So once again I was unable to watch any LPGA that I DVRed this past week, due to work responsibilities reaching a white-hot pitch, imoto's interest in catching up on past seasons of Once Upon a Time, and my own interest in seeing Primus play live for what may well turn out to be the only time in my life.
As a result, I'm going to recommend some other people's writing on Inbee Park's victory at the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship by 2 shots over Stacy Lewis: Centurion's post over at LLLLet's Golf!, LPGA.com's notes and interviews, the AP's game story, Ladies on Tour's summary, Elizabeth Bethel's post over at ProGolfNow/Fansided, and Rick Woelfel's post over at Women's Golf Center....
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Monday, November 3, 2014
Sunday, October 19, 2014
LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship Weekend: Newly 19-Year-Old Kyu Jung Baek Gives Herself Birthday Present with Playoff Win Over Brittany Lincicome and In Gee Chun
Kyu Jung Baek turned 19 on October 15th but could celebrate her birthday only with an opening 74 at the LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship. Yet with maturity beyond her years she figured out how to handle the winds and the Sky 72 Ocean course and her own balky back as she bounced back with rounds of 69, 68, and 67. Her final-round back-9 31 included 5 birdies in a row and was so good that she even gave herself a chance to sink a curling downhill 6-footer on the par-5 18th for the win. Even though she missed that putt, Baek succeeded in forcing her way into a playoff at -10 with Brittany Lincicome and 20-year-old In Gee Chun, who themselves closed with fantastic 66s to outdistance world #2 Inbee Park (68-67, -9), Michelle Wie (67-67, -8), Catriona Matthew (70-67, -8), Hyo Joo Kim (71-66, -7) and the rest of the 31 players within 5 shots of the lead with 18 holes left to play. What's more, she learned from that miss and from Lincicome's birdie miss from a similar angle and distance on the 1st playoff hole. Baek calmly sunk the downhill 5-footer to secure her 1st-ever LPGA victory and 4th KLPGA title of 2014.
I was able to cap off a great birthday by watching Baek catch fire on the back in the middle of the night. In a week when heralded (and higher-ranked) under-22s struggled--Sei Young Kim hovered between 71 and 74 and finished T42 at +2, Ha Na Jang opened with an 80 and even 30-straight under-par rounds after it only got her back to T35 at +1, Lydia Ko could never get it going and finished T29 at -1, Minjee Lee was either awesome or awful (she sandwiched a 78 and a 74 between an opening 69 and a closing 64 to finish T24 at -3), and Kim needed that Sunday charge to finally get it out of neutral--Baek found her tempo and found the hole, making great chips, pitches, and sand saves when she needed to and taking advantage of almost every birdie opportunity she gave herself. For the week, she took 15 putts fewer than Inbee Park, who has probably been the best putter in the world for at least the last 4 years. Yes, Baek hit the fewest greens in regulation of anyone in the top 20 except Yoon Kyung Heo and Julieta Granada, but Heo had 120 putts and Granada 107 to Baek's 102. It's that kind of putting that wins you tournaments on any tour.
Speaking of which, it'll be interesting to see if Baek decides to take up LPGA membership next year. Will she make like Teresa Lu and decide to stay on her home tour for at least another year? For that matter, which KLPGA stars will decide by November 18th to sign up for the final stage of LPGA Q-School? Ha Na Jang has already expressed an interest in doing this....
Looking ahead to the inaugural Blue Bay LPGA event on Hainan Island, I'm hoping Michelle Wie will be able to play as planned. As well as she scored on the weekend, I saw her shaking her right hand after many shots down the home stretch today. Here's hoping she's healthy enough to keep teeing it up. As excited as I am to watch LET winner this week Lee-Anne Pace tee it up against a bunch of Chinese up-and-comers (Xi Yu Lin, Jiayun Li, Yu Yang Zhang, Yuting Shi, Liqing Chen, star amateurs Jing Yan and Haruka Morita/Wanyao Lu, and new pros Simin Feng and Yu Liu) and veterans (Li-Ying Ye, Hongmei Yang, Hong Tian, and Panpan Yan) and LPGA stars (Lydia Ko, Shanshan Feng, Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, Anna Nordqvist, Azahara Munoz, Brittany Lincicome, Caroline Hedwall, Mirim Lee, Amy Yang, Morgan Pressel, and Ya Ni Tseng, among others), a tournament without Wie just doesn't have as much buzz in the U.S. and world media. Especially because Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen, and Na Yeon Choi are taking the week off to prepare for the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship (where Ai Miyazato got a sponsor invite!), the Blue Bay needs all the help it can get.
I was able to cap off a great birthday by watching Baek catch fire on the back in the middle of the night. In a week when heralded (and higher-ranked) under-22s struggled--Sei Young Kim hovered between 71 and 74 and finished T42 at +2, Ha Na Jang opened with an 80 and even 30-straight under-par rounds after it only got her back to T35 at +1, Lydia Ko could never get it going and finished T29 at -1, Minjee Lee was either awesome or awful (she sandwiched a 78 and a 74 between an opening 69 and a closing 64 to finish T24 at -3), and Kim needed that Sunday charge to finally get it out of neutral--Baek found her tempo and found the hole, making great chips, pitches, and sand saves when she needed to and taking advantage of almost every birdie opportunity she gave herself. For the week, she took 15 putts fewer than Inbee Park, who has probably been the best putter in the world for at least the last 4 years. Yes, Baek hit the fewest greens in regulation of anyone in the top 20 except Yoon Kyung Heo and Julieta Granada, but Heo had 120 putts and Granada 107 to Baek's 102. It's that kind of putting that wins you tournaments on any tour.
Speaking of which, it'll be interesting to see if Baek decides to take up LPGA membership next year. Will she make like Teresa Lu and decide to stay on her home tour for at least another year? For that matter, which KLPGA stars will decide by November 18th to sign up for the final stage of LPGA Q-School? Ha Na Jang has already expressed an interest in doing this....
Looking ahead to the inaugural Blue Bay LPGA event on Hainan Island, I'm hoping Michelle Wie will be able to play as planned. As well as she scored on the weekend, I saw her shaking her right hand after many shots down the home stretch today. Here's hoping she's healthy enough to keep teeing it up. As excited as I am to watch LET winner this week Lee-Anne Pace tee it up against a bunch of Chinese up-and-comers (Xi Yu Lin, Jiayun Li, Yu Yang Zhang, Yuting Shi, Liqing Chen, star amateurs Jing Yan and Haruka Morita/Wanyao Lu, and new pros Simin Feng and Yu Liu) and veterans (Li-Ying Ye, Hongmei Yang, Hong Tian, and Panpan Yan) and LPGA stars (Lydia Ko, Shanshan Feng, Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, Anna Nordqvist, Azahara Munoz, Brittany Lincicome, Caroline Hedwall, Mirim Lee, Amy Yang, Morgan Pressel, and Ya Ni Tseng, among others), a tournament without Wie just doesn't have as much buzz in the U.S. and world media. Especially because Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen, and Na Yeon Choi are taking the week off to prepare for the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship (where Ai Miyazato got a sponsor invite!), the Blue Bay needs all the help it can get.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia Weekdays: So Yeon Ryu Races To Lead
Stacy Lewis's 65 was the low round of the day on Thursday at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, but she stalled Friday and a million players (it seemed) blew by her, led by Ayako Uehara's 63 and 64s by Lydia Ko and Jodi Ewart Shadoff. But your leader at the halfway point is So Yeon Ryu, who went 66-65 to become the 1st player to get to double digits under par in the field. Ryu has been so dialed in, each of her 4 bogeys came as quite a shock. Let's see if she can handle the lead on the weekend better than Lewis did last week.
I was sick yesterday and catching up today, but I did get to see most of the tv coverage and really enjoyed seeing so many good rounds. But it would have been nice to see more of Azahara Munoz's 65 or find out that Sandra Gal matched it and Paula Creamer was only 1 shot worse, tied with Chella Choi. I'm excited to see a lot of Uehara today and will be rooting for Danielle Kang and Na Yeon Choi to get it going and Jenny Shin and Shanshan Feng to move into serious contention.
I was sick yesterday and catching up today, but I did get to see most of the tv coverage and really enjoyed seeing so many good rounds. But it would have been nice to see more of Azahara Munoz's 65 or find out that Sandra Gal matched it and Paula Creamer was only 1 shot worse, tied with Chella Choi. I'm excited to see a lot of Uehara today and will be rooting for Danielle Kang and Na Yeon Choi to get it going and Jenny Shin and Shanshan Feng to move into serious contention.
Monday, October 6, 2014
On NHK Coverage of the Japan Women's Open
Most JLPGA events are covered by Japanese cable channels, so despite having TV Japan through my own cable system, I almost never get to watch the top female golfers in Japan on tv. But NHK, which supplies the feed for TV Japan, does cover the Japan Women's Open. And the last 9 holes of the final round made it onto TV Japan. So I got to see first-hand the differences between NHK and Golf Channel's approaches to covering women's golf.
Give the Audience What They Want. In the U.S., Sunday coverage is all about the leaders and who's going to win. On NHK, I didn't see the leader Teresa Lu until 13 minutes into the coverage, and then, only to see her make her 1st bogey of the day when she missed a 20-foot par attempt. I did see a lot of Yun-Jye Wei, who became the co-leader upon Lu's miss, but that's mostly because she was playing with the media's new darling Ai Suzuki, who got the majority of coverage in the 1st 20 minutes, along with 17-year-old amateur Kana Nagai. Apparently NHK's audience wants to see Suzuki sizing up putts and Nagai walking up fairways, running off greens, and taking her rain jacket on and off, because the cameras followed their every move. We did get to see footage of Nagai's amazing eagle with a fairway wood on the 428-yard par-4, but instead of recapping their rounds and showing highlights that would help explain how they each got to -6, 2 shots off the lead after Lu's bogey, they relied on the announcers to set things up and instead focused on Suzuki's and Nagai's faces and reactions in the present. Lu had made 6 birdies in her 1st 11 holes to jump out to the lead, but mostly what the camera showed was how tiny and high-energy Nagai is and how Suzuki was reacting to the pressure of trying to win her 2nd major in a row (pouting a little after knocking her 30-foot birdie try 10-feet past, flashing a nervous smile after her par save lipped out). The NHK coverage certainly succeeded in establishing a quasi-intimacy with both young Japanese golfers, but to someone used to following the leaders on a Sunday, it was certainly strange that we saw only 2 shots from Lu and no tournament recap or highlights in the 1st 20 minutes!
What Have You Done for Me Lately? The other thing I'm used to from American golf coverage is a focus on the stars of the LPGA. How many times have we checked in on Paula Creamer over the years even when she's not in contention? It's an understatement to note that Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson get plenty of tv time, too. But for all that global golf fans criticize American tv for focusing so much on American stars, Golf Channel and the networks do a much better job of catching us up on all the stars of the LPGA than NHK on Japan Women's Open Sunday did for even established Japanese stars in the field. The only player besides Suzuki and Nagai to even get mentioned was Mika Miyazato, and that was during an interview with Suzuki. I can understand that Miyazato, Chie Arimura, Sakura Yokomine, Shiho Oyama, Rikako Morita, Misuzu Narita, and Momoko Ueda didn't have a chance to win, but not even to show a single shot from them in the 1st 20 minutes of coverage was frankly shocking to me. Same goes for money-list leader Bo-Mee Lee, #2 Sun-Ju Ahn, and #3 Ji-Yai Shin. Sure, they were well behind Lu and Wei, but they are the top 3 players on tour and both Shin and Ahn started the day with a great chance to pass Lee on the money list. I mean, Mikan was playing with Lu and Ahn with Nagai, but we only saw Mikan's approach on 18 just past the hour mark (too bad she went on to 3-putt!) and mostly just caught glimpses of Ahn at the corners or edges of shots of Nagai or her shots until the 18th hole, when she stuck her approach to 12 feet and made the birdie to finish in solo 4th.
Game on! Things got a little better after the 20-minute mark. We saw Na-Ri Lee around 22 and a half minutes into the coverage, who had gotten to -6 thanks to back-to-back birdies to close out the front (which again they chose not to recap for us), leave a long birdie try on 12 well short and make the 6-foot par save right after Suzuki got up-and-down from a bad lie near the green and Wei failed to. We saw Lu's approach to pin-high on the 365-yard par-4 15th right after she became the solo leader. We saw the 2nd page of the leaderboard for the 1st time. We saw Lee make a 30-footer on the par-3 13th to move to -7. We saw Lu hit her birdie putt through the break. We saw Wei struggle with the wet rough and Suzuki with the green-side bunker's wet sand as they both bogeyed the 11th. We saw Lu land her approach on the par-5 16th a foot past the pin but bound 16 feet away. We saw Nagai hit the middle of the green on the 15th and Lee barely avoid a green-side bunker on the 14th. We saw Lu just miss the right-to-left sweeping birdie try. And so on. The NHK's coverage definitely found its rhythm in the next half-hour, although they still spent the most time on Suzuki's shots and gave the announcers plenty of time to talk about every aspect of her play.
Nice Tech! I liked the bullseye with blue 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10-meter circles they'd superimpose around some of the pins on certain approach shots. I also liked how they'd sometimes show a map of the hole to the left of the player about to hit their drives, or show the exact length of a putt by superimposing a line and the distance in meters on the green, or show arcs from the bullseye on sand shots so we could see how far the player was from the pin and how the terrain and the distance from the hole interacted. It was informative without being distracting.
Down to the Wire! Yes, they spent far too much time on Wei's bogey train on the back, but as it got down to the wire, Lu and Lee got a lot more coverage. Lu made a great lag on the 406-yard 18th from maybe 60 feet to par out and finish her week at -8, just before Lee left a 8-foot downhill big breaker 10 inches short on the 16th to remain 1 back. They spent a lot of time on the 17th tee as Lee chose a utility club, sized up her shot to the back-left pin, and pulled it into the front of the greenside left bunker--and focused on her face for almost the entire walk up the 180-yard par 3. And they did a fantastic job on her shot from the sand and reaction to the ball going in the hole to tie her for the lead, showing it live and in slow motion twice. Even as she pulled her drive on 18 into the left rough, they spent a lot of time on the green with Nagai (who just missed sinking a 50-footer for birdie and was beaming as she walked off the green) and Ahn (who had a great reaction to making her birdie try). Lee could barely get her approach over the pond 50 yards short of the green and faced a tough uphill pitch from an uphill lie in deep rough. When she failed to carry it to the top tier and the ball rolled backwards to about 40 feet from the pin, she needed a miracle to force a playoff, but her putt was off-line from the start. She did well to save par from 6 feet and finish in solo 2nd.
After the End. At that point, the last 2 pairings still on the course had virtually no chance to force a playoff. How did NHK fill the rest of their air time? With more Suzuki and Wei, of course! But once they failed to get holes in 1 on 17, guaranteeing that Lu would win, the coverage pretty quickly shifted into an interview with Nagai, who had the best finish of any amateur in the history of the JWO. They even showed her her eagle and got her reaction to it at the very end of the interview--very cute! Before going back to Suzuki and Wei on the 17th green, they showed a list of low amateurs in the past 15 years or so and wondered aloud about who would make Team Japan in the 2016 Olympics. They showed Lee leaving the course, Lu hanging around the scorer's tent, and Ji-Yai Shin and Ah-Reum Hwang putting out on 18. After showing Wei's and Suzuki's approaches to 18, they finally went to the tapes, mentioning how Lu won the tournament with 3-straight birdies to start her round and showing how she sank 3 more in a 4-hole stretch as she made the turn, then focusing on key par putts down the stretch. (Apparently Lu didn't want to be interviewed before the awards ceremony.) So after Suzuki and Wei finished, it was back to Nagai's eagle and the 1st view of her birdie on 10, along with her best pars coming home, before showing the awards ceremony. After answering the first couple of questions in simple Japanese, she went back and forth between English and Japanese the rest of the interview, but mostly in English. After that, they moved so quickly into face time for their announcing crew and the closing montage that they barely had time to include defending champion Mika Miyazato congratulating new champion Teresa Lu from the awards ceremony in between.
And then, after 2 hours and 15 minutes of the most important women's golf tournament in Japan, a cute show on cats walking around in an Italian city began. Only in Japan!
Give the Audience What They Want. In the U.S., Sunday coverage is all about the leaders and who's going to win. On NHK, I didn't see the leader Teresa Lu until 13 minutes into the coverage, and then, only to see her make her 1st bogey of the day when she missed a 20-foot par attempt. I did see a lot of Yun-Jye Wei, who became the co-leader upon Lu's miss, but that's mostly because she was playing with the media's new darling Ai Suzuki, who got the majority of coverage in the 1st 20 minutes, along with 17-year-old amateur Kana Nagai. Apparently NHK's audience wants to see Suzuki sizing up putts and Nagai walking up fairways, running off greens, and taking her rain jacket on and off, because the cameras followed their every move. We did get to see footage of Nagai's amazing eagle with a fairway wood on the 428-yard par-4, but instead of recapping their rounds and showing highlights that would help explain how they each got to -6, 2 shots off the lead after Lu's bogey, they relied on the announcers to set things up and instead focused on Suzuki's and Nagai's faces and reactions in the present. Lu had made 6 birdies in her 1st 11 holes to jump out to the lead, but mostly what the camera showed was how tiny and high-energy Nagai is and how Suzuki was reacting to the pressure of trying to win her 2nd major in a row (pouting a little after knocking her 30-foot birdie try 10-feet past, flashing a nervous smile after her par save lipped out). The NHK coverage certainly succeeded in establishing a quasi-intimacy with both young Japanese golfers, but to someone used to following the leaders on a Sunday, it was certainly strange that we saw only 2 shots from Lu and no tournament recap or highlights in the 1st 20 minutes!
What Have You Done for Me Lately? The other thing I'm used to from American golf coverage is a focus on the stars of the LPGA. How many times have we checked in on Paula Creamer over the years even when she's not in contention? It's an understatement to note that Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson get plenty of tv time, too. But for all that global golf fans criticize American tv for focusing so much on American stars, Golf Channel and the networks do a much better job of catching us up on all the stars of the LPGA than NHK on Japan Women's Open Sunday did for even established Japanese stars in the field. The only player besides Suzuki and Nagai to even get mentioned was Mika Miyazato, and that was during an interview with Suzuki. I can understand that Miyazato, Chie Arimura, Sakura Yokomine, Shiho Oyama, Rikako Morita, Misuzu Narita, and Momoko Ueda didn't have a chance to win, but not even to show a single shot from them in the 1st 20 minutes of coverage was frankly shocking to me. Same goes for money-list leader Bo-Mee Lee, #2 Sun-Ju Ahn, and #3 Ji-Yai Shin. Sure, they were well behind Lu and Wei, but they are the top 3 players on tour and both Shin and Ahn started the day with a great chance to pass Lee on the money list. I mean, Mikan was playing with Lu and Ahn with Nagai, but we only saw Mikan's approach on 18 just past the hour mark (too bad she went on to 3-putt!) and mostly just caught glimpses of Ahn at the corners or edges of shots of Nagai or her shots until the 18th hole, when she stuck her approach to 12 feet and made the birdie to finish in solo 4th.
Game on! Things got a little better after the 20-minute mark. We saw Na-Ri Lee around 22 and a half minutes into the coverage, who had gotten to -6 thanks to back-to-back birdies to close out the front (which again they chose not to recap for us), leave a long birdie try on 12 well short and make the 6-foot par save right after Suzuki got up-and-down from a bad lie near the green and Wei failed to. We saw Lu's approach to pin-high on the 365-yard par-4 15th right after she became the solo leader. We saw the 2nd page of the leaderboard for the 1st time. We saw Lee make a 30-footer on the par-3 13th to move to -7. We saw Lu hit her birdie putt through the break. We saw Wei struggle with the wet rough and Suzuki with the green-side bunker's wet sand as they both bogeyed the 11th. We saw Lu land her approach on the par-5 16th a foot past the pin but bound 16 feet away. We saw Nagai hit the middle of the green on the 15th and Lee barely avoid a green-side bunker on the 14th. We saw Lu just miss the right-to-left sweeping birdie try. And so on. The NHK's coverage definitely found its rhythm in the next half-hour, although they still spent the most time on Suzuki's shots and gave the announcers plenty of time to talk about every aspect of her play.
Nice Tech! I liked the bullseye with blue 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10-meter circles they'd superimpose around some of the pins on certain approach shots. I also liked how they'd sometimes show a map of the hole to the left of the player about to hit their drives, or show the exact length of a putt by superimposing a line and the distance in meters on the green, or show arcs from the bullseye on sand shots so we could see how far the player was from the pin and how the terrain and the distance from the hole interacted. It was informative without being distracting.
Down to the Wire! Yes, they spent far too much time on Wei's bogey train on the back, but as it got down to the wire, Lu and Lee got a lot more coverage. Lu made a great lag on the 406-yard 18th from maybe 60 feet to par out and finish her week at -8, just before Lee left a 8-foot downhill big breaker 10 inches short on the 16th to remain 1 back. They spent a lot of time on the 17th tee as Lee chose a utility club, sized up her shot to the back-left pin, and pulled it into the front of the greenside left bunker--and focused on her face for almost the entire walk up the 180-yard par 3. And they did a fantastic job on her shot from the sand and reaction to the ball going in the hole to tie her for the lead, showing it live and in slow motion twice. Even as she pulled her drive on 18 into the left rough, they spent a lot of time on the green with Nagai (who just missed sinking a 50-footer for birdie and was beaming as she walked off the green) and Ahn (who had a great reaction to making her birdie try). Lee could barely get her approach over the pond 50 yards short of the green and faced a tough uphill pitch from an uphill lie in deep rough. When she failed to carry it to the top tier and the ball rolled backwards to about 40 feet from the pin, she needed a miracle to force a playoff, but her putt was off-line from the start. She did well to save par from 6 feet and finish in solo 2nd.
