[ GOLF ]
Tour teens may
be missing out
NORTH PLAINS, Ore. >> Hawaii's Michelle Wie is playing in her sixth LPGA Tour event this week at the U.S. Women's Open, before she starts the ninth grade as a 13-year-old.
Paula Creamer, 16, has already played in two LPGA tournaments, while 17-year-old twins Aree and Naree Song have been playing on the Futures Tour as amateurs.
Karrie Webb has no problems with kids on tour, but she fears they might be robbed of one of the greatest joys: a real rookie season.
Webb didn't play her first LPGA Tour event until she earned her card. At 21, she won four times as a rookie in 1996 and became the first woman to surpass $1 million in a year.
"That was an exciting year for me," Webb said. "Everything was new to me. I would be nervous hitting balls next to Beth Daniel or Nancy Lopez. Being in the locker room with these players was a buzz."
Wie already knows what it's like to play with Annika Sorenstam, having been in the last group with her and Patricia Meunier-LeBouc at the Nabisco Championship.
"For someone like a Michelle Wie or the twins, when they play their rookie year, it's going to be a matter of, 'Now, I'm playing for money,' " Webb said. "It's not going to be that excitement of, 'Oh, my god. I'm playing on the LPGA.'
"It's almost they know they're going to do that, and they're pretty much doing it now. They're just not reaping the financial rewards for it."
The Annika Diaries: Sorenstam doesn't plan to write a book about playing at the Colonial, where she became the first woman in 58 years to compete on the PGA Tour.
If she changes her mind, she'll at least have good notes.
"I started to write a diary in January, which I've never done before," Sorenstam said. "It was a way for me to sit down and remember everything."
She has tried to keep the press clippings and letters from those who supported her venture onto the PGA Tour.
Going low: Chris DiMarco knows better than anyone on the PGA Tour that posting low numbers doesn't always guarantee winning.
Already this year, DiMarco has shot in the 60s every round without winning at three tournaments -- Sony Open, Phoenix Open and the Honda Classic.
He did the same thing last year at the Hope, Las Vegas and the Disney Classic. Two years ago, DiMarco led the PGA Tour with four tournaments in which he shot every round in the 60s without winning.
At least this year he has some company. Jim Furyk and Joe Durant also have had three tournaments with every round in the 60s and no trophy.