All right, it's time to update my predictions for who will join Sun Young Yoo and Shanshan Feng and break through in 2012 for her 1st career LPGA major. The numbers in parentheses following the players' names are for LPGA wins and international wins (but only from the other major tours: JLPGA, KLPGA, LET).
Most Likely to Break through at Blackwolf Run
1. Ai Miyazato (9/17): She's playing great in 2012, coming off a win last week, and has a great game and mental toughness for U.S. Women's Opens, where she's finished T6 twice (in 2009 and 2011) and has made the cut 6 times in a row, never finishing worse than T31. After coming very close to winning the Wegmans LPGA Championship early last month, I'd say she's due.
2. Mika Miyazato (0/1): Speaking of due, she's coming off 3 straight near-wins on the LPGA, including her closest call yet last week. She already has 7 top 15s to her credit in LPGA majors in her short professional career, including 3 top 10s in a row last year (a T7 at the KNC, a T8 at the Wegmans LPGA Championship, and a 5th-place finish at the USWO). Plus, she's already won a JLPGA major, getting revenge at the '10 Japan Women's Open for her final-round collapse in the '09 edition. She's definitely ready to win.
3. Amy Yang (0/4): Although her missed cut at the Wegmans LPGA Championship ended an 8-major top-20 streak, I still believe in what I saw from her at the 2011 Wegmans LPGA Championship: she has a great game for majors, she's capable of going toe-to-toe with Ya Ni Tseng, and she's way overdue for her 1st LPGA win. With a T5 at Oakmont, a T10 at The Broadmoor, and a final-round 65 last Sunday that earned her a T7 in NW Arkansas, she has every chance to break through this week. A win at Blackwolf Run, site of Se Ri Pak's epic win, would be particularly meaningful for the player most often mistaken for Se Ri!
4. Hee Kyung Seo (1/11): She turned a good rookie season very good at The Broadmoor, where she lost in a playoff to KLPGA rival and friend So Yeon Ryu (who's now an LPGA rookie and one of the favorites this week in yet another LPGA major). Seo seems to have gotten over the disappointment of giving up a late-Sunday lead at the KNC, having given herself several putts to win in Waterloo and going 65-66 last weekend to finish in 6th place in NW Arkansas. Would love to be the Korean to win at Blackwolf Run after Se Ri Pak.
5. Brittany Lang (1/0): She's finished inside the top 40 in 10 of her last 17 majors (the only real blemishes being missed cuts at the '08 WBO and the '11 Wegmans LPGA Championship). Last time I did this post, I wrote, "she's definitely back among the LPGA's best," and she proved it by defeating Hee Kyung Seo, Inbee Park, and Chella Choi in a playoff in Waterloo for her breakthrough LPGA win. Even though she couldn't back up her moving-day 63 that got her into contention with a super-low Sunday round, she still finished in the top 10 in NW Arkansas, so she's got serious mo' heading into this week. And she's got a great record at the USWO, with 5 made cuts in 7 starts, a T5 at Oakmont, and a T2 at Cherry Hills as an amateur in 2005.
6. Azahara Munoz (1/1): Despite missing her 1st cut in an LPGA major as an LPGA member at the Wegmans LPGA Championship, she's bounced back from her early-June nano-slump with a near-win in NW Arkansas, giving her 5 top 4s in her last 7 starts, including her win at the Sybase Match Play Championship. Her best USWO finish is a T19 at Oakmont; I'm thinking she'll do better this week.
The Contenders
7. Na Yeon Choi (5/5): Last year, she suffered her 3rd-ever missed cut in a major at the USWO (to go with her MCs at the '07 USWO and '10 Wegmans LPGA Championship), having slogged through her worst 2 non-MC major finishes right before that (T49 at the KNC and T43 at the Wegmans LPGA Championship). But she bounced back with a T7 at Carnoustie last season and followed it up with a T8 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship this season. Even though she took a DQ at the Wegmans LPGA Championship when she refused to sign her final-round scorecard and has been playing uninspired golf since then, she's got the perfect game for a USWO, with a T2 in 2010, a T9 in 2009, and a T19 in 2008. So while I'm bumping her down a category because she's not coming into this week with much momentum, I wouldn't put a win past her at Blackwolf Run by any means.