After the End. At that point, the last 2 pairings still on the course had virtually no chance to force a playoff. How did NHK fill the rest of their air time? With more Suzuki and Wei, of course! But once they failed to get holes in 1 on 17, guaranteeing that Lu would win, the coverage pretty quickly shifted into an interview with Nagai, who had the best finish of any amateur in the history of the JWO. They even showed her her eagle and got her reaction to it at the very end of the interview--very cute! Before going back to Suzuki and Wei on the 17th green, they showed a list of low amateurs in the past 15 years or so and wondered aloud about who would make Team Japan in the 2016 Olympics. They showed Lee leaving the course, Lu hanging around the scorer's tent, and Ji-Yai Shin and Ah-Reum Hwang putting out on 18. After showing Wei's and Suzuki's approaches to 18, they finally went to the tapes, mentioning how Lu won the tournament with 3-straight birdies to start her round and showing how she sank 3 more in a 4-hole stretch as she made the turn, then focusing on key par putts down the stretch. (Apparently Lu didn't want to be interviewed before the awards ceremony.) So after Suzuki and Wei finished, it was back to Nagai's eagle and the 1st view of her birdie on 10, along with her best pars coming home, before showing the awards ceremony. After answering the first couple of questions in simple Japanese, she went back and forth between English and Japanese the rest of the interview, but mostly in English. After that, they moved so quickly into face time for their announcing crew and the closing montage that they barely had time to include defending champion Mika Miyazato congratulating new champion Teresa Lu from the awards ceremony in between.
And then, after 2 hours and 15 minutes of the most important women's golf tournament in Japan, a cute show on cats walking around in an Italian city began. Only in Japan!
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Reignwood LPGA Classic Sunday: Can Stacy Lewis Do It?
Stacy Lewis has won a lot since breaking through in April 2011 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, but she's also come in 2nd 13 times on the LPGA alone between then and now. Last year's inaugural Reignwood LPGA Classic was 1 of them. Can she shake off all those near-misses, continue her bounceback from yesterday's weak start, and outrun and outgun the likes of Caroline Hedwall, Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen, and So Yeon Ryu today? Let's see!
[Update 1 (12:58 am): Lewis birdied 1 to move to -14 and Hedwall bogeyed it to fall to -12. Brittany Lang bogeyed 2 but birdied 3 to return to -11. Mi-Hyang Lee fired a bogey-free 32 on the front to move to -9, but with Park, Pettersen, and Ryu struggling, the player with the most momentum right now is Mirim Lee, who birdied 5 and 6 to move to -13.]
[Update 2 (1:05 am): I'm about 3 holes behind on the tv coverage, so I'll be backtracking a bit now. Key thing to keep in mind today is that the winds are up and the greens are drying out. Stacy looks like she's playing great, with 2 near-misses from close range on the next 2 holes. Can't wait to see how Mi Jung Hur birdies 5 and 6 to move to -9.]
[Update 3 (1:20 am): Nice par saves by Hedwall on 3 and 4. Looks like Lewis bogeyed the par-3 7th to drop back into a 3-way tie for the lead with Hedwall and Mirim Lee.]
[Update 4 (1:25 am): Park went bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie on 5 through 8 to stay at -10. Mirim Lee just birdied the par-4 8th to take the lead at -14!]
[Update 5 (1:39 am): Wow, Hedwall hit the par-5 6th in 2 and Mirim Lee had a 300-yard drive but couldn't take advantage of it, leaving it in a bunker short-right of the pin.]
[Update 6 (1:41 am): Chella Choi birdied both par 5s on the front to get to -9.]
[Update 7 (1:46 am): Nice sandie from Mirim Lee and 2-putt from Hedwall on that par-5 6th. Stacy's putter is just the slightest bit off of late. Can't say she hasn't been giving herself chances.]
[Update 8 (1:47 am): Add Haeji Kang to the group at -9; she just birdied 11.]
[Update 9 (1:50 am): Wow, that bunker Inbee pulled her approach into on #7 was deep! Not surprised she bogeyed that hole after barely carrying the lip!]
[Update 10 (1:51 am): The producers and announcers sure love Ilhee Lee and Caroline Masson, but neither is really in this thing. Still, it's nice to see less tunnel vision than usual on coverage of the LPGA.]
[Update 11 (1:54 am): Wow, Lewis and Hedwall birdied the par-5 9th to catch Mirim Lee at -14! Can't wait to see how that happened!]
[Update 12 (2:03 am): Nice approach from Choi on 9, bouncing it through the fringe with a little wedge to giver herself that birdie opportunity I mentioned a few updates back!]
[Update 13 (2:06 am): Really impressed with Hedwall's pressure putting. Another great par save on the par-3 7th.]
[Update 14 (2:13 am): That was a pretty long birdie putt for Inbee on 8!]
[Update 15 (2:16 am): Impressive win for Teresa Lu at the Japan Women's Open! Now that the biggest event in women's golf in Japan has been decided, I can make a concerted effort to catch up with the tv coverage of this one.]
[Update 16 (2:18 am): Can't wait to catch up to the 10th, as Lewis and Hedwall just gave their birdies back and handed the lead to Mirim Lee once more!]
[Update 17 (2:19 am): And how about those 3 birdies in a row by Kang to get to -11?!]
[Update 18 (2:22 am): Wow, Hedwall really blew that long sweeper by the hole on the 8th green. Crazy-long birdie over the ridge by Mirim Lee right after! Fantastic composure by Hedwall to make her 3rd big par save in her 1st 8 holes!]
[Update 19 (2:24 am): Near-chip-in from near the pond on 9 for Pettersen after going for the par 5 in 2. Can understand why she made a birdie there!]
[Update 20 (2:26 am): Can see why Inbee couldn't birdie 9 after seeing where she left her 2nd shot, just far enough right to bring a hill/ridge into play on her pitch and increase her degree of difficulty.]
[Update 21 (2:33 am): Impressive wedges in from Lewis and Hedwall on 9. Can see why they birdied the hole!]
[Update 22 (2:38 am): Bogey on the 1st of 3 par 5s on the back drops Park to -9. Like Ryu, Pettersen, Hur, Chella Choi, and Ilhee Lee, she'll need a miracle to contend now.]
[Update 23 (2:40 am): Slow play and clicking cameras join the shifting winds as factors that challenge the leaders' focus.]
[Update 24 (2:42 am): Mi-Hyang Lee keeps her bogey-free round going and makes her 5th birdie of the day on the par-3 17th. She's now -10.]
[Update 25 (2:45 am): Pornanong Phatlum has made 5 birdies in her last 13 hole to move to -9!]
[Update 26 (2:48 am): Too strong a chip and a spun-out 4-footer were what caused Lewis's bogey on 10. Hedwall actually made a great up-and-down after a terrible chip to save bogey on 10.]
[Update 27 (2:51 am): Park continues her bounceback day with a birdie on the par-3 13th to return to -10. She's only 3 back now, as Mirim Lee bogeyed the par-5 12th to fall back to a tie for the lead with Lewis and Hedwall, who could only par it.]
[Update 28 (2:54 am): What a great week for Mariajo Uribe! After starting bogey-bogey, she made 5 birdies and no bogeys the rest of the way to end the tournament at -8. Only 108 putts all week, too! She's leader in the clubhouse right now.]
[Update 29 (2:57 am): If you're wondering what Lang's been doing all this time, she's made 10 pars in a row. Despite missing some make-able birdie putts along the way, she's still only 2 back with 5 holes left to play.]
[Update 30 (2:59 am): What a long par save for Kang after getting off her 3-hole birdie train!]
[Update 31 (3:03 am): Phatlum finishes her round with 3 birdies in a row to end her week at -10! Birdie-birdie finish for Mi-Hyang Lee to pass her and become the new leader in the clubhouse at -11!]
[Update 32 (3:04 am): Looked like Mirim Lee decelled and still blasted her 5-foot par attempt on the par-5 12th by the hole!]
[Update 33 (3:05 am): That was not an easy birdie putt for Inbee on 13! Maybe 20 feet?]
[Update 34 (3:06 am): Great approach by Hedwall on 13! Front pin with wind behind is really tough and she made it look easy!]
[Update 35 (3:09 am): Catching up to reality in my tv fast forwarding. 3 good approaches on 13 but no birdies.]
[Update 36 (3:12 am): Lee's miss was the worst stroke, but all came close!]
[Update 37 (3:19 am): Love how Hedwall's using the Texas wedge to try to take down the Texan world #1! I can't believe that 30-footer didn't drop for her on 14!]
[Update 38 (3:21 am): Speaking of Texas wedges, how about Lang's on 15?! Got it within 6 feet from maybe 70 yards away! Whoa, Stacy missed a very make-able 5-foot par save.]
[Update 39 (3:22 am): So now Hedwall and Lee lead at -13, Lewis is -12, and Lang has a chance to get there on the 15th.]
[Update 40 (3:25 am): Such a frustrating miss for Lang!]
[Update 41 (3:26 am): With 2 par 5s in the last 3 holes, I don't know why the announcers are writing off those at -10. Yes, Kang failed to birdie 16, but she's still only 2 back.]
[Update 42 (3:29 am): Wow, only 106 putts from Mi-Hyang Lee this week! And 107 from Phatlum!]
[Update 43 (3:33 am): Good strategy, bad execution on the approach from Stacy on the short 15th.]
[Update 44 (3:37 am): Hedwall had trouble from the left rough making solid enough contact to get the ball to the back tier. But it's better than being in that deep left trap that Lewis is in. Lee, meanwhile, rolled her approach all the way to the back fringe.]
[Update 45 (3:38 am): Big birdie for Yanhong Pan on 18 to guarantee herself a top 10.]
[Update 46 (3:40 am): Good lag for Hedwall. Looked like a misread by Lee on her birdie attempt. Just figured out that it's black clothes/putter vs. white clothes/putter for those 2!]
[Update 47 (3:41 am): Great sandie by Lewis!!!!]
[Update 48 (3:42 am): Maybe Lang should have used another Texas wedge after getting so close to the green in 2 on the par-5 16th.]
[Update 49 (3:43 am): Lang's birdie from 15 feet missed on the high side.]
[Update 50 (3:44 am): But Park made her 14-footer to join Lang and Mi-Hyang Lee at -11. But Kang just stuck one on 18 and looks like she'll finish at -12.]
[Update 51 (3:46 am): Probably too little, too late, but Pettersen's birdied 2 in a row and with 2 to play is -9.]
[Update 52 (3:47 am): Hedwall went for 16 in 2 but it landed soft in that uphill area 20 yards short of the green and stopped there.]
[Update 53 (3:52 am): Kang made that birdie putt look easy. She's now leader in the clubhouse and only 1 back.]
[Update 54 (3:55 am): Inbee's going to need to make another 20-footer to have a chance to win this thing, as LPGA.com is showing Mirim Lee with a birdie on 16! In fact, she almost chipped in for eagle!]
[Update 55 (3:56 am): Hedwall's chip just carried a foot too far and rolled into that range she's been making a lot of testers from. Stacy's approach from much further back ended up much further away.]
[Update 56 (3:58 am): Lewis couldn't do it, while it was one of Hedwall's worst strokes of the day, and Park couldn't sink her birdie try, so Lee is -14, Hedwall is -13, and Lewis and Kang are at -12.]
[Update 57 (4:03 am): Wow, did Lee come around on that short iron on 17--probably in the water or unplayable! Hedwall stuck it into the back-left corner of the green, maybe 15 feet away from the pin. Lewis had good tempo, but babied it to the middle of the green, maybe 35 feet short of the pin.]
[Update 58 (4:07 am): What a great walkoff pitch-in for eagle by Yuting Shi to join countrywoman Pan at -8. Won't be a top 10 for either, but good weeks for both!]
[Update 59 (4:11 am): Lee could play it out from the edge of the rocks near the water and got it to the middle of the green. Lewis will show her the line and made a great run at it. But she rolled it 4 feet by just on the low side. Lee canned her putt from 25 feet out!! Now it's up to Hedwall to tie her. Hedwall's putt looked great until the last 4 inches. Now, with Chella Choi birdieing 18 and Mi Jung Hur doubling it, we know 3-shot swings are possible on the final hole. Let's see if this year's finish can be as amazing as last year's!]
[Update 60 (4:12 am): Missed comebacker by Lewis means she needs even more of a miracle than Feng did last year.]
[Update 61 (4:18 am): Shi actually finished at -7. Pan ended up tied with Uribe and Pettersen (who missed a little putt on 18) at T11, -8.]
[Update 62 (4:20 am): Lang went for 18 in 2 and ended up in the back rough. Masson went even further over in 2. Inbee sucked her wedge back to tap-in range to join Kang at -12. Shades of what the final group will have to deal with?]
[Update 63 (4:27 am): Stacy pulled her drive into the rough and had to lay up. Hedwall and Lee hit it far and straight enough off the tee to go for the green in 2 if they want.]
[Update 64 (4:31 am): Lang and Park birdie 18 to join Kang at -12.]
[Update 65 (4:33 am): Hedwall yanked a hybrid left into that waste bunker. Lee pulled an iron there, too!]
[Update 66 (4:35 am): Stacy was trying to make it from around 100 yards out, but left it about 25 feet short-right of the pin. Best she can do is join the trio at -12.]
[Update 67 (4:38 am): Lee went 1st and got the ball to run out after carrying it onto the green, and it climbed the tier to end up about 7 feet short left of the pin. Fantastic shot!]
[Update 68 (4:40 am): Hedwall hit hers higher and softer and barely landed it on the fringe, so she'll need to snake in a long twisty one to force Lee to make hers to win.]
[Update 69 (4:42 am): Neither Hedwall nor Lewis could make theirs. So Lee needs 2 putts to win.]
[Update 70 (4:45 am): Hedwall makes her par putt (another tester) to finish 2nd at -13. Lee sinks her birdie and gets her 2nd win in her rookie campaign on the LPGA!]
[Update 1 (12:58 am): Lewis birdied 1 to move to -14 and Hedwall bogeyed it to fall to -12. Brittany Lang bogeyed 2 but birdied 3 to return to -11. Mi-Hyang Lee fired a bogey-free 32 on the front to move to -9, but with Park, Pettersen, and Ryu struggling, the player with the most momentum right now is Mirim Lee, who birdied 5 and 6 to move to -13.]
[Update 2 (1:05 am): I'm about 3 holes behind on the tv coverage, so I'll be backtracking a bit now. Key thing to keep in mind today is that the winds are up and the greens are drying out. Stacy looks like she's playing great, with 2 near-misses from close range on the next 2 holes. Can't wait to see how Mi Jung Hur birdies 5 and 6 to move to -9.]
[Update 3 (1:20 am): Nice par saves by Hedwall on 3 and 4. Looks like Lewis bogeyed the par-3 7th to drop back into a 3-way tie for the lead with Hedwall and Mirim Lee.]
[Update 4 (1:25 am): Park went bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie on 5 through 8 to stay at -10. Mirim Lee just birdied the par-4 8th to take the lead at -14!]
[Update 5 (1:39 am): Wow, Hedwall hit the par-5 6th in 2 and Mirim Lee had a 300-yard drive but couldn't take advantage of it, leaving it in a bunker short-right of the pin.]
[Update 6 (1:41 am): Chella Choi birdied both par 5s on the front to get to -9.]
[Update 7 (1:46 am): Nice sandie from Mirim Lee and 2-putt from Hedwall on that par-5 6th. Stacy's putter is just the slightest bit off of late. Can't say she hasn't been giving herself chances.]
[Update 8 (1:47 am): Add Haeji Kang to the group at -9; she just birdied 11.]
[Update 9 (1:50 am): Wow, that bunker Inbee pulled her approach into on #7 was deep! Not surprised she bogeyed that hole after barely carrying the lip!]
[Update 10 (1:51 am): The producers and announcers sure love Ilhee Lee and Caroline Masson, but neither is really in this thing. Still, it's nice to see less tunnel vision than usual on coverage of the LPGA.]
[Update 11 (1:54 am): Wow, Lewis and Hedwall birdied the par-5 9th to catch Mirim Lee at -14! Can't wait to see how that happened!]
[Update 12 (2:03 am): Nice approach from Choi on 9, bouncing it through the fringe with a little wedge to giver herself that birdie opportunity I mentioned a few updates back!]
[Update 13 (2:06 am): Really impressed with Hedwall's pressure putting. Another great par save on the par-3 7th.]
[Update 14 (2:13 am): That was a pretty long birdie putt for Inbee on 8!]
[Update 15 (2:16 am): Impressive win for Teresa Lu at the Japan Women's Open! Now that the biggest event in women's golf in Japan has been decided, I can make a concerted effort to catch up with the tv coverage of this one.]
[Update 16 (2:18 am): Can't wait to catch up to the 10th, as Lewis and Hedwall just gave their birdies back and handed the lead to Mirim Lee once more!]
[Update 17 (2:19 am): And how about those 3 birdies in a row by Kang to get to -11?!]
[Update 18 (2:22 am): Wow, Hedwall really blew that long sweeper by the hole on the 8th green. Crazy-long birdie over the ridge by Mirim Lee right after! Fantastic composure by Hedwall to make her 3rd big par save in her 1st 8 holes!]
[Update 19 (2:24 am): Near-chip-in from near the pond on 9 for Pettersen after going for the par 5 in 2. Can understand why she made a birdie there!]
[Update 20 (2:26 am): Can see why Inbee couldn't birdie 9 after seeing where she left her 2nd shot, just far enough right to bring a hill/ridge into play on her pitch and increase her degree of difficulty.]
[Update 21 (2:33 am): Impressive wedges in from Lewis and Hedwall on 9. Can see why they birdied the hole!]
[Update 22 (2:38 am): Bogey on the 1st of 3 par 5s on the back drops Park to -9. Like Ryu, Pettersen, Hur, Chella Choi, and Ilhee Lee, she'll need a miracle to contend now.]
[Update 23 (2:40 am): Slow play and clicking cameras join the shifting winds as factors that challenge the leaders' focus.]
[Update 24 (2:42 am): Mi-Hyang Lee keeps her bogey-free round going and makes her 5th birdie of the day on the par-3 17th. She's now -10.]
[Update 25 (2:45 am): Pornanong Phatlum has made 5 birdies in her last 13 hole to move to -9!]
[Update 26 (2:48 am): Too strong a chip and a spun-out 4-footer were what caused Lewis's bogey on 10. Hedwall actually made a great up-and-down after a terrible chip to save bogey on 10.]
[Update 27 (2:51 am): Park continues her bounceback day with a birdie on the par-3 13th to return to -10. She's only 3 back now, as Mirim Lee bogeyed the par-5 12th to fall back to a tie for the lead with Lewis and Hedwall, who could only par it.]
[Update 28 (2:54 am): What a great week for Mariajo Uribe! After starting bogey-bogey, she made 5 birdies and no bogeys the rest of the way to end the tournament at -8. Only 108 putts all week, too! She's leader in the clubhouse right now.]
[Update 29 (2:57 am): If you're wondering what Lang's been doing all this time, she's made 10 pars in a row. Despite missing some make-able birdie putts along the way, she's still only 2 back with 5 holes left to play.]
[Update 30 (2:59 am): What a long par save for Kang after getting off her 3-hole birdie train!]
[Update 31 (3:03 am): Phatlum finishes her round with 3 birdies in a row to end her week at -10! Birdie-birdie finish for Mi-Hyang Lee to pass her and become the new leader in the clubhouse at -11!]
[Update 32 (3:04 am): Looked like Mirim Lee decelled and still blasted her 5-foot par attempt on the par-5 12th by the hole!]
[Update 33 (3:05 am): That was not an easy birdie putt for Inbee on 13! Maybe 20 feet?]
[Update 34 (3:06 am): Great approach by Hedwall on 13! Front pin with wind behind is really tough and she made it look easy!]
[Update 35 (3:09 am): Catching up to reality in my tv fast forwarding. 3 good approaches on 13 but no birdies.]
[Update 36 (3:12 am): Lee's miss was the worst stroke, but all came close!]
[Update 37 (3:19 am): Love how Hedwall's using the Texas wedge to try to take down the Texan world #1! I can't believe that 30-footer didn't drop for her on 14!]
[Update 38 (3:21 am): Speaking of Texas wedges, how about Lang's on 15?! Got it within 6 feet from maybe 70 yards away! Whoa, Stacy missed a very make-able 5-foot par save.]
[Update 39 (3:22 am): So now Hedwall and Lee lead at -13, Lewis is -12, and Lang has a chance to get there on the 15th.]
[Update 40 (3:25 am): Such a frustrating miss for Lang!]
[Update 41 (3:26 am): With 2 par 5s in the last 3 holes, I don't know why the announcers are writing off those at -10. Yes, Kang failed to birdie 16, but she's still only 2 back.]
[Update 42 (3:29 am): Wow, only 106 putts from Mi-Hyang Lee this week! And 107 from Phatlum!]
[Update 43 (3:33 am): Good strategy, bad execution on the approach from Stacy on the short 15th.]
[Update 44 (3:37 am): Hedwall had trouble from the left rough making solid enough contact to get the ball to the back tier. But it's better than being in that deep left trap that Lewis is in. Lee, meanwhile, rolled her approach all the way to the back fringe.]
[Update 45 (3:38 am): Big birdie for Yanhong Pan on 18 to guarantee herself a top 10.]
