Oct 31

Suzann Pettersen vs. Lorena Ochoa: The Best Rivalry in Golf

Imagine if Phil Mickelson was to win 5 times in 6 months, and Tiger Woods was in the field for 4 of those wins. The press would be salivating over the prospect of an intense rivalry and, more importantly, we the golfing public would be treated to some great tournament golf viewing. Well, a similar thing is happening on the LPGA Tour.

Lorena Ochoa’s play has been Tiger-like as she’s won 7 times, including a Major. She’s also finished 2nd 5 times and, besides that, only 4 times out of the other 11 tournaments entered has she not finished in the top 10. That’s absurdly great and consistent play. But keep your eyes open because a serious challenge is being laid down by Suzann Pettersen.

Tutta, as Pettersen is known to friends, has long had potential to be great but has struggled with her physical health. In 2007 she finally has started to realize her potential, winning a near-Major in May (similar to the men’s Players) and her first Major in June. After the obligatory post-1st-major-win emotional let-down, very recently won 3 out of the last 4 LPGA events, including a birdie, birdie 2-hole playoff win over Ochoa. That is also absurdly great play. Nobody else is even close to these two competitors week in and week out. Perhaps the very young Paula Creamer is a distant third.

LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens must be doing handstands every time she thinks of these two attractive, young, long-hitting stars entered in the same tournament. Certainly a strong rivalry at the very top of the game will provide a little more visibility, which is what the LPGA really craves. Best of all, Ochoa and Pettersen are only 26 years old. The future is looking very bright indeed.

« Brand new Lake Presidential Golf Club easily the best course in southern Maryland

Stuck Behind Slow Golfers »

29 comments

§ Brandon Tucker® said on : 10/31/07 @ 14:22
Is Sorenstam out of the picture? I think she could have a solid year in 08 too.
§ 2under said on : 10/31/07 @ 17:08
A good rivalry. Yes.

Good for the LPGA. Very good.

The best rivalry in golf? Hardly.
§ Ron Mon® said on : 10/31/07 @ 21:27
I shudder to think of what you think of Carolyn Bivens doing handstands! That said, Pettersen sure does spell her name funny for a Norwegian...it's all "e"s in the vowel category, Shenks. All right, I've had my October fun...you are correct in the potential for this rivalry...who would have placed a Mexican and a Norwegian ahead of a certain Hawaiian two years ago?
§ Shanks® said on : 11/01/07 @ 07:41
Thanks for taking me to the literary woodshed Ron Monster. Made the corrections. That's downright embarrassing! Only way I can explain it was from thinking yesterday about Carl Pettersson's drive to get into the top 30 and, therefore, the Masters.

BTuck, I thought about Annika - she certainly can play at a higher level next year. Question is will she be motivated? As it stands right now, she's being lapped by these two.

2under, I'm curious as to what rivalry at the top of any Tour is closer than this one. Certainly no one is remotely close to challenging Tiger Woods at present. Perhaps Mickelson sometime next year - but only if he continues to improve.
§ Oui Oui Oui said on : 11/01/07 @ 08:04
RonMon,

The visual of Biven having her breasts pop out of her suit while doing a hand stand is something what will traumatize me for days...

A Mexican and a Norweigian....What happened to the American up and comers like Creamer and Pressel? And what about the Koreans?
§ Shanks® said on : 11/01/07 @ 08:16
Oui, I'm not saying the others are not good - they are. But Pettersen & Ochoa have won 7 of the last 8 LPGA events between them. Not much room in there for anyone else. Further, nobody else has won more than once in 2007 while Pettersen won 5 times & Ochoa 7. They are currently at a different level. Guess everybody else needs to put in some extra time on the range & putting green.
§ Oui Oui Oui said on : 11/02/07 @ 07:45
Suzann is good for LPGA, she is marketable world wide - especially with her trademark fist pump.

