THE BEST US WOMEN’S OPEN EVER --AND IT’S NOT OVER YET

By Nancy Berkley, President
Berkley Golf Consulting

I’m writing this Sunday morning at 10 a.m. EST after watching the players finish the rain-delayed third round. So, I will not know the winner of the 2010 Women’s Open until dusk tonight and the final scores are in. But, I do have some observations to make about this year’s Open.

BETH ANN BALDRY OF GOLFWEEK has the very best coverage of the tournament on the GOLFWEEK site. http://www.golfweek.com/news/2010/jul/04/complete-us-womens-open-coverage/

With Beth and her partner Sean Martin, there is no need for me to go over the details of the rounds. But do not miss Beth’s articles about Kelli Shean of South Africa now playing at Arkansas but discovered and supported by the Ernie Els Foundation. http://www.golfweek.com/news/2010/jul/08/amateur-shean-tackles-odds-oakmont/

Kelli, an amateur, posted the first 70 of the tournament and although she does not like to make a big deal about it, Kelli only has 25% of her hearing. Kelli is teeing off on the 10th tee at 12:09. Even though Kelli is out of the running for this tournament, I hope the cameras give her some face time.

Golfweek and Beth are on to something about women’s golf and I hope they keep it up. A few months ago they circulated a magazine titled GOLFWEEK for Her. It was refreshing and although they were vague about whether they will ever do another issue, I hope they do. They seem to understand both the print and most importantly the online coverage that women golfers value.

Women’s golf has never looked better! Every player seems to have a unique personality beyond their golf swing. They have different demeanors on the course, the leaders vary in age from 15 to 37 and I haven’t even mentioned the different apparel styles.

Maybe it’s the nature of the “open” itself which allows players of all ages to enter the tournament. Unlike the LPGA, where a player must be 18 years old (with a couple of exceptions), it is going to be thrilling to watch 15-year old Alexis Thompson play in the top six. In 2009, Lexi made history as the youngest female to make the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open. (See my History of Women’s Golf Timeline http://www.nancyberkley.com/774892.html)

The sweet spot in the golf industry is junior girls. About one-third of the players who qualified and played in the first round were 21 or younger. If you would like to know more about Alexis, please see an interview of her in the 2007 issue of Golfer Girl Magazine (no longer published). But all of the issues of Golfer Girl Magazine are still available on line.

See Libby Hooton’s interview of Alexis at http://golfergirlmagazine.com/pastissues/summerfall07/summerfall07pages/page22summerfall07.htm.

This final round of the Women’s Open is a good opportunity to share with the junior golfers in your family. Playing golf as a junior may not always lead to being a top Tour player, but it opens doors to careers of all kinds. See www.golfergirlcareers.com where I have interviewed junior golfers who did not become professional golfers but still have a nexus with golf in their professional life.

Watching women golfers is a lesson in itself. Because most women golfers cannot match men in terms of muscle strength, they get their power in different ways. What’s important for all women golfers and potential women golfers and junior golfers is the realization that there is not one kind of swing that works for everyone.

This will be exciting final round. Don’t miss it.

Nancy Berkley, President of Berkley Golf Consulting, is an expert on women’s golf and junior-girls golf. She is a frequent contributor to www.cybergolf.com/womensgolf. Her book, “Women Welcome Here! A Guide to Growing Women’s Golf,” published by the National Golf Foundation, is an industry reference on marketing golf to women and spotting trends within the industry. She offers information and advice about the golf industry on www.berkleygolfconsulting.com and is often quoted in national publications. She also writes for www.ladiesgolfjourney.com. She is also the author of the NGF publication: “An Insider’s Guide to Careers in the Golf Industry.” She was a contributing editor of “Golf for Women” magazine and a founding advisor of “Golfer Girl Magazine.” Her interviews with women in the golf industry now appear on www.golfergirlcareers.com. Nancy lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Harvard University and Rutgers Law School. After a business and legal career, she decided to write about the game she learned and loved as a teenager. She describes herself as a good bogey golfer with permanent potential.