[Update 46 (3:40 am): Good lag for Hedwall. Looked like a misread by Lee on her birdie attempt. Just figured out that it's black clothes/putter vs. white clothes/putter for those 2!]
[Update 47 (3:41 am): Great sandie by Lewis!!!!]
[Update 48 (3:42 am): Maybe Lang should have used another Texas wedge after getting so close to the green in 2 on the par-5 16th.]
[Update 49 (3:43 am): Lang's birdie from 15 feet missed on the high side.]
[Update 50 (3:44 am): But Park made her 14-footer to join Lang and Mi-Hyang Lee at -11. But Kang just stuck one on 18 and looks like she'll finish at -12.]
[Update 51 (3:46 am): Probably too little, too late, but Pettersen's birdied 2 in a row and with 2 to play is -9.]
[Update 52 (3:47 am): Hedwall went for 16 in 2 but it landed soft in that uphill area 20 yards short of the green and stopped there.]
[Update 53 (3:52 am): Kang made that birdie putt look easy. She's now leader in the clubhouse and only 1 back.]
[Update 54 (3:55 am): Inbee's going to need to make another 20-footer to have a chance to win this thing, as LPGA.com is showing Mirim Lee with a birdie on 16! In fact, she almost chipped in for eagle!]
[Update 55 (3:56 am): Hedwall's chip just carried a foot too far and rolled into that range she's been making a lot of testers from. Stacy's approach from much further back ended up much further away.]
[Update 56 (3:58 am): Lewis couldn't do it, while it was one of Hedwall's worst strokes of the day, and Park couldn't sink her birdie try, so Lee is -14, Hedwall is -13, and Lewis and Kang are at -12.]
[Update 57 (4:03 am): Wow, did Lee come around on that short iron on 17--probably in the water or unplayable! Hedwall stuck it into the back-left corner of the green, maybe 15 feet away from the pin. Lewis had good tempo, but babied it to the middle of the green, maybe 35 feet short of the pin.]
[Update 58 (4:07 am): What a great walkoff pitch-in for eagle by Yuting Shi to join countrywoman Pan at -8. Won't be a top 10 for either, but good weeks for both!]
[Update 59 (4:11 am): Lee could play it out from the edge of the rocks near the water and got it to the middle of the green. Lewis will show her the line and made a great run at it. But she rolled it 4 feet by just on the low side. Lee canned her putt from 25 feet out!! Now it's up to Hedwall to tie her. Hedwall's putt looked great until the last 4 inches. Now, with Chella Choi birdieing 18 and Mi Jung Hur doubling it, we know 3-shot swings are possible on the final hole. Let's see if this year's finish can be as amazing as last year's!]
[Update 60 (4:12 am): Missed comebacker by Lewis means she needs even more of a miracle than Feng did last year.]
[Update 61 (4:18 am): Shi actually finished at -7. Pan ended up tied with Uribe and Pettersen (who missed a little putt on 18) at T11, -8.]
[Update 62 (4:20 am): Lang went for 18 in 2 and ended up in the back rough. Masson went even further over in 2. Inbee sucked her wedge back to tap-in range to join Kang at -12. Shades of what the final group will have to deal with?]
[Update 63 (4:27 am): Stacy pulled her drive into the rough and had to lay up. Hedwall and Lee hit it far and straight enough off the tee to go for the green in 2 if they want.]
[Update 64 (4:31 am): Lang and Park birdie 18 to join Kang at -12.]
[Update 65 (4:33 am): Hedwall yanked a hybrid left into that waste bunker. Lee pulled an iron there, too!]
[Update 66 (4:35 am): Stacy was trying to make it from around 100 yards out, but left it about 25 feet short-right of the pin. Best she can do is join the trio at -12.]
[Update 67 (4:38 am): Lee went 1st and got the ball to run out after carrying it onto the green, and it climbed the tier to end up about 7 feet short left of the pin. Fantastic shot!]
[Update 68 (4:40 am): Hedwall hit hers higher and softer and barely landed it on the fringe, so she'll need to snake in a long twisty one to force Lee to make hers to win.]
[Update 69 (4:42 am): Neither Hedwall nor Lewis could make theirs. So Lee needs 2 putts to win.]
[Update 70 (4:45 am): Hedwall makes her par putt (another tester) to finish 2nd at -13. Lee sinks her birdie and gets her 2nd win in her rookie campaign on the LPGA!]
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic Thursday: Strike While the Iron Is Hot!
Mi Jung Hur went low today at the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, opening with a bogey-free 64 to take a 2-shot lead on Cydney Clanton and a 3-shot lead on Beatriz Recari, Christina Kim, Ilhee Lee, and Kris Tamulis. Hur has been playing great golf pretty much since I followed her at the Wegmans LPGA Championship. She's had 5 rounds in the 60s out of her last 9 and 7 under-par rounds in her last 12. Should I start talking about a Mostly Harmless bump instead of a Mostly Harmless jinx? We'll have to see how she backs up this 8-birdie, 25-putt extravaganza over the next 54 holes, but it's really amazing how she's found something so suddenly.
And how about Mika Miyazato making 6 birdies and taking only 26 putts on her way to a 68, her best round since June 1st at the ShopRite?!
I think as golf writers we can make too much of trends and slumps and stats and forget that all these players are capable of doing great things at any time. Pros have to be so opportunistic about their good shots, good runs, good rounds, and good weeks. Strike while the iron is hot ought to be the motto of the tournament this week!
By the same token, golf remains a really cruel game, and even someone like Angela Stanford, who's had great success at this tournament, can go +5 in a 7-hole stretch and need a walkoff birdie to salvage a 76, as she did today. Let's see if she can go on a tear tomorrow.
But before then let's see who's going to shine on Golf Channel today. I may even get to watch this thing live if I can get a lot of work-related writing done in the next hour and a half. I'll be back!
[Update 1 (9/19/14, 7:02 am): Ah, I got caught up in writing and researching other things. Hoping to find the time to catch Stacy Lewis's bogey-free 66, which was sparked by 5 birdies in her last 6 holes! It'll be interesting to see how Paula Reto (65, #105 on LPGA money list), Karin Sjodin (66, #119), Cydney Clanton (66, #145), Joanna Klatten (69, #100), and Maria McBride (69, #154) follow up their great opening rounds today, too.]
And how about Mika Miyazato making 6 birdies and taking only 26 putts on her way to a 68, her best round since June 1st at the ShopRite?!
I think as golf writers we can make too much of trends and slumps and stats and forget that all these players are capable of doing great things at any time. Pros have to be so opportunistic about their good shots, good runs, good rounds, and good weeks. Strike while the iron is hot ought to be the motto of the tournament this week!
By the same token, golf remains a really cruel game, and even someone like Angela Stanford, who's had great success at this tournament, can go +5 in a 7-hole stretch and need a walkoff birdie to salvage a 76, as she did today. Let's see if she can go on a tear tomorrow.
But before then let's see who's going to shine on Golf Channel today. I may even get to watch this thing live if I can get a lot of work-related writing done in the next hour and a half. I'll be back!
[Update 1 (9/19/14, 7:02 am): Ah, I got caught up in writing and researching other things. Hoping to find the time to catch Stacy Lewis's bogey-free 66, which was sparked by 5 birdies in her last 6 holes! It'll be interesting to see how Paula Reto (65, #105 on LPGA money list), Karin Sjodin (66, #119), Cydney Clanton (66, #145), Joanna Klatten (69, #100), and Maria McBride (69, #154) follow up their great opening rounds today, too.]
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Evian Championship Sunday: Hyo Joo Kim Beats Karrie Webb on 72nd Hole on Network TV...and I Miss It!
Hyo Joo Kim looked to be in control of the Evian Championship for much of the final round, despite charges by Na Yeon Choi and Ha Na Jang, and an eagle-par-birdie run by Mi Jung Hur, but right about the time Golf Channel coverage switched over to NBC, things changed dramatically. Even as Karrie Webb's birdie barrage in the middle of her round--5 birdies between the 9th and 15th holes that got the LPGA legend to -11--put the pressure on the 19-year-old KLPGA superstar, Kim bogeyed both par 3s on the back to drop from -12 to -10. And even as Choi, Jang, and Hur faltered down the stretch, the tournament came down to the 72nd hole.
Not that I got to see any of it. I was behind on my DVRed Golf Channel coverage and only found out about the switch to network tv a half-hour after its coverage had ended. So I didn't get to see how Kim stuck her approach on the final hole and sank her 12-foot birdie attempt while Webb's approach failed to fade and she failed to get up and down from the fringe to force a playoff. I didn't get to see the look on Webb's face down the home stretch as she was trying to become the 1st golfer to ever win 6 different major championships. I didn't get to see Kim's body language as she was trying to become the 3rd youngest winner of an LPGA major. At least I'll have highlights--some time.
But on a day the Buffalo Bills went 2-0 and my entire neighborhood was cheerful, I spent most of the afternoon annoyed at myself that I never double-checked LPGA.com or my tv listings. That's what I get for purposely staying off the web (after posting on 20-year-old Ai Suzuki's record-breaking major victory on the JLPGA, that is!) so that I could savor the final-round drama!
Not that I got to see any of it. I was behind on my DVRed Golf Channel coverage and only found out about the switch to network tv a half-hour after its coverage had ended. So I didn't get to see how Kim stuck her approach on the final hole and sank her 12-foot birdie attempt while Webb's approach failed to fade and she failed to get up and down from the fringe to force a playoff. I didn't get to see the look on Webb's face down the home stretch as she was trying to become the 1st golfer to ever win 6 different major championships. I didn't get to see Kim's body language as she was trying to become the 3rd youngest winner of an LPGA major. At least I'll have highlights--some time.
But on a day the Buffalo Bills went 2-0 and my entire neighborhood was cheerful, I spent most of the afternoon annoyed at myself that I never double-checked LPGA.com or my tv listings. That's what I get for purposely staying off the web (after posting on 20-year-old Ai Suzuki's record-breaking major victory on the JLPGA, that is!) so that I could savor the final-round drama!
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Evian Championship Saturday: A Tale of 2 Moving Days
It's hard to get a feel for what's happening at the Evian Championship just from following the live leaderboard, and I won't be able to catch up with the tv coverage until this evening, but it's pretty fair to say that moving day has been a mix of the best of times and worst of times for the golfers who made the cut at the LPGA's final major of 2014.
The Best of Times
The Best of Times
- Mi Jung Hur is -2 today and bogey-free over her last 13 holes and counting, which puts her in the lead at -9 with 6 holes to play today.
- Anna Nordqvist has made 9 birdies in her last 28 holes of bogey-free golf to pull within 2 shots of Hur's lead.
- Na Yeon Choi and Jane Park both fired 6-birdie 67s to move to -4 and E for the week, respectively.
- Ha Na Jang shrugged off a double in the middle of her round to post a 6-birdie 68 and move to -4 for the week, while Amelia Lewis birdied 6 of her last 10 holes to fight back to +1 on the strength of a 68 of her own.
The Worst of Times
- Brittany Lincicome opened with back-to-back doubles after playing her previous 31 holes without even a bogey and followed them up with a triple on the par-5 7th. Now at -3 for the week, she needs to regroup over her final 6 holes to have a chance to fight back into contention. Ah, she just birdied 13 to fight back to -4!
- Also tumbling down the leaderboard are Moriya Jutanugarn (who's made 5 bogeys in her last 12 holes to fall to -1), Minjee Lee (who's already made 5 bogeys today, as well, and is currently at E), Julieta Granada (who salvaged a 73 despite making 6 bogeys today and finished her day at E for the week), Mina Harigae (who bogeyed 5 of her 1st 6 holes and recently doubled the par-3 16th), and Amy Yang (who bogeyed 4 of her 1st 7 holes and just took a quad on the 16th!).
- I didn't expect the likes of Lydia Ko, Paula Creamer, Azahara Munoz, Shanshan Feng, and In-Kyung Kim to be over par today, but that's either where they finished or look likely to finish.
That leaves players like Hyo Joo Kim, Stacy Lewis, Suzann Pettersen, and Karrie Webb to muddle through today. Kim just birdied 2 holes in a row to get back to E on her day and -9 for the week; Lewis also has 4 birdies and 4 bogeys today and is still at -5; Pettersen had bogeyed 2 of her last 4 holes to drop to +1 on her day and -5 for the week; Webb is in a similar boat as Pettersen. Let's see what they can do down the home stretch!
[Update 1 (10:58 am): I was considering not writing about her until she was done with her round, so as to avoid calling down the Mostly Harmless jinx on her accidentally, but I decided to take the risk and note that Mariajo Uribe is -2 with 4 birdies today and at -6 with only 2 holes to play. Only Kim and Hur at -9 and Nordqvist at -7 are ahead of her!]
[Update 2 (10:59 am): That's 2 bounceback birdies in a row from Lincicome. She's now fought back to -5!!]
[Update 3 (11:03 am): The par-5 15th looks like it's going to be a key hole today. Lincicome can make it 3 birdies in a row if she plays it well. Webb just birdied it to return to -6. Lewis couldn't birdie it so she stays at -5. Jutanugarn birdied it to fight back to -2. Now just waiting to see what Pettersen, Hur, Kim, and Lincicome can do with it!]
[Update 4 (11:06 am): How about Inky and Ko both birdieing the 16th?!]
[Update 5 (11:08 am): Lexi Thompson had a 4-birdie, 4-bogey 71 to remain at -2 for the week, while Minjee Lee fought back with 2 birdies in her last 5 holes of bogey-free golf to join Creamer and Ayako Uehara at -1.]
[Update 6 (11:11 am): Too bad Ayako was the only Japanese golfer to play well today. Mika Miyazato (76) and Sakura Yokomine (75) fell back to +4 for the week. Se Ri Pak (75, +6), Beatriz Recari (76, +6), Cristie Kerr (75, +7), and Eun-Hee Ji (75, +8) were also in the moving backward club today, among many others!]
[Update 7 (11:14 am): Neither Pettersen nor Hur could birdie the par-5 15th. Opportunity for Lincicome and Kim to make something happen there!]
[Update 8 (11:15 am): Nordqvist just doubled the par-4 17th to fall back to -5.]
[Update 9 (11:16 am): Uribe bogeyed 18 to fall back to -1 on her day and -5 for the week.]
[Update 10 (11:18 am): Man, what a way for Nordqvist to end a 30-hole bogey-free run. If this keeps up, Kim and Hur could really separate themselves from the field today!]
[Update 11 (11:20 am): Just realized I never mentioned Inbee Park's 7-birdie 69 today, which also included 2 early bogeys, another bogey in the middle of her round, and a late double! At -3, she's not quite out of this thing just yet, either!]
[Update 12 (11:23 am): Kim could not birdie 15, so she still hasn't been able to return to where she was after 18 holes (double digits under par), while Lincicome killed her mo' with a bogey on 15!]
[Update 13 (11:23 am): This number update is as good as any to report that Yang's walkoff bogey left her with a 78 and left her at +3 for the week.]
[Update 14 (11:25 am): Walkoff bogey for Inky leaves her at -2. She'll need some help from Kim and Hur today and tomorrow to have a chance to win.]
[Update 15 (11:26 am): Inbee has not broken 30 putts all week, which is really rare for her. Here's hoping she's saved up a lot of 1-putts for tomorrow!]
[Update 16 (11:27 am): Whoa! Hur tripled 16!!! She's now -6!!!]
[Update 17 (11:34 am): And now Kim goes ahead and bogeys 16 to fall back to -8. With Lewis's bogey on 17, this race is tightening up!!]
[Update 18 (11:35 am): Meanwhile, Lincicome birdies 16 to fight back to -5!!]
[Update 19 (11:35 am): That's 3 birdies and 2 bogeys in her last 5 holes!]
[Update 20 (11:37 am): OK, Jutanugarn parred 18, so even though she made 3 bogeys on each side, she only had a 75 and is still -1 for the week.]
[Update 21 (11:38 am): Ko also parred 18, so is safely in at -4. Who knows how close or far from the lead that will be when all is said and done today?!]
[Update 22 (11:39 am): Ditto for Nordqvist, so she ends the day at -5.]
[Update 23 (11:40 am): Lewis finishes bogey-bogey to drop to -3 for the week.]
[Update 24 (11:41 am): Pettersen now doubled 17!! She's only -3 now. What a contrast to her strong finishes the 1st 2 days!]
[Update 25 (11:44 am): Webb's walkoff birdie gets her to -3 over her last 10 holes, -1 on her day, and -7 for the week!!!]
[Update 26 (11:49 am): Kim pars 17 to hang onto a 1-shot lead on Webb. Even pars are dramatic now!]
[Update 27 (11:50 am): Lincicome's bogey now makes it 6 holes without a par. And even at -4, she's by no means out of this thing!]
[Update 28 (11:55 am): Hur pars 18 to stay at -6 and Pettersen pars to stay at -3. Can't believe how few puts Hur has taken this week! Also can't believe I have to pull the plug on this. Girls' Japanese school is almost over!]
[Update 1 (10:58 am): I was considering not writing about her until she was done with her round, so as to avoid calling down the Mostly Harmless jinx on her accidentally, but I decided to take the risk and note that Mariajo Uribe is -2 with 4 birdies today and at -6 with only 2 holes to play. Only Kim and Hur at -9 and Nordqvist at -7 are ahead of her!]
[Update 2 (10:59 am): That's 2 bounceback birdies in a row from Lincicome. She's now fought back to -5!!]
[Update 3 (11:03 am): The par-5 15th looks like it's going to be a key hole today. Lincicome can make it 3 birdies in a row if she plays it well. Webb just birdied it to return to -6. Lewis couldn't birdie it so she stays at -5. Jutanugarn birdied it to fight back to -2. Now just waiting to see what Pettersen, Hur, Kim, and Lincicome can do with it!]
[Update 4 (11:06 am): How about Inky and Ko both birdieing the 16th?!]
[Update 5 (11:08 am): Lexi Thompson had a 4-birdie, 4-bogey 71 to remain at -2 for the week, while Minjee Lee fought back with 2 birdies in her last 5 holes of bogey-free golf to join Creamer and Ayako Uehara at -1.]
[Update 6 (11:11 am): Too bad Ayako was the only Japanese golfer to play well today. Mika Miyazato (76) and Sakura Yokomine (75) fell back to +4 for the week. Se Ri Pak (75, +6), Beatriz Recari (76, +6), Cristie Kerr (75, +7), and Eun-Hee Ji (75, +8) were also in the moving backward club today, among many others!]
[Update 7 (11:14 am): Neither Pettersen nor Hur could birdie the par-5 15th. Opportunity for Lincicome and Kim to make something happen there!]
[Update 8 (11:15 am): Nordqvist just doubled the par-4 17th to fall back to -5.]
[Update 9 (11:16 am): Uribe bogeyed 18 to fall back to -1 on her day and -5 for the week.]
[Update 10 (11:18 am): Man, what a way for Nordqvist to end a 30-hole bogey-free run. If this keeps up, Kim and Hur could really separate themselves from the field today!]
[Update 11 (11:20 am): Just realized I never mentioned Inbee Park's 7-birdie 69 today, which also included 2 early bogeys, another bogey in the middle of her round, and a late double! At -3, she's not quite out of this thing just yet, either!]
[Update 12 (11:23 am): Kim could not birdie 15, so she still hasn't been able to return to where she was after 18 holes (double digits under par), while Lincicome killed her mo' with a bogey on 15!]
[Update 13 (11:23 am): This number update is as good as any to report that Yang's walkoff bogey left her with a 78 and left her at +3 for the week.]
[Update 14 (11:25 am): Walkoff bogey for Inky leaves her at -2. She'll need some help from Kim and Hur today and tomorrow to have a chance to win.]
[Update 15 (11:26 am): Inbee has not broken 30 putts all week, which is really rare for her. Here's hoping she's saved up a lot of 1-putts for tomorrow!]
[Update 16 (11:27 am): Whoa! Hur tripled 16!!! She's now -6!!!]
[Update 17 (11:34 am): And now Kim goes ahead and bogeys 16 to fall back to -8. With Lewis's bogey on 17, this race is tightening up!!]
[Update 18 (11:35 am): Meanwhile, Lincicome birdies 16 to fight back to -5!!]
[Update 19 (11:35 am): That's 3 birdies and 2 bogeys in her last 5 holes!]
[Update 20 (11:37 am): OK, Jutanugarn parred 18, so even though she made 3 bogeys on each side, she only had a 75 and is still -1 for the week.]
[Update 21 (11:38 am): Ko also parred 18, so is safely in at -4. Who knows how close or far from the lead that will be when all is said and done today?!]
[Update 22 (11:39 am): Ditto for Nordqvist, so she ends the day at -5.]
[Update 23 (11:40 am): Lewis finishes bogey-bogey to drop to -3 for the week.]
[Update 24 (11:41 am): Pettersen now doubled 17!! She's only -3 now. What a contrast to her strong finishes the 1st 2 days!]
[Update 25 (11:44 am): Webb's walkoff birdie gets her to -3 over her last 10 holes, -1 on her day, and -7 for the week!!!]
[Update 26 (11:49 am): Kim pars 17 to hang onto a 1-shot lead on Webb. Even pars are dramatic now!]
[Update 27 (11:50 am): Lincicome's bogey now makes it 6 holes without a par. And even at -4, she's by no means out of this thing!]
[Update 28 (11:55 am): Hur pars 18 to stay at -6 and Pettersen pars to stay at -3. Can't believe how few puts Hur has taken this week! Also can't believe I have to pull the plug on this. Girls' Japanese school is almost over!]
