Old fart Laura Davies the best story of LPGA Championship's first round: WorldGolf.com karma at work?

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. (June 7, 2007) - Michelle Wie continues to be the national story of the LPGA Championship. But Laura Davies is the story so far.

The 43-old-year big Brit who won her last major in 1996 is just one shot back of the leaders heading into the second round of the McDonald’s LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock. Davies had one of the wildest first rounds with seven birdies and three bogeys. Say this for Davies: She still knows how to keep it interesting.

You cannot help but root for someone who doesn’t fit the LPGA Tour’s new age sleek, sexy marketing campaigns, someone who doesn’t give a damn who she offends off the course. Laura Davies is good for women’s golf and the LPGA Championship is better for having her in the hunt, right behind out-of-nowhere Kim Saiki Maloney (six missed cuts in nine events before today’s 67), Angela Park and Birdie Kim, who seemed to have disappeared herself since that miracle 2005 U.S. Open win.

Davies called this herself of course. She told WorldGolf.com in our Wednesday LPGA Championship story. She said how she really liked her chances, felt Pete Dye’s course played well into her game.

Of course then some idiot reporter wrote this:

Heck, even Laura Davies, who last won on American soil in 2001, is talking about liking her chances.

Something crazy is going to happen at Bulle Rock. Though probably not that crazy.

Still I’m chalking up some of Davies’ 68 to the renowned WorldGolf.com karma. No one gave Davies more coverage than us in the days leading up to the event. Not to go all Jim Rome or anything.