Webb unhappy with setup at Interlachen

By Andrew Both
PA SportsTicker Golf Writer

EDINA, Minnesota (Ticker) - Former world No. 1 Karrie Webb has slammed officials for they way they have set up the course for this week’s U.S. Women’s Open.

Webb, a two-time Open champion, says the Interlachen course is playing far too easily, and she lays the blame firmly with the United States Golf Association.

“I really don’t understand what the USGA have tried to achieve this week, because they’ve kept the greens soft all week,” said the Florida-based Australian. “I think the course played harder on Monday than it is now. When you’ve played a lot of U.S. Opens, your mindset is that par’s good, but it really isn’t (this week). There’s got to be 20 or 30 players under par and I don’t think that’s what this course should be giving up.”

Webb theorized that firm greens reward the best ball strikers, those who can control the distance they hit their approach shots, but that soft greens made the championship more of a putting contest.

“It opens it up to people who don’t have great distance control and to me that’s what the U.S. Open is about, good ball-striking,” Webb said. “If you’re putting yourself in positions where you should be, you’re supposed to be at an advantage, but I don’t think it’s playing that way right now.

“Faster and firmer (greens) thins the field out. If we’d played the course the first two rounds like it was on Monday, 6-under would be remarkable score.”

Webb admitted her score didn’t help her mood. She made the cut with nothing to spare, before improving with a third round 72 that left her out of contention, 11 strokes off the lead.

Mike Davis, the USGA official responsible for the course set-up, said the greens had been the same speed and firmness every day, including practice days.

“No disrespect to Karrie, but this is as consistent (a course set-up) as I’ve ever seen,” he said.

One theory thrown around is that the USGA did not want to have the greens too fiery for the first two rounds because it was worried about rounds grinding to a halt.

Most women are painfully slow even at the best of times, and firm and fast greens would only slow them down even more.

Another theory is that the USGA wanted enough birdies to give the galleries something to cheer about.

Whatever the reason, showers Friday afternoon and Saturday morning ensured that the greens would remain soft for the remainder of the championship.