Oakmont and the Women: Take 3 at The USGA Open

Here are my thoughts from day one of official competition:

1.  Michelle Wie is as ineffective in the US Open as was Seve Ballesteros. Neither was competent enough to drive the ball in the fairway, so neither could/will be able to get the ball to the green. Ironically, Ballesteros led the 1983 Open at Oakmon with one round to play. Didn’t fare so well on Sunday. Wie will be lucky to see Sunday in Pittsburgh.

2.  The USGA needs to do a better job with translators. I’ve received a number of transcripts via ASAP and these things are an inverted word search! Honestly, I know high school language teachers who could interpret circles around whoever is speaking Korean or Japanese in the press tent. In complete contrast to the Bivens mandate (You MUST speak English!) this is a golden opportunity for women’s professional golf to get with the program and get some people who speak BOTH languages (English and the particular Asian one) fluently. This leads me to my favorite typo of the day…

–On Yokomine Sakura’s transcript, after opening with an even-par 71, the line reads

“Yokomine, that’s a wonderful wound for you”

Is that priceless or what?

3.  This is no dumbed-down golf course.  The 8th hole, that 280 yard par three beast, is playing over 240 for the ladies. The 17th is about 15 yards longer and plays as a par four. The rough is inhospitable and the greens are quite rebellious.  South African amateur Kellie Shean just posted the first, under-par round of the day, a -1 70, which leads me to …

4.  How hard can a 477 yard par five be?  Shean was -2 and bogeyed it to finish -1.  Paula Creamer came to it even par and also bogeyed it. Currently the hole is playing under par, at 4.9 strokes…for everyone, it seems, but those with something at stake.