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Lewis caught in LPGA absurdity Tuesday, Jul 1, 2008 By Harry King LITTLE ROCK - Absurd. Nonsensical. Irrational. Outlandish. None of those alone is sufficient to encapsulate the unfairness of the LPGA's view of money won in the U.S. Women's Open. In this case, former University of Arkansas golfer Stacy Lewis is the victim. By now, most sports fans in Arkansas know that Lewis made her pro debut in the tournament, leading after 54 holes, tying for third, and winning $162,487. Here's the kicker: Lewis cannot count the earnings in her quest to become an exempt member of the LPGA. Apparently, the policy has to do with her non-exempt status because the bio of Open champion and second-year player Inbee Park reflects the $585,000 she won Sunday. Each year, the top 90 money winners on the LPGA are fully exempt, just like the top 125 on the PGA money list. Such status means a player can plan his or her schedule for the year, worry-free. Last year, Sherri Turner was No. 90 with $91,595. In other words, the money earned from 72 holes in Minnesota would have secured Lewis' job for 2009. The LPGA's reasoning is that the Open purse is so large that one paycheck can skew the money list. The tournament offered $3.1 million, but the LPGA has a dozen other events with a purse of $2 million or more. So what if a non-exempt player is a one-week wonder and earns an exemption for the following year? She would have to play well to retain that exemption. Ironically, if Lewis had won the Open, she would have had a two-year exemption on the tour. She made everything she looked at Saturday when she took the tournament lead with a 6-under-par 67. On Sunday, she shot 78 with 35 putts - a dozen more than she had in the third round. Although Open winnings do not count, the LPGA has a different set of rules for money won in virtually every other tournament, including a new event in China in late October and a tournament in South Korea the following week. Korean TV is one of the LPGA's largest sponsors and it is no coincidence that a dearth of Americans at those events means additional opportunities for Asian players. At the Open, 27 Asian players and 24 Americans made the 36-hole cut. The 23-year-old Lewis was the leading American at the Open, playing in the final twosome with another American, Paula Creamer - two years younger, but a winner on the LPGA Tour in 2005 before she turned 19. Because of the LPGA's policy, Lewis is reduced to using sponsor exemptions to win the money necessary to crack the top 90 - a path that has never been pursued successfully. Her first invite is this week at Rogers, a natural. She also is exempt next week in Toledo, Ohio. She can only accept six exemptions, but she should be at the top of most lists considering her Open showing, her resume as an amateur, her battle with scoliosis, her dad Dale on the bag, and Johnny Miller's heaping helping of praise should help. Miller, the most honest golf analyst on TV, was outspoken about his appreciation for Lewis' "I'm here to win," attitude, raved about her mechanics, and even said she could be the next Annika Sorenstam. Lewis closed the Open with an exemplary display of intestinal fortitude. A few feet shy of perfect, her second shot on No. 18 caromed into a horrendous spot in the sand where a jut of grass interfered with her swing. She improvised an out, but it skittered across the green. Despite the bad break and the fact that the tournament was over, she composed herself and chipped to within inches for a par. Hopefully, she'll cash a check this week that is both large and LPGA-legit. ------- Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com. |
