How much will Morgan Pressel whine at the U.S. Womens Open as the USGA pumps up Michelle Wie once again?

Pairings have been announced for the first round of the 61st U.S. Women’s Open and, in my opinion, some of these combinations are very interesting indeed.

For example, Birdie Kim is being paired with Morgan Pressel. That normally wouldn’t be newsworthy except for the fact that Kim birdied the final hole of last year’s Open stealing victory from Pressel’s grasp.

Will this affect Morgan in any way? She is very temperamental and the possibilities are endless as to her reaction. Morgan stated last year after her defeat while choking back tears, “I can’t believe this is happening to me".

But time has a way of dulling the agony. Since last year Morgan has been making waves on the course with three top-tens and in the top-twenty on the money list while Birdie Kim has been MIA on the LPGA scene.

And now that Pressel is moving forward with her own LPGA career she has no qualms about stepping back into the spotlight and criticizing the USGA’s decision to include Michelle Wie into the fold.

“Everybody else has to qualify,” stated a petulant Pressel. “I’ve always felt that she should. I don’t think she should be afraid of qualifying. But the USGA decided to give it to her, so there’s nothing I can do. I’m just telling the truth, the way I feel.”

Michelle afraid of qualifying? Frankly I don’t think so but boo-hoo to Morgan. Instead of talking policy, just let your sticks be your vindication.

Natalie Gulbis will be joining both Annika Sorenstam and Ai Miyazato the first two days on the teebox. Gulbis and Miyazato both missed the cut at the Wegman’s but each have posted several top-ten’s this season so it’s possible that either golfer could be hoisting the trophy come Sunday.

Sorenstam certainly has not played to her potential although with seven top-ten finishes and a win at the Mastercard Classic to her credit the other LPGA golfers would hardly call it a “slump". However, remembering Annika at the same time last year, she was gaining momentum for her first “Soren-slam” finishing off 2005 with ten victories, trophies abounding and titles galore. What a difference one year can make!

For the myriad of Michelle Wie golf fans, “the Big Wiesy” will be teeing up alongside of Duke University’s Brittany Lang. Lang came close to winning the Wegman’s but her inexperience in the “major leagues” didn’t allow her to close the door.

Michelle Wie needs a win this week not only for her cheering fans but to show that she is a force to be reckoned with and to confirm that she is worthy of the millions spent on her future by the likes of Sony and Nike.

Other possible candidates that I think could steal the show are Karrie Webb who secured her first major victory of 2006 at the Kraft Nabisco and came really close at the LPGA Championship and Lorena Ochoa who tops Webb on the ADT Official Money list as well as leading the golfers in greens in regulation and scoring average.

And so the drama begins. With women, you must know, there is always some flurry of emotions! The Open will be televised on both ESPN and NBC so we can all watch as Pressel stomps, Wie whines and Sorenstam dukes it out to regain some of her lost fervor.