It was disaster at hole No. 10 for Paula Creamer, the American star and Pink Panther of women's pro golf.
After a triple-bogey on 10, Creamer dropped her head, her eyes watered and her game continued to go south in third-round play of the U.S. Women's Open on Saturday at Saucon Valley Country Club.
Creamer, who was only one shot behind leader Cristie Kerr after the second round, also bogeyed holes 6, 8, 11 and 17 for an 8-over-par 79.
''The easiest thing to say is I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today,'' said Creamer, who was paired with Kerr.She dropped into a six-way tie for 17th place, six shots over par and in need of a big rally in today's final round if she's to surpass her highest Open finish -- second in 2005.
''I feel it's an unfortunate day,'' Creamer said. ''I shot 79. I played bad. I guess I deserved to shoot that.''
It was windy and the greens were crunchy, but Kerr managed to shoot a 1-over-par 72 and enter today as the only golfer under par at minus-2.
Kerr scored par on on the par-4 10th and sympathized as her American rival crumbled, first by sending her tee shot into the bunker. Creamer's next shot went over the green, almost hitting a television tower. She then mis-hit three straight chip shots and was in disbelief.
Finally, on her seventh shot, Creamer dropped the ball in the hole, but her All-American smile had disappeared. She had played No. 10 well the first two rounds, posting par on Thursday and a birdie on Friday.
But United States Golf Association officials moved the tee markers forward 80 yards, making it a 253-yard shot to the flagstick. The move was made to tempt players into trying to drive the green.
''I didn't say anything to her afterward,'' Kerr said. ''Would have been hard for anybody to say anything to Paula at the time. She was mad. I don't blame her, though.
''But that's what the USGA wants to do. They want to bring in risk-reward. I hit tee shots from that tee on the practice round to know that there's a lot of places you don't want to be hitting driver off that tee, and I gave myself a good opportunity for birdie.''
Kerr knows where Creamer went wrong.
''She tried to hit it at the pin instead of just getting it on the green, taking par and leaving because that was a really tough bunker shot she brought in over the green into play, which was not easy.
''It was a little difficult waiting all that period of time while she was going through what she was going through, but I felt bad for her. She's one of my friends, and you always want to see her playing well.''
Regrouping was tough for Creamer, who was sixth at the Open last year. This season, she has not won an LPGA Tour event and was forced to withdraw from the last two events with a left thumb injury.
But through two rounds, Creamer was on top of her game and her fans applauded her every move.
Then came Creamer's fall from grace on No. 10.
''I'm not sure what happened there,'' she said. ''Just kind of felt like one shot after another seven times. After that it was difficult to bounce back, especially on the back side. There's not as many birdies on the back side as I feel there are on the front. That's not quite the momentum I wanted going into the back.''
Creamer said her thumb has been a little achy here and there, but did not use it as an excuse for a poor third round.
''I wish I could blame it on that, but I can't,'' she said. ''I just didn't play well.''
Her emotions seesawed as a result, especially on 10 when it seemed as though she was going to melt into the green.
''I kind of stood on the green there and just tried to get all my emotions out,'' Creamer said. ''It was difficult because I made a good par on 9.
''I can't tell you how many greens I missed this week. I feel kind of not rusty in a sense, but it's not quite my iron shots that you normally look at.''
Can't always be beauty and grace.
After a triple-bogey on 10, Creamer dropped her head, her eyes watered and her game continued to go south in third-round play of the U.S. Women's Open on Saturday at Saucon Valley Country Club.
Creamer, who was only one shot behind leader Cristie Kerr after the second round, also bogeyed holes 6, 8, 11 and 17 for an 8-over-par 79.
''The easiest thing to say is I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today,'' said Creamer, who was paired with Kerr.She dropped into a six-way tie for 17th place, six shots over par and in need of a big rally in today's final round if she's to surpass her highest Open finish -- second in 2005.
''I feel it's an unfortunate day,'' Creamer said. ''I shot 79. I played bad. I guess I deserved to shoot that.''
It was windy and the greens were crunchy, but Kerr managed to shoot a 1-over-par 72 and enter today as the only golfer under par at minus-2.
Kerr scored par on on the par-4 10th and sympathized as her American rival crumbled, first by sending her tee shot into the bunker. Creamer's next shot went over the green, almost hitting a television tower. She then mis-hit three straight chip shots and was in disbelief.
Finally, on her seventh shot, Creamer dropped the ball in the hole, but her All-American smile had disappeared. She had played No. 10 well the first two rounds, posting par on Thursday and a birdie on Friday.
But United States Golf Association officials moved the tee markers forward 80 yards, making it a 253-yard shot to the flagstick. The move was made to tempt players into trying to drive the green.
''I didn't say anything to her afterward,'' Kerr said. ''Would have been hard for anybody to say anything to Paula at the time. She was mad. I don't blame her, though.
''But that's what the USGA wants to do. They want to bring in risk-reward. I hit tee shots from that tee on the practice round to know that there's a lot of places you don't want to be hitting driver off that tee, and I gave myself a good opportunity for birdie.''
Kerr knows where Creamer went wrong.
''She tried to hit it at the pin instead of just getting it on the green, taking par and leaving because that was a really tough bunker shot she brought in over the green into play, which was not easy.
''It was a little difficult waiting all that period of time while she was going through what she was going through, but I felt bad for her. She's one of my friends, and you always want to see her playing well.''
Regrouping was tough for Creamer, who was sixth at the Open last year. This season, she has not won an LPGA Tour event and was forced to withdraw from the last two events with a left thumb injury.
But through two rounds, Creamer was on top of her game and her fans applauded her every move.
Then came Creamer's fall from grace on No. 10.
''I'm not sure what happened there,'' she said. ''Just kind of felt like one shot after another seven times. After that it was difficult to bounce back, especially on the back side. There's not as many birdies on the back side as I feel there are on the front. That's not quite the momentum I wanted going into the back.''
Creamer said her thumb has been a little achy here and there, but did not use it as an excuse for a poor third round.
''I wish I could blame it on that, but I can't,'' she said. ''I just didn't play well.''
Her emotions seesawed as a result, especially on 10 when it seemed as though she was going to melt into the green.
''I kind of stood on the green there and just tried to get all my emotions out,'' Creamer said. ''It was difficult because I made a good par on 9.
''I can't tell you how many greens I missed this week. I feel kind of not rusty in a sense, but it's not quite my iron shots that you normally look at.''
Can't always be beauty and grace.
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