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 This Week at TravelGolf.com: April 4, 2006
Karrie Webb's shot heard
(or not) 'round the world
The Associated Press called it "one of the most dramatic shots ever struck in a major," yet Karrie Webb's chip-in on 18 appears to be just an afterthought.
For most media outlets, the story was more about Michelle Wie's do-or-die chip on 18, and her stellar performance. Sorry Karrie, historical brilliance doesn't seem to carry the weight it once did.
It has truly been an interesting time since Webb's stunning, comeback victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major of the LPGA season. The two golfers most mentioned since have been Wie and Phil Mickelson. Yet Webb is the one who truly accomplished something.
Nothing against Mickelson's 28-under obliteration of the BellSouth field. Lefty was out of his mind, but it wasn't in a very important event. And Wie was outstanding in her own right, showing again that as a teenager, she can compete with the best women golfers in the world.
But only Webb was truly magnificent. Coming back from a third-round 76, a round that should have left her for dead, Webb fired a day's-best 65 on Sunday. Though by all judging standards, her day should have ended with a 66 or 67.
Because on No.18, Webb chipped in from 116 yards.
"It was straight at the pin and I wanted it to get close so I had a good birdie chance," Webb said afterward. "And when it went in, I just couldn't believe it. I think my heart just about jumped out of my chest, because it was aching for about five minutes after."
It was the type of shot that should define a tournament and live in people's minds. Think Larry Mize or Tom Watson. To make a shot like that, on the 72nd hole of a major? That's just phenomenal.
Lorena Ochoa managed to finish tied with Webb but the ensuing playoff ended after just one hole - a Webb birdie won it. It was the Australian's seventh major victory, and the 31st of her career.
So while baseball writers are scribbling about Anna Benson, and Kobe Bryant draws more headlines in the NBA than does Tim Duncan, the LPGA finds itself in the same boat.
The story is now Wie and on her the light will continue to shine. But don't forget what Webb did this weekend, because what she did mattered. She won a major in glorious style, and stood up to take the spot of Annika Sorenstam's biggest challenger.
As always, TravelGolf.com welcomes your comments.
So you're headed for Augusta, anxious to see the game's best on American golf's most sacred grounds. But you can only watch the superstars for so long before you start to feel woefully insignificant. Relax. Besides watching golf, there's a lot to do in the Augusta area during Masters week, from teeing it up on a local course, to celebrity watching, to fishing. Here then, is your non-Augusta National guide to Augusta during the 2006 Masters.
Also: Georgia state parks bring great golf sans urban hustle
The Masters is upon us and Augusta National is growing - again. How big is too big? Travel to Orlando for great Florida golf and some solid deals as recommended by Tim McDonald (plus some tracks to avoid). Equipment guru Kiel Christianson on the latest slice-curing driver. Bloggers rip into Rush Limbaugh and more, on this edition of TravelGolf.com This Week. Hosted by Dave Berner.
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It's not easy finding a good place to play in the New Jersey area. The majority of courses are private and unimpeachable to the average golfer. Unfortunately, the public courses are often not the best to play, either. Hendricks Field Golf Course is one of those municipal courses that maintenance and manners forgot. So while, yes, there are some solid public courses you can hunt down in New Jersey, Hendricks isn't one of them.
Also: Wide-open Saturdays at Galloping Hill in Kenilworth, N.J.
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Masters Week: Your guide
TravelGolf.com This Week
Hendricks Field anything but an