Meg Mallon is the first to admit she’s “disappeared” lately from the women’s golf scene, but the veteran says she’s not about to vanish entirely.
“I’ve always said I’ll be out here for as long as I’m healthy and competitive, and I haven’t been either the last two years,” she said. “Maybe you get to the point where you have to reassess things, but I’d like to give myself a chance to get healthy first.”
Last season Mallon played in just 12 events, marking only the second time in the past 20 years she failed to reach 20 tournaments. Even more alarming were the five made cuts, her lowest total since 1987. After winning the U.S. Open in 2004 and ranking fourth on the money list with $1.3 million, Mallon earned but $51,023 last year, 117th on the money list.
The biggest issue was injury: Mallon suffered a severely sprained thumb in July and then a bone spur in her left foot basically took her out of action for the remainder of the season.
“In football, you can go out there and play with a cast on your hand,” Mallon said, “but in golf, if you don’t have all your parts working, it’s hard to fake it. That’s what I tried to do, but it didn’t work very well.”
In some ways, the forced absence was welcome – her mother and sister dealt with serious illnesses, causing a season-long drain on Mallon’s emotions.
The pain in Mallon’s foot began to subside in January, and she has built herself up and is ready to return in this week’s Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major of the LPGA Tour season. And while she hopes to play a full schedule, Mallon admits, “I’m not in position where I can predict anything, so who knows?”
One thing she does allow herself to think about, however, is another berth on the U.S. Solheim Cup team, which is Sept. 14-16 in Sweden.
“If – and it is a big, giant if – I’m able to play a full schedule from Kraft on, I’d love to gobble up some points and get myself on that team,” Mallon said. “That would be a really nice time to peak.”
Another comeback story
After the opening round of last week’s World Golf Championships-CA Championship, caddie Eric Larson amiably chatted about looking forward to his first Masters, working the bag of Mark Calcavecchia – provided, he cautioned, “that nothing crazy happens.”
Indeed, crazy almost happened during Calcavecchia’s last hole of the tournament at Doral, when a long putt rolled through the green and into the water. The stroke eventually led to a quadruple-bogey 8, and a 5-over-par 77 for the round, which dropped him from a tie for 21st into a tie for 32nd.
However, on the list that mattered most, Calc just dropped from ninth to 10th on the money list, which meant he indeed qualified for Augusta – and provided the latest chapter in Larson’s comeback story.
Released from prison last summer after serving almost 11 years for distributing drugs, Larson found Calcavecchia waiting for him with his old job. Earlier this month, the pair combined to win the PODS Championship. Next week, the Masters.
“Yeah, I guess it is a nice story,” Larson said. “I probably should have written it a different way, though.”
Getting ready?
Speaking of Augusta, players certainly have different ways to prepare for the first major of the season. Some, like Adam Scott, chose to play in this week’s Shell Houston Open. Others, like Phil Mickelson, will spend as much time as they can on the hallowed ground, trying to soak in its every nuance.
So why was it then that Tiger Woods, Charles Howell III, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and numerous other players with legitimate hopes of winning next week spent Monday and Tuesday taking part in a glorified exhibition, The Tavistock Cup in Orlando, Fla.?
What else? Money.
The event matched players from Isleworth Country Club against those from nearby Lake Nona Country Club. Before you start congratulating the players for fighting it out for the honor and glory of their cushy playpens, consider this: The player who shot the lowest score Tuesday received $500,000. The runner-up pocketed $300,000.
Golf extra
SPOTLIGHT: DEAN WILSON
Victory elevates status
Wilson realizes that someday he may become the answer to a trivia question: Who was the last man to win The International? “I’m disappointed; it’s a good tournament – obviously it was a good tournament for me,” said Wilson, who won the 2006 event before it was dropped from the 2007 PGA Tour schedule. With the 2007 season in first blush, Wilson admits he really hasn’t given much thought yet to the idea of not being able to defend his only career title. This year, Wilson has made 10 starts, with one top-10 finish. However, the elevation in status brought on by his win at The International has opened some doors; he played in the winners-only Mercedes Championship at the beginning of the season, and also qualified for last week’s WGC-CA Championship. There’s also a little event called the Masters that’s new to Wilson’s schedule. “Right. I’m excited to play there for the first time,” he said. “It should be a lot of fun.”
Role reversal
“He fired me.” – Stephen Ames, mercurial PGA Tour player on why his brother Robert isn’t caddying for him this season.
THIS WEEK
PGA Tour
Shell Houston Open, Redstone Golf Club, Humble, Texas.
What’s up: Adam Scott and defending champion Stuart Appleby play in the last tournament before the Masters.
LPGA Tour
Kraft Nabisco Championship, Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, Calif.
What’s up: The women play their first major of the season. Last year’s event may have been the best tournament in all of golf – Karrie Webb beating Lorena Ochoa in a sudden-death playoff.
Champions
Tour
Ginn Championship at Hammock Beach, Ocean Hammock Golf Club, Palm Coast, Fla.
What’s up: A new event for the senior circuit; four of the top five players in the race for the Schwab Cup, including Hale Irwin, are playing.
New blood
The United States Solheim Cup team that will compete this summer against Europe is shaping up to be younger than the squad that won two years ago at Crooked Stick in Indiana. Here’s a look at that team and the current points leaders:
(2005 player age || 2007 player age)
Paula Creamer, 19 – Creamer, 21
Beth Daniel, 48* – Gulbis, 24
Laura Diaz, 30 – Hurst, 37
Natalie Gulbis, 22 – Inkster, 46
Pat Hurst, 36 – Kerr, 29
Juli Inkster, 45 – Kim, 23
Rosie Jones 45 – S.Prammanasudh, 27
Cristie Kerr, 27 – Morgan Pressel, 18
Christina Kim, 21 – Brittany Lang, 21
Meg Mallon, 42 – Sh. Steinhauer, 44
Michele Redman, 40
Wendy Ward, 32*
*Daniel and Ward were captain’s picks.
Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