8. In-Kyung Kim (3/1): Here's what I wrote on the eve of her near-miss at this year's KNC: "Talk about due: she hadn't finished worse than 12th in her last 6 majors until coming to Carnoustie, where she had her worst finish in her last 14 majors besides an exceptionally windy KNC in 2010. Even with an uneven start to 2012, I have to rank someone with 11 top 20s in that stretch of majors, one who's had plenty of shots at the winner's circle, among the most likely to get there this week." Given how great her record at the USWO is (5 made cuts in 6 starts, 4 top 10s in a row, 3 top 5s in her last 4 starts), it might be surprising to find her ranked this low, but she's still coming back from a wrist injury and suffered a disappointing missed cut last week in NW Arkansas.
9. Lexi Thompson (1/1): Sure, she hasn't yet followed up on her top 10 at the 2010 USWO in another LPGA major, but cut her some slack, will ya? She's another one with the talent to contend any time and a surprising amount of experience in majors for someone so young, even though it hasn't all been good in terms of results. Although she's only made the cut one other time in her 5 USWO starts, how many more golfers in history will be playing in their 6th USWO well before they turn 20? She's impressed me with the progress she's been making this year. Let's see how her combination of distance and accuracy stands up to golf's toughest test!
10. Angela Stanford (5/0): Her best chance to win a major to date was back in the 2003 U.S. Women's Open, but Hilary Lunke answered Stanford's 27-foot birdie with her own walkoff birdie to win the 18-hole playoff instead. Since then, Stanford's had 17 more top-25 finishes in majors, including 2 top 5s at the LPGA Championship (back when it was sponsored by McDonalds), a T3 at last year's KNC, and a 4th-place finish at last year's USWO (where she was the 3rd-round leader). She proved she can win on a big stage in Singapore this year, so if her short game cooperates this week, she can be dangerous. Unfortunately, she hasn't played well since making the sweet 16 at the Sybase Match Play Championship and looked low on energy in Waterloo when I followed her group.
Quantum Leap Candidates
11. Sandra Gal (1/0): She's made the cut in her last 3 USWO starts after missing it in 2006 as an amateur. With 4 top 25s in her last 5 LPGA starts, she seems to be finding her form for the summer.
12. Candie Kung (4/0): She's cooled off a bit after losing in the championship round at the Sybase to Azahara Munoz, but she's got a great USWO record (8 cuts made in a row, a near-win in 2009, a T5 in 2004, a T6 in 2005, and a T13 in 2011) and has broken 70 in 3 of her last 6 rounds, so she's playing well coming into Blackwolf Run and has the mindset to endure the marathon it will be.
13. Momoko Ueda (2/9): The WBO seems to be her best major and the Mizuno Classic her favorite LPGA event, but she's capable of landing flocks of birdies and eagles seemingly at any time and her performance stats are the best they've been in years. Since a disappointing missed cut at the Wegmans LPGA Championship, she's been hitting the ball well and going low when her putter cooperates. If it does at Blackwolf Run, look for her to improve on her career-best USWO finish, a T13 in 2008.
14. Hee Young Park (1/4): She's made the cut in 11 of her last 13 majors, with 5 top 15s in that stretch, including a T11 at the '09 WBO and a T14 in this year's Wegmans LPGA Championship. This year, she's living up to nickname, The Rocket, with plenty of rounds below 70 and above 75. She's made the cut in her last 3 USWOs, although she hasn't yet improved on her T9 in 2009. Maybe this week?
15. Katherine Hull (2/1): She's cooled off a bit since making the sweet 16 at the Sybase and nearly winning the ShopRite, and while her top 20 at this year's KNC was her best finish in a major since her runner-up to Ya Ni Tseng at the 2010 Women's British Open, she's still in a great position to improve on her best USWO finish, a T25 in 2007.
