Why Uribe Is Skipping Her Title Defense at the Women's Am

It was noted during the U.S. Women's Open that 18-year-old UCLA sophomore-to-be Maria Jose Uribe will not be defending her 2007 U.S. Women's Amateur title at this year's Women's Am. What I kept missing was the explanation.

Here's the explanation: She's playing the Women's British Open instead. The Women's Brit ends Aug. 3, the U.S. Women's Am begins Aug. 4. Uribe has made her choice, and that choice is the Women's British Open.

"It's a tough decision," Uribe said. "Hopefully it's the right one."

It all comes down to experience, said Uribe, who has never been to Europe. She wants to get the feeling of playing the British under her belt before she turns pro so she isn't surprised when the money is on the line.

"Hopefully when I'm a pro I'll already have a couple of British Opens and I will know how to play those," she said. "So it's basically just for experience and to grow as a player."

I say: You go girl. You go to the Women's British Open instead of defending at the U.S. Women's Am if that's what you want to do. You'll be pushed and pulled by agents, advisors, coaches, consultants, PR flacks and hangers-on soon enough, when you turn pro. Now, make yourself happy. Don't let anyone - including the USGA - make you feel bad about this decision:

While I wasn't in Minnesota last week, my understanding is a few USGA officials voiced to the Colombia native their disappointment about Uribe's pending schedule. (TV commentator Dottie Pepper also was critical of the choice of tournaments during last week's telecast.)

That blurb was from Golf World's Campus Insider blogger who writes that Uribe "will become the first female amateur to compete in all four women's professional majors in a single year." Not so - Michelle Wie did it in 2005.

I wonder if Uribe missed the cut in the Women's British whether she'd be able to get back to the States and into the Women's Am field? Of course, she'll be hoping that scenario doesn't develop - and the way she played at the U.S. Women's Open, she's just as likely to content for the championship at the Women's British as to miss the cut.