For Pettersen, there was no question that the Ricoh Women's British Open is where she is supposed to be this week -- where she can do the most good for her country. "You just go out there and fight for your friends at home," she said after cleansing her mind with a deep sigh. "It's kind of our 9/11 because of the size of our country," she said.
Sporting events were called off in Norway and Pettersen said she was told that Friday night the bars and restaurants were shuttered as families shared their sorrow behind closed doors, watching as horrify news reports came in.
Petersen was eating lunch after the second round of the Evian Masters last Friday when her parents, Axel and Mona, broke the news to her. "They said they had something bad to tell me and I thought it was about someone in the family," she said. She knew no one personally who was killed in either the Oslo bombing or the shooting at an island youth camp.
"It doesn't matter," Pettersen said. "One loss is one loss for all of us. When I went to bed Friday night it was 13 dead and when I woke up Saturday morning it was in the 90s. Breakfast did not taste very good." The death toll was later revised downward to 76.
Wearing a black armband and playing with a heavy heart, Pettersen shot 69-68 on the weekend at Evian to finish T-6, four strokes behind winner Ai Miyazato. "Yesterday, there was supposed to be a parade in Oslo, but 150,000 people turned out and there were too many people for a parade so they had a concert," Pettersen said, speaking with evident sorrow mixed with an intense pride for her homeland. She shook her head and said: "150,000 people in a city of 500,000 -- barely."
Last week, Miyazato made it clear her victory at the Evian Masters was for the people of Japan, devastated earlier this year by an earthquake and tsunami. Don't be surprised if Pettersen pulls off a similar emotional miracle here this week. On Tuesday, there was determination in her eyes.
Now, some British Open notes...
BET ON KERR:
--One of the amusing things about being at a golf tournament in Britain is that sports betting is legal over here. In fact, you can bet on pretty much anything including at what time in which round it will first rain. For those looking for a good hunch bet at the Ricoh Women's British Open, start with Cristie Kerr.
First, Kerr met Jean Van De Velde last week during the gala party Saturday night at the Evian Masters. He's the guy, you'll remember who brought a three-stroke lead to the final hole of the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie and ended up losing in playoff, but not before unintentionally posing for an iconic photo of frustrations by standing, hands on hips, in ankle-deep water with his pants rolled up.
"It really didn't come up," Kerr said Tuesday when asked if she and Van De Velde discussed Carnoustie. "We talked more about wine. He just wished me good luck."
The next omen came when Kerr and her husband, Eric Stevens, got to the Carnoustie Hotel only to find that they are staying in the Paul Lawrie Suite in a room overlooking the 18th green. Lawrie is the guy who won that playoff in 1999.
"It's better than staying in the Jean Van De Velde Suite," Stevens said with a smile.
Kerr was able to get in eight holes of practice on Monday before Tuesday pro-am, playing the first four holes and the last four holes. "It's challenging but fair," she said of one of the most punishing layouts in the game. "It's all about the conditions here."
The forecast for the week is relatively benign. Thursday is the only day, as of now, on which rain is likely and the wind is supposed to be to the 15mph range for all four rounds.
Then again, the only reliable weather forecast in Scotland, especially here on the shores of the North Sea, involves opening up a window and looking outside to see what it is doing.
CREAMER'S PREP:
--Paula Creamer's preparation for the Ricoh Women's British Open involved taking advantage of the off week on the LPGA schedule to pop into Carnoustie for a couple rounds on her way to the Evian Masters. She tour the links on both Saturday and Sunday before heading to France and used a local caddie with her full-time looper, Colin Cann, walking along and taking notes.
Creamer loved the narrow greens and feels her precise iron play will serve her well here. One think she did after playing in the wind was take one of the hydirds out of her bag and replace it with a 4-iron. She doesn't normally use that club but feels it will come in handy if the wind starts to blow - and it does that more often than not at Carnoustie.
MACKENZIE'S LUCK:
--Mark it down as a trio worthwhile for Paige Mackenzie. She was first alternate at the Evian Masters and decided to make the trip even though it is extremely rare tat someone drops out of the $3.2 million event where players are wined and dined all week. But Mackenzie got a break and got into the field when Katherine Hull pulled out. Her T-21 finish at six-under-par 282 was good enough to qualify her for the season-ending CME Group Titleholders as one of the top-three LPGA members in the Evian field not otherwise qualified for the Titleholders.
(Photo by Getty Images)
--Ron Sirak
BET ON KERR:
--One of the amusing things about being at a golf tournament in Britain is that sports betting is legal over here. In fact, you can bet on pretty much anything including at what time in which round it will first rain. For those looking for a good hunch bet at the Ricoh Women's British Open, start with Cristie Kerr.
First, Kerr met Jean Van De Velde last week during the gala party Saturday night at the Evian Masters. He's the guy, you'll remember who brought a three-stroke lead to the final hole of the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie and ended up losing in playoff, but not before unintentionally posing for an iconic photo of frustrations by standing, hands on hips, in ankle-deep water with his pants rolled up.
"It really didn't come up," Kerr said Tuesday when asked if she and Van De Velde discussed Carnoustie. "We talked more about wine. He just wished me good luck."
The next omen came when Kerr and her husband, Eric Stevens, got to the Carnoustie Hotel only to find that they are staying in the Paul Lawrie Suite in a room overlooking the 18th green. Lawrie is the guy who won that playoff in 1999.
"It's better than staying in the Jean Van De Velde Suite," Stevens said with a smile.
Kerr was able to get in eight holes of practice on Monday before Tuesday pro-am, playing the first four holes and the last four holes. "It's challenging but fair," she said of one of the most punishing layouts in the game. "It's all about the conditions here."
The forecast for the week is relatively benign. Thursday is the only day, as of now, on which rain is likely and the wind is supposed to be to the 15mph range for all four rounds.
Then again, the only reliable weather forecast in Scotland, especially here on the shores of the North Sea, involves opening up a window and looking outside to see what it is doing.
CREAMER'S PREP:
--Paula Creamer's preparation for the Ricoh Women's British Open involved taking advantage of the off week on the LPGA schedule to pop into Carnoustie for a couple rounds on her way to the Evian Masters. She tour the links on both Saturday and Sunday before heading to France and used a local caddie with her full-time looper, Colin Cann, walking along and taking notes.
Creamer loved the narrow greens and feels her precise iron play will serve her well here. One think she did after playing in the wind was take one of the hydirds out of her bag and replace it with a 4-iron. She doesn't normally use that club but feels it will come in handy if the wind starts to blow - and it does that more often than not at Carnoustie.
MACKENZIE'S LUCK:
--Mark it down as a trio worthwhile for Paige Mackenzie. She was first alternate at the Evian Masters and decided to make the trip even though it is extremely rare tat someone drops out of the $3.2 million event where players are wined and dined all week. But Mackenzie got a break and got into the field when Katherine Hull pulled out. Her T-21 finish at six-under-par 282 was good enough to qualify her for the season-ending CME Group Titleholders as one of the top-three LPGA members in the Evian field not otherwise qualified for the Titleholders.
(Photo by Getty Images)
--Ron Sirak
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