Players to watch

PLAYERS TO WATCH

THE DOMINATOR

Who: Lorena Ochoa

World ranking: 1

Wins: 21; four in 2008

Majors: 2; 1 in 2008

Best Open finish: T-2 last year

2007 U.S. Open: Shot 3 under par at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club to tie for second place, two strokes behind Cristie Kerr.

Why she will win: If Tiger Woods were a 26-year-old Mexican female, this is how he would look and play. Ochoa has won four tournaments in five attempts this year, 12 of her past 30 and the past two women's majors.

Dottie Pepper says: "She has a passion for preparation that almost rivals Tiger," said the former LPGA star and current analyst for NBC and the Golf Channel. "It's incredible."

THE DETERMINED

Who: Annika Sorenstam

World ranking: 2

Wins: 70; 1 this season

Majors: 10; 0 this season

Best Open finish: 1 in 1995, '96 and '06

2007 U.S. Open: Finished tied for 32nd

Why she will win: Before a neck injury limited her to 13 winless outings in 2007, Sorenstam had 12 consecutive multi-win seasons as the longtime No. 1 player in the world. Her neck has healed, and she won the 2008 season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay.

Pepper says: "I think there's a certain determination that she has now that Lorena is No. 1 and she's No. 2," Pepper said. "It may not have been a bad thing that she's gotten the opportunity to take a step away from the top and say, 'You know what, it was a lot of fun up there.' "

THE DEFENDER

Who: Cristie Kerr

World ranking: 6

Wins: 10; 0 in 2008

Majors: 1; 0 in 2008

Best Open finish: 1 in 2007

2007 U.S. Open: Shot a second-round 66 on her way to 5 under par and a two-shot victory.

Why she will win: Kerr is a grinder with a putter that can get hot and stay that way for four days. She also has the confidence of having won last year. Has four career top-10 finishes at the U.S. Women's Open.

Pepper says: "To win the Open, you have to be like a fly at a picnic, and not go away," Pepper said. "That's what Cristie did last year. ... That's one of Cristie's best attributes. She will fight and scrap for 72 holes."

THE DARK HORSE

Who: Ji-Yai Shin

World ranking: 7. Is a multiple-winning member of the Korean LPGA.

Wins: 0 on LPGA Tour

Majors: 0

Best U.S. Open finish: T-6 2007

2007 U.S. Open: Went into the final round at 3 under par and actually held the lead at one point. A final-round 3-over 74 dropped her to even par.

Why she will win: The 19-year-old Shin is the latest and may ultimately become the best of the many talented young Korean women golfers to burst onto the international scene the past 10 years. Her best LPGA Tour finish was a tie for third in the 2007 Evian Masters.

Shin says: "I've dreamed of winning the U.S. Open my whole life," Shin said through an LPGA interpreter.

AND THE REST And don't forget about the rest of the players who made up the final top 10 at last year's Women's Open: Angela Park (3 under); Se Ri Pak and In-Bee Park (2 under); Jee Young Lee (1 over); Mi Hyun Kim and Jeong Jang (2 over); and Ai Miyazato, Kyeong Bae, Julieta Granada and Morgan Pressel (3 over).

Mark Craig