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Rookies fail to make the grade
EUREKA, Mo. -- Last week's Michelob Light Classic was the first tournament in which there were enough open spots that every LPGA rookie could have played. So it seems like a perfect time to evaluate this year's prospects. But to call the members of the Class of 2001 prospects might be a stretch. Normally, there are one or two potential superstars among first-year players, but that's doesn't seem to be the case this season. Interestingly, while it's typically more advantageous to be an exempt player, right now the non-exempt rookies -- the ones who don't get in every week -- are fairing the best. Here's how the class is shaping up:
Hee Wan Han: Though she earned a bottom-of-the-barrel card at Q school last fall, the Korean has made the best of her opportunity, earning the moniker Queen of the Monday qualifier. Six times this season, she has garnered one of the two spots up for grabs before the start of each event. Marcy Newton: The 2000 U.S. Women's Amateur champion hasn't found the transition to the pro ranks easy. Making the big leagues without ever having a professional lesson, this former Tar Heel learned that her natural ability, just like her powder-puff drives, wouldn't carry her far. The 23-year-old has recently started working with swing guru Hank Johnson and is also now pumping iron, and she could eventually become a top-20 player. Jenna Daniels: The 2000 NCAA champion out of Arizona is a tremendous ballstriker and may be the best player in this class. The 22-year-old has three gears with her driver -- long, longer and really long. If the San Diego native can find some confidence, she could be dangerous. Tammie Durdin: This Australian can flat out rip it and is cocky about it. Confidence can be good at times, but Durdin acts sometimes as if she's Karrie Webb . The book on her is that she lacks patience and that her course management is poor. Jennifer Hubbard: Four years of schooling at SMU under the tutelage of former LPGA player Cathy Marino has paid some dividends. The lanky Texan made a hole-in-one on her final shot at the The Office Depot in Los Angeles to make her first cut. She has posted a couple of sub-70 first-round scores (she was second with a 67 after Friday's first round in St. Louis), but she has yet to finish strong. Angela Stanford: She also hails from Texas -- she attended TCU -- which might explain why she hits most of her shots low to the ground. She reminds me a little of Kathy Whitworth but needs to learn to not be so hard on herself. Becky Morgan: Just like the current trend on tour, here is another European with a solid game. She may be short in stature (5-foot-2) but she has a big heart and nerves of steel. She may one day be a Solheim Cup team member. Michelle Ellis: This Australian is the best of the graduating class from the Futures Tour. The 25-year-old idolized Meg Mallon growing up and it shows as she, too, has an impeccable short game. There isn't really much to say about the rest of the kiddie corps. But the reason this group seems slight is that last year's rookie crop, which included Grace Park, Dorothy Delasin and six others who finished in the top 90, was so impressive. For the past couple of years, with the likes of Se Ri Pak and Mi Hyun Kim, it seemed like the younger players were getting more and more talented. But 2001 must be a leap year of sorts. 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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