By Vince Robitaille

GolfWRX Staff Writer

Monday marked the beginning of major season, The Longest Day In Golf enabling amateurs with dreams better suited for Cinderella, and journeymen of the professional ranks alike to take part, in much of the masochistic impulse that is common to most of us, in the most gruesome test in the sport. The U.S. Open, however, isn’t the only premier event in the golfing biosphere this week as a different animal, whose teeth might not be as a sharp perhaps, lurks around in the bushes – or, more precisely, in The Olympic Club’s savannah of rough. The Wegmans LPGA Championship, now in it’s third installment on the grounds of the Locust Hill Country Club – the first two resulting in bloody thrashings as Cristie Kerr and Yani Tseng disposed of their opponents in upmost lopsided fashion – onlookers are hopeful for a different, see gripping, outcome, this time around. Hopefully, the harsh weather shall play the role of equalizer and give everyone what they’ve been waiting for.

Hot off her victory at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, her second in three events, Stacy Lewis comes in as a clear favorite to raise the trophy up over her head at the end of the week; World No.1 Yani Tseng’s putting woes having solidified themselves and dampened her meteoric run at golfing history. Moreover, the wet grounds will negate the length advantage of such that have enjoyed recent success, such as her compatriots Brittany Lincicome and teenage Lexi Thompson.

One, much like Yours Truly, should also keep a keen eye on friends turned foes for a few crucial hours a couple weeks back, Azhara Munoz and Morgan Pressel. Our already positive prospect for the Spaniard’s future has only increased as she backed up her first championship on the LPGA Tour – a championship that had been in the works for quite some time as the Lacoste-sporting Munoz displayed both skills and consistency over, not only the 2012 season, but the past 10 months – with a third place finish in last week’s event. Such a feat is a convincing indicator of her acute focus level; most first-time winners slipping in the weeks following their breakthrough. Pressel, on her part, will try to take advantage of the soft greens to attack more flags from the red zone; the American’s short game brushing shoulders with the LPGA’s current premier performers, the opportunity to be more aggressive with her hybrids and fairway woods could very well enable her to experience the kind of results that have been her trademark in Match Play settings.

Amongst those who might sneak in and go unnoticed – in direct opposition to Cheyenne Woods’ professional debut; Tiger’s niece will have to cope with constant mediator attention for one obvious, yet quite silly, reason – The Netherlands’ Christel Boeljon appears to be the likeliest to come out victorious. Whether Boeljon comes through to capture the first of what we expect to be multiple majors, or not, a double-digit margin of victory shouldn’t be expected out of any golfer. Think of a finish al Rocco, not al McIlroy.

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