Lorena? great golfer and very nice person. As far as marketability? Well, unless LPGA want to market into Mexico where only 0.00001% of the population watch or play golf.
§ Oui Oui Oui said on : 11/02/07 @ 07:50
Shank,

I agree with you that this is the best rivarly in golf right now...These two are waaayyy better than the rest of the LPGA players.
§ Shanks® said on : 11/02/07 @ 08:30
Not only are they head & shoulders above the rest of the LPGA Tour, they are much closer in results than Tiger Woods and anyone else playing the PGA Tour. And this makes for more interesting competition - to me, anyway.
§ Ron Mon® said on : 11/04/07 @ 20:54
Oui is great...He reduced you from plural sockets to a single shank. Typical francophone, always thinking of breasts....ouch, where did that ethnocentrism come from?
§ Shanks® said on : 11/05/07 @ 07:29
I've been de-shanked.
§ wendy (uk) said on : 11/05/07 @ 10:24
'Twas you, Ron, who picked up on the Carolyn Biven's handstands in the first place, methinks.

Shanks, agree with you that close competition makes for more riveting viewing. I switched off mentally and physically from Formula 1 Racing during the Michael Schumaker years as result almost inevitable. We cannot handicap TW in the same way as Schumaker was, (and anyway US viewing figures don't give a reason to), but I can't have a complete downer on people like Sabbatini (charmless as he may be) as surely you have to believe that someone is "beatable", don't you? Was disappointed in Justin Rose after Volvo Masters saying his aim was to be No.2. TW would NEVER has said that, let alone thought it.
§ Shanks® said on : 11/05/07 @ 10:47
Ron Monster is such a ladies man.
§ 2under said on : 11/05/07 @ 11:52
Shanks,

Better rivalries:

1. US vs Europe - Ryder Cup
2. US vs Rest of the World - Pres Cup
3. TW vs any top 5 challenger (Ernie, Phil, etc.)

Why? Much more exciting to see someone try to knock off the top guy. Also, there is much more history established in the men's game, so the rivalries mean more. There are more personality conflicts, which lend more drama to the game as well. Evidence? We saw it all play out in the FedEx cup.
§ Shanks® said on : 11/05/07 @ 12:29
Can't argue against the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup as those are my favorite events in all of golf. But when it comes to stroke play tournaments, I would disagree with you. There is too much distance between Tiger Woods and field. Sure, you can count on Woods to be in the hunt but none of the other guys are close to being a consistent challenger. Mickelson seems to be heading in that direction but he's like a box of chocolates any given week. Els mad a late season move towards consistency, but didn't seriously contend in a stroke play event. He had a couple nice finishes good final rounds coming from back in the pack. I think great rivalries are borne of two players winning off & on, like Nicklaus vs. Palmer/Trevino/Watson. Who is actually taking it to Woods and beating him head to head with anything resembling regularity?
§ 2under said on : 11/05/07 @ 15:41
Shanks,

To me, there isn't enough history to make a rivalry btwn Lorena and Suzanne. The rivalry is a very recent one, say over the past 4 months. Rivalries are borne over time.

Tiger only won one major this year. Is he that far ahead of the rest if he won only one major? I am not denigrating the accomplishment, but it isn't like he is winning 3 of 4.
§ wendy (uk) said on : 11/05/07 @ 16:10
Now I'm torn between the two of you. "Better rivalries" - Ryder Cup, President's Cup - agreed - but they don't have to be close to be riveting, ahem! In stroke play, however, it won't be riveting UNTIL we get two or more players winning on and off, despite the personality conflicts adding drama.
§ Shanks® said on : 11/05/07 @ 16:10
Yes, he is that far ahead of the rest. You're forgetting to mention he was 2nd in 2 others, not to mention the wins in the WGC events & the Fed Ex Cup. Nicklaus seldom won more than 1 major each year too.
§ 2under said on : 11/06/07 @ 08:04

Shanks - Nicklaus was dominant for a good stretch as well, yet what made his rivalries so fun was watching and saying to yourself "Does (insert rival) have what it takes today to beat the mighty Nicklaus?"

Names to insert: Palmer, Player, Weiskopf, Watson, Trevino, Floyd, Miller, et al.

Sounds alot like our current environment.

