If the LPGA was looking for an energy boost after three weeks of no tournaments, they might have got it. On Thursday at the Corona Championship, the LPGA's current star and hopeful star both played out of their minds, as Lorena Ochoa carded an 8-under 65 to lead all golfers and Michelle Wie is just a shot back at 7-under.
Ochoa started on the tenth hole, making birdies on her first two holes and closing her round with two birdies on her last three. Unlike Lorena, Wie's card was not bogey-free, but an eagle on the par-5 5th hole helped the 19-year-old to land just a shot shy of her career low round on tour.
We can all face the music with the LPGA. The tour is dying and these two, along with a couple of the other dominate females, are the only hope it has to survive. The economic turmoil has made sponsors run away from these tournaments quicker than Charles Barkley turns back to his dip-move, so if Wie could finally cash in this week at a tournament with such a dominant field, or Ochoa could continue to go low, it would help for exposure (Want my point proven? When was the last LPGA article published on FanHouse?).
Also, and I'm just tossing this out there, I think Ochoa needs to try her hand with the men. I'm sure a lesser known PGA Tour tournament would be willing to give Ochoa a shot, and like Annika Sorenstam did at the Colonial or Wie has done in all of her attempts, the exposure is helpful to the sport, even if not everyone agrees.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-24-2009 @ 9:34PM
lisaang9 said...
The LPGA has a line up of some super golfers and the success and growth of their association has absolutely nothing to do with the success of M. Wie. The media including this article appears to focus on the popularity of a player verses the ability and accomplishment of other players. Lorena, Paula, S. Petersen, and the many Korean players appears to be second class players when you look at the coverage they get when Wie is playing regardless of her performance.
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