of Heather Daly-Donofrio. Daly-Donofrio, a former Yale coach, is accustomed to being patient with young people. But when she informed Pressel of her inappropriate behavior, she wasn't prepared for a smart-aleck response. "You can't walk over the hole," Daly-Donofrio said. Pressel's retort: "Whatever." Had my child taken that attitude with an adult, my response, in that shrieking voice Mom made famous, would have been, "Whatever? Well, whatever you were planning to do for the next three months, you can just forget about it." Last week Pressel spent as much time playing golf as she did in the media room. While the dreadful interviews will help her ace Public Speaking when she gets to high school, a teenager shouldn't be put through that torment. Pressel was obviously nervous about the ordeal, playing with her hair the whole time. Every time she finished a press conference, she would head straight to the ice cream freezer for some Ben and Jerry's. Then she would talk her way onto a computer to play Javanoid, a cross between Space Invaders and Pong that she has mastered. This was her way to escape the pressure and attention of playing in the biggest tournament in golf. And as the ice cream melted down her chin and she precisely knocked off the enemy one by one, I couldn't help but think, This is what a 13 year-old should be doing, not playing in the U.S. Open. Tom Hanson, a regular contributor to Sports Illustrated's Golf Plus section,
is a longtime caddie on the LPGA Tour. Click here
to send him a question or comment.
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