Here’s what to expect in the world of women’s golf in 2009. These, of course, are the predictions of one writer. If your crystal ball says something different, well, get back to me in December.
Will Michelle Wie win this year?That might be the biggest question of the year. My answer: yes. Once the summer rolls around and the talented Wie finds a rhythm, she’ll give us all something to talk about. She always does.
Who will be LPGA Player of the Year?Lorena. Oh, the race will be tight. Yani Tseng will know her way around most of the venues. Paula Creamer will kick things into another gear in preparation for the Solheim Cup. And Ji-Yai Shin will remain a model of consistency. But Ochoa will enter 2009 refreshed and focused. She’ll step her game up because she knows everyone else is doing the same.
Will we see Annika in ’09?My guess is no. She’s getting married Jan. 10 at Lake Nona in Orlando and hosts an AJGA event the following week at Reunion. If she were to pop up at a tournament this season, the Ginn Open would seem a logical place. There’s no question she’ll be back inside the ropes at some point. Perhaps the economy will dictate that more than anything else.
Will Bo and B.J. Wie be assistant captains on this year’s Solheim Cup team?Unofficially. Creamer became the first LPGA rookie to play her way onto the U.S. Solheim Cup team in ’05. I predict both Wie and Stacy Lewis will follow Creamer’s lead. That, of course, means U.S. captain Beth Daniel needs to add two more seats at the dinner table. Michelle never travels light.
Which American is most likely to end the USA’s major title drought?Angela Stanford. Cristie Kerr was the last American player to hoist a major championship trophy at the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open. Common sense says Creamer, but I’m going with Stanford, who won twice in 2008, conquered her nerves down the stretch in Mexico and finished the season ninth on the money list. The gritty Texan has come a long way since her near-miss at the ’03 U.S. Women’s Open. She’ll have to work fast though. Lewis, another gritty Texan, will be hot on her heels.
Who will win the NCAA Championship?UCLA. Too much talent on that team to bet against the Bruins. Arizona State finished the fall season ranked No. 1, but lost star player Anna Nordqvist to the professional ranks. The Sun Devils are expected to replace the Swede with Oklahoma State transfer Jaclyn Sweeney and Spanish sensation Carlota Ciganda. ASU reloaded, but the Bruins have had time to jell.
Can Amanda Blumenherst make it four in a row?No. All good things must come to an end. Blumenherst didn’t finish better than T-10 in the fall semester and left for Christmas break completely exhausted. She’s currently ranked 33rd by Golfweek. The three-time Golfweek College Player of the Year has eight tournaments left to make her case. She’s done it before. After a slow fall her sophomore year, Blumenherst won four tournaments in the spring to charge back on top. But let’s be honest. The stretch that really matters in 2009 starts this summer, when Blumenherst turns professional. She might want to save some energy for the Duramed Futures Tour, her best bet for avoiding Q-School.
Which teen can we expect to dominate?Alexis Thompson. The ’08 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion could be a heavyweight not only in junior golf (currently ranked No. 1 by Golfweek), but in amateur circles as well. And she doesn’t graduate from high school until 2013. Settle in boys and girls, she’s just getting started.
Which award comes first for Ji-Yai Shin: Grammy or LPGA Rookie of the Year?Don’t laugh. The British Open champ just wrapped up recording her single – “Don't Say Goodbye” – in a Seoul studio earlier this week, according to Korean reports. The 2009 LPGA Rookie of the Year race might be the most exciting in tour history with Shin, Wie, Lewis and Duramed Futures standout Vicky Hurst in the mix. Shin begins her rookie year with three LPGA titles, a rock-solid game and unflappable demeanor. Korea’s finest might even double up with Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors like Nancy Lopez did in 1978. She’s that good.
Posted: 1/8/2009
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