The HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open may not have a championship field that turns a lot of heads in the sports world, but the tournament’s supporting cast is certainly impressive.
On Wednesday, pro-am partner Jody Conradt — the second-winningest coach in the history of Division I women’s college basketball — made a hole-in-one at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. Then it came to light on Thursday that Martin Kaymer was caddying for his girlfriend in the championship portion of the event.
Kaymer, the reigning PGA Champion and the No. 3-ranked golfer in the world, looped for Women’s Open contestant Allison Micheletti, a pro from Chesterfield, Mo. (The two are pictured together above on Thursday.) Tournament officials said Micheletti asked leading up to the tournament if it was OK for a PGA Tour player to caddie for her.
“I love to be on the golf course anyways,” Kaymer said after Thursday’s round. “Sometimes it’s nice if I don’t have to play — just walk. It’s nice with the mountains around here.”
Kaymer, who lives in Arizona when in the U.S., said this was his first visit to Colorado. “Maybe we’re going to have the (U.S.) Open here one day, or the PGA (Championship) or something,” he said. “It would be nice.”
It wasn’t the first time Kaymer has caddied for his girlfriend. The German carried for her in November at a pre-qualifying event for the Ladies European Tour.
Micheletti will play again Friday at Green Valley Ranch after making the cut (77-80–157).
Despite Kaymer’s stature — he was ranked No. 1 in the world earlier this year — he went largely unnoticed leading up to his Thursday afternoon tee time. No one bothered him on the practice range or when he sat in the lunch pavilion alone for several minutes. After walking Green Valley Ranch, he left impressed.
“It’s a good golf course,” said the 26-year-old, who has won nine European Tour events. “Obviously it’s tough to say with that wind (Thursday), but it looks good.”
Meanwhile, Jessica Carafiello of Coral Springs, Fla., who was two strokes out of the lead when she completed her round, ended up with a four-shot advantage by the time play ended Thursday night.
High winds took their toll — especially in the afternoon — as Carafiello’s 2-under-par 70 was the lowest score Thursday by three strokes. Carafiello, a mini-tour player and teaching pro, will be seeking an $11,000 first prize on Friday.
Chasing her and her 1-under-par 143 total are University of Colorado senior-to-be Emily Talley (74-73–147) and 51-year-old Cindy Figg-Currier (73-74–147), who won an LPGA Tour event in 1997 and has accumulated more than $1.9 million in career LPGA earnings. The other LPGA Tour winner in the field, Charlotta Sorenstam, posted her second straight 77 and stands in 19th place.
First-round co-leaders Dede Cusimano of Basalt and Whitney Myers of Phoenix bore the brunt of the wind on Thursday and backed up their 69s with an 82 and 81, respectively.
Carafiello took advantage of teeing off at 7:10 a.m. Thursday, a couple of hours before the wind kicked up.
“In the beginning we had perfect conditions — no wind, perfect temperature and a lot simpler pin placements in more level areas than (Wednesday),” she said. “So you had to go out in the morning and shoot at pins and make as many birdies as you can.”
Actually, Carafiello didn’t make her three birdies until the middle of her round, but when she did, she quickly jumped up the leaderboard.
“My goal going into this season was to win, and I won my second event (the LPGA Southeast Section Championship in Florida in early May). And so my goal now is to win again. I really feel comfortable out here.”
Carafiello, 27, played college golf at Florida Atlantic University and qualified for the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open.
No player who has listed Colorado as her home state has won the Colorado Women’s Open since 1999 (Shannon Hanley), and it doesn’t look like this year will be the one when the drought ends. The top Coloradan after three rounds is Castle Rock pro Sherry Smith (73-78–151).
The 45 championship players who shot 14 over par or better for two rounds survived the 36-hole cut.
The leaders will tee off at 10:05 a.m. on Friday.
