Home Game
JEONG JANG(right) won the Wegmans LPGA last week by shooting a 13-under 279, passingBrittany Lang, who led for much of the final round before falling into a tiefor third. Lang was part of a foursome of young Americans who injected so muchhope and hype into last year's U.S. Women's Open. Like Paula Creamer, MorganPressel and Michelle Wie, Lang had a chance to win the '05 Open but fellshort--tying for second with Pressel--when Birdie Kim holed a miraculous bunkershot at the 72nd green. Although the day ended in disappointment, the prospectof four young, attractive, homegrown women moving to the top ranks of thewomen's game gave the LPGA more buzz than it has had in eons. But in the yearsince, Kim and her fellow Koreans have won 13 of 31 LPGA events while the FabFour have taken but one. So far in '06 the foursome has done well but notgreat. Creamer, 19, has six top 10s, but that's a step down from her rookieseason, when she won twice. Wie, 16, has finished no worse than a tie for fifthin her three starts but has frittered away chances to win both of the season'sfirst majors. Pressel, 18, has three top 10s but nothing better than a tie forfifth, and Lang, 20, earned her second top 10 last week. As was the case a yearago, any of the four could win, but the smart money is on one of the youngKoreans. They've already won.
Monty'sMalaise
It's hard to sayif Phil Mickelson's collapse at the U.S. Open was worse than ColinMontgomerie's, but Monty's final-nine troubles are not isolated. The weekbefore he came home in 38 at the Open, he was among the leaders going into theback nine at the Euro tour's BA-CA Open and closed with a 43. On Sunday,Montgomerie had a chance to win the Johnnie Walker Championship but played thefinal four holes in one over, finishing two shots back. Mickelson may not bevery happy these days, but he can take comfort in knowing he's blown only onein a row.
ALSO ...
• Camilo Villegasis featured in the July issue of GQ because, according to the magazine,"he's got a closet full of tight trousers, a boxer's biceps and morescreaming female fans than Justin Timberlake." • Kyle Reifers made his prodebut last week when he Monday-qualified for the Nationwide tour's ChattanoogaClassic. He went on to win after a 61 on Sunday put him in a playoff withBrandt Snedeker.
• For daily U.S.Women's Open reports by E.M. Swift, go to SI.com/golf.
[This articlecontains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]
Survey Says ...
What's thedifference between club pros and Tour pros? Going by last week's PGA Club ProChampionship, won by Ron Philo Jr. (above), and the Booz Allen Classic, clubpros are much more likely to carry a hybrid. Below are the averages for threeclubs.
The DarrellSurvey has tracked equipment usage at tournaments since 1938.
  | Club Pros | Tour Pros |
Hybrids | 0.84 | 0.56 |
Fairway Woods | 2.26 | 2.4 |
Wedges | 3.13 | 3.1 |
For Sale
Share a bed with Lefty on the doorstep of the Old Course
WHAT Nine-week share in the the St. Andrews Grand'spenthouse, a four-bedroom unit with a wraparound terrace
WHERE Fife, Scotland
COST $3.4 million
HOOK The six-story building sits adjacent to the OldCourse, and the penthouse offers views of the ocean and the Old Course's 1sttee and 18th green. The building comes with golf concierge services, spa, pub,library and billiard and game room.
FRINGE BENEFIT Phil Mickelson owns a piece of thepenthouse too.
"Phil is handicapped by his phenomenal shortgame." --THE PEPPER MILL, PAGE G10
PHOTO
DON HEUPEL/AP (LANG)
HIGH POINT Lang tied for second at the 2005 Open.
PHOTO
JEROME DAVIS/ICON SMI (JANG)
PHOTO
JOHN HAEGER/AP (RON PHILO JR.)
Philo
PHOTO
COURTESY OF ST. ANDREWS GRAND (ST. ANDREWS GRAND)
St. Andrews Grand