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
My Picks for the Canadian Pacific Women's Open
Between the imminent start of the semester and the return to Western NY of my lovely ladies after nearly 2 months in Japan--not to mention needing to finish N.K. Jemisin's Inheritance trilogy and Guy Gavriel Kay's 2 amazing historical fantasy novels set in China (Under Heaven and River of Stars), as well as finish binge-watching Parks and Recreation before my students, colleagues, and family take up most of my time and attention--my post-Wegmans week has been packed already, so I'm rushing out my picks for the Canadian Pacific Women's Open tonight:
1. Ko
2. Park Inbee
3. Pettersen
4. Lewis, Stacy
5. Feng Shanshan
6. Kerr
7. Ryu
8. Thompson
9. Munoz
10. Nordqvist
11. Lincicome
12. Lee Mirim
Alts: Choi Chella; Stanford; Yang
So go with Tony Jesselli's this week rather than mine! Would love to sneak up to London, Ontario, on Sunday, but going to have to get a lot done the next 3 days for that to happen....
1. Ko
2. Park Inbee
3. Pettersen
4. Lewis, Stacy
5. Feng Shanshan
6. Kerr
7. Ryu
8. Thompson
9. Munoz
10. Nordqvist
11. Lincicome
12. Lee Mirim
Alts: Choi Chella; Stanford; Yang
So go with Tony Jesselli's this week rather than mine! Would love to sneak up to London, Ontario, on Sunday, but going to have to get a lot done the next 3 days for that to happen....
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Wegmans LPGA Championship Saturday: Who Will Make a Move as the Rains Move in on Pittsford?
I'm watching Golf Channel after walking 27 holes with Chie Arimura, Ayako Uehara, and Harukyo Nomura earlier today at the Wegmans LPGA Championship. (I got off the course just before rain arrived here at Monroe Golf Club.) My goal today was to follow Japanese golfers I haven't gotten to know as well as Ai Miyazato and Mika Miyazato; tomorrow, I want to follow Asian American golfers who are having great weeks like Tiffany Joh (-4), Jane Park (-4 through 12), Danielle Kang (-1), and Jennifer Song (E).
But it's time now to focus on the top of the leaderboard. Brittany Lincicome continues to play great golf this week, with birdies on 7, 9, and 12 to offset bogeys on 5 and 10. At -10, she leads Suzann Pettersen (-4 through 14 holes today) and Inbee Park (-2 through 12) by 2 shots. Julieta Granada is working on a 32-hole bogey-free streak and is only 3 off Lincicome's pace. Gerina Piller takes a 22-hole bogey-free run into the 18th hole and is tied with the fighting Lees, Meena and Mirim, at -6. And Anna Nordqvist's 69 has brought her to -5, tied right now with a struggling Lexi Thompson and a stuck-in-neutral-while-riding-a-roller-coaster Lydia Ko.
On to the not-quite-live blogging!
[Update 1 (5:49 pm): Meena Lee just birdied the par-5 14th to move to -7.]
[Update 2 (5:51 pm): Inbee jetted a birdie attempt well past the hole on 13 but I guess she saved par. Lexi went for 14 in 2 after a great drive but yanked it left into deep rough. Pettersen made her 4th birdie in her last 6 holes to move to -9. She's tied for the lead now as Lincicome missed her par save on 13.]
[Update 3 (5:56 pm): Lexi did birdie 14! Piller made a great 8-footer on 18 to keep her bogey-free run alive!]
[Update 4 (5:59 pm): Both Inbee and Brittany hit 14 in 2. Lincicome was 1 yard shorter than Kirby, apparently.]
[Update 5 (6:00 pm): Nice sand play from Pettersen as Golf Channel goes to commercial.]
[Update 6 (6:02 pm): I hope Golf Channel shows Mirim Lee's birdie on 17!]
[Update 7 (6:04 pm): Instead they show Brittany just miss an eagle on the low side and tap in for birdie to take the lead. Pettersen made her sandie and Inbee her birdie.]
[Update 8 (6:07 pm): Maybe I missed them showing Mirim's birdie on 17. Because they just showed her par on 18 for a 69 that puts her at -7 through 54 holes.]
[Update 9 (6:10 pm): In case anyone watching Golf Channel is wondering if Jane Park exists, she is still -5, playing with Lexi.]
[Update 10 (6:12 pm): Weak approaches from Lincicome and Park on 15 from barely over 100 yards out.]
[Update 11 (6:13 pm): Granada bogeyed 15 and 16 to end her bogey-free run at 32 holes and drop out of GC coverage.]
[Update 12 (6:15 pm): After doubling 13, Shanshan Feng battled back with 2 birdies in her last 5 holes to shoot a 71 and return to -5.]
[Update 13 (6:16 pm): Inbee made her 1st bogey of the day, catching the edge of the cup but on the low side. She returns to -8.]
[Update 14 (6:18 pm): BTW, Lexi bogeyed 15 to drop back to -5.]
[Update 15 (6:20 pm): Best rounds of the day include a 67 by Carlota Ciganda and 68s by Caroline Masson and Ashleigh Simon. And the latter 2 did it with a double and a bogey on 16, respectively.]
[Update 16 (6:21 pm): Nice 6-birdie 69 by Jenny Shin, too!]
[Update 17 (6:22 pm): Great birdie attempt from downtown Rochester by Jane Park hit the hole and spun out on 16.]
[Update 18 (6:23 pm): Great birdie by Ko on 17! Stuck it and made the 3-footer! She's now -6.]
[Update 19 (6:25 pm): Pettersen hits a great 7-iron or so in on 18 but it trickles into the gully away from the tucked pin.]
[Update 20 (6:26 pm): Ciganda, by the way, has eagled 14 2 rounds in a row now!]
[Update 21 (6:28 pm): This is the 3rd day in a row Lexi has made back-to-back bogeys in those last 4 holes on the back. She's now only -4.]
[Update 22 (6:31 pm): Pettersen's birdie putt on 18 died in the last 3 feet, so she has to settle for a 67 today, tied for low round of the day with Ciganda.]
[Update 23 (6:33 pm): You almost never see Inbee hit a 10-foot putt so badly she walks after it before it reaches the hole, but that's what happened on 16. Right after Lincicome made a great par save, that putt looked particularly ugly!]
[Update 24 (6:34 pm): Ko's approach on 18 trickles into the same gulch that Pettersen and so many others ended up in.]
[Update 25 (6:35 pm): Granada bogeys 18 for 3 in her last 4 holes. Her 72 leaves her at -4.]
[Update 26 (6:38 pm): Pettersen has made only 4 bogeys all week, only 2 in her last 37 holes, and none in her last 17. She's averaging 279 yards off the tee, has hit over 75% of her fairways, and has hit 42 of 54 greens in regulation. I'd say she's the favorite heading into Sunday, wouldn't you?]
[Update 27 (6:39 pm): Ko couldn't make the tough birdie putt, so her 71 leaves her at -6 through 54 holes.]
[Update 28 (6:40 pm): Ko will need to hit more greens Sunday to make a move on those ahead of her, though.]
[Update 29 (6:41 pm): Lincicome just didn't give her birdie putt on 17 enough oomph!]
[Update 30 (6:43 pm): Inbee birdies 18 to get back to -9. Meena Lee parred 17 and 18 to right the ship and shoot a 71 that ties her with Ko at -6.]
[Update 31 (6:44 pm): Suzann Pettersen is in the media center!]
[Update 32 (6:55 pm): Great interview! Be sure to go to LPGA.com soon to read it!]
[Update 33 (6:56 pm): Just saw Inbee make a 10-foot par save on 18. She's in at -9 with a 69.]
[Update 34 (7:00 pm): Think Inbee will be the next interview.... To sum up Suzann's interview, she's brimming with confidence and believes she's playing the best golf in her career. She's being very cautious with her workout schedule, doing only cardio to avoid reinjuring her back. She's trying to find other ways to work out her golf frustrations. (I can identify, having hurt my back last fall and still not being 100%. And on the frustration front.) I'm glad I picked her to be the #1 player in 2014--I think she's due for a big 2nd half of the season!]
[Update 35 (7:06 pm): Inbee's in the interview room!]
[Update 36 (7:12 pm): Inbee certainly buys into the bombers paradise narrative, although she doesn't sound intimidated by the advantage the longer hitters have on the par 5s. She just said she has to putt really well to beat them!]
[Update 37 (7:13 pm): Next in the chair is Brittany Lincicome!]
[Update 38 (7:22 pm): Brittany was very forthright about her nerves coming into the afternoon and persisting into the back 9 today. She hopes she's worked it out of her system. It shows up for her on the greens; she called her lack of aggressiveness with her putter today "wimpy." She doesn't plan to look at a leaderboard tomorrow. She just wants to make as many birdies as possible. She still sings together with her caddy on the course.]
But it's time now to focus on the top of the leaderboard. Brittany Lincicome continues to play great golf this week, with birdies on 7, 9, and 12 to offset bogeys on 5 and 10. At -10, she leads Suzann Pettersen (-4 through 14 holes today) and Inbee Park (-2 through 12) by 2 shots. Julieta Granada is working on a 32-hole bogey-free streak and is only 3 off Lincicome's pace. Gerina Piller takes a 22-hole bogey-free run into the 18th hole and is tied with the fighting Lees, Meena and Mirim, at -6. And Anna Nordqvist's 69 has brought her to -5, tied right now with a struggling Lexi Thompson and a stuck-in-neutral-while-riding-a-roller-coaster Lydia Ko.
On to the not-quite-live blogging!
[Update 1 (5:49 pm): Meena Lee just birdied the par-5 14th to move to -7.]
[Update 2 (5:51 pm): Inbee jetted a birdie attempt well past the hole on 13 but I guess she saved par. Lexi went for 14 in 2 after a great drive but yanked it left into deep rough. Pettersen made her 4th birdie in her last 6 holes to move to -9. She's tied for the lead now as Lincicome missed her par save on 13.]
[Update 3 (5:56 pm): Lexi did birdie 14! Piller made a great 8-footer on 18 to keep her bogey-free run alive!]
[Update 4 (5:59 pm): Both Inbee and Brittany hit 14 in 2. Lincicome was 1 yard shorter than Kirby, apparently.]
[Update 5 (6:00 pm): Nice sand play from Pettersen as Golf Channel goes to commercial.]
[Update 6 (6:02 pm): I hope Golf Channel shows Mirim Lee's birdie on 17!]
[Update 7 (6:04 pm): Instead they show Brittany just miss an eagle on the low side and tap in for birdie to take the lead. Pettersen made her sandie and Inbee her birdie.]
[Update 8 (6:07 pm): Maybe I missed them showing Mirim's birdie on 17. Because they just showed her par on 18 for a 69 that puts her at -7 through 54 holes.]
[Update 9 (6:10 pm): In case anyone watching Golf Channel is wondering if Jane Park exists, she is still -5, playing with Lexi.]
[Update 10 (6:12 pm): Weak approaches from Lincicome and Park on 15 from barely over 100 yards out.]
[Update 11 (6:13 pm): Granada bogeyed 15 and 16 to end her bogey-free run at 32 holes and drop out of GC coverage.]
[Update 12 (6:15 pm): After doubling 13, Shanshan Feng battled back with 2 birdies in her last 5 holes to shoot a 71 and return to -5.]
[Update 13 (6:16 pm): Inbee made her 1st bogey of the day, catching the edge of the cup but on the low side. She returns to -8.]
[Update 14 (6:18 pm): BTW, Lexi bogeyed 15 to drop back to -5.]
[Update 15 (6:20 pm): Best rounds of the day include a 67 by Carlota Ciganda and 68s by Caroline Masson and Ashleigh Simon. And the latter 2 did it with a double and a bogey on 16, respectively.]
[Update 16 (6:21 pm): Nice 6-birdie 69 by Jenny Shin, too!]
[Update 17 (6:22 pm): Great birdie attempt from downtown Rochester by Jane Park hit the hole and spun out on 16.]
[Update 18 (6:23 pm): Great birdie by Ko on 17! Stuck it and made the 3-footer! She's now -6.]
[Update 19 (6:25 pm): Pettersen hits a great 7-iron or so in on 18 but it trickles into the gully away from the tucked pin.]
[Update 20 (6:26 pm): Ciganda, by the way, has eagled 14 2 rounds in a row now!]
[Update 21 (6:28 pm): This is the 3rd day in a row Lexi has made back-to-back bogeys in those last 4 holes on the back. She's now only -4.]
[Update 22 (6:31 pm): Pettersen's birdie putt on 18 died in the last 3 feet, so she has to settle for a 67 today, tied for low round of the day with Ciganda.]
[Update 23 (6:33 pm): You almost never see Inbee hit a 10-foot putt so badly she walks after it before it reaches the hole, but that's what happened on 16. Right after Lincicome made a great par save, that putt looked particularly ugly!]
[Update 24 (6:34 pm): Ko's approach on 18 trickles into the same gulch that Pettersen and so many others ended up in.]
[Update 25 (6:35 pm): Granada bogeys 18 for 3 in her last 4 holes. Her 72 leaves her at -4.]
[Update 26 (6:38 pm): Pettersen has made only 4 bogeys all week, only 2 in her last 37 holes, and none in her last 17. She's averaging 279 yards off the tee, has hit over 75% of her fairways, and has hit 42 of 54 greens in regulation. I'd say she's the favorite heading into Sunday, wouldn't you?]
[Update 27 (6:39 pm): Ko couldn't make the tough birdie putt, so her 71 leaves her at -6 through 54 holes.]
[Update 28 (6:40 pm): Ko will need to hit more greens Sunday to make a move on those ahead of her, though.]
[Update 29 (6:41 pm): Lincicome just didn't give her birdie putt on 17 enough oomph!]
[Update 30 (6:43 pm): Inbee birdies 18 to get back to -9. Meena Lee parred 17 and 18 to right the ship and shoot a 71 that ties her with Ko at -6.]
[Update 31 (6:44 pm): Suzann Pettersen is in the media center!]
[Update 32 (6:55 pm): Great interview! Be sure to go to LPGA.com soon to read it!]
[Update 33 (6:56 pm): Just saw Inbee make a 10-foot par save on 18. She's in at -9 with a 69.]
[Update 34 (7:00 pm): Think Inbee will be the next interview.... To sum up Suzann's interview, she's brimming with confidence and believes she's playing the best golf in her career. She's being very cautious with her workout schedule, doing only cardio to avoid reinjuring her back. She's trying to find other ways to work out her golf frustrations. (I can identify, having hurt my back last fall and still not being 100%. And on the frustration front.) I'm glad I picked her to be the #1 player in 2014--I think she's due for a big 2nd half of the season!]
[Update 35 (7:06 pm): Inbee's in the interview room!]
[Update 36 (7:12 pm): Inbee certainly buys into the bombers paradise narrative, although she doesn't sound intimidated by the advantage the longer hitters have on the par 5s. She just said she has to putt really well to beat them!]
[Update 37 (7:13 pm): Next in the chair is Brittany Lincicome!]
[Update 38 (7:22 pm): Brittany was very forthright about her nerves coming into the afternoon and persisting into the back 9 today. She hopes she's worked it out of her system. It shows up for her on the greens; she called her lack of aggressiveness with her putter today "wimpy." She doesn't plan to look at a leaderboard tomorrow. She just wants to make as many birdies as possible. She still sings together with her caddy on the course.]
Sunday, July 27, 2014
International Crown Sunday: It All Comes Down to This!
Play has just started on day 4 of the International Crown, with Inbee Park 1-up on Caroline Hedwall through 2 and Pornanong Phatlum and In-Kyung Kim all-square through the 1st. I'll be not-quite-live blogging every half-hour or so until the Golf Channel coverage starts. In the meantime, check out my previews of each Sunday singles match. I'm very interested in seeing how the under-22 crowd in the field--Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn, and Mamiko Higa--handle the pressure! Oh, and if you get a chance to watch Stacy Lewis's interview from Morning Drive, I guarantee your respect for her will go even higher, no matter how high it was before the interview.
[Update 1 (12:37 pm): Here's how the matches stand thus far.
1. Caroline Hedwall vs. Inbee Park
Inbee is now 2-up through 5. She won 2 and 3, lost 4, and won 5. Too bad the scorecard is traditional match-play format, with no scores on the cards. Would be nice to get a hint of whether eagle, birdie, par, or bogey won a hole!
[Update 1.a.1 (1:08 pm): Inbee won the par-3 6th and lost the par-4 7th, so she is now 2-up through 8.]
[Update 1.a.2 (2:02 pm): Inbee won 11 to go back to 3-up.]
[Update 1.a.3 (2:20 pm): Inbee is 3-up with 5 holes to go.]
[Update 1.a.4 (2:36 pm): Judy said that Caroline's been burning a lot of edges. That won't do it against Inbee.]
[Update 1.a.5 (2:37 pm): Inbee makes the 3-footer to be dormie with 3 to play.]
[Update 1.a.6 (2:51 pm): Inbee gets the job done with another wedge on 16! Caroline pitched to the fringe and fails to make birdie. She concedes Inbee the birdie. Inbee wins 4&2. Korea now has 8 points.]
2. Pornanong Phatlum vs. In-Kyung Kim
Pornanong just won the 4th hole to go 1-up.
[Update 1.b.1 (1:10 pm): Inky won the par-3 6th but Pornanong bounced back with a win on the par-4 7th, and she is now 1-up through 7.]
[Update 1.b.2 (2:03 pm): Pornanong won 8 to go 2-up but Inky won 10 to go 1-down.]
[Update 1.b.3 (2:47 pm): If Korea is going to win this thing, Inky has to saddle up. She's 2-down with 4 to play.]
[Update 1.b.4 (3:03 pm): Pornanong is 2-up with 3 holes to go.]
[Update 1.b.5 (3:12 pm): Inky needs to make this putt on 16!]
[Update 1.b.6 (3:29 pm): She blasted it through the break after getting a great read from Pornanong, who's now dormie.]
[Update 1.b.7 (3:33 pm): Pornanong misses the 17th green short but dry with a 5-iron. Inky has a hybrid in her hands and lofts it to the front of the green. Maybe 30 feet for a birdie.]
[Update 1.b.8 (3:39 pm): Too aggressive a chip from Pornanong leaves her with a 15-foot putt to win the match. She couldn't make it. Now Inky has a 3-footer to force the match to 18.]
[Update 1.b.9 (3:41 pm): Inky made it and they go to 18.]
[Update 1.b.10 (3:46 pm): From the right side of the fairway to a front-right pin, Inky just carries her iron far enough to stay on top of the shelf guarding the front of the green. Not as extreme as on 16, but the bank kept her shot from bouncing forward right to the pin. She's on the fringe.]
[Update 1.b.11 (3:47 pm): Pornanong uses the shelf past the pin to bring her 8-iron back to about 8 feet. Great shot!]
[Update 1.b.12 (3:55 pm): Inky can't get her birdie try to the hole. She's in for par. Pornanong needs to 2-putt to win the match. Rolled it 18 inches by. Conceded. Pornanong wins 1-up.]
3. Ariya Jutanugarn vs. Pernilla Lindberg
Pernilla won the 1st hole and remains 1-up through 3.
[Update 1.c.1 (1:11 pm): Pernilla won the par-4 5th and is now 2-up through 6.]
[Update 1.c.2 (2:03 pm): Pernilla won 7 and 10 to go 4-up.]
[Update 1.c.3 (2:22 pm): Pernilla is now 5-up with 7 holes to play after winning 11.]
[Update 1.c.4 (2:35 pm): Pernilla is now dormie and putting from the fringe on 13 to win the match. 6 inches short. Ariya has to make her putt to extend the match.]
[Update 1.c.5 (2:37 pm): Pernilla wins 6&5. Now Sweden has 9 points.]
4. Carlota Ciganda vs. Na Yeon Choi
Carlota won the 1st hole and remains 1-up through 2.
[Update 1.d.1 (1:11 pm): Carlota is taking it to NYC, with wins on 3, 4, and 5 to go 4-up.]
[Update 1.d.2 (2:04 pm): Carlota won 6 to go 5-up and 9 to go 6-up.]
[Update 1.d.3 (2:22 pm): Carlota is 6-up with only 8 left to play.]
[Update 1.d.4 (2:26 pm): Carlota is dormie with 7 to play!]
[Update 1.d.5 (2:41 pm): NYC misses a makeable birdie putt and concedes Ciganda the shorter birdie putt. Ciganda wins 8&6. Spain now has 9 points.]
5. Sakura Yokomine vs. So Yeon Ryu
So Yeon won the 1st hole and Sakura the 2nd, so they're all-square through 2.
[Update 1.e.1 (1:12 pm): Sakura won the par-3 3rd and is 1-up through 4.]
[Update 1.e.2 (2:05 pm): Sakura is now 1-up through 8.]
[Update 1.e.3 (2:25 pm): Sakura is now 2-up through 9.]
[Update 1.e.4 (2:56 pm): So Yeon won 10, but got her approach shot buried in a bunker on the par-5 12th and barely got it out; anyway, Sakura eagled the hole anyway to go back 2-up.]
[Update 1.e.5 (2:58 pm): Hold on. They updated the scoreboard. So Yeon won 10 and 11 to briefly bring the match to all-square. So Sakura's eagle only puts her 1-up.]
[Update 1.e.6 (3:07 pm): So Yeon put it just past pin-high after Sakura went over on the par 3, but after a fantastic chip and a So Yeon miss, Sakura has 3 feet to halve the hole. She missed it right. I've seen that miss several times the last few days.]
[Update 1.e.7 (3:14 pm): After So Yeon used the left bank on the 14th green to put a 4-hybrid about 25 feet past the pin, Sakura took it just right of the pin and left it about 10 feet away for birdie. Great match!]
