Was It Something I Wrote?

Pat Hurst, who I suggested was slumping and predicted would have great difficulty making the cut at the Corning Classic after her opening-round 75 a few days ago, is enjoying the hottest start of the day (a 30 on the front, thanks to eagling both par 5s) today and is now only 5 shots out of the lead. To which I say, "Go, Pat, go!" (If it weren't for her 41 on the front on Thursday, she'd be running away with this thing--wouldn't it be the coolest thing in the world if she could come back from that and win?)

Kyeong Bae is halfway there on that super-low round I predicted for her. Her 31 on the front puts her at -12, 6 shots off the lead.

Now if only my call for a run by Ai Miyazato on the leaders comes true like it did a few weeks ago. She's only 2-under through 6, tied with Bae and a million other people.

[Update 1 (5/28/07, 12:03 am): Now Jeong Jang (-5 through 12) is responding to my Mostly Harmless Challenge from yesterday. But Creamer and Young Kim have gotten to -19, so it's looking moot.]

[Update 2 (12:15 am): Damn! Paula Creamer just doubled 6. Now Young Kim has a two-shot lead on her and Mi Hyun Kim. Wait, I called this thing for Young Kim. I mean, yeah! Oh, and Natalie Gulbis (32 on the front, -14 on tournament, 1 behind Bader) is making the race for fourth interesting, too. And props to Jamie Hullett and Diana D'Alessio for getting into that mix, as well. Too bad Jang just bogeyed 13.]

[Update 3 (12:30 am): Wow, Young knows how to capitalize on others' mistakes. Her birdie on 7 gets her to -20 and a three shot lead on Mi Hyun and Paula. Meanwhile, Kyeong bogeyed 13 to fall back to -11 with Jeong; Laura Davies, Jamie Hullett, and Seon Hwa Lee have joined the big group at -13; and Ai-chan is still not making a move.]

[Update 4 (12:36 am): Wow, Ai-chan birdied the par-3 11th and has a couple of par 5s sandwiched around the tough 13th. Go, Ai-chan, go!]

[Update 5 (12:37 am): Yikes, another 2-shot swing at the top--Paula birdies while Young bogeys the 8th.]

[Update 6 (1:03 am): Yeesh, Na On Min's triple bogey-bogey stretch on 9 and 10 just dropped her into Shi Hyun Ahn, Meena Lee, and Angela Park's neighborhood. Things can change quickly, so Natalie Gulbis (-15 with 6 to play) should go for broke, shoot for pins, and maybe, just maybe, post a good enough number that it gets her that win she was talking about last week (if she gets some help from the leaders and the weather). Or Diana D'Alessio (one of 3 people at -6 on the day) will catch her.]

[Update 7 (1:06 am): In the time it took to post the last update, Mi Hyun Kim birdied 10, Beth Bader birdied 9, and Young Kim bogeyed 9. Result: Mi Kyun, Paula, and Young tied at -18 and Beth 1 behind. If the Gang of Four don't watch out, they'll let 20 people into this thing!]

[Update 8 (1:15 am): Who would have thought Diana D'Alessio would be having the round of the day today? She's now at -7 in her round, -15 for the tournament, tied with Natalie Gulbis, and 3 shots off the lead. Wow! And Seon Hwa Lee was one of the few leaders to birdie the par-5 12th to get to -14. What's up with the back's par 5s today?]

[Update 9 (1:36 am): OK, it's Mi Hyun Kim's turn to approach the -20 barrier and take the lead. She's now -19, safely ahead of leader-in-the-clubhouse Jeong Jang, who just posted a 67 to get to -12 (T12) to finish one shot ahead of low-round-of-the-day-in-the-clubhouse-holder Mikaela Parmlid. Ai-chan failed to birdie either par 5 on the back--her only consolation is that she's nowhere near alone in doing that.]

[Update 10 (1:54 am): Writing something good about Star Wars is hard. But who cares when Paula Creamer has joined Mi Hyun Kim at -19 and Beth Bader has joined Young Kim at -18? And Pat Hurst finally got off her 9-hole par train with a birdie on 18 to shoot a 65 and finish at -14? She is joined by D'Alessio and Gulbis, who fell back, and Seon Hwa Lee and In-Kyung Kim, who moved up. Other notes: Kyeong Bae proved me wrong in the end by following up her 31 with a 37; Laura Davies and Jamie Hullett have dropped out of the top 10; and Ai-chan is still only 1 shot out of 5th place.]

[Update 11 (1:59 am): First bogey in 36 holes for Mi Hyun Kim came at the worst possible time--on the par-5 14th. Still, she knows how to bounce back from adversity and is only one behind Paula Creamer. Still, ouch.]

[Update 12 (2:00 am): Hey, but on cue, Ai-chan joined the huge group at -14 with 2 holes to play! Yeah!]

[Update 13 (2:01 am): But D'Alessio birdied 18 to tie Hurst for low round of the day and finish alone so far in 5th at -15.]

[Update 14 (2:12 am): I do believe that In-Kyung Kim got her Sunday jitters out of the way over her last 6 holes on Saturday, just like I wished for her yesterday. She's now at -3 on her round today, good enough for -15 and T5 with Pat Hurst. Perhaps this is a sign that the Rookie of the Year race, which Angela Park has been dominating, is heating up in time for summer. And Hound Dog's fave, Grace Park, is now alone at -13 with 2 holes to play....]

[Update 15 (2:14 am): Hey there, Young Kim's now up 1 on the rest of the Gang of Four at -19. Can you spell photo finish? How about playoff?]

[Update 16 (2:15 am): And how about that Ai-chan getting to -15 with a birdie on 17?]

[Update 17 (2:31 am): Too bad--Ai-chan couldn't birdie out, so she left the door open for Seon Hwa to pass her with a birdie on 18 and grab 5th alone (and maybe better, if Mi Hyun keeps stumbling down the stretch).]

[Update 18 (2:44 am): Well, Lee couldn't do it--she's T5 so far with Miyazato and D'Alessio--with only In-Kyung Kim having a chance to pass them by making like D'Alessio.]

[Update 19 (2:56 am): By the way, you think this tournament suggests that this year's LPGA has the most talented group of pros in its history? It's true, no one's touching Inkster's -24 in 2003, and even more people got to double digits under par then than now, but this field is far weaker (going by the money list, that is) than 2003's and no other year comes close. We'll have to wait till the end of the year to answer the question, but I thought I'd raise it now while waiting for the scoreboard to update.]

[Update 20 (3:03 am): Young Kim's and In-Kyung Kim's birdies just now--giving Young a 2-shot lead on Creamer and Bader with only the 18th left to play and In-Kyung sole possession of 5th, one behind Mi Hyun Kim--make me wonder for the second day in a row if "A Good Day to Be a Kim" would be a better title for this post. But then I'd piss off Christina (tied for last) Kim. If I really have trouble writing that Star Wars WAAGNFNP post, I'll calculate the average finish among the Kims, Lees, and Parks in the field, like I threatened joked yesterday.]

[Update the last (3:21 am): Young Kim wins! Her -20 ties for second-best total in the history of the Corning Classic. Creamer and Bader do the Kims a favor by bogeying and double bogeying 18, respectively. Surname race over--Kims win (Kim: 28.4; Park: 34; Lee: 34.25). Rookie race over--Kim wins. Super Soph race over--Miyazato and Lee tie. "Not a fluke" race over--Sharp edges out Sorenstam, though neither really win. Young Kim the only one left in the sub-69 club. 16 players end up following the Mostly Harmless Rules for Corning Classic Success. Back to Star Wars.]