Major Blues

There is a decidedly positive way to analyze these numbers: Women's golf is growing worldwide, and that can only be a good thing for the game. No single nation is currently dominating women's golf, which helps give it a global appeal.

The past 30 majors have been won by players from 10 different nations. Sweden leads the way with eight (all by Sorenstam) followed by Korea and the United States with six each (three by Se Ri Pak, with a half-dozen different U.S. winners), Australia with four (all Karrie Webb) and Mexico with two (both by Ochoa). Players from Taiwan, Norway, England and France have each won once.

In the overall sense, this trend is healthy. World-class players have emerged from nations not thought of as hotbeds of golf, such as Mexico, France and Norway. The fact four different Koreans have won majors is impressive considering Pak got their breakthrough win only a decade ago. And Tseng is just the tip of the icebeg from Taiwan ?Teresa Lu is one to watch ? and players from mainland will soon be joining Shanshen Feng, the only Chinese player with an LPGA card.

But as the game passes from the traditional domination by the United States and Britain ? Karen Stupples of England, who won the 2004 British Open, is the only British major championship winner since Alison Nicholas in the 1997 U.S. Open ? it does raise certain concerns. Chief among those concerns is whether a strong U.S. television deal can be reached without an American player who can challenge to be No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings.

Last year was a great year for the Americas. Besides Kerr and Pressel, Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Meaghan Francella, Stacy Prammanasudh, Nicole Castrale, Brittany Lincicome and Sherrie Steinhauer all won LPGA events. Through the first 15 events of 2008, Creamer (2) and Leta Lindley are the only Americans to enter the winner's circle.

While it is not necessary the best player in the world be an American ? Webb, Pak, Sorenstam and Ochoa have filled that role quite well for the last decade and a half ? enough American's need to win with some degree of regularity to make a lucrative television package ? and more importantly, greater exposure on the air ? a possibility. Currently, more TV money is coming to the LPGA from Korea and Japan than it is from the United States, and far too much women's golf is being shown on tape delay here.

There is certainly reason to think that an America star ? or stars ? will emerge. Creamer has won six times and is only 21 years old. Lincicome is a talent who has won twice and is struggling to harness her potential. Diaz is playing well this year and likely has more victories in her future, and Kerr could win another major. Gulbis needs only moderate success to command attention.

And in the pipeline there is 13-year-old Alexis Thompson, who has qualified for Interlachen, Cyd Okino, 14, a qualifier from Hawaii and Vicky Hurst, 18, a two-time winner this year on the Duramed Future's Tour who is an alternate in the U.S. Open. Michelle Wie has shown glimmers of the game she used to have in strong outings in Germany and in qualifying for the U.S. Open qualifying. And she is still only 18.

But the competition is also increasing. Among those to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open is Victoria Tanco, a 14-year-old from Argentina, another one of those countries just starting to produce world-class golfers. And Korea continues to fill the pipeline with impressive talent