USGA Is Closed-Minded About Lopez and Open

You would think that the women’s golf world might have learned by now.

The sport is starved for publicity, looking for some way to capitalize on the enormous growth of golf during recent years, yet a decision earlier this month by the U.S. Golf Assn. to withhold a special exemption for Nancy Lopez for the U.S. Women’s Open offers further proof of why the women’s game is lagging.

Lopez, an LPGA Hall of Famer, would add interest to the most important tournament in women’s golf, especially if Lopez could somehow rekindle the magic that made her a runner-up in that major only four years ago.

You would think the prospect of having the story lead newspapers and sports telecasts and giving the game a much-needed boost might sway the USGA to give Lopez one of the 144 spots in the tournament.

But the USGA decided that Lopez, a 48-time LPGA Tour winner, wasn’t good enough to have in its tournament.

“We’re all sick about it,” said Cora Jane Blanchard, who chaired the 14-member USGA women’s selection committee. “We love her to death. She definitely sells tickets. But you don’t get an exemption based on that. It’s not a popularity contest.”

Lopez, 44, tried to get in the more traditional way, through a sectional qualifier. This is better known as a crap shoot. It’s one round for a spot in the Open. One round, when anything can happen. Lopez shot 78 and missed a spot by five shots.

Among those who did qualify: Karine Icher, Raquel Carriedo and Angela Buzminski. These are all fine players, but none is Nancy Lopez.

Lopez has missed four U.S. Opens since turning professional in 1978--all either while pregnant or shortly after giving birth to one of her three daughters.

“It does hurt,” said Lopez, fighting back tears after her failed bid to qualify. “I really wanted to be there. I guess I’ll have to find something else to do that week.”

The USGA is taking a bashing for not allowing Lopez a special exemption. She is, after all, the Jack Nicklaus of women’s golf and Nicklaus has received eight special exemptions to play the U.S. Open in the last decade.

Then again, Nicklaus is a four-time U.S. Open champion. Lopez, who received special exemptions for the last two U.S. Women’s Opens, has never won the tournament.

“She’s not a former champion,” Blanchard said of Lopez. “We all want Nancy Lopez in the field. But this time we just didn’t feel it was warranted.”

But even without winning a U.S. Women’s Open, Lopez is a legend, and one of the most popular players in women’s golf, which makes it clear that the U.S. Women’s Open needs someone like Lopez more than Lopez needs the U.S. Women’s Open.

Lopez, who could still get in by winning one of the next three tournaments, said hall of famers should be allowed to play in whichever tournaments they want.

“Their dedication to the tour and what they’ve done for women’s golf should be enough,” she said. “There’s not that many of us playing any more. We wouldn’t take up many spots. I would think you’d want those players in the Open.”

Annika vs. Karrie

The best rivalry in golf will be renewed today at the LPGA Tour Electrolux USA Championship in Franklin, Tenn., where Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb will face off for the first time since the Nabisco Championship six weeks ago.

Sorenstam, who has won five of the last six tournaments she has entered, is coming off a playoff victory last week in the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship in Georgia. Webb successfully defended a title in Japan last week.

The two have combined to win the last six LPGA Tour money titles, the last six Vare Trophies for scoring average and five of the last six player-of-the-year awards.

What makes this rivalry so intriguing is that it’s not a bitter rivalry, yet neither is shy about her desire to upend the other.

“I think that is a fair assessment,” Sorenstam said. “I wanted to be in her position, winning two majors like she did last year and winning the money list and then also the player of year. I have to play better this year to beat Karrie.”

Webb has not played in the last four tournaments and has slipped to fifth on the money list. Sorenstam has won twice in Webb’s absence and leads the money list with $939,668--more than $600,000 beyond Webb.

“She is not my only motivation, but definitely is a motivation,” Webb said. “A couple of years ago, I came out and wanted to play better because she was playing really well. I guess things go in cycles. Maybe this summer I’ll be enjoying the same success she has had.”

Mom’s the Word

For the second consecutive year, the Electrolux USA Championship will conclude on Mother’s Day.

Last year, Pat Hurst celebrated her first Mother’s Day by winning the tournament. Her son Jackson, then 11 months old, was waiting at the 18th hole with a hug.

This year, 19 mothers, including Hurst, are in the field. Expectant mothers Barb Whitehead and Caroline Blaylock are playing, but both are planning to take maternity leave after the tournament.

Whitehead is expecting her second child in August; Blaylock is expecting her first in September.

Streaking Tiger Returns

Tiger Woods returns to action today for the first time since winning the Masters April 8.

Woods, who won three consecutive tournaments before taking a four-week layoff, is part of the field at the Byron Nelson Classic in Texas, where seven of the 10 leading money winners are playing.

Woods said he hasn’t played much golf since his Master’s victory, and his performance during his pro-am round Wednesday showed the rust.

“I skanked a couple here and there,” he said.

Woods said he is looking at his current winning streak the same way he looked at his supposed slump at the beginning of this year.

“What win streak?” he said. “This is a new week. I need to start off tomorrow and then get off to a good start and hopefully I can get myself in contention to win.”

He has history on his side. The last time Woods won the Masters, in 1997, he took four weeks off then returned to win the Byron Nelson.

In the Money

Times have changed since Woods won the Byron Nelson in 1997. His winner’s check that year was for $324,000. The winner Sunday will receive $810,000. Woods could finish third and match his winner’s check from 1997.

The total purse at the Byron Nelson this year is $4.5 million, up from $3 million last year. That purse is larger than the $4.1-million 2000 British Open and equal to the 2000 U.S. Open. The Royal and Ancient and the USGA have not yet announced their 2001 purses.

Perfect Match

The Enterprise Rent-a-Car Match Play Championship this week near St. Louis is the first official match-play event on the Senior PGA Tour since 1986.

The unofficial Senior Match Play Challenge has been contested the last three years, but it has a limited field and is played during the off-season.

After two rounds of stroke play, this week’s 78-player field will be cut to the low 16 for single-elimination match play on Saturday and Sunday.

It’s not a true cut, however. As with all senior tour events other than the U.S. Senior Open and the PGA seniors Championship, all players in the field will be paid.

Venturi Cancer Free

CBS golf analyst Ken Venturi, who turns 70 on Tuesday, completed 39 treatments for prostate cancer in March and is now cancer free, a spokesperson for the network said Wednesday.

Venturi was diagnosed last August. He delayed treatments until January after serving as captain of the victorious U.S. team in the Presidents Cup matches.

He was declared cancer free March 8 when the treatments were completed, according to CBS spokesperson Robin Brendle, who said Venturi would not comment on the illness.

Venturi has been the network’s lead analyst since 1968. He announced last year that he would work a reduced schedule this year.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.