[Update 1.e.8 (3:35 pm): Nice 2-putt save by So Yeon after "a rush of blood to her head" on the birdie try. Wonder why they didn't show the birdie attempts on the coverage?]
[Update 1.e.9 (3:42 pm): Sakura puts it right in the middle of the 15th green. So Yeon was much closer to the green, but her approach didn't hold, either, and she ended up about 2 feet farther from the hole than Sakura.]
[Update 1.e.10 (3:48 pm): Both make routine 2-putts. Now they're heading into the 16th, where So Yeon made one of the most important birdies of her life last night!]
[Update 1.e.11 (4:00 pm): So Yeon goes for the green in 2 and just carries it to the top of the shelf, right in the same neck that blocked Lexi twice yesterday. She's on the fringe with an eagle putt ahead of her.]
[Update 1.e.12 (4:02 pm): Yokomine laid up just into the left rough. With the pin back, she had plenty of room to bounce it up to the green, but she just carried it too far and it went to the back fringe or 1st cut.]
[Update 1.e.13 (4:06 pm): Amazing lag from So Yeon from maybe 80 feet almost went in. Easy birdie after all!]
[Update 1.e.14 (4:07 pm): Can Sakura bring the magic again on this chip? Nope. So Yeon is 1-up with 2 to play.]
[Update 1.e.15 (4:10 pm): Dammit, So Yeon put it in the water on 17. Don't get me wrong, I want Sakura to win, but I want it through great shots. Oh well, Sakura guarded so much against the pond she went left of the cart path into the dining area! So Yeon's still in this hole!]
[Update 1.e.16 (4:15 pm): Yokomine did what she had to, lofting it over the trap and letting it roll out to the edge of the green. She has about 30 feet for par and So Yeon has about 8 for bogey.]
[Update 1.e.17 (4:16 pm): Maybe some more magic for Sakura here? She needs it, as she's showing So Yeon the line on her par attempt. Just missed it, right. Now the pressure's on So Yeon to halve the hole and become dormie heading into 18.]
[Update 1.e.18 (4:17 pm): So Yeon's taking a long look. HUGE putt for her!]
[Update 1.e.19 (4:17 pm): So Yeon's drive was leaking right but stayed at the edge of the fairway. Nervous moment as the creek was only a few yards right of where she ended up. Sakura got almost no roll on her drive; she's in the right side of the fairway.]
[Update 1.e.20 (4:30 pm): Sakura hit a nice shot from about 150 out, putting it maybe 8 feet past the pin on 18. So Yeon's approach went a little longer and a little lefter. She'll have about 20 feet to close out the match.]
[Update 1.e.21 (4:38 pm): Can't believe Golf Channel didn't show So Yeon's lag. She's in for 4. So Korea will get 2 points if Sakura misses and each team will get 1 if she makes. She just missed on the left side. So Yeon wins 1-up.]
6. Beatriz Recari vs. Mikaela Parmlid
Beatriz and Mikaela halved the 1st hole, so they're all-square through 1.
[Update 1.f.1 (1:13 pm): Beatriz won the 2nd and 3rd and is 2-up through 4.]
[Update 1.f.2 (2:06 pm): Beatriz won 5, Mikaela won 6, and Beatriz won 8 to go back to 3-up.]
[Update 1.f.3 (2:23 pm): Beatriz is now 4-up with 9 holes to go.]
[Update 1.f.4 (3:04 pm): Mikaela wins 11 to get back to 3-down.]
[Update 1.f.5 (3:10 pm): 2 in a row for Mikaela! Only 2-down now with 6 to play.]
[Update 1.f.6 (3:51 pm): Too bad! Parmlid can't get the 18-foot par putt to drop to halve the 14th. Back to 3-down.]
[Update 1.f.7 (4:22 pm): Parmlid couldn't make the 6-footer on the par-5 16th to extend the match. Recari wins 3&2.]
The remaining matches have not yet completed a hole as of the 1st update.]
[Update 2 (1:14 pm): See above for updates on matches already in progress at last update!
7. Mamiko Higa vs. Anna Nordqvist
Anna won the 3rd to go 1-up through 3.
[Update 2.a.1 (2:07 pm): Mamiko won 4 and 5 to go one-up, but Anna brought it back to all-square by winning 7.]
[Update 2.a.2 (2:20 pm): Anna makes it 2 holes in a row to go 1-up through 8.]
[Update 2.a.3 (2:49 pm): Mamiko won 9 but couldn't sink a 12-footer to halve 10. Nordqvist is still 1-up.]
[Update 2.a.4 (3:01 pm): Great putt by Nordqvist on 11 for birdie to go 2-up.]
[Update 2.a.5 (3:36 pm): Another great mid-range putt from Nordqvist for another win, this one on 12. She's 3-up.]
[Update 2.a.6 (3:44 pm): Just when you thought she might be on the ropes, Mamiko makes a 20-footer for birdie on the par-3 13th to go back to 2-down.]
[Update 2.a.7 (3:59 pm): Anna's too much for Higa--and probably anyone--today. With Higa in the bunker on 14, Anna calmly bounces 1 in to 8 inches. Higa needs to make like Ai-sama just to halve the hole.]
[Update 2.a.8 (4:10 pm): 1st tentative stroke I've seen today from Anna, but she halves the hole and goes dormie with 3 to play.]
[Update 2.a.9 (4:33 pm): Anna had 2 putts from 10 feet on the fringe to win the match, and she cozied the 1st right up there. She wins 3&2.]
8. Belen Mozo vs. Moriya Jutanugarn
They're all-square through 2.
[Update 2.b.1 (2:07 pm): Moriya won 4 and 6 and Belen won 5, so Moriya is 1-up.]
[Update 2.b.2 (2:28 pm): Belen won 7 and 8 to go 1-up.]
[Update 2.b.3 (2:44 pm): A par is enough for Mozo to make it 3 in a row. She's 2-up through 9.]
[Update 2.b.4 (2:52 pm): Nice shot and nice bounce for Moriya on 10. Let's see if she can make the 6-footer.]
[Update 2.b.5 (3:11 pm): Moriya made it on 10 and then Belen missed a makeable 10-footer on 11, so Belen remains 1-up.]
[Update 2.b.6 (3:49 pm): Belen makes a tap-in birdie on 12 to go 2-up.]
[Update 2.b.7 (3:53 pm): After a lot of discussion, Belen goes to the back-left of the pin on 13.]
[Update 2.b.8 (4:04 pm): Nice lag from Mozo on 13 to halve the hole.]
[Update 2.b.9 (4:47 pm): Golf Channel's been ignoring this match until they got to 16 and because I had to talk to a man about a tree (literally), I'm still behind on the DVR, so haven't looked online to see the results. They finally realized that Belen can clinch it for Spain and showed her hitting a good lay-up on the par-5 16th. She's 2-up and Moriya needs to make something happen! She backs off from her fairway wood. She restarts her routine and then lands it too far short of the top of the bank, so she rolls back down the hill. If Belen can get up and down, she not only wins the hole and the match, but also the crown!]
[Update 2.b.10 (4:49 pm): Nice approach from Belen, hitting it just past the pin and spinning it enough to stop it before it ran down to where Yokomine ended up on this hole earlier.]
[Update 2.b.11 (4:50 pm): Great pitch from Moriya. Now it's a putting contest.]
[Update 2.b.12 (4:52 pm): Mozo sinks it!!! Now Moriya needs to make hers to extend the match.]
[Update 2.b.13 (4:54 pm): Moriya misses low side. Mozo wins 3&2. The crown is Spain's!]
[Update 2.b.14 (4:58 pm): When you think about how high was on day 1 and how low they were on day 2 after Team USA swept them, the way they played on the weekend is even more impressive. Carlota destroying NYC really set the tone for them today and Beatriz and Belen responded against opponents they knew they had a good chance to beat. Bottom line is they did what they had to do. Great job!]
9. Mika Miyazato vs. Onnarin Sattayabanphot
They're all-square through 2.
[Update 2.c.1 (2:08 pm): Mikan won 4 and 5 and is 2-up through 6.]
[Update 2.c.2 (2:27 pm): Mikan wins 7 to go 3-up.]
[Update 2.c.3 (2:38 pm): Nice putt on 8 by Onnarin to get back to 2-down.]
[Update 2.c.4 (3:30 pm): Mikan sticks it on 11 to tap-in range.]
[Update 2.c.5 (3:33 pm): Onnarin halves the hole with a fantastic 20-footer for birdie!]
[Update 2.c.6 (4:12 pm): Thought Mikan had the birdie putt from the back fringe on 13, but it veered left on the last roll.]
[Update 2.c.7 (4:13 pm): Onnarin has about a 5-footer to save par and she makes it dead-center, halving the hole. She's still 2-down with 5 to play.]
[Update 2.c.8 (4:32 pm): Mikan's birdie try on 14 seemed to wobble its way around the hole.]
[Update 2.c.9 (4:36 pm): Yikes. Mikan missed her tap-in to fall back to 1-up.]
[Update 2.c.10 (4:51 pm): Mikan has a 4-footer to win 15. Hits the right corner of the cup and spins out. Still 1-up, now with 3 to play.]
[Update 2.c.11 (5:03 pm): Great approach by Mikan on 16. She's in that same range she's missed from the last 2 holes, but this time for birdie.]
[Update 2.c.12 (5:07 pm): Onnarin took a run at her birdie putt, assuming Mikan will make hers. Now if she misses the comebacker Mikan won't have to putt. Onnarin makes the 4-foot par putt, though. Can she dodge a 3rd bullet in a row? Mikan's little water bottle ritual is getting a lot of humorous commentary the last few holes! She makes it and goes dormie with 2 to play.]
[Update 2.c.13 (5:14 pm): Onnarin concedes a long par putt to Mikan on 17. Mikan wins 3&1.]
10. Ai Miyazato vs. Azahara Munoz
Aza won the 1st hole.]
[Update 2.d.1 (2:09 pm): Ai-sama won 4 and 5 to go 1-up.]
[Update 2.d.2 (2:30 pm): Aza won 7 to square up the match.]
[Update 2.d.3 (3:02 pm): Great 12-footer by Aza to halve 9. Still all-square.]
[Update 2.d.4 (3:37 pm): Aza sticks it on 11! Pressure's on Ai-sama! She gets it in birdie range--maybe 8 feet short right of the cup.]
[Update 2.d.5 (3:40 pm): Yikes, both players missed! Ai-sama must feel like she dodged a bullet.]
[Update 2.d.6 (4:07 pm): Ai-sama didn't miss the tap-in for birdie on 12, so she's 1-up!]
[Update 2.d.7 (4:18 pm): Fantastic 15-footer for birdie by Aza. Back to all-square through 13 now.]
[Update 2.d.8 (4:43 pm): Aza made a nice try from about 20 feet on 14. Looked good all the way but rolled about 2 feet by the cup.]
[Update 2.d.9 (4:59 pm): Aza made a great birdie on 15, again from medium range, right after finding out her team had won the crown. She's 1-up with 3 to play.]
[Update 2.d.10 (5:01 pm): Great drive by Aza on 16, dead center. Good one from Ai-sama, to the right side of the fairway.]
[Update 2.d.11 (5:04 pm): Bad lay-up by Ai-sama with a fairway wood. Deep in the right rough.]
[Update 2.d.12 (5:09 pm): Ai-sama's 121 out with Aza in perfect position. The rough closed her club face and the ball rolled into the front-left trap. Munoz is about half the distance from the hole and puts it about 2 feet outside where Mikan had left hers. Munoz can win the match on this hole.]
[Update 2.d.13 (5:11 pm): After a bad bunker shot, Ai-sama rolls in the 25-footer to make a huge par save. Rueful smile and raised eyebrows from Ai-sama say it all. Big let-down. I'll bet she's hoping Aza makes the putt.]
[Update 2.d.14 (5:12 pm): Aza's putt rolled by the right edge of the cup at a snail's pace. They halve the hole and Aza remains 1-up with 2 to play. Sorry, she would have been dormie if she had made it.]
[Update 2.d.15 (5:18 pm): Good shot by Aza, landing it front-left on the green and letting it roll out to almost pin high. Not a good shot by Ai-sama, leaving it on the front-right fringe. The atmosphere here would be totally different if Sakura could have put her approach on 17 on the green, eh?]
[Update 2.d.16 (5:21 pm): Good speed, bad line for Ai-sama. 3 feet right. Aza has maybe 20 feet to win the hole and the match. 18 inches short. Ai-sama concedes and Aza doesn't. Wonder if Ai-sama will be concentrating on this one. Nope. Aza wins 2&1.]
[Update 3 (1:19 pm): At times, I'll try to sum up where the teams currently stand.
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Spain (7): up in 2, all-square in 1, down in 1
Sweden (7): up in 1, down in 3
Thailand (7): up in 1, all-square in 2, down in 1
Korea (6): up in 1, down in 3
Wish they had flags by the players' names on the scoreboard!]
[Update 4 (2:11 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Japan (8): up in 3, all-square in 1
Spain (7): up in 2, all-square in 1, down in 1
Sweden (7): up in 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Thailand (7): up in 2, down in 2
Korea (6): up in 1, down in 3
Can't wait for the tv coverage to start!]
[Update 5 (2:32 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Japan (8): up in 2, all-square in 2
Spain (7): up in 3, all-square in 1
Sweden (7): up in 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Thailand (7): up in 1, down in 3
Korea (6): up in 1, down in 3
K, it's tv time!]
[Update 6 (2:40 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Sweden (9): won 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Japan (8): up in 2, all-square in 2
Spain (7): up in 3, all-square in 1
Thailand (7): up in 1, down in 2, lost 1
Korea (6): up in 1, down in 3
Tightening up!]
[Update 7 (2:43 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (9): won 1, up in 2, all-square in 1
Sweden (9): won 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Japan (8): up in 2, all-square in 2
Thailand (7): up in 1, down in 2, lost 1
Korea (6): up in 1, down in 2, lost 1
Tightening up!]
[Update 8 (2:54 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (9): won 1, up in 2, all-square in 1
Sweden (9): won 1, up in 1, down in 1, lost 1
Japan (8): up in 2, all-square in 1, down in 1
Korea (8): won 1, down in 2, lost 1
Thailand (7): up in 1, down in 2, lost 1
Tightening up further!]
[Update 9 (3:57 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (9): won 1, up in 2, all-square in 1
Sweden (9): won 1, up in 1, down in 1, lost 1
Thailand (9): won 1, down in 2, lost 1
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 2, down in 1
Korea (8): won 1, all-square in 1, lost 2
Tightening up even further!]
[Update 10 (4:23 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (11): won 2, up in 1, all-square in 1
Sweden (9): won 1, up in 1, lost 2
Thailand (9): won 1, down in 2, lost 1
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Korea (8): won 1, up in 1, lost 2
It's looking like Spain right now!]
[Update 11 (4:35 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (11): won 2, up in 1, all-square in 1
Sweden (11): won 2, lost 2
Thailand (9): won 1, down in 2, lost 1
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 1, down in 1, lost 1
Korea (8): won 1, up in 1, lost 2
It's still looking like Spain!]
[Update 12 (4:39 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (11): won 2, up in 1, all-square in 1
Sweden (11): won 2, lost 2
Korea (10): won 2, lost 2
Thailand (9): won 1, down in 2, lost 1
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 1, lost 2
It's more and more looking like Spain!]
[Update 13 (4:55 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (13): won 3, all-square in 1
Sweden (11): won 2, lost 2
Korea (10): won 2, lost 2
Thailand (9): won 1, down in 1, lost 2
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 1, lost 2
It's Spain!]
[Update 14 (5:15 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (13): won 3, all-square in 1
Sweden (11): won 2, lost 2
Korea (10): won 2, lost 2
Japan (10): won 1, down in 1, lost 2
Thailand (9): won 1, lost 3
They're just playing for position now!]
[Update 15 (5:22 pm): Here are the final results:
Spain (15): won 4
Sweden (11): won 2, lost 2
Korea (10): won 2, lost 2
Japan (10): won 1, lost 3
Thailand (9): won 1, lost 3
Congratulations to Team Spain!]
[Update 1 (12:37 pm): Here's how the matches stand thus far.
1. Caroline Hedwall vs. Inbee Park
Inbee is now 2-up through 5. She won 2 and 3, lost 4, and won 5. Too bad the scorecard is traditional match-play format, with no scores on the cards. Would be nice to get a hint of whether eagle, birdie, par, or bogey won a hole!
[Update 1.a.1 (1:08 pm): Inbee won the par-3 6th and lost the par-4 7th, so she is now 2-up through 8.]
[Update 1.a.2 (2:02 pm): Inbee won 11 to go back to 3-up.]
[Update 1.a.3 (2:20 pm): Inbee is 3-up with 5 holes to go.]
[Update 1.a.4 (2:36 pm): Judy said that Caroline's been burning a lot of edges. That won't do it against Inbee.]
[Update 1.a.5 (2:37 pm): Inbee makes the 3-footer to be dormie with 3 to play.]
[Update 1.a.6 (2:51 pm): Inbee gets the job done with another wedge on 16! Caroline pitched to the fringe and fails to make birdie. She concedes Inbee the birdie. Inbee wins 4&2. Korea now has 8 points.]
2. Pornanong Phatlum vs. In-Kyung Kim
Pornanong just won the 4th hole to go 1-up.
[Update 1.b.1 (1:10 pm): Inky won the par-3 6th but Pornanong bounced back with a win on the par-4 7th, and she is now 1-up through 7.]
[Update 1.b.2 (2:03 pm): Pornanong won 8 to go 2-up but Inky won 10 to go 1-down.]
[Update 1.b.3 (2:47 pm): If Korea is going to win this thing, Inky has to saddle up. She's 2-down with 4 to play.]
[Update 1.b.4 (3:03 pm): Pornanong is 2-up with 3 holes to go.]
[Update 1.b.5 (3:12 pm): Inky needs to make this putt on 16!]
[Update 1.b.6 (3:29 pm): She blasted it through the break after getting a great read from Pornanong, who's now dormie.]
[Update 1.b.7 (3:33 pm): Pornanong misses the 17th green short but dry with a 5-iron. Inky has a hybrid in her hands and lofts it to the front of the green. Maybe 30 feet for a birdie.]
[Update 1.b.8 (3:39 pm): Too aggressive a chip from Pornanong leaves her with a 15-foot putt to win the match. She couldn't make it. Now Inky has a 3-footer to force the match to 18.]
[Update 1.b.9 (3:41 pm): Inky made it and they go to 18.]
[Update 1.b.10 (3:46 pm): From the right side of the fairway to a front-right pin, Inky just carries her iron far enough to stay on top of the shelf guarding the front of the green. Not as extreme as on 16, but the bank kept her shot from bouncing forward right to the pin. She's on the fringe.]
[Update 1.b.11 (3:47 pm): Pornanong uses the shelf past the pin to bring her 8-iron back to about 8 feet. Great shot!]
[Update 1.b.12 (3:55 pm): Inky can't get her birdie try to the hole. She's in for par. Pornanong needs to 2-putt to win the match. Rolled it 18 inches by. Conceded. Pornanong wins 1-up.]
3. Ariya Jutanugarn vs. Pernilla Lindberg
Pernilla won the 1st hole and remains 1-up through 3.
[Update 1.c.1 (1:11 pm): Pernilla won the par-4 5th and is now 2-up through 6.]
[Update 1.c.2 (2:03 pm): Pernilla won 7 and 10 to go 4-up.]
[Update 1.c.3 (2:22 pm): Pernilla is now 5-up with 7 holes to play after winning 11.]
[Update 1.c.4 (2:35 pm): Pernilla is now dormie and putting from the fringe on 13 to win the match. 6 inches short. Ariya has to make her putt to extend the match.]
[Update 1.c.5 (2:37 pm): Pernilla wins 6&5. Now Sweden has 9 points.]
4. Carlota Ciganda vs. Na Yeon Choi
Carlota won the 1st hole and remains 1-up through 2.
[Update 1.d.1 (1:11 pm): Carlota is taking it to NYC, with wins on 3, 4, and 5 to go 4-up.]
[Update 1.d.2 (2:04 pm): Carlota won 6 to go 5-up and 9 to go 6-up.]
[Update 1.d.3 (2:22 pm): Carlota is 6-up with only 8 left to play.]
[Update 1.d.4 (2:26 pm): Carlota is dormie with 7 to play!]
[Update 1.d.5 (2:41 pm): NYC misses a makeable birdie putt and concedes Ciganda the shorter birdie putt. Ciganda wins 8&6. Spain now has 9 points.]
5. Sakura Yokomine vs. So Yeon Ryu
So Yeon won the 1st hole and Sakura the 2nd, so they're all-square through 2.
[Update 1.e.1 (1:12 pm): Sakura won the par-3 3rd and is 1-up through 4.]
[Update 1.e.2 (2:05 pm): Sakura is now 1-up through 8.]
[Update 1.e.3 (2:25 pm): Sakura is now 2-up through 9.]
[Update 1.e.4 (2:56 pm): So Yeon won 10, but got her approach shot buried in a bunker on the par-5 12th and barely got it out; anyway, Sakura eagled the hole anyway to go back 2-up.]
[Update 1.e.5 (2:58 pm): Hold on. They updated the scoreboard. So Yeon won 10 and 11 to briefly bring the match to all-square. So Sakura's eagle only puts her 1-up.]
[Update 1.e.6 (3:07 pm): So Yeon put it just past pin-high after Sakura went over on the par 3, but after a fantastic chip and a So Yeon miss, Sakura has 3 feet to halve the hole. She missed it right. I've seen that miss several times the last few days.]
