U.S. braces for youth movement

LINCOLN, Calif. -- Cristie Kerr's win Sunday at the Longs Drugs Challenge is just another sign that there is a changing of the guard occurring on the LPGA Tour. Kerr, Laura Diaz, Kelli Kuehne and Dorothy Delasin are giving U.S. golf fans something to be excited about.

THE SHAG BAG One of the keys to Cristie Kerr's first career victory may have been a bizarre caddie switch. For the past couple of years, Kerr couldn't get over the hump with Donna Early on the bag. At the end of last season, Early and Kerr parted ways, and Kerr hired veteran Greg Sheridan, who had caddied for Beth Daniel during her prime. What makes the new arrangement peculiar is that Sheridan and Early have dated for almost the past decade. ... Another part of Kerr's breakthrough is that she finally is feeling comfortable in her new skin. Over the last three years, Kerr has shed 50 pounds. Her secret? No fried foods. "I haven't had a french fry in over three years," said Kerr, who admits she still indulges in chocolate. ... With Kerr shedding the label of Best Player Yet to Win, the tiara is now passed to Leta Lindley. The seven-year veteran has the most career earnings without a victory. ... The weather last week was quite frigid (high 30s Wednesday and Thursday), but that seems to be the norm for Sacramento in the spring. Rumor has it that with the Seniors no longer playing in the area, this event might move to the fall the week after Portland, which would be a warm welcome. ... The tour announced the dates (May 1-4) and, most important, the $1.6 million purse for the 2003 Michelob Light Open at Kingsmill. The week before Office Depot announced that it was upping its purse in 2003 to $1.5 million, which means it will have doubled in two years. Maybe now tournaments like the McDonald's LPGA Championship ($1.5 million is low for a major) will fall in line.

Nobody is happier about this than Patty Sheehan, the 2002 Solheim Cup captain. The Hall of Famer and winner of 35 LPGA titles is witnessing this transfusion first-hand. As of Sunday, the top 10 spots in the current Solheim Cup standings include five new faces, all under the age of 29. And while the Americans hope to regain the Cup from the Europeans at Interlachen Country Club on Sept. 20-22, Sheehan isn't worried about going to battle with a team heavy on rookies.

"It doesn't stress me out, and I'm not so much worried about the newcomers," Sheehan said. "They are very aggressive and very confident, they've had a lot of match-play experience, and that's a great thing."

New blood is just what the U.S. needs if it doesn't want to fall to Europe for the second straight time. And while the likes of Beth Daniel and Betsy King have made their contributions, a look at some of the young guns reveals that the future of American women's golf is strong.

Cristie Kerr: By beating 2001 Rookie of the Year Hee-Won Han by one shot on Sunday, Kerr finally got the winless monkey off her back, which should make her an even tougher competitor. She is a great ballstriker and probably the most complete player in this group. Her weakness could be her ability to handle the pressure. But in six years on tour -- it's hard to believe this 24-year-old has been out here that long -- Kerr has matured tremendously.

Laura Diaz: Well, Diaz's life is golf. She is the daughter of a golf pro (Ron Philo), her brother Ron Jr. was a professional (he once shot 62 at a Nike Tour event), and her husband, Kevin, is an instructor. How good is Diaz? Well, she was the first woman professional to play in the prestigious Wake Forest alumni pro-am. With her win in Tucson last month, Diaz, who is leading the Solheim standings, finally answered the question, When are you going to win your first tournament? And she accomplished it with sheer determination, which is her greatest strength.

Emilee Klein: Klein, with three career victories, doesn't have the most picturesque swing, but she gets the job done. While the seven-year veteran isn't the longest player on tour, she might be one of the grittiest. Her short game is impeccable, which is her deadly weapon.

Dorothy Delasin: One veteran caddie didn't even know that Delasin was up for Solheim contention. While she isn't the flashiest player and could be the shyest of this bunch, Delasin also may be the most dangerous. She has two wins in two years and possesses an uncanny knack of getting the ball near the hole. She also has Clint Begay, Notah's brother, by her side as caddie and confidant.

Wendy Ward: The old-timer in this group -- she turns 29 next month -- Ward has never really reached her potential, though she has shown flashes. The former Arizona State standout can go low, evident by the fact that she once held the 54-hole scoring record. And while she does have three wins in her six years on tour, many thought she would have been in double digits by now.

Kelli Kuehne: While Kuehne is only 14th in the current standings, look for her to make a strong bid to earn a spot on the team. When she first came out on tour in 1998 the knock against her was that she wasn't long enough, but she is plenty long enough off the tee. What makes Kuehne even more intriguing is that she is one tough match-play competitor. In 1996, she became the first woman to win both the British Amateur and the U.S. Amateur in the same year.

Two years ago for the matches at Loch Lomond, Pat Bradley skipped over Kuehne and Kerr and made a pair of veterans, Daniel and Brandie Burton, her captain's picks. While the final result might have not changed (Burton acquitted herself well by going 2-1), the experience that would have been afforded the younger players would have proved invaluable.

This year Sheehan won't have the option to pass them over because the top 10 in the standings automatically make the team. Even veteran Juli Inkster sees the inevitable, though she wishes the days of King, Daniel and Rosie Jones could last forever.

"I still have a lot to contribute, and I would take [the veterans] on my team any day," said Inkster, indicating that this may be her last Solheim Cup. "But we are going to need the younger players to step up and be able to take our places."

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.

 

Related information
Stories
Kerr wins Longs for first LPGA Tour victory Last week's Inside the LPGA: Davies has all the fun
Multimedia
Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.