Interlachen has been set up for plenty of drama at 18th

There won't be as much fist pumping in this Tiger-free field, but the par-5 18th hole in this week's U.S. Women's Open could provide as many eagles, birdies and general hysteria as the par-5 closing hole at Torrey Pines did during the U.S. Open two weeks ago.

At least that's what Mike Davis, the man who sets up these championships, is shooting for as he studies how the finest women golfers in the world are playing the 18th hole during this week's practice rounds at Interlachen Country Club in Edina.

"How many birdies and eagles did we have on 18 at Torrey?" asked Davis, senior director of rules and competitions with the United States Golf Association.

Birdies: 165. Eagles: 8.

"Yeah, I could see a similar number on the closing hole here," Davis said. "And that would be great."

The players seem to think so. Especially the long-ball hitters.

"A lot of things are going to happen on 18," said No. 1-ranked Lorena Ochoa, who leads the LPGA Tour in driving distance with an average of 270.4 yards. "You could be losing by two or three and still have a chance."

Ochoa played the hole with no wind on Monday. She hit driver and then struck a 3-wood from 213 yards over the fronting pond to the middle of the green. Tuesday, with the wind against her on the tee and her second shot, she hit driver, 3-wood to 30 yards short of the green, leaving an easy pitch and a definite birdie opportunity.

"That's one of the more flat greens on the golf course, so you can wedge it close to the hole," said Cristie Kerr, the defending champion. "So I could see needing a birdie to win, definitely."

Short hitters won't feel left out

As he did at Torrey Pines, Davis won't be afraid to move the 18th tee forward to give the shorter hitters a chance at the risk-reward enjoyed by the long hitters.

"At Torrey, we moved the 18th tee from 573 yards to 550 for the first day, but we only had the longest players in the field going for it over the pond in two," Davis said. "So Friday we moved it up again to play it anywhere from 525 to 535, so even the moderate hitters, like a Rocco Mediate, could go for it in two with a good drive."

Davis left the tee at that length through the Monday playoff between Tiger Woods and Mediate. Woods eagled the hole in the third round, birdied it to force a playoff in the fourth round and birdied it again to extend the Monday playoff, which he won on the first hole of sudden death.

Woods and Mediate played the 18th hole at Torrey Pines a combined 10 times and were 6 under par. In their 172 other holes, they were 7 over.

"I think a player coming into 18 one down on Sunday at Interlachen, she has a big-time opportunity, just like Tiger had at Torrey Pines," said Davis, who is in his third year of setting up USGA championships. "The past two U.S. Women's Opens, we finished on tough par 4s. But I would think this finishing hole contains the potential of being one of the most exciting finishing holes the Women's Open has ever had. It would have to be up there."

The 18th hole at Interlachen plays as the ninth hole for the members. It also played as the ninth hole in 1930 when Bobby Jones won the third leg of his Grand Slam. Legend has it Jones topped his second shot, which skipped off a lily pad in the water to just in front of the green. Jones went on to birdie the hole.

A plate in the fairway commemorates the "Lily Pad Shot." The players have noticed it, but don't seem to have spent much time thinking about it.

"I know of it, but I don't know the whole ins and outs of it, and I don't think I want to because lily pad relates to water," Christina Kim said. "I try to avoid those kinds of things. I'm not trying to take away from what happened then, but this is our time now."

The water on 18 doesn't come into play as much as the water on 18 at Torrey Pines did two weeks ago. There is more room between the green and the water at Interlachen. Players also have an area to bail out to the left if they can't get over the water.

The dogleg right is listed at 530 yards, but Davis will play it to the front of the back tee, about 510 yards, at least for the first day. Depending on the weather and the results, he might move it up to the next tee, which plays 490 or even a little shorter.

Eyes light up for par 5s

Davis also kept Interlachen as a par 73, meaning it has five par 5s. The second hole is only 473 yards and will be reachable in two by most of the field. The other three par 5s aren't considered reachable at their current lengths, but Davis is considering shortening the longest one -- the 557-yard third hole -- to entice the long hitters.

"I love five par 5s," Kim said. "I think that's way cool."

Michelle Wie's eyes also light up at the thought of five par 5s.

"Eighteen is a fun hole," said the long-hitting 18-year-old, who not only reached 18 in two on Monday, but also drove the par-4 seventh hole from the 249-yard front tee on Tuesday.

Ochoa was asked if she thinks the 18th hole will be as exciting as the one at Torrey Pines.

"Hopefully, we don't have to play 91 holes," she said with a laugh. "I need to be home on Monday."

Don't worry. The U.S. Women's Open has a three-hole playoff format that uses No. 16, 17 and, of course, No. 18.