Equal talent levels do not a rivalry make - they make for good competition. Lorena and Suzanne make for a good competition. They don't have a rivalry yet. There is a difference. What had the makings in the women's game to a rivalry was a couple of years ago when Annika was being challenged by then-upstart Paula Creamer. That had the makings of a rivalry, which never came to fruition. The recipe for a rivalry includes some intangibles, desire, history, maybe mixed in with a little bad blood. Now, if the LPGA was smart, they'd find a way to stir the pot a little...
§ Oui Oui Oui said on : 11/07/07 @ 10:58
Ron Mon

ROn Mon,

Why are you picking on moi being French?

After all, we elected a pro-American, Elvis-loving president so that he can repair the relationship between the two countries.

Why are you being a MoRon?
§ Shanks® said on : 11/08/07 @ 08:51
I don't know about that, 2under. While Ochoa has been more consistent all year, they've been taking turns beating each other. As they have both separated themselves from the pack, certainly they are rivals. And if you are rivals, wouldn't you call that a rivalry? I don't know that there's a minimum time for a rivalry to be called one.
§ 2under said on : 11/09/07 @ 08:29
I think it has the "makings" of a rivalry, If:

1. Both continue a high level of play
2. We see them paired together on Sunday's in the final round
3. That competitiveness stirs a little controversy between the two

That's when you know they are rivals, a la Jack vs Arnie, or Tiger vs Phil, or US vs Europe.
§ Shanks® said on : 11/09/07 @ 09:06
Totally agree that longevity enhances rivalries but this one is already underway. Everyone on the LPGA Tour realizes RIGHT NOW that they have to go through one or both of them on sunday to win. Don't think being paired together is necessary. Immediately coming to mind is the Nicklaus vs. Miller & Weiskopf at the 75 Masters. However a playoff always helps, like the one a few weeks ago between Pettersen & Ochoa. That was pretty good stuff.
§ 2under said on : 11/09/07 @ 18:13
The reason why Miller/Weiskopf drew some interest in the '75 Masters is b/c a sense of rivalry was already in place. Weiskopf was supposed to prove to be the "heir apparent" to Jack, and Miller was already in the midst of a great hot streak. Despite all that, and to support my earlier point, Jack was still the dominant force during that time. Despite the gap, it posed as a much more interesting rivalry.

We'll see what develops with Ochoa and Petterson. It has the ingredients, it just hasn't cooked long enough yet...
§ Shanks® said on : 11/12/07 @ 07:24
As they are both currently the dominant players on the tour, I have to disagree. Seems to me they are rivals now and their rivalry can only becomemore intense with the passing of time.
§ 2under said on : 11/12/07 @ 08:59
You should read the latest issue of Golf Digest - just got it Saturday.

It talks about rivalries - Jack vs Arnie and Tiger vs the field (but mainly Phil).

You may want to give it a read - it shows personality conflict is a key ingredient. One that Ochoa vs Petterson doesn't currently have. Sorry Shanks, no rivalry yet...
§ Shanks® said on : 11/12/07 @ 10:18
I read it last week. Excellent article. Personality conflict is not necessary either. Look at Watson/Nicklaus. So it still doesn't change my opinion.

Ochoa has been at the head of the class for the 2 years, and now Pettersen has clearly established herself as her primary rival. She even won her 1st Major before Ochoa did.

The crux of our disagreement is: At what point do we call it a rivals/rivalry? Is it only in hindsight, years down the road? Or can it be a just a year into it?
§ 2under said on : 11/14/07 @ 07:34
Hindsight not required. You said it was the "best rivalry in golf". I think we can both agree it isn't the best in golf.

I went just as far in the other direction, and said it hasn't qualified as a rivalry yet - just good competition.

In my opinion, if Lorena and Suzanne are going at it through the first third of the season, there is enough of a track record established to call it a "rivalry". It is clear you disagree with me on that point. I am sure others may as well.

Sometimes, I think instant rivlaries can be created, but they are few and far between. Most of the time they result when significant factors, external to the competition itself, are at play.
§ Shanks® said on : 11/14/07 @ 08:07
You know what? Now that I think about it, you are right - to an extent. The phrase I should have used was "closest rivalry". That is precisely what I meant when I said "best rivalry". Yes, I disagree about length of time and some level of personal animosity, however, those factors do enhance the situation.