News-Record.com

In women's golf.

I'm not normally one to tune in to the LPGA, but the possibility of a Sorenstam grand slam and the hoards of talented teens vying for the U.S. Open piqued my interest.

I came away from Sunday's coverage pretty convinced that the Blue Devils should win several more national titles in the coming years. After all, the two women who tied for second both have Duke ties. One, Brittany Lang, is the No. 1 golfer for the Blue Devils. The other, Morgan Pressel, has committed to play at Duke after she finishes up high school next year.

Which raises an interesting question - could Pressel actually bypass Duke to go straight to the pros? After all, she's already shown she can play at the highest level against the pros. On the other hand, does anyone remember Jenny Chausiriporn? She lost to Se Ri Pak in a 20-hole playoff at the U.S. Open in 1998, when she was a senior at Duke. But that result never translated to success at the pro level. By 2001, Chausiriporn was working as an assistant coach for the men's team at UVA.

One other note about the women's U.S. Open. Gotta love a player who has the audacity to nickname herself "Birdie." Birdie Kim did it to different herself from the numerous other players with the surname on the LPGA tour. I myself would have gone with Eagle Kim, or Albatross Kim. But Birdie certainly beats being named Snowman Kim.

Upon further consideration, I think I'd like to be known as Pulitzer Young from now on.