Sunday, May 11, 2008

Michelob Ultra Weekend: Catch Me If You Can!

We've grown accustomed to Lorena Ochoa playing the catch-me-if-you-can game with the rest of the LPGA this season, but heading into the weekend at the Michelob Ultra Open Annika Sorenstam was back in a familiar role and Ochoa blinked first. Sorenstam kept up a bogey-free streak for 53 holes until her first bogey of the tournament dropped her back to -14 Saturday, but by then Ochoa's self-inflicted damage had been done--5 bogeys between the 8th and 17th holes with no birdies in sight. What Sorenstam's bogey did do, however, is give some hope to Jeong Jang (-11), Christina Kim (-10), and the 12 players (including Ochoa and Suzann Pettersen) between 6 and 8 shots back.

I'm going to check Hound Dog's third-round recap and second- and third-round highlights and take the girls outside for a little while. I'm on my own with them for 3 weeks while the Full Metal Archivist visits Kyoto and Okinawa with her mom. Be back soon!

[Update 1 (2:39 pm): Well, got onechan down for a nap first and then imoto, played some board games with onechan while imoto has been down, and now she's playing by herself, so I have a chance to check in on the leaderboard. Looks like Annika has just made a move, Jang is playing fine, and Kim is playing less than fine, which means the people playing well are making big moves on them while Sorenstam pulls away from everyone. But check out some of those moves! Shi Hyun Ahn has come out of nowhere--a terrible season, a barely-made cut, and a mediocre third round--to tie the single-round tournament record at 63, which is actually a disappointment at some level, as she bogeyed her final hole. Not as bad as Ya Ni Tseng's double on the same hole to turn a 65 into a 67. Katherine Hull had 6 birdies and a double, but also just happened to make an albatross (or double eagle) on the par-5 7th for a sweet 64 to finish at -11 (T3 right now). Sophie Gustafson and Alison Fouch might have something to say about that, however, as both are looking to match Hull's score today and finish 1 shot ahead of her in the tournament. Gustafson, by the way, is having the Pettersen-like weekend (remember the Kraft Nabisco Championship?) that Pettersen herself is trying to duplicate today. Although she shot a great 65 yesterday, she's been stuck in neutral (when not going in reverse) thus far in her round. And yet, this is looking to be the first tournament of the season where the top 10 are all double digits under par--stay tuned!]

[Update 2 (2:50 pm): Fouch birdied 18 while Gustafson bogeyed, so the former is the leader in the clubhouse at -12 while the latter has to settle for a -10 weeknd (one worse than Pettersen's -11). That leaves Karen Stupples (-4 on the day, -11 on the tournament with 2 to play) and Stacy Prammanasudh (who's thrown an eagle, 6 birdies, and 4 bogeys at the course through 17) with the best chance to join the surprising Junior Mint (whose best round this year had been a 68) and maybe even put a scare into Jang for 2nd (she's at -13 through the 14th and is playing bogey-free golf, so good luck with that).]

[Update 3 (2:55 pm): With birdies on 4 of her first 6 holes on the back, Annika is 1 shot off -20--think she's going for an Ochoa-like 3rd victory in 2008, or what? Speaking of Ochoa, she needs a birdie on the 18th or help from those immediately ahead of her to keep her top 10 streak alive!]

[Update 4 (3:01 pm): Stupples birdied the 17th to get to -12. Ochoa bogeyed 18 and finishes at -7, so she'll need similar collapses from those still on the course ahead of her to end up in the top 10, which would be cool for Meena Lee, Shi Hyun Ahn, and Hee Young Park, as well). Park, by the way, took low rookie honors, thanks to Tseng's final-hole double bogey. There's a great race between Ji Young Oh and Inbee Park to surpass Song-Hee Kim as the low Super Soph--both have struggled today but with a birdie on 18 can do it.]

[Update 5 (3:32 pm): Stacy P doubled 18 to fall back to -8, which pretty much ends the hopes for double digits of players double digits under par this week but doesn't help Ochoa and the gang sneak into the top 10. Too bad! And too bad for Oh, who bogeyed her final hole to end up 1 shot behind Kim and Park. But congrats to Annika, who's at -20 with 1 hole left to play (the site of yesterday's amazing bogey save).]

[Update 6 (7:05 pm): Too bad for Annika and Jang, who both bogeyed their final holes, but I'd say a 7-shot win and a T2 finish take the sting away. Nice job hanging in there today by Christina Kim, who ended up T2, as well. Lots of good tidbits at the LPGA.com notes and interviews page, not to mention Hound Dog's excellent final-round recap and highlights.]

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