With THE Open just days away, and having just watched Annika Sorenstam win the U.S. Women’s Open, and before that Colin Montgomerie narrowly miss out at the men’s U.S.Open, it seems a good time to reflect on some of the most exciting golf that I’ve seen for a long time!

The three women’s majors that have already taken place, have all needed play offs to determine the winners. At the Kraft Nabisco Championship, Australia’s Karrie Webb forced her way into a play-off with Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa, by holing out with her third shot for a spectacular eagle five eighteenth hole. At the time Webb eagled the eighteenth, Ochoa, Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis were all still on the course, and all had the opportunity to join or even beat Webb depending on how they played the final hole. Of the final threesome, only Ochoa managed to birdie the eighteenth,

thus getting into a play-off with Webb. The par five eighteenth hole at Mission Hills is their signature hole, and the venue for the sudden death play-off. At five hundred yards long, with water all the way up the left side of the fairway, thick rough and trees if you miss the fairway to the right, and either a long second shot or third shot to an enormous undulating island green, it is the perfect hole for a play-off. This year it didn’t disappoint, with both Karrie webb and Lorena Ochoa going for the green in two shots, but only Karrie managing to get down in two more shots for a Championship winning birdie!

Karrie’s victory announced her return to the golfing world, and her intent to once again challenge Annika as the world’s number one female golfer – a position that she relinquished to Annika in 2001.

At the LPGA Championship, Karrie Webb once again found herself in a play-off for the title, only this time with a re enthused Se Ri Pak. At the first extra hole, Korea’s Se Ri Pak all but holed her second shot from 204 yards, after mishitting her drive. Perhaps justice was done, since Se Ri had three putted the eighteenth hole in regulation play thus necessitating the play-off. It was a fabulous victory for Se Ri Pak, who had suffered from injury and burn out over previous two years, and hadlumped to 102 in the 2005 money list. There is no doubt that Se Ri Pak is one of the most talented players in women’s golf. It is great to see her back to her best, and quite clearly really enjoying her golf after a couple of years in the wilderness. Still only 28 years of age, Se Ri may well have her best years ahead of her.

IN MY VIEW ARCHIVE:
CLICK HERE

In the recent U.S.Women’s Open, Annika looked like the winner to me after round one She had been working hard with her life long coach – Henry Rice to correct her occasionally wayward drives, which had been costing her dearly. The hard work paid off, with Annika driving the ball much better than in previous weeks, added to which her peerless iron play and good putting made her game literally unbeatable on the tough and testing Newport Country Club in Rhode Island.

Once again though, Annika had to prove herself in a play-off. This time it was over eighteen holes, and against the gritty American – Pat Hurst. The Championship played into Annika’s hands, when dense fog on day one of the Championship meant that 36 holes had to played on Sunday. There is no doubt that Annika’s fitness played a part in her being able to cope with the extra physical demands asked of the players, which in turn allowed her to concentrate so well. It was great to see Annika back to her best!

After a fairly tame Masters won comfortably by Phil Mickelson, the men’s U.S. Open made for fantastic viewing. On the final day, the lead changed hands so many times, with any one of half a dozen players including Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington having a chance to win until literally the final hole. What actually happened on the final hole, with first Colin Montgomerie and then Phil Mickelson making double bogies so that Australia’s Jeff Ogilvy sneaked in almost unoticed to snatch the title from them both. The eighteenth hole at Winged Foot provided one of the most talked about final holes ever witnessed in a major Championship. The sadness was that Colin Montgomerie will surely never have a better chance to win his first major Championship. Will he ever have another opportunity I wonder?