Koreans continue to dominate the LPGA

Associated Press

OAKMONT, Pa.

Maybe it’s the growth of the game internationally, or the lack of star-quality golfers being groomed on American courses. Whatever the reason, there’s something missing from the U.S. Women’s Open.

Namely, the U.S.

When the women’s national championship starts today at Oakmont Country Club, temperatures will be in the 90s and the USGA’s Mike Davis estimates a few scores will be, too, in a field that includes golfers from 30 countries.

The number of qualifiers from Pennsylvania, the home of Arnold Palmer? Zero.

An American victory in its national championship, once all but a certainty, now would be a surprise. Cristie Kerr is the only American to win in the last five years and, since 1995, there have been nearly as many South Korean champions (4) as U.S. winners (5). By comparison, Americans won all but five Women’s Opens from 1946-1994.

For every homegrown golfer like Michelle Wie who turns pro with pomp and circumstance, there are foursomes after foursomes of skilled and highly trained golfers being exported annually by South Korea, Japan and Thailand.

“There are a lot of players that can contend to be the No. 1 player in the world,” Paula Creamer said. “Any given week, that bunch is just so close together.”

Increasingly, that bunch includes fewer and fewer Americans.

The LPGA Tour, which supplies much of the field, now appears to stand for Let’s Play Globally. Of the 27 LPGA tournaments this year, fewer than half (13) will be played in the United States, due in part to dwindling sponsorship dollars and the lack of big-name American golfers.

“As [LPGA commissioner] Mike Whan says, ‘We’re going global and get over it,’” Juli Inkster said. “So that’s where we’re going.”

The last American to win the tour’s money title was Betsy King in 1993. Ten of the last 15 U.S. Open winners have been non-Americans.

That’s one reason why Kerr hopes her remarkable 12-shot victory in the LPGA Championship two weekends ago signals an emerging revival of the American women’s game. Just as South Korean youngsters crowd driving ranges, hire swing coaches and watch video to try to become the next Eun-Hee Ji, Inbee Park or Birdie Kim, all U.S. Open winners since 2005, Kerr hopes young Americans will do the same to emulate her.

“I would see the Nancy Lopezes, and Juli Inksters, Patty Sheehan, winning these tournaments and I said, ‘I want to do that,’ “ Kerr said.

“If we can touch a couple of them, maybe they’ll turn into great players in 20 years.”