Two-time
major winner Cristie Kerr is hoping her love of links will help secure a
first victory of the season at the Women's British Open.
The
American, whose best finish at the British Open was a tie for second at Royal
Lytham in 2006, is second in the LPGA money list behind defending champion Yani
Tseng of Taiwan.
"It's
a bit frustrating, but you've just got to keep plugging away," Kerr said
Tuesday.
The
Women's British Open, which begins on Thursday, is being played at Carnoustie
for the first time in its 35-year history.
"I
always enjoy playing links," said Kerr, winner of the LPGA
Championship last year and the 2007 U.S. Open.
Despite
only having a chance to consider eight holes since arriving in Carnoustie, Kerr
was looking forward to the challenge of playing
ping
g15 irons
-
even if the weather turns bad.
"It's
just perfect weather right now, but as we know it never plays the same in a
tournament as it does in practice," she said. "We're supposed to get
some rain or something by Thursday, so it could be very different."
The
last American to win the British Open was three-time champion Sherri Steinhauer
in 2006. Steinhauer is one of nine former champions in the field that includes
Laura Davies, the Englishwoman who won at Royal Birkdale in 1986, and Karrie
Webb of Australia,
also a victor on three previous occasions.
Another
member of that contingent is the 22-year-old Tseng, who took the title at Royal
Birkdale last year. She became the youngest woman to win four majors when she
claimed her second LPGA Championship title last month, having also won the
Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2010.
American
Stacy Lewis is in top form, a winner of this year's Kraft Nabisco and runner-up
to Ai Miyazato of Japan at the Evian Masters in Paris last weekend. Lewis has five top-10
career finishes in majors and will be hoping to add to that total.
"I
was really happy with the way I handled things at the Evian," she said.
"Just the pressure of being in the last couple of groups the last two
days. It's just getting more comfortable out there, and it's a good time for me."
Lewis,
like most if the field, is having her first look at the course.
she said. "I think the weather actually looks pretty good, so hopefully we
won't get too much rain. But it will be windy and you have to play some low
shots.
"You've
got to putt well at any major championship, so I'm looking forward to it."
Coming
into the British Open after her victory in Paris, the sixth-ranked Miyazato is bidding
for her first major.
"The greens are really slopey, which will make it very interesting to
play. You need to really commit with the tee shots, in fact with every single
shot on every single hole, and it will be different every day."