A Word of Warning to Ai Miyazato

Ai Miyazato has had quite a start to the 2010 LPGA season. She stormed back in Thailand with a final-round 63 to defeat Suzann Pettersen by one, then turned in a workwoman-like 69 on a Sunday in Singapore (when no one went lower than 67) to win by two from Christie Kerr.

Miyazato may not know this, but I also began the 2010 season with two wins…in Yahoo Fantasy Golf.  The Golf Club Atlas league, a loosely-organized group of architecture aficionados, has a 16-unit league that does battle on a weekly basis. At both Hawaiian events on the men’s tour, I emerged with close victories in en eerily similar fashion to Miyazato. I stormed back on day four to win by two slim points the first week, then held on with a solid Sunday performance to win by 6 in week two.

Here’s where my advice to young Miss Ai comes in…don’t get cocky, don’t change what you’re doing and don’t let them breathe! I started checking myself out in the mirror, decided I couldn’t pick a loser and picked some long-shot…losers, and I got compassionate/ complacent and let the competition back in the game. As a result, although still in second place, I find myself nearly 100 points out of first after another crappy week.

2010 promises to be a much more attractive year on the LPGA Tour than the GCA Yahoo league. Miyazato is fulfilling the promise that was offered her, Pettersen is proving that off-season training can get you close, but can it get you wins? Vicky Hurst had a solid finish this week, as did Jiyai Shin and Song-hee Kim. There is no doubt that the LPGA has more good, young players than recent memory affords, with an indelible international imprint. The same cannot be said for our aging, homogenous Fantasy league.