[Update 1.e.7 (3:14 pm): After So Yeon used the left bank on the 14th green to put a 4-hybrid about 25 feet past the pin, Sakura took it just right of the pin and left it about 10 feet away for birdie. Great match!]
[Update 1.e.8 (3:35 pm): Nice 2-putt save by So Yeon after "a rush of blood to her head" on the birdie try. Wonder why they didn't show the birdie attempts on the coverage?]
[Update 1.e.9 (3:42 pm): Sakura puts it right in the middle of the 15th green. So Yeon was much closer to the green, but her approach didn't hold, either, and she ended up about 2 feet farther from the hole than Sakura.]
[Update 1.e.10 (3:48 pm): Both make routine 2-putts. Now they're heading into the 16th, where So Yeon made one of the most important birdies of her life last night!]
[Update 1.e.11 (4:00 pm): So Yeon goes for the green in 2 and just carries it to the top of the shelf, right in the same neck that blocked Lexi twice yesterday. She's on the fringe with an eagle putt ahead of her.]
[Update 1.e.12 (4:02 pm): Yokomine laid up just into the left rough. With the pin back, she had plenty of room to bounce it up to the green, but she just carried it too far and it went to the back fringe or 1st cut.]
[Update 1.e.13 (4:06 pm): Amazing lag from So Yeon from maybe 80 feet almost went in. Easy birdie after all!]
[Update 1.e.14 (4:07 pm): Can Sakura bring the magic again on this chip? Nope. So Yeon is 1-up with 2 to play.]
[Update 1.e.15 (4:10 pm): Dammit, So Yeon put it in the water on 17. Don't get me wrong, I want Sakura to win, but I want it through great shots. Oh well, Sakura guarded so much against the pond she went left of the cart path into the dining area! So Yeon's still in this hole!]
[Update 1.e.16 (4:15 pm): Yokomine did what she had to, lofting it over the trap and letting it roll out to the edge of the green. She has about 30 feet for par and So Yeon has about 8 for bogey.]
[Update 1.e.17 (4:16 pm): Maybe some more magic for Sakura here? She needs it, as she's showing So Yeon the line on her par attempt. Just missed it, right. Now the pressure's on So Yeon to halve the hole and become dormie heading into 18.]
[Update 1.e.18 (4:17 pm): So Yeon's taking a long look. HUGE putt for her!]
[Update 1.e.19 (4:17 pm): So Yeon's drive was leaking right but stayed at the edge of the fairway. Nervous moment as the creek was only a few yards right of where she ended up. Sakura got almost no roll on her drive; she's in the right side of the fairway.]
[Update 1.e.20 (4:30 pm): Sakura hit a nice shot from about 150 out, putting it maybe 8 feet past the pin on 18. So Yeon's approach went a little longer and a little lefter. She'll have about 20 feet to close out the match.]
[Update 1.e.21 (4:38 pm): Can't believe Golf Channel didn't show So Yeon's lag. She's in for 4. So Korea will get 2 points if Sakura misses and each team will get 1 if she makes. She just missed on the left side. So Yeon wins 1-up.]
6. Beatriz Recari vs. Mikaela Parmlid
Beatriz and Mikaela halved the 1st hole, so they're all-square through 1.
[Update 1.f.1 (1:13 pm): Beatriz won the 2nd and 3rd and is 2-up through 4.]
[Update 1.f.2 (2:06 pm): Beatriz won 5, Mikaela won 6, and Beatriz won 8 to go back to 3-up.]
[Update 1.f.3 (2:23 pm): Beatriz is now 4-up with 9 holes to go.]
[Update 1.f.4 (3:04 pm): Mikaela wins 11 to get back to 3-down.]
[Update 1.f.5 (3:10 pm): 2 in a row for Mikaela! Only 2-down now with 6 to play.]
[Update 1.f.6 (3:51 pm): Too bad! Parmlid can't get the 18-foot par putt to drop to halve the 14th. Back to 3-down.]
[Update 1.f.7 (4:22 pm): Parmlid couldn't make the 6-footer on the par-5 16th to extend the match. Recari wins 3&2.]
The remaining matches have not yet completed a hole as of the 1st update.]
[Update 2 (1:14 pm): See above for updates on matches already in progress at last update!
7. Mamiko Higa vs. Anna Nordqvist
Anna won the 3rd to go 1-up through 3.
[Update 2.a.1 (2:07 pm): Mamiko won 4 and 5 to go one-up, but Anna brought it back to all-square by winning 7.]
[Update 2.a.2 (2:20 pm): Anna makes it 2 holes in a row to go 1-up through 8.]
[Update 2.a.3 (2:49 pm): Mamiko won 9 but couldn't sink a 12-footer to halve 10. Nordqvist is still 1-up.]
[Update 2.a.4 (3:01 pm): Great putt by Nordqvist on 11 for birdie to go 2-up.]
[Update 2.a.5 (3:36 pm): Another great mid-range putt from Nordqvist for another win, this one on 12. She's 3-up.]
[Update 2.a.6 (3:44 pm): Just when you thought she might be on the ropes, Mamiko makes a 20-footer for birdie on the par-3 13th to go back to 2-down.]
[Update 2.a.7 (3:59 pm): Anna's too much for Higa--and probably anyone--today. With Higa in the bunker on 14, Anna calmly bounces 1 in to 8 inches. Higa needs to make like Ai-sama just to halve the hole.]
[Update 2.a.8 (4:10 pm): 1st tentative stroke I've seen today from Anna, but she halves the hole and goes dormie with 3 to play.]
[Update 2.a.9 (4:33 pm): Anna had 2 putts from 10 feet on the fringe to win the match, and she cozied the 1st right up there. She wins 3&2.]
8. Belen Mozo vs. Moriya Jutanugarn
They're all-square through 2.
[Update 2.b.1 (2:07 pm): Moriya won 4 and 6 and Belen won 5, so Moriya is 1-up.]
[Update 2.b.2 (2:28 pm): Belen won 7 and 8 to go 1-up.]
[Update 2.b.3 (2:44 pm): A par is enough for Mozo to make it 3 in a row. She's 2-up through 9.]
[Update 2.b.4 (2:52 pm): Nice shot and nice bounce for Moriya on 10. Let's see if she can make the 6-footer.]
[Update 2.b.5 (3:11 pm): Moriya made it on 10 and then Belen missed a makeable 10-footer on 11, so Belen remains 1-up.]
[Update 2.b.6 (3:49 pm): Belen makes a tap-in birdie on 12 to go 2-up.]
[Update 2.b.7 (3:53 pm): After a lot of discussion, Belen goes to the back-left of the pin on 13.]
[Update 2.b.8 (4:04 pm): Nice lag from Mozo on 13 to halve the hole.]
[Update 2.b.9 (4:47 pm): Golf Channel's been ignoring this match until they got to 16 and because I had to talk to a man about a tree (literally), I'm still behind on the DVR, so haven't looked online to see the results. They finally realized that Belen can clinch it for Spain and showed her hitting a good lay-up on the par-5 16th. She's 2-up and Moriya needs to make something happen! She backs off from her fairway wood. She restarts her routine and then lands it too far short of the top of the bank, so she rolls back down the hill. If Belen can get up and down, she not only wins the hole and the match, but also the crown!]
[Update 2.b.10 (4:49 pm): Nice approach from Belen, hitting it just past the pin and spinning it enough to stop it before it ran down to where Yokomine ended up on this hole earlier.]
[Update 2.b.11 (4:50 pm): Great pitch from Moriya. Now it's a putting contest.]
[Update 2.b.12 (4:52 pm): Mozo sinks it!!! Now Moriya needs to make hers to extend the match.]
[Update 2.b.13 (4:54 pm): Moriya misses low side. Mozo wins 3&2. The crown is Spain's!]
[Update 2.b.14 (4:58 pm): When you think about how high was on day 1 and how low they were on day 2 after Team USA swept them, the way they played on the weekend is even more impressive. Carlota destroying NYC really set the tone for them today and Beatriz and Belen responded against opponents they knew they had a good chance to beat. Bottom line is they did what they had to do. Great job!]
9. Mika Miyazato vs. Onnarin Sattayabanphot
They're all-square through 2.
[Update 2.c.1 (2:08 pm): Mikan won 4 and 5 and is 2-up through 6.]
[Update 2.c.2 (2:27 pm): Mikan wins 7 to go 3-up.]
[Update 2.c.3 (2:38 pm): Nice putt on 8 by Onnarin to get back to 2-down.]
[Update 2.c.4 (3:30 pm): Mikan sticks it on 11 to tap-in range.]
[Update 2.c.5 (3:33 pm): Onnarin halves the hole with a fantastic 20-footer for birdie!]
[Update 2.c.6 (4:12 pm): Thought Mikan had the birdie putt from the back fringe on 13, but it veered left on the last roll.]
[Update 2.c.7 (4:13 pm): Onnarin has about a 5-footer to save par and she makes it dead-center, halving the hole. She's still 2-down with 5 to play.]
[Update 2.c.8 (4:32 pm): Mikan's birdie try on 14 seemed to wobble its way around the hole.]
[Update 2.c.9 (4:36 pm): Yikes. Mikan missed her tap-in to fall back to 1-up.]
[Update 2.c.10 (4:51 pm): Mikan has a 4-footer to win 15. Hits the right corner of the cup and spins out. Still 1-up, now with 3 to play.]
[Update 2.c.11 (5:03 pm): Great approach by Mikan on 16. She's in that same range she's missed from the last 2 holes, but this time for birdie.]
[Update 2.c.12 (5:07 pm): Onnarin took a run at her birdie putt, assuming Mikan will make hers. Now if she misses the comebacker Mikan won't have to putt. Onnarin makes the 4-foot par putt, though. Can she dodge a 3rd bullet in a row? Mikan's little water bottle ritual is getting a lot of humorous commentary the last few holes! She makes it and goes dormie with 2 to play.]
[Update 2.c.13 (5:14 pm): Onnarin concedes a long par putt to Mikan on 17. Mikan wins 3&1.]
10. Ai Miyazato vs. Azahara Munoz
Aza won the 1st hole.]
[Update 2.d.1 (2:09 pm): Ai-sama won 4 and 5 to go 1-up.]
[Update 2.d.2 (2:30 pm): Aza won 7 to square up the match.]
[Update 2.d.3 (3:02 pm): Great 12-footer by Aza to halve 9. Still all-square.]
[Update 2.d.4 (3:37 pm): Aza sticks it on 11! Pressure's on Ai-sama! She gets it in birdie range--maybe 8 feet short right of the cup.]
[Update 2.d.5 (3:40 pm): Yikes, both players missed! Ai-sama must feel like she dodged a bullet.]
[Update 2.d.6 (4:07 pm): Ai-sama didn't miss the tap-in for birdie on 12, so she's 1-up!]
[Update 2.d.7 (4:18 pm): Fantastic 15-footer for birdie by Aza. Back to all-square through 13 now.]
[Update 2.d.8 (4:43 pm): Aza made a nice try from about 20 feet on 14. Looked good all the way but rolled about 2 feet by the cup.]
[Update 2.d.9 (4:59 pm): Aza made a great birdie on 15, again from medium range, right after finding out her team had won the crown. She's 1-up with 3 to play.]
[Update 2.d.10 (5:01 pm): Great drive by Aza on 16, dead center. Good one from Ai-sama, to the right side of the fairway.]
[Update 2.d.11 (5:04 pm): Bad lay-up by Ai-sama with a fairway wood. Deep in the right rough.]
[Update 2.d.12 (5:09 pm): Ai-sama's 121 out with Aza in perfect position. The rough closed her club face and the ball rolled into the front-left trap. Munoz is about half the distance from the hole and puts it about 2 feet outside where Mikan had left hers. Munoz can win the match on this hole.]
[Update 2.d.13 (5:11 pm): After a bad bunker shot, Ai-sama rolls in the 25-footer to make a huge par save. Rueful smile and raised eyebrows from Ai-sama say it all. Big let-down. I'll bet she's hoping Aza makes the putt.]
[Update 2.d.14 (5:12 pm): Aza's putt rolled by the right edge of the cup at a snail's pace. They halve the hole and Aza remains 1-up with 2 to play. Sorry, she would have been dormie if she had made it.]
[Update 2.d.15 (5:18 pm): Good shot by Aza, landing it front-left on the green and letting it roll out to almost pin high. Not a good shot by Ai-sama, leaving it on the front-right fringe. The atmosphere here would be totally different if Sakura could have put her approach on 17 on the green, eh?]
[Update 2.d.16 (5:21 pm): Good speed, bad line for Ai-sama. 3 feet right. Aza has maybe 20 feet to win the hole and the match. 18 inches short. Ai-sama concedes and Aza doesn't. Wonder if Ai-sama will be concentrating on this one. Nope. Aza wins 2&1.]
[Update 3 (1:19 pm): At times, I'll try to sum up where the teams currently stand.
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Spain (7): up in 2, all-square in 1, down in 1
Sweden (7): up in 1, down in 3
Thailand (7): up in 1, all-square in 2, down in 1
Korea (6): up in 1, down in 3
Wish they had flags by the players' names on the scoreboard!]
[Update 4 (2:11 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Japan (8): up in 3, all-square in 1
Spain (7): up in 2, all-square in 1, down in 1
Sweden (7): up in 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Thailand (7): up in 2, down in 2
Korea (6): up in 1, down in 3
Can't wait for the tv coverage to start!]
[Update 5 (2:32 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Japan (8): up in 2, all-square in 2
Spain (7): up in 3, all-square in 1
Sweden (7): up in 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Thailand (7): up in 1, down in 3
Korea (6): up in 1, down in 3
K, it's tv time!]
[Update 6 (2:40 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Sweden (9): won 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Japan (8): up in 2, all-square in 2
Spain (7): up in 3, all-square in 1
Thailand (7): up in 1, down in 2, lost 1
Korea (6): up in 1, down in 3
Tightening up!]
[Update 7 (2:43 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (9): won 1, up in 2, all-square in 1
Sweden (9): won 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Japan (8): up in 2, all-square in 2
Thailand (7): up in 1, down in 2, lost 1
Korea (6): up in 1, down in 2, lost 1
Tightening up!]
[Update 8 (2:54 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (9): won 1, up in 2, all-square in 1
Sweden (9): won 1, up in 1, down in 1, lost 1
Japan (8): up in 2, all-square in 1, down in 1
Korea (8): won 1, down in 2, lost 1
Thailand (7): up in 1, down in 2, lost 1
Tightening up further!]
[Update 9 (3:57 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (9): won 1, up in 2, all-square in 1
Sweden (9): won 1, up in 1, down in 1, lost 1
Thailand (9): won 1, down in 2, lost 1
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 2, down in 1
Korea (8): won 1, all-square in 1, lost 2
Tightening up even further!]
[Update 10 (4:23 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (11): won 2, up in 1, all-square in 1
Sweden (9): won 1, up in 1, lost 2
Thailand (9): won 1, down in 2, lost 1
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 1, down in 2
Korea (8): won 1, up in 1, lost 2
It's looking like Spain right now!]
[Update 11 (4:35 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (11): won 2, up in 1, all-square in 1
Sweden (11): won 2, lost 2
Thailand (9): won 1, down in 2, lost 1
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 1, down in 1, lost 1
Korea (8): won 1, up in 1, lost 2
It's still looking like Spain!]
[Update 12 (4:39 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (11): won 2, up in 1, all-square in 1
Sweden (11): won 2, lost 2
Korea (10): won 2, lost 2
Thailand (9): won 1, down in 2, lost 1
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 1, lost 2
It's more and more looking like Spain!]
[Update 13 (4:55 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (13): won 3, all-square in 1
Sweden (11): won 2, lost 2
Korea (10): won 2, lost 2
Thailand (9): won 1, down in 1, lost 2
Japan (8): up in 1, all-square in 1, lost 2
It's Spain!]
[Update 14 (5:15 pm): Here's how the teams stand right now:
Spain (13): won 3, all-square in 1
Sweden (11): won 2, lost 2
Korea (10): won 2, lost 2
Japan (10): won 1, down in 1, lost 2
Thailand (9): won 1, lost 3
They're just playing for position now!]
[Update 15 (5:22 pm): Here are the final results:
Spain (15): won 4
Sweden (11): won 2, lost 2
Korea (10): won 2, lost 2
Japan (10): won 1, lost 3
Thailand (9): won 1, lost 3
Congratulations to Team Spain!]
Saturday, July 26, 2014
International Crown Saturday: The Plot Thickens
All the matches are under way on day 3 of the International Crown and already there have been fireworks galore! Check back here for updates throughout the afternoon and evening. And feel free to check out Ron Sirak's and Randall Mell's twitter feeds as they're live-tweeting this thing!
Sweden vs. Australia
Anna Nordqvist has birdied 4 of her 1st 6 holes to lead teammate Caroline Hedwall (2 birdies) to a 2-up lead on Minjee Lee (2 birdies) and Karrie Webb (1 birdie).
Pernilla Lindberg and Mikaela Parmlid have picked up right where they left off, with 4 team birdies in the 1st 5 holes to go 2-up on Katherine Kirk and Lindsey Wright.
[Update 1 (2:06 pm): Hedwall birdies the 7th to bring Sweden's A-team 3-up.]
[Update 5 (2:14 pm): Nordqvist birdied the par-4 7th; they're now 4-up. Kirk and Wright both bogeyed the 7th to fall 3-down.]
[Update 12 (2:53 pm): Lindberg birdies 9 to bring her team to 4-up!]
[Update 21 (3:25 pm): Hedwall just misses eagle on the par-5 12th with a fantastic sand shot, while Lee leaves her 20-foot eagle attempt 6 inches right of the hole. Still a 4-up lead there.]
[Update 26 (3:33 pm): Parmlid made her 3rd birdie of the day and Kirk couldn't follow it up, so Team Sweden is now 5-up!]
[Update 42 (3:56 pm): Ouch, GC is showing Wright and Kirk's approaches on 12 and reminding us all this is where things started to go bad for them yesterday.]
[Update 43 (3:58 pm): Forgot to mention Lindberg birdied 12, so she and Parmlid are 6-up. I really thought Kirk and Wright would be stronger than Sweden's B-team before the week started!]
[Update 46 (4:06 pm): Parmlid and Lindberg played their last 31 holes in -16 and win 7&5 to get 2 points for Team Sweden!]
[Update 47 (4:09 pm): Webb and Lee have to win out to force a halve in the match and then they need Team Japan to sweep Team Korea, but even then I think the tie-breaker is the original seeding, so it looks to me like Australia has been eliminated.]
[Update 50 (4:13 pm): Nordqvist has a birdie putt to win the match, but it rolls 3 feet by after Hedwall failed to make her par save.]
[Update 52 (4:17 pm): It's automatic for Nordqvist and they win 4&3. Sweden finishes pool play with 7 points. They now lead Pool B.]
Spain vs. Taiwan
Azahara Munoz and Carlota Ciganda have combined for 2 birdies in the 1st 3 holes against Ya Ni Tseng and Phoebe Yao and won the par-5 4th when the Taiwanese team both bogeyed it. They are now 3-up.
Meanwhile, Teresa Lu started eagle-birdie but she and Candie Kung are only 1-up on Beatriz Recari and Belen Mozo, as Mozo responded with a birdie on the par-3 3rd.
[Update 2 (2:07 pm): Spain's A-team is now 4-up through 5 as they dropped a pair of birdies on the par 4.]
[Update 6 (2:15 pm): Aza has made her 2nd birdie in a row to bring her team 5-up!]
[Update 7 (2:17 pm): Recari birdied the par-4 5th to bring their match all-square.]
[Update 14 (3:08 pm): Wow! Munoz and Ciganda are now 6-up through 9 after Yao couldn't save par from 12 feet.]
[Update 18 (3:17 pm): Great approach by Lu to a tough pin on #9.]
[Update 22 (3:26 pm): Lu follows it up with a fine putt to bring her team to 2-up.]
[Update 27 (3:35 pm): Wow! Great approach by Ciganda on 11--pulled the string and that's what kept it from being an eagle!]
[Update 31 (3:39 pm): Lu knocks it stiff as Tseng's putt goes all the way around the hole and refuses to drop. So Tseng and Yao are down 7 with 7 to play while Lu and Kung have a chance to go 3-up.]
[Update 33 (3:43 pm): Missed seeing Lu win the hole while we got to see a bit by the Jutanugarn sisters. Cute, but how about showing a match that could eliminate Team Spain? Maybe after the commercial break?]
[Update 34 (3:44 pm): Lu did make her 2nd birdie in a row but Mozo matched it. Match stays at 2-up. Sorry, I misread the leaderboard in the last update!]
[Update 41 (3:55 pm): Another great approach from Lu. She's playing like on Thursday!]
[Update 44 (4:02 pm): Recari makes birdie on 11 and Lu follows it up. Ya Ni birdies 12 and both Munoz and Ciganda miss makeable ones to close the the match, so they're "only" 6-up with 6 to play.]
[Update 51 (4:15 pm): Yao makes the must-make to force Munoz to win the match with a 7-footer. Money! Just like the Solheim Cup! Now Munoz and Ciganda, 6&5 winners, can go cheer on Recari and Mozo. Spain is tied with Thailand with 5 points right now.]
[Update 66 (4:44 pm): Mozo and Recari birdied 12 to get back to 1-down!]
[Update 72 (4:56 pm): Recari cleans up par on 14 to bring the match to all-square with 4 to go!]
[Update 78 (5:06 pm): 4 birdie tries on 15.]
