Karrie Webb Thinks USGA Made Women's U.S. Open Too Easy, Her Score Disagrees

Here's something you see, well, never: Karrie Webb, the world's former No. 1 women's golfer, is calling out the USGA for how they set up this week's Women's U.S. Open. Right, I know what you're thinking: when will players quit bellyaching about tough course setups and just play golf?

Well, here's the thing: Webb's complaining that Interlachen is too easy.

"I really don't understand what the USGA have tried to achieve this week, because they've kept the greens soft all week," said the two-time Open champion, who was 12 strokes from the lead.

"I think the course played harder on Monday than it is now. When you've played a lot of US Opens, your mindset is that par's good, but it really isn't (this week)."

Heading into the final round, 19 players are under par, which seems high for any U.S. Open. And even though Webb is 12 strokes off the lead, and hasn't been winning majors with the same regularity as she once did (Webb won six majors between '99 and '02, and just one since), I kind of agree with her.

The U.S. Open is all about breaking a golfer's will. I know a lot of people hate that, but it's a nice change from watching guys and girls fire 20-under four-day totals at various nondescript events during the year.

Webb adds:

"It opens it up to people who don't have great distance control and to me that's what the US Open is about, good ball-striking.

"If you're putting yourself in positions where you should be, you're supposed to be at an advantage, but I don't think it's playing that way right now."

Given Webb's current place on the leaderboard, I can't imagine tougher conditions would've benefited her much. If you can't score in easy conditions, thickening the rough, narrowing the fairways and slicking up the greens generally doesn't help. But like I said, I take her point, although Stacy Lewis and Paula Creamer might disagree.