I'm writing this from a computer cluster at Rikkyo University that I'm not technically authorized to use, so if it stops suddenly you know why. I'll be staying at a capsule hotel tonight and with luck watching Saturday's round of the LPGA Championship live. Even though Ai-chan missed the cut, I'll have plenty of people to follow in the third round. Never let it be said the the LPGA lacks a sense of humor--they paired Michelle Wie with Karen Davies, whose final-hole bogey in the second round let Wie and 12 other golfers keep playing into the weekend. NYers Moira Dunn and Meaghan Francella, also at +3, should get some face time early in the coverage (on the theory that the Golf Channel has to show something when Wie's not actually swinging, chipping, or putting). Other interesting pairings include Mi Hyun Kim/Nicole Castrale (12:21 pm), Se Ri Pak/Kyeong Bae (12:39), and of course the last 5 groups teeing off after 2 pm. I have to admit the Golf Channel's online tournament coverage has been halfway decent; I'll let you know what I think of the tv coverage tomorrow (if I can get to a computer with internet access).
Assuming you all have already checked out the results and read the second-round interviews, I'll just offer my usual scattered comments from here on out. Today's round was all about how you finished in the punishing heat. Those who finished well over their last 6 or 9 holes, like Suzann Pettersen (3 birdies in her last 4 holes and 6 in her last 11), made big moves up (alone in first at -8); those who finished badly, like Stacy Prammanasudh (+4 her last 6 holes), fell way back (to -2 and T18). Amazingly, Annika Sorenstam was in the former group. By birdieing 3 of her last 4 holes after going 3-over for her first four holes on the front (her back), she got to -5 and T5. She's still not hitting it as far and as straight as she does while she's healthy, so it's incredible that she's tied with Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, and Meena Lee; 1 shot behind Brittany Lincicome and Birdie Kim; 2 shots behind Karrie Webb; and only 3 shots behind the leader. Or consider it this way: she's 1 shot ahead of Angela Park, Sarah Lee, Catriona Matthew, Mhairi McKay, and Kim Saiki-Maloney; 2 shots ahead of Sophie Gustafson and 3 others; 3 shots ahead of Lorena Ochoa and 4 others; 4 shots ahead of Se Ri Pak, Mi Hyun Kim, Laura Davies, and 8 others; and 5 shots ahead of Pat Hurst, Jeong Jang, Shi Hyun Ahn, and 6 others. And that's the people playing fairly well in the tournament. Just think what Seon Hwa Lee, Cristie Kerr, and Jimin Kang (at +1) or Juli Inkster (at +2) or Lorie Kane (at +3) must be thinking or feeling. Or those who joined Ai-chan in missing the cut--Julieta Granada, Grace Park, and Carin Koch, among them.
So given Sorenstam's struggles last weekend, it'll be interesting to see if she can hang in there and stay in contention. Those at -4 or better have a great chance to separate themselves from the field tomorrow, but with the course perhaps getting a little bit softer if the early morning showers and late morning isolated thunderstorms materialize despite their low probability, everyone at +1 or better who can handle the 10+-mph winds and get some momentum heading into the afternoon (when the weather is expected to get sunnier and dryer) has a great chance to make a big move on moving day. It looks like the elements may be kind to Annika--Sunday should be cooler and cloudier, with very little chance of rain--so with a little luck (and no huge moves by those ahead of her), she may just be in the mix on the back 9 on Sunday. Stay tuned!
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