[Update 84 (5:15 pm): No birdie for Recari. Or anyone else. Amazing we only got to see 1 putt on that hole!]
[Update 90 (5:30 pm): Amazing pitch-in from heavy rough by Belen Mozo on 16!!!! And great celebration with Beatriz!]
[Update 91 (5:31 pm): Teresa Lu almost matched it from just off the green, but Mozo's eagle brings them to 1-up with 2 to play.]
[Update 94 (5:37 pm): 3 on the green on 17, nobody super-close or super-far, but Recari's on the stone border near the pond right.]
[Update 98 (5:43 pm): Recari can't get the tough up and down, so it's going to be up to Mozo!]
[Update 99 (5:45 pm): She can't get the birdie, but she gets her par and forces Lu and Kung to make their putts to square the match.]
[Update 100 (5:46 pm): No birdie for Teresa.]
[Update 108 (6:07 pm): Wow, Mozo makes a long one to win the match 2-up, eliminate Taiwan, and move to the top of Pool A with 7 points!!!]
Korea vs. Japan
It's pars galore as Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu square off against the Okinawan giant-slayers, Mika Miyazato and Mamiko Higa. They're all-square through 3.
Na Yeon Choi and In-Kyung Kim dropped a birdie on Sakura Yokomine and Ai Miyazato on the very 1st hole, but the Japanese duo are used to coming from behind. They're 1-down through 2.
[Update 3 (2:08 pm): Inbee Park made the 1st birdie of the day to lift her and So Yeon Ryu to 1-up.]
[Update 9 (2:20 pm): Ryu birdies 5 to bring them 2-up.]
[Update 10 (2:41 pm): The M&Ms respond with a pair of birdies on the par-3 6th to pull back to 1-down.]
[Update 17 (3:16 pm): Looks like Ai-sama birdied the 7th to bring her and Yokomine all-square with NYC and Inky.]
[Update 20 (3:23 pm): Park sinks a sweeping left-to-right 18-footer for birdie to take the 8th and bring her team 2-up.]
[Update 24 (3:31 pm): Ouch--Yokomine missed a sliding downhiller 5-footer and they go 1-down to NYC and Inky.]
[Update 25 (3:32 pm): Wow, great approach by Ryu on #9--maybe even better than Lu's!]
[Update 30 (3:38 pm): Ryu makes birdie to go 3-up.]
[Update 35 (3:47 pm): Mikan pulls her approach short left of the green while Inbee pulls hers just past the pin on the green.]
[Update 45 (4:04 pm): Yokomine eagles 10 and has the cutest reaction in the world! NYC needs to jar it to halve the hole, but missed the green. Inky takes her try and flies it a little past the pin. The match is now all-square!]
[Update 49 (4:11 pm): Higa couldn't get her 16-footer to drop, so they lose the 11th to go 4-down with 7 to play.]
[Update 53 (4:19 pm): Ai-sama hits it to a foot on 11. This is about where she and Sakura came alive yesterday. They'll need a great push today to handle NYC and Inky!]
[Update 54 (4:23 pm): Inky's birdie try just slides by. Ai-sama's putt is conceded and they're 1-up!]
[Update 58 (4:32 pm): Higa with an eagle try from the left fringe on 12 breaks hard right and ends up 5 feet away. Ryu has an eagle chance.]
[Update 59 (4:34 pm): From the back fringe, Ryu leaves her 20-footer short and low, but closer than Mamiko.]
[Update 61 (4:35 pm): Higa side-doors her birdie try--in!]
[Update 63 (4:38 pm): Ryu answers it. Still 4-up, now with 6 holes to go.]
[Update 65 (4:43 pm): Higa uses the backstop on 13 and it rolls back almost all the way to the cup. She'll be conceded the birdie, so the pressure's on Park and Ryu to answer.]
[Update 67 (4:49 pm): Ryu answers with a delicate downhill 20 footer. Behind them, Yokomine makes a 90-foot chip for eagle on 12!
[Update 68 (4:51 pm): Then Sakura almost one-hands her finish and sticks it on 13! Holy cow!]
[Update 71 (4:54 pm): Inky responds by leaving it in tap-in range!]
[Update 74 (5:03 pm): Ryu has 4 birdies in her last 5 holes. Yokomine sinks her birdie putt on the right edge; good thing, b/c Inky really did have a tap-in. Good halves all around!]
[Update 79 (5:08 pm): Ryu just babies birdie try on 14. Higa has a 3-footer to extend the match--and makes it. Korea is dormie in the 1st match.]
[Update 82 (5:13 pm): Great approach by NYC on 14. 9 feet for birdie!!]
[Update 86 (5:18 pm): No F-in way!!!! Ai-sama holes out from bunker! All of a sudden NYC needs to make her birdie try to avoid going 3 down! And it just swerves right at the end.... Only 4 to play in this match.]
[Update 95 (5:39 pm): Park and Ryu beat the Okinawan giant-slayers 4&3. Just too much: -7 through 15 holes! Minutes later, Ai-sama has a putt from near the back fringe to win her match: it stops right on line 2 feet short of the cup.]
[Update 97 (5:42 pm): Whoa, maybe that's 3 feet. Looks longer after Sakura failed to make par. But she knocks it in and they're dormie.]
[Update 106 (6:03 pm): Sorry, had to take a minute to wash some rice for dinner. A lot easier for one cup than for three with The Full Metal Archivist, Onechan, and Imoto still in Japan for another month! Speaking of Japan, isn't it about time to see if they can close out their match?]
[Update 107 (6:06 pm): Right on cue, Golf Channel goes to the 16th green. And Yoko-meanie (sorry, Judy, 1st mispronounce of the day--then she goes to Yoko-mini!) just misses her birdie. Nice mention of the Okinawa-centric nature of Team Japan. Inky has a good birdie chance, about 12 feet, but it just veers off to the left in the last foot. Now it's up to NYC.]
[Update 109 (6:08 pm): NYC can't do it from the opposite side of the cup. So Japan wins Pool B with 8 points and Korea has to go to the playoff for the last spot on Sunday.]
USA vs. Thailand
It's pars all around on the 1st hole as Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr take on Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn.
No scores in yet for the Stacy Lewis-Paula Creamer vs. Pornanong Phatlum-Onnarin Sattayabanphot match.
[Update 4 (2:10 pm): Kerr birdied the par-4 2nd to bring her and Lexi 1-up, while Phatlum and Sattayabanphot both birdied the 1st to also go 1-up.]
[Update 8 (2:19 pm): It's birdies all around for Lewis, Creamer, Phatlum, and Sattayabanphot on 2 as they halve the hole. Note: Just found out from Golf Channel's early coverage that Sattayabanphot snaked in a long one and Lewis matched it.]
[Update 11 (2:50 pm): The Jutanugarns both bogey the par-5 4th to hand Kerr and Thompson a 2-up lead.]
[Update 13 (2:59 pm): Nice stroke by Lexi on her 10-foot birdie putt to match the Jutanugarns' birdie on the 5th!]
[Update 15 (3:09 pm): Wow, sweet chip in by Sattayabanphot when it looked like Team USA would have 2 birdie putts to win the hole!]
[Update 16 (3:13 pm): Stacy hit her 20-footer through the break and Paula just pulled her 7-footer enough for it to hit the corner of the cup and not fall. Sattayabanphot and Phatlum go 2-up.]
[Update 19 (3:19 pm): Lexi left a make-able downhill 10-footer a foot short in her bid to bring Team USA 4-up in their match.]
[Update 23 (3:28 pm): Nice lag from the back of the green on the par-3 6th by Lewis. Sattayabanphot has an uphill 8-footer and saves par.]
[Update 28 (3:36 pm): Cristie's putt broke the other way than Lexi's, so now Ariya has a 16-foot chance to win the hole. She blasted it by, so now the sisters will have to make some tough putts to halve the hole.]
[Update 29 (3:37 pm): Moriya hits it through the break and doesn't have an easy one for bogey.]
[Update 32 (3:41 pm): No worries, as Ariya and Cristie clean up their pars.]
[Update 36 (3:48 pm): Fantastic sand wedge from heavy rough by Lexi with the pressure on to about 16 feet by the pin. Ariya does the same from a bit better lie to about 18 feet.]
[Update 37 (3:50 pm): Stacy has a short downhiller for birdie to win the 7th and pull her and Paula within 1 hole of the Phatlum-Sattayabanphot team. And she makes it!]
[Update 38 (3:52 pm): With Moriya in for a bogey, Ariya tries to lag her putt but it rolls out 7 feet by the pin. Now it's Lexi's turn: and she hits the hole but the ball still rolls 6 feet by! Now Cristie is closest with 4 feet for par.]
[Update 39 (3:53 pm): Great putt by Ariya! Now it's Lexi's turn.]
[Update 40 (3:54 pm): Sweet follow-up by Lexi.]
[Update 46 (4:05 pm): Big birdie putt by Paula on 8. Phatlum hits it through the break and this match is now all-square!]
[Update 48 (4:10 pm): Long birdie try from the back collar of the 9th green by Ariya ends up 1 inch to the right of the cup. The hole is halved.]
[Update 55 (4:28 pm): A pair of good birdie tries for Team USA on 10 while everyone needs to make tough pars saves on 9. Cristie's 20-foot try on 10 was a roll short and left, while Lexi has a 10-foot downhill sweeper for birdie, but can't make it. Halved. Meanwhile, Phatlum saved par on 9 to keep their match at all-square.]
[Update 56 (4:30 pm): Cristie hit a hybrid to the left corner of the fairway on 11 while Lexi puts an iron in the middle of the fairway.]
[Update 57 (4:31 pm): Great explanation and visual of how Lexi went back to her old putting stance in 2013 and improved her putting as a result!]
[Update 60 (4:34 pm): Moriya sticks one on 11! Maybe she's coming alive today!]
[Update 62 (4:37 pm): Lexi answers it, about a foot closer to the pin! Ariya is about 2 feet outside Moriya. Cristie pulls her sand wedge about 12 feet left of the pin.]
[Update 64 (4:42 pm): Cristie thought she had it, but it slid by. Meanwhile, Phatlum sticks it inside other good shots on 10. Ariya made her birdie try to put pressure on Lexi, but she also showed her the line a bit. Looks like about 5 feet. Money! Another halve. Still 2-up with 7 to go.]
[Update 67 (4:45 pm): Paula uses the entire cup to force Phatlum to make her 3-footer. Money. Still all-square heading to the 11th tee.]
[Update 69 (4:52 pm): Ariya just misses 12 short on her 2nd shot from a fairway bunker. Judy Rankin points out it's almost exactly where Yokomine just was. Moriya puts her not far from where Ryu had put hers on the back fringe.]
[Update 70 (4:53 pm): Announcers joking about Lexi having a 6-iron in instead of yesterday's 7-iron. It tracks right by the hole and stops about 3 feet away!!!]
[Update 73 (4:58 pm): After Paula sticks it on 11 to 6 feet, Pornanong gets hers to about 9.]
[Update 75 (5:04 pm): Cristie and Moriya make good birdie putts. If Lexi can sink her eagle putt, Team USA goes 3-up.]
[Update 76 (5:04 pm): Bang! Lexi eagles 12 for the 2nd day in a row!]
[Update 77 (5:05 pm): Phatlum makes a great birdie, but Paula got the read from her and...misses her birdie putt right. Team Thailand is 1-up!!]
[Update 80 (5:09 pm): The backstop wasn't Cristie's friend on 13.]
[Update 81 (5:12 pm): It was for Lexi and the ball almost rolled back in the cup for a tap-in birdie. Ariya pushed her approach. Juli Inkster's now talking about being Moriya's LPGA mentor. Wonder if she ever gave her any advice relevant to this situation? "Mo" put it about 15 feet short right of the pin.]
[Update 83 (5:14 pm): Whoa, Phatlum birdied 11 as Golf Channel goes to commercials to bring her team 1-up!]
[Update 85 (5:17 pm): No birdie for Moriya. 4-down with 5 to play.]
[Update 87 (5:19 pm): Phatlum hits 12 in 2 but Lewis uses the undulations and gets her 2nd to about 7 feet away!]
[Update 88 (5:27 pm): Phatlum's putt looks like 40 feet or more.... Described as downhill and sliding right. Nice lag to 2 feet, right on line. Now Paula will try to make her 25-footer to get the birdie in and show Stacy the line. She burns the cup on the high side! Now it's up to Stacy to get this eagle! She's a very streaky hot putter, but she just hasn't locked in this week yet. Not anymore! Eagle to square the match!!]
[Update 89 (5:28 pm): Paula sticks her 7-iron on 13 6 feet left of the pin. Nice shot!]
[Update 92 (5:32 pm): Stacy goes about 12 feet past pin high. Pornanong, who beat Stacy in Dubai last December, hit it thin, right and long on the green. Sattayabanphot can't quite use the backstop to bring the ball as close as others have, but she has about 15 feet for birdie.]
[Update 93 (5:36 pm): Moriya snakes in a long one on 14 to pull her sister within 3 holes with 4 holes to play. Meanwhile, Phatlum's snakes by the cup just left with near-perfect speed.]
[Update 96 (5:41 pm): Stacy just can't get the speed down on her birdie try, hitting it through the break. Now it's up to Paula to make her maybe 7-footer to win the hole. And it tails off on the last roll....]
[Update 101 (5:48 pm): Lots of good approaches on 14 and 15. But Stacy dumps hers in the trap, reminiscent of her approach on 17 yesterday, as both Jerry Foltz and I thought at the same time. Phatlum hits it the closest on 14.]
[Update 102 (5:52 pm): Neither Ariya nor Moriya could make their putts, so it's looking like Cristie and Lexi will go dormie.]
[Update 103 (5:53 pm): Cristie Kerr is money! I wrote that even before she made her 5-footer to take her team 3-up with 3 to play.]
[Update 104 (5:55 pm): Paula's maybe got a 15-footer. Stops about 2 inches shy of the cup. Can Thailand go 1-up? It's up to Phatlum.]
[Update 105 (5:56 pm): Bang! Never a doubt from the opposite side as Paula! 1-up with 4 to go.]
[Update 110 (6:10 pm): So as the US-Thailand matches come down to the wire, Team USA would be in a playoff against Team ROK if the matches don't change!]
[Update 111 (6:12 pm): Phatlum sticks her approach on 15, just missing an eagle!!!! Great chance to go 2-up in that crucial match as Team USA has one chance to match it with about a 15-footer for birdie.]
[Update 112 (6:14 pm): Lewis can't make the birdie and Team Thailand is 2-up with 3 to play!]
[Update 113 (6:17 pm): Looks like Cristie and Lexi should close out Ariya and Moriya on 16. Moriya flops it from the rough over the par 5 and lets it trickle down for an uphill birdie attempt. Ariya's above the hole in 3 after a tough chip position from short of the green.]
[Update 114 (6:19 pm): Cristie just needs to lag her 25-footer and she did it to perfection. Team USA wins the key match to ensure they'll at least be in a playoff against Team ROK!]
[Update 115 (6:23 pm): Wow, first Onnarin and then Paula hit terrible approaches on 16 when going for the green in 2 from the fairway. Now it's up to Stacy Lewis. Lucky it stayed on the green after double crossing her approach to the lower left tier.]
[Update 116 (6:25 pm): Pornanong layed up and didn't hit a great approach.]
[Update 117 (6:31 pm): Paula chopped it out from a terrible lie in the right rough and got it to the back tier. Stacy leaves her--what, 80-footer?--about a foot short! Amazing eagle try!!]
[Update 118 (6:32 pm): Team ROK's been waiting for a while. Looks like Inbee and So Yeon will be carrying the flag in the playoff.]
[Update 119 (6:34 pm): Phatlum got her par. Sattayabanphot needs to make hers from the fringe (after an even better shot from the rough than Paula had). It seemed to go airborne as it left the fringe for a fraction of a second and stayed barely left of the cup all the way. Team USA 1 down with 1 to play.]
[Update 120 (6:37 pm): Big approach shots coming up on the par-3 17th! Here's how the overall points stand for those teams we know are in:
8 Japan
7 Sweden, Spain
If Phatlum and Sattayabanphot hold on, Thailand will end up with 7 points. And the USA and ROK would end pool play with 6. If they halve, it'll be Team USA with 7 and Thailand with 6. If Team USA can win the last 3 holes in a row, they'll tie Japan with 8 points!]
[Update 121 (6:41 pm): Paula loses hers a little right but it lands on the fringe and bounces a little forward for a nice birdie chance. Stacy hit her approach here yesterday in the water and ended up in about the same kind of position as Recari did a bit earlier today. If either Phatlum or Sattayabanphot can stick it, the pressure's really on Paula. But Phatlum puts it in the water short right! Now all the pressure's on Onnarin!!!! She's speaking Japanese with her caddy, by the way! OK, she put it in the back left corner, about 30 feet from the pin!]
[Update 122 (6:44 pm): Good break for Stacy that the wire or whatever was up against her ball, so she got to remove it and replace her ball without any penalty. She's only about 20 feet from the pin, chipping off stone. She's gotta pop it out and hope! But Sattayabanphot is away.]
[Update 123 (6:45 pm): No, wait, it's Stacy! Oh, man, it checked up on her. She's got about 15 feet for par. She kinda scraped it in instead of getting the ball clean.]
[Update 124 (6:47 pm): Good putt by Onnarin, about 18 inches or so past the cup on the high side. Paula needs to make it to win the hole!]
[Update 125 (6:49 pm): Man, Paula's putt dove at the end and she missed on the low side. Sattayabanphot cleans up to bring Team Thailand dormie.]
[Update 126 (6:51 pm): So Japan is guaranteed to be the top points-getter in pool play. Now let's see who's got to face Park and Ryu in the playoff.]
[Update 127 (6:53 pm): Nice drives by Paula and Stacy. Phatlum outdrives Stacy. Onnarin (who made the amazing putt to beat Ya Ni Yseng and Phoebe Yao team here yesterday) puts hers in the 1st left bunker.]
[Update 128 (7:00 pm): Wouldn't it be cool if Golf Channel had hired someone who speaks Korean (and others who speak other languages) to translate non-English conversations the mikes pick up? Never mind. What a great shot by Sattayabanphot to get hers to the front fringe! Stacy misses the backstop and is about 25 feet above the pin. Paula misses it by more and is about 10 feet further away than Stacy. Pornanong misses the green long and left, with what looks like a bad lie.]
[Update 129 (7:02 pm): Wow, after carrying her for a good part of the day, Pornanong is putting a heck of a lot of pressure on Onnarin in these last 2 holes! But she makes up for her bad approach with a great pitch! Maybe 3 feet for par?]
[Update 130 (7:09 pm): Paula makes a good effort but can't get it on the right line. Onnarin is going to let Pornanong make what now looks like a 2-footer for par and she does (although she made her team nervous). If Sattayabanphot can make her putt, this match is over. Wow, her approach got much further onto the green than I thought it had! She only has about 18 feet. Nope. Through the break. Now it's up to Stacy Lewis, the #1 player in the world to win the hole, halve the match, and force Thailand to face Korea in the playoff.]
[Update 131 (7:11 pm): OK, Thailand's in with 7 points. New post for playoff coming right up!]
[Update 132 (7:11 pm): Here's the link!]
Sweden vs. Australia
Anna Nordqvist has birdied 4 of her 1st 6 holes to lead teammate Caroline Hedwall (2 birdies) to a 2-up lead on Minjee Lee (2 birdies) and Karrie Webb (1 birdie).
Pernilla Lindberg and Mikaela Parmlid have picked up right where they left off, with 4 team birdies in the 1st 5 holes to go 2-up on Katherine Kirk and Lindsey Wright.
[Update 1 (2:06 pm): Hedwall birdies the 7th to bring Sweden's A-team 3-up.]
[Update 5 (2:14 pm): Nordqvist birdied the par-4 7th; they're now 4-up. Kirk and Wright both bogeyed the 7th to fall 3-down.]
[Update 12 (2:53 pm): Lindberg birdies 9 to bring her team to 4-up!]
[Update 21 (3:25 pm): Hedwall just misses eagle on the par-5 12th with a fantastic sand shot, while Lee leaves her 20-foot eagle attempt 6 inches right of the hole. Still a 4-up lead there.]
[Update 26 (3:33 pm): Parmlid made her 3rd birdie of the day and Kirk couldn't follow it up, so Team Sweden is now 5-up!]
[Update 42 (3:56 pm): Ouch, GC is showing Wright and Kirk's approaches on 12 and reminding us all this is where things started to go bad for them yesterday.]
[Update 43 (3:58 pm): Forgot to mention Lindberg birdied 12, so she and Parmlid are 6-up. I really thought Kirk and Wright would be stronger than Sweden's B-team before the week started!]
[Update 46 (4:06 pm): Parmlid and Lindberg played their last 31 holes in -16 and win 7&5 to get 2 points for Team Sweden!]
[Update 47 (4:09 pm): Webb and Lee have to win out to force a halve in the match and then they need Team Japan to sweep Team Korea, but even then I think the tie-breaker is the original seeding, so it looks to me like Australia has been eliminated.]
[Update 50 (4:13 pm): Nordqvist has a birdie putt to win the match, but it rolls 3 feet by after Hedwall failed to make her par save.]
[Update 52 (4:17 pm): It's automatic for Nordqvist and they win 4&3. Sweden finishes pool play with 7 points. They now lead Pool B.]
Spain vs. Taiwan
Azahara Munoz and Carlota Ciganda have combined for 2 birdies in the 1st 3 holes against Ya Ni Tseng and Phoebe Yao and won the par-5 4th when the Taiwanese team both bogeyed it. They are now 3-up.
