If the U.S. Solheim Cup Team played Korea alone it would be close, but I doubt we'd win. Plus, Lefty is apparently back in the gym preparing for “07. By: Wil Barnes

While I was brushing up on my Korean this week, I discovered that the KOLON – Hana Bank Championship in Ulsan / Gyeongju, Korea is being played at the new Mauna Ocean Golf & Resort, and that the defending champion is Jee Young Lee, who earned her way onto the LPGA with her victory last year. Lee was a member of the KLPGA Tour until she used her invitation to shock the field. Even more shocking, the Seoul, Korea native is currently 20^th on the ADT Money List, and there are a total of seven players from Korea in the Top 20, 10 in the Top 30, and a total of 32 Koreans on the tour!

I should have guessed it was only a matter of time before Korea dominated the LPGA Tour. I mean the season got underway in Hawaii where Joo Mi Kim defeated fellow Korean Soo Young Moon and Lorena Ochoa in a playoff at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu. That was followed up the next week with a victory by Meena Lee at the Fields Open at the Ko Olina Resort. And who was second? Seon Hwa Lee. And the hits just keep on coming. As do the Kims. And the Lees.

Of the 29 events held so far this year on the LPGA Tour, ten victories have come by way of Korea, with the aforementioned Lee and Kim, plus Sung Ah Kim, Mi Hyun Kim (2), Hee Won Han (2), Seon Hwa Lee, Se Ri Pak and Jeong Jang, all from Korea.

Meanwhile, players from the U.S. have captured a total of six titles all year. SIX! Mexico has five, all by current #1 Lorena Ochoa, Australia has four, all by Karrie Webb, and Sweden with three, all by Annika Sorenstam.

So I was thinking that if the U.S. Solheim Cup Team were to tee it up with players outside of Europe, like the rest of the world idea in the President’s Cup, what would happen? It might be a smoke job, even with 11 Americans currently in the Top 30, (the only one in the Top 5 is Cristie Kerr). If you were to add last year’s U.S. Women’s Open Champion Birdie Kim to their group, Korea alone would be a really tough test. And if you include Ochoa and Webb on their team, well, I know the U.S. will say they would still win, but ladies… please! You would not! There are only six of the 2005 U.S. Solheim Cup team members in the current Top 30. Like their male counterparts, the U.S. might just get it handed to them in a similar fashion 18 ½ to 9 ½.

Now, I know the U.S. has rising stars in Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis (no wins) and Morgan Pressel (no wins), and I would guess that lovely tall gal Wie something or other (no wins) would play for the U.S., but with Korean parents maybe she would decide to join the Koreans, especially since she isn’t a member of the LPGA Tour. Now wouldn’t that set off a recruiting war between countries? And you thought that North Korean nuclear testing was a big deal?

Well they are playing in Korea this week and 20 of the 32 Korean members of the LPGA Tour are playing. So I am going out on a limb and taking a Korean to win. I don’t know who just yet. Probably a Lee or a Kim. I’ll let you know which one after I go through all of my spell checks highlighted in red.

Lefty apparently is working out!

It was reported by Tod Leonard of the San Diego Tribune that Phil “Lefty” Mickelson is working out and preparing for his 2007 season, which will officially kick off at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, hosted by George Lopez (and you thought a title couldn’t get any longer). Lefty has shut it down since the Ryder Cup, and probably should have shut it down before leaving the country to go winless in Dublin. His coach, the affable Dave Pelz, the short game guru was working with the two-time Masters Champ recently in San Diego. “He's working hard physically now. He's working out. He's getting in better shape for next year,” Pelz said. “I am looking for a career year out of Mickelson.”      

Well, I think if you want a career year, you would start by playing in the Mercedes Championships against this year’s winners. C’mon Phil, you have already pulled out of the PGA Grand Slam in Kauai where all they do is wine and dine you and give you hundreds of thousands of dollars just to show up. Tell me you can find a better place to work out than Kauai! Besides, Amy and the kids love Hawaii and now you’re not going to take them there this year, or to Maui in January. And you’re supposed to be a family guy. And you’re going to have a career year? Please!!!