Sunday, May 16, 2010

Laura Davies Shows the LET's Youngsters a Thing or Two About Winning

Guess which players have gotten more than 1 win already in the 2010 season across the major women's golf tours? Well, Ai Miyazato, of course, with her 3 wins in 6 LPGA starts. And Ya Ni Tseng followed up her victory Down Under on the LET with her 2nd major. Add Laura Davies to that list, as she came from behind today in windy and cold conditions at the UniCredit Ladies German Open for her 2nd LET victory of the young season and 40th career victory on her home tour. Although she never went as low as LET young guns Ashleigh Simon (64), Linda Wessberg (74), and Melissa Reid (65), Davies did go 66-68 over the weekend to post a -11 total. Meanwhile, Simon made 4 bogeys in her last 13 holes to end up 3 behind her, Wessberg made 3 in her last 6 holes to fall 5 off the pace, and when Reid couldn't make a birdie all day her 73 left her 2 behind.

Karen Lunn was the only other player in the field to break 70 today; her 69 brought her to -7, alone in 4th. Helen Alfredsson and Iben Tinning shot matching 71s (although Tinning's came as a result of back-to-back bogeys to close out her round) to catch Wessberg at -6. Other (ex-)LPGA/Futures Tour players in the field had more trouble. Nina Reis, Veronica Zorzi, and Alison Walshe were tied for 14th at -2, Kristie Smith T25 at E, Becky Brewerton T34 at +2, Hannah Jun T39 at +3, Mollie Fankhauser T43 at +4, and Anja Monke and Jeehae Lee at T49 at +5.

Davies has already proven Hound Dog and me wrong in one respect. We had thought that with her distance advantage diminishing, it would be difficult if not impossible for Davies to win again. But today she drove 2 par 4s on the front side. If she can transfer that kind of play over to the LPGA, she may yet be able to qualify for the Hall of Fame. She needs 2 wins or 1 major to do it. Can she? Hound Dog might respond that it's a lot easier to win on the LET than the LPGA, and I'd hasten to agree with him. But I'm hoping she proves us wrong yet again!

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