Cristie Kerr has long said that there is a fine line between winning and finishing second, and it's something that Kerr has certainly experienced recently. The No. 2 player in the Rolex Rankings comes to the U.S. Women's Open conducted by the USGA this week having been oh so close to picking up her 15th career victory in recent weeks. Prior to finishing in a T3 at the Wegmans LPGA Championship two weeks ago in Rochester, NY, Kerr had recorded three straight runner-up finishes. It was a streak that started when Kerr lost to Suzann Pettersen in the finals of the Sybase Match Play Championship back in May. She finished a stroke behind winner Brittany Lincicome at the ShopRite LPGA Classic and she ended up three shots back of Yani Tseng at the LPGA State Farm Classic.

Kerr, who was No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings entering the U.S. Women's Open at Oakmont Country Club last year, was asked what it will take for her to regain that top spot. Kerr is currently the only American player to have held the top spot in the rankings.

"The obvious answer is you have to win," Kerr said. "I would have to win a couple of tournaments to overtake her for the No. 1. You know, I'm finishing second or third every week, but that's not quite getting it done for the ranking. But that's pretty good. I have been happy with that. I've been close and been in contention, and I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing."

Kerr is not unfamiliar with the East Course at The Broadmoor, having competed here as a 16-year-old amateur during the 1995 U.S. Women's Open. There have certainly been changes to the par-71 course which includes lengthening it to a U.S. Women's Open-record 7,047 yards. But Kerr, who won the U.S. Women's Open in 2007 at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, felt the East Course still kept many of the same characteristics.

"I think it's playing pretty similarly," Kerr said. "I was 16 when I was here last time, and I've gotten a lot older and wiser. I have the U.S. Open under my belt, so I kind of look at the course differently and pick it apart a little differently than when I was an amateur and I just sort of played. But it's pretty similar."

Kerr close to capturing next victory

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