By: Max Bechtoldt
Dewi Weber has raced out to one of the best starts on the LPGA Tour at the Portland Classic, shooting -6 in the opening round.
Weber is an easy player to root for this week, as she was inexplicably denied her earned spot in the Paris Olympics by her country. Now, she is proving that she does belong on the biggest stages in the game.
Weber was one of the 60 players to qualify on points for the Paris Olympics as a representative of the Netherlands alongside Anne van Dam. Unfortunately for her, the Netherlands limit the players they send to represent them. The country only allows players to go who it believes has a realistic chance to win, Weber didn’t make that cut.
Despite this ruling, Weber offered even to pay her own way to the games, but the country still denied her, ruining what could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the golfer.
In all fairness to the Netherlands Olympic Committee, Weber has been far from an elite player in her career. She doesn’t have any wins on the LPGA Tour or the LET, and ranks No. 336 in the world. Regardless, golf is one of the most unpredictable Olympic sports, Aditi Ashok was ranked No. 200 in the world when she finished fourth in Tokyo.
Regardless of this unfortunate situation, Weber has shown up in top form in Portland. She at one point made seven birdies in a row, hit 13/14 fairways and only had 25 putts.
Seems to me like a player worthy of competing on the world’s stage.