Meanwhile, Teresa Lu started eagle-birdie but she and Candie Kung are only 1-up on Beatriz Recari and Belen Mozo, as Mozo responded with a birdie on the par-3 3rd.
[Update 2 (2:07 pm): Spain's A-team is now 4-up through 5 as they dropped a pair of birdies on the par 4.]
[Update 6 (2:15 pm): Aza has made her 2nd birdie in a row to bring her team 5-up!]
[Update 7 (2:17 pm): Recari birdied the par-4 5th to bring their match all-square.]
[Update 14 (3:08 pm): Wow! Munoz and Ciganda are now 6-up through 9 after Yao couldn't save par from 12 feet.]
[Update 18 (3:17 pm): Great approach by Lu to a tough pin on #9.]
[Update 22 (3:26 pm): Lu follows it up with a fine putt to bring her team to 2-up.]
[Update 27 (3:35 pm): Wow! Great approach by Ciganda on 11--pulled the string and that's what kept it from being an eagle!]
[Update 31 (3:39 pm): Lu knocks it stiff as Tseng's putt goes all the way around the hole and refuses to drop. So Tseng and Yao are down 7 with 7 to play while Lu and Kung have a chance to go 3-up.]
[Update 33 (3:43 pm): Missed seeing Lu win the hole while we got to see a bit by the Jutanugarn sisters. Cute, but how about showing a match that could eliminate Team Spain? Maybe after the commercial break?]
[Update 34 (3:44 pm): Lu did make her 2nd birdie in a row but Mozo matched it. Match stays at 2-up. Sorry, I misread the leaderboard in the last update!]
[Update 41 (3:55 pm): Another great approach from Lu. She's playing like on Thursday!]
[Update 44 (4:02 pm): Recari makes birdie on 11 and Lu follows it up. Ya Ni birdies 12 and both Munoz and Ciganda miss makeable ones to close the the match, so they're "only" 6-up with 6 to play.]
[Update 51 (4:15 pm): Yao makes the must-make to force Munoz to win the match with a 7-footer. Money! Just like the Solheim Cup! Now Munoz and Ciganda, 6&5 winners, can go cheer on Recari and Mozo. Spain is tied with Thailand with 5 points right now.]
[Update 66 (4:44 pm): Mozo and Recari birdied 12 to get back to 1-down!]
[Update 72 (4:56 pm): Recari cleans up par on 14 to bring the match to all-square with 4 to go!]
[Update 78 (5:06 pm): 4 birdie tries on 15.]
[Update 84 (5:15 pm): No birdie for Recari. Or anyone else. Amazing we only got to see 1 putt on that hole!]
[Update 90 (5:30 pm): Amazing pitch-in from heavy rough by Belen Mozo on 16!!!! And great celebration with Beatriz!]
[Update 91 (5:31 pm): Teresa Lu almost matched it from just off the green, but Mozo's eagle brings them to 1-up with 2 to play.]
[Update 94 (5:37 pm): 3 on the green on 17, nobody super-close or super-far, but Recari's on the stone border near the pond right.]
[Update 98 (5:43 pm): Recari can't get the tough up and down, so it's going to be up to Mozo!]
[Update 99 (5:45 pm): She can't get the birdie, but she gets her par and forces Lu and Kung to make their putts to square the match.]
[Update 100 (5:46 pm): No birdie for Teresa.]
[Update 108 (6:07 pm): Wow, Mozo makes a long one to win the match 2-up, eliminate Taiwan, and move to the top of Pool A with 7 points!!!]
Korea vs. Japan
It's pars galore as Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu square off against the Okinawan giant-slayers, Mika Miyazato and Mamiko Higa. They're all-square through 3.
Na Yeon Choi and In-Kyung Kim dropped a birdie on Sakura Yokomine and Ai Miyazato on the very 1st hole, but the Japanese duo are used to coming from behind. They're 1-down through 2.
[Update 3 (2:08 pm): Inbee Park made the 1st birdie of the day to lift her and So Yeon Ryu to 1-up.]
[Update 9 (2:20 pm): Ryu birdies 5 to bring them 2-up.]
[Update 10 (2:41 pm): The M&Ms respond with a pair of birdies on the par-3 6th to pull back to 1-down.]
[Update 17 (3:16 pm): Looks like Ai-sama birdied the 7th to bring her and Yokomine all-square with NYC and Inky.]
[Update 20 (3:23 pm): Park sinks a sweeping left-to-right 18-footer for birdie to take the 8th and bring her team 2-up.]
[Update 24 (3:31 pm): Ouch--Yokomine missed a sliding downhiller 5-footer and they go 1-down to NYC and Inky.]
[Update 25 (3:32 pm): Wow, great approach by Ryu on #9--maybe even better than Lu's!]
[Update 30 (3:38 pm): Ryu makes birdie to go 3-up.]
[Update 35 (3:47 pm): Mikan pulls her approach short left of the green while Inbee pulls hers just past the pin on the green.]
[Update 45 (4:04 pm): Yokomine eagles 10 and has the cutest reaction in the world! NYC needs to jar it to halve the hole, but missed the green. Inky takes her try and flies it a little past the pin. The match is now all-square!]
[Update 49 (4:11 pm): Higa couldn't get her 16-footer to drop, so they lose the 11th to go 4-down with 7 to play.]
[Update 53 (4:19 pm): Ai-sama hits it to a foot on 11. This is about where she and Sakura came alive yesterday. They'll need a great push today to handle NYC and Inky!]
[Update 54 (4:23 pm): Inky's birdie try just slides by. Ai-sama's putt is conceded and they're 1-up!]
[Update 58 (4:32 pm): Higa with an eagle try from the left fringe on 12 breaks hard right and ends up 5 feet away. Ryu has an eagle chance.]
[Update 59 (4:34 pm): From the back fringe, Ryu leaves her 20-footer short and low, but closer than Mamiko.]
[Update 61 (4:35 pm): Higa side-doors her birdie try--in!]
[Update 63 (4:38 pm): Ryu answers it. Still 4-up, now with 6 holes to go.]
[Update 65 (4:43 pm): Higa uses the backstop on 13 and it rolls back almost all the way to the cup. She'll be conceded the birdie, so the pressure's on Park and Ryu to answer.]
[Update 67 (4:49 pm): Ryu answers with a delicate downhill 20 footer. Behind them, Yokomine makes a 90-foot chip for eagle on 12!
[Update 68 (4:51 pm): Then Sakura almost one-hands her finish and sticks it on 13! Holy cow!]
[Update 71 (4:54 pm): Inky responds by leaving it in tap-in range!]
[Update 74 (5:03 pm): Ryu has 4 birdies in her last 5 holes. Yokomine sinks her birdie putt on the right edge; good thing, b/c Inky really did have a tap-in. Good halves all around!]
[Update 79 (5:08 pm): Ryu just babies birdie try on 14. Higa has a 3-footer to extend the match--and makes it. Korea is dormie in the 1st match.]
[Update 82 (5:13 pm): Great approach by NYC on 14. 9 feet for birdie!!]
[Update 86 (5:18 pm): No F-in way!!!! Ai-sama holes out from bunker! All of a sudden NYC needs to make her birdie try to avoid going 3 down! And it just swerves right at the end.... Only 4 to play in this match.]
[Update 95 (5:39 pm): Park and Ryu beat the Okinawan giant-slayers 4&3. Just too much: -7 through 15 holes! Minutes later, Ai-sama has a putt from near the back fringe to win her match: it stops right on line 2 feet short of the cup.]
[Update 97 (5:42 pm): Whoa, maybe that's 3 feet. Looks longer after Sakura failed to make par. But she knocks it in and they're dormie.]
[Update 106 (6:03 pm): Sorry, had to take a minute to wash some rice for dinner. A lot easier for one cup than for three with The Full Metal Archivist, Onechan, and Imoto still in Japan for another month! Speaking of Japan, isn't it about time to see if they can close out their match?]
[Update 107 (6:06 pm): Right on cue, Golf Channel goes to the 16th green. And Yoko-meanie (sorry, Judy, 1st mispronounce of the day--then she goes to Yoko-mini!) just misses her birdie. Nice mention of the Okinawa-centric nature of Team Japan. Inky has a good birdie chance, about 12 feet, but it just veers off to the left in the last foot. Now it's up to NYC.]
[Update 109 (6:08 pm): NYC can't do it from the opposite side of the cup. So Japan wins Pool B with 8 points and Korea has to go to the playoff for the last spot on Sunday.]
USA vs. Thailand
It's pars all around on the 1st hole as Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr take on Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn.
No scores in yet for the Stacy Lewis-Paula Creamer vs. Pornanong Phatlum-Onnarin Sattayabanphot match.
[Update 4 (2:10 pm): Kerr birdied the par-4 2nd to bring her and Lexi 1-up, while Phatlum and Sattayabanphot both birdied the 1st to also go 1-up.]
[Update 8 (2:19 pm): It's birdies all around for Lewis, Creamer, Phatlum, and Sattayabanphot on 2 as they halve the hole. Note: Just found out from Golf Channel's early coverage that Sattayabanphot snaked in a long one and Lewis matched it.]
[Update 11 (2:50 pm): The Jutanugarns both bogey the par-5 4th to hand Kerr and Thompson a 2-up lead.]
[Update 13 (2:59 pm): Nice stroke by Lexi on her 10-foot birdie putt to match the Jutanugarns' birdie on the 5th!]
[Update 15 (3:09 pm): Wow, sweet chip in by Sattayabanphot when it looked like Team USA would have 2 birdie putts to win the hole!]
[Update 16 (3:13 pm): Stacy hit her 20-footer through the break and Paula just pulled her 7-footer enough for it to hit the corner of the cup and not fall. Sattayabanphot and Phatlum go 2-up.]
[Update 19 (3:19 pm): Lexi left a make-able downhill 10-footer a foot short in her bid to bring Team USA 4-up in their match.]
[Update 23 (3:28 pm): Nice lag from the back of the green on the par-3 6th by Lewis. Sattayabanphot has an uphill 8-footer and saves par.]
[Update 28 (3:36 pm): Cristie's putt broke the other way than Lexi's, so now Ariya has a 16-foot chance to win the hole. She blasted it by, so now the sisters will have to make some tough putts to halve the hole.]
[Update 29 (3:37 pm): Moriya hits it through the break and doesn't have an easy one for bogey.]
[Update 32 (3:41 pm): No worries, as Ariya and Cristie clean up their pars.]
[Update 36 (3:48 pm): Fantastic sand wedge from heavy rough by Lexi with the pressure on to about 16 feet by the pin. Ariya does the same from a bit better lie to about 18 feet.]
[Update 37 (3:50 pm): Stacy has a short downhiller for birdie to win the 7th and pull her and Paula within 1 hole of the Phatlum-Sattayabanphot team. And she makes it!]
[Update 38 (3:52 pm): With Moriya in for a bogey, Ariya tries to lag her putt but it rolls out 7 feet by the pin. Now it's Lexi's turn: and she hits the hole but the ball still rolls 6 feet by! Now Cristie is closest with 4 feet for par.]
[Update 39 (3:53 pm): Great putt by Ariya! Now it's Lexi's turn.]
[Update 40 (3:54 pm): Sweet follow-up by Lexi.]
[Update 46 (4:05 pm): Big birdie putt by Paula on 8. Phatlum hits it through the break and this match is now all-square!]
[Update 48 (4:10 pm): Long birdie try from the back collar of the 9th green by Ariya ends up 1 inch to the right of the cup. The hole is halved.]
[Update 55 (4:28 pm): A pair of good birdie tries for Team USA on 10 while everyone needs to make tough pars saves on 9. Cristie's 20-foot try on 10 was a roll short and left, while Lexi has a 10-foot downhill sweeper for birdie, but can't make it. Halved. Meanwhile, Phatlum saved par on 9 to keep their match at all-square.]
[Update 56 (4:30 pm): Cristie hit a hybrid to the left corner of the fairway on 11 while Lexi puts an iron in the middle of the fairway.]
[Update 57 (4:31 pm): Great explanation and visual of how Lexi went back to her old putting stance in 2013 and improved her putting as a result!]
[Update 60 (4:34 pm): Moriya sticks one on 11! Maybe she's coming alive today!]
[Update 62 (4:37 pm): Lexi answers it, about a foot closer to the pin! Ariya is about 2 feet outside Moriya. Cristie pulls her sand wedge about 12 feet left of the pin.]
[Update 64 (4:42 pm): Cristie thought she had it, but it slid by. Meanwhile, Phatlum sticks it inside other good shots on 10. Ariya made her birdie try to put pressure on Lexi, but she also showed her the line a bit. Looks like about 5 feet. Money! Another halve. Still 2-up with 7 to go.]
[Update 67 (4:45 pm): Paula uses the entire cup to force Phatlum to make her 3-footer. Money. Still all-square heading to the 11th tee.]
[Update 69 (4:52 pm): Ariya just misses 12 short on her 2nd shot from a fairway bunker. Judy Rankin points out it's almost exactly where Yokomine just was. Moriya puts her not far from where Ryu had put hers on the back fringe.]
[Update 70 (4:53 pm): Announcers joking about Lexi having a 6-iron in instead of yesterday's 7-iron. It tracks right by the hole and stops about 3 feet away!!!]
[Update 73 (4:58 pm): After Paula sticks it on 11 to 6 feet, Pornanong gets hers to about 9.]
[Update 75 (5:04 pm): Cristie and Moriya make good birdie putts. If Lexi can sink her eagle putt, Team USA goes 3-up.]
[Update 76 (5:04 pm): Bang! Lexi eagles 12 for the 2nd day in a row!]
[Update 77 (5:05 pm): Phatlum makes a great birdie, but Paula got the read from her and...misses her birdie putt right. Team Thailand is 1-up!!]
[Update 80 (5:09 pm): The backstop wasn't Cristie's friend on 13.]
[Update 81 (5:12 pm): It was for Lexi and the ball almost rolled back in the cup for a tap-in birdie. Ariya pushed her approach. Juli Inkster's now talking about being Moriya's LPGA mentor. Wonder if she ever gave her any advice relevant to this situation? "Mo" put it about 15 feet short right of the pin.]
[Update 83 (5:14 pm): Whoa, Phatlum birdied 11 as Golf Channel goes to commercials to bring her team 1-up!]
[Update 85 (5:17 pm): No birdie for Moriya. 4-down with 5 to play.]
[Update 87 (5:19 pm): Phatlum hits 12 in 2 but Lewis uses the undulations and gets her 2nd to about 7 feet away!]
[Update 88 (5:27 pm): Phatlum's putt looks like 40 feet or more.... Described as downhill and sliding right. Nice lag to 2 feet, right on line. Now Paula will try to make her 25-footer to get the birdie in and show Stacy the line. She burns the cup on the high side! Now it's up to Stacy to get this eagle! She's a very streaky hot putter, but she just hasn't locked in this week yet. Not anymore! Eagle to square the match!!]
[Update 89 (5:28 pm): Paula sticks her 7-iron on 13 6 feet left of the pin. Nice shot!]
[Update 92 (5:32 pm): Stacy goes about 12 feet past pin high. Pornanong, who beat Stacy in Dubai last December, hit it thin, right and long on the green. Sattayabanphot can't quite use the backstop to bring the ball as close as others have, but she has about 15 feet for birdie.]
[Update 93 (5:36 pm): Moriya snakes in a long one on 14 to pull her sister within 3 holes with 4 holes to play. Meanwhile, Phatlum's snakes by the cup just left with near-perfect speed.]
[Update 96 (5:41 pm): Stacy just can't get the speed down on her birdie try, hitting it through the break. Now it's up to Paula to make her maybe 7-footer to win the hole. And it tails off on the last roll....]
[Update 101 (5:48 pm): Lots of good approaches on 14 and 15. But Stacy dumps hers in the trap, reminiscent of her approach on 17 yesterday, as both Jerry Foltz and I thought at the same time. Phatlum hits it the closest on 14.]
[Update 102 (5:52 pm): Neither Ariya nor Moriya could make their putts, so it's looking like Cristie and Lexi will go dormie.]
[Update 103 (5:53 pm): Cristie Kerr is money! I wrote that even before she made her 5-footer to take her team 3-up with 3 to play.]
[Update 104 (5:55 pm): Paula's maybe got a 15-footer. Stops about 2 inches shy of the cup. Can Thailand go 1-up? It's up to Phatlum.]
[Update 105 (5:56 pm): Bang! Never a doubt from the opposite side as Paula! 1-up with 4 to go.]
[Update 110 (6:10 pm): So as the US-Thailand matches come down to the wire, Team USA would be in a playoff against Team ROK if the matches don't change!]
[Update 111 (6:12 pm): Phatlum sticks her approach on 15, just missing an eagle!!!! Great chance to go 2-up in that crucial match as Team USA has one chance to match it with about a 15-footer for birdie.]
[Update 112 (6:14 pm): Lewis can't make the birdie and Team Thailand is 2-up with 3 to play!]
[Update 113 (6:17 pm): Looks like Cristie and Lexi should close out Ariya and Moriya on 16. Moriya flops it from the rough over the par 5 and lets it trickle down for an uphill birdie attempt. Ariya's above the hole in 3 after a tough chip position from short of the green.]
[Update 114 (6:19 pm): Cristie just needs to lag her 25-footer and she did it to perfection. Team USA wins the key match to ensure they'll at least be in a playoff against Team ROK!]
[Update 115 (6:23 pm): Wow, first Onnarin and then Paula hit terrible approaches on 16 when going for the green in 2 from the fairway. Now it's up to Stacy Lewis. Lucky it stayed on the green after double crossing her approach to the lower left tier.]
[Update 116 (6:25 pm): Pornanong layed up and didn't hit a great approach.]
[Update 117 (6:31 pm): Paula chopped it out from a terrible lie in the right rough and got it to the back tier. Stacy leaves her--what, 80-footer?--about a foot short! Amazing eagle try!!]
[Update 118 (6:32 pm): Team ROK's been waiting for a while. Looks like Inbee and So Yeon will be carrying the flag in the playoff.]
[Update 119 (6:34 pm): Phatlum got her par. Sattayabanphot needs to make hers from the fringe (after an even better shot from the rough than Paula had). It seemed to go airborne as it left the fringe for a fraction of a second and stayed barely left of the cup all the way. Team USA 1 down with 1 to play.]
[Update 120 (6:37 pm): Big approach shots coming up on the par-3 17th! Here's how the overall points stand for those teams we know are in:
8 Japan
7 Sweden, Spain
If Phatlum and Sattayabanphot hold on, Thailand will end up with 7 points. And the USA and ROK would end pool play with 6. If they halve, it'll be Team USA with 7 and Thailand with 6. If Team USA can win the last 3 holes in a row, they'll tie Japan with 8 points!]
[Update 121 (6:41 pm): Paula loses hers a little right but it lands on the fringe and bounces a little forward for a nice birdie chance. Stacy hit her approach here yesterday in the water and ended up in about the same kind of position as Recari did a bit earlier today. If either Phatlum or Sattayabanphot can stick it, the pressure's really on Paula. But Phatlum puts it in the water short right! Now all the pressure's on Onnarin!!!! She's speaking Japanese with her caddy, by the way! OK, she put it in the back left corner, about 30 feet from the pin!]
[Update 122 (6:44 pm): Good break for Stacy that the wire or whatever was up against her ball, so she got to remove it and replace her ball without any penalty. She's only about 20 feet from the pin, chipping off stone. She's gotta pop it out and hope! But Sattayabanphot is away.]
[Update 123 (6:45 pm): No, wait, it's Stacy! Oh, man, it checked up on her. She's got about 15 feet for par. She kinda scraped it in instead of getting the ball clean.]
[Update 124 (6:47 pm): Good putt by Onnarin, about 18 inches or so past the cup on the high side. Paula needs to make it to win the hole!]
[Update 125 (6:49 pm): Man, Paula's putt dove at the end and she missed on the low side. Sattayabanphot cleans up to bring Team Thailand dormie.]
[Update 126 (6:51 pm): So Japan is guaranteed to be the top points-getter in pool play. Now let's see who's got to face Park and Ryu in the playoff.]
[Update 127 (6:53 pm): Nice drives by Paula and Stacy. Phatlum outdrives Stacy. Onnarin (who made the amazing putt to beat Ya Ni Yseng and Phoebe Yao team here yesterday) puts hers in the 1st left bunker.]
[Update 128 (7:00 pm): Wouldn't it be cool if Golf Channel had hired someone who speaks Korean (and others who speak other languages) to translate non-English conversations the mikes pick up? Never mind. What a great shot by Sattayabanphot to get hers to the front fringe! Stacy misses the backstop and is about 25 feet above the pin. Paula misses it by more and is about 10 feet further away than Stacy. Pornanong misses the green long and left, with what looks like a bad lie.]
[Update 129 (7:02 pm): Wow, after carrying her for a good part of the day, Pornanong is putting a heck of a lot of pressure on Onnarin in these last 2 holes! But she makes up for her bad approach with a great pitch! Maybe 3 feet for par?]
[Update 130 (7:09 pm): Paula makes a good effort but can't get it on the right line. Onnarin is going to let Pornanong make what now looks like a 2-footer for par and she does (although she made her team nervous). If Sattayabanphot can make her putt, this match is over. Wow, her approach got much further onto the green than I thought it had! She only has about 18 feet. Nope. Through the break. Now it's up to Stacy Lewis, the #1 player in the world to win the hole, halve the match, and force Thailand to face Korea in the playoff.]
[Update 131 (7:11 pm): OK, Thailand's in with 7 points. New post for playoff coming right up!]
[Update 132 (7:11 pm): Here's the link!]
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