Golf

Lincicome drops into tie for 17th

First-round leader goes 6-over-par 77 to fall six shots behind.

By BOB HARIG
Published July 3, 2004

[AP photo] Brittany Lincicome's second round included a birdie, five bogeys and a double bogey.

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. - The smile turned to a frown, the cheers changed to groans. Brittany Lincicome experienced the humbling game that is golf Friday, only she had to do it before thousands of spectators and a national television audience.

Welcome to big-time golf.

A day after lighting up the Orchards Golf Club with a 66 that gave her the first-round lead at the U.S. Women's Open, Lincicome plummeted from the clouds and did not land softly.

Her 6-over-par 77 dropped her from the top spot and into a tie for 17th, six shots behind Jennifer Rosales, whose 4-under-par 67 had tied Lincicome for the lead before the Seminole amateur had even started her second round.

By the time she finished her one-birdie, one double-bogey, five-bogey round in near darkness just before 8, only a smattering of fans remained in the grandstand behind the ninth green.

"I tried to be as normal as possible when I came here, but maybe it got to me more than I thought," Lincicome said. "I had a lot of people who called (Thursday), a lot of interviews. ... I tried not to let it, but it's a little overwhelming, the first time here, and shooting as good as I did (Thursday)."

Rosales, a 25-year-old pro from the Philippines who captured her first LPGA Tour title this year, completed 36 holes at 135, 5 under par.

Kim Saiki, who won last weekend's Wegmans Rochester event, and Candie Kung, who is from Chinese Taipei, each shot 68 and were a shot back at 138.

Two-time U.S. Women's Open winner Annika Sorenstam (68) was tied for fourth at 139 with Carin Koch (67) and Michelle Ellis (69).

Amateurs Michelle Wie (70) and Paula Creamer (69) were four back and tied for ninth at 141.

Although 12 players were under par for the tournament, nobody was able to run away with it. Nor was anybody able to match Lincicome's opening score of 66.

Had she shot par 71, Lincicome would still be tied for the lead.

But it was apparent early in the round that doing so would be difficult.

"She got herself a little bit nervous," said Matt Mitchell, Lincicome's instructor from the Tampa Bay Downs practice facility. "It was a bit of a struggle. She got quick, out of rhythm, and that happens to everybody. She was definitely feeling the pressure."

Mitchell left his Dunedin home early Friday morning, flew to Boston and then drove the 90 minutes to the Orchards to catch his star pupil. And he made it with plenty of time to spare.

Lincicome's tee time was not scheduled until 2:05 p.m., and it was pushed back an hour due to weather problems that forced the completion of the first round to Friday morning.

All of which made Lincicome's plight even more difficult. A standout junior amateur player, Lincicome, 18, is competing in her first Women's Open and her first USGA/LPGA Tour event.

Sitting on a lead for that long, with so much time to kill, would be difficult for anyone, let alone a teenager playing on such a big stage.

"I got here like two hours before," she said. "And then I hit balls forever and chipped and putted forever. I don't like teeing off in the afternoon, I'd rather tee off at 7 a.m. Just the waiting around is not fun."

Lincicome began her round on the par-3 10th hole and made two straight pars.

But things started to go wrong when she missed the 12th green, hitting a pitching wedge over the back. That led to a bogey. Then she bogeyed the last three holes on the back nine - including a missed 2-foot putt at the 17th.

The troubles came despite the fact that Lincicome missed just one fairway all day, when she hit a 5-wood too far at the par-4 first. But she hit only 10 greens in regulation, and took 31 putts, five more than Thursday.

"My attitude wasn't as good," she said. "(Thursday) I was smiling and all happy. The first couple of holes, I couldn't get anything started. Then I made a bogey here and a bogey there and then I lost it after that. I couldn't get back and be all happy and cheerful like I was.

"I play better if I'm smiling and happy, I talk a lot. I just walked by myself and hung out by myself."

Lincicome said she got upset with her father and caddie, Tom, who misclubed her on the 12th hole.

"I don't know why that bothered me so much," she said.

And her body language suggested it would be a long day, even though it was early in the round.

"This is a great learning experience for her," Mitchell said. "Sleeping on the lead. Waiting. This is all part of it, figuring out how to handle the situation."

Today, Lincicome tees off at 12:15 p.m. with Scotland's Catriona Matthew. She will be 10 groups behind the last twosome of Rosales and Saiki. They can worry about the lead.

"(Today) is going to be better," she said.

[Last modified July 3, 2004, 01:00:34]