16. Natalie Gulbis (1/1): Don't laugh! She's playing really well this season! And she's got a very good record at USWOs.
17. Katie Futcher (0/0): With 2 made cuts in 3 USWO starts and 4 rounds in the 60s in her last 7, she's got the history and the mo' on her side to at least break into the top 50 in a USWO for the 1st time in her career.
18. Meena Lee (2/4): If she can putt well on Blackwolf Run's huge greens, she's got a good chance to improve on her career-best USWO finish, a T21, last year at The Broadmoor. She hasn't been playing great of late, but with 5 made cuts in her 6 USWO starts and a near-win in Hawaii this year, I wouldn't count her out.
Watch Lists
Most wins/longest careers without a major: Mi Hyun Kim (8), Hee-Won Han (6), Sophie Gustafson (5), Maria Hjorth (5), Lorie Kane (4), Wendy Ward (4)
Slumping stars: Michelle Wie, Song-Hee Kim, Seon Hwa Lee, Christina Kim, Caroline Hedwall
Rising stars: Carlota Ciganda, Beatriz Recari, Jenny Shin, Mina Harigae, Chella Choi, Jennifer Johnson, Jessica Korda, Lizette Salas, Mo Martin, Pornanong Phatlum, Danielle Kang
Possible non-LPGA winners: Sakura Yokomine, Ji-Hee Lee, Melissa Reid, Soo Jin Yang, Lee-Anne Pace, Yukari Baba, Moriya Jutanugarn, Lydia Ko, Kyung Kim, Mina Nakayama
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
More Americans to Watch at the U.S. Women's Open
Steve DiMeglio got Dottie Pepper's take on which Americans have the best chance to win the U.S. Women's Open this week. Putting aside well-known but not-mentioned players like Juli Inkster (just coming back from long layoff due to elbow surgery), Michelle Wie (mega-slump), Christina Kim (humongo-slump), Pat Hurst (slump), and Wendy Ward (mini-slump), here are some more American hopefuls to keep an eye on this week (in alphabetical order):
Amanda Blumenherst (#145 Rolex Rankings): Has made the cut in 4 of 6 USWOs she's played, with her best finish a T10 in 2006 when she tied Jane Park for low amateur. However, has missed her last 2 cuts in a row at the USWO and last 4 cuts in a row on the LPGA, so even though she has a history of hitting a good number of greens in regulation on USWO courses, I'd put her as an extreme long shot this week.
Nicole Castrale (#242 RR): She's coming back from her 2nd major shoulder injury and has made the cut in 4 of 6 USWOs, with her best finishes coming in her last 2, a T6 in 2008 and a T17 in 2009. She got a top 20 at the Wegmans LPGA Championship, so she can handle tough set-ups, but she missed the cut last week in NW Arkansas, so she's another extreme long shot at Blackwolf Run.
Katie Futcher (#63 RR): She's made the cut in 2 of 3 USWOs she's played, is the highest-ranked American golfer after Michelle Wie, and is coming off a top 20 at the Walmart last week, but her 2 worst non-missed cut finishes this year have come at majors and she doesn't have very good stats on USWO layouts, so I'd call her a long shot this week.
Natalie Gulbis (#88 RR): She's made the cut in 8 of 10 USWOs, with her best finish a T4 in 2005 and 3 top 20s, the last one coming in 2010. However, she's been in a bit of a rut lately, with 2 missed cuts in a row before finishing T55 at the Walmart, which has put a damper on a fantastic start to her season. It's really a question of which Natalie shows up this week. Let's call her a long shot.
Mina Harigae (#79 RR): She's made the cut in 3 of her 5 USWO starts and hasn't yet cracked the top 30. Even though she's missed the cut in 2 of her last 4 LPGA starts, she's having a very solid overall season, is coming off a T15 at the Wegmans LPGA Championship, and already has 5 top 25s in 2012, so I'd call her a very long shot this week.
Vicky Hurst (#68 RR): She's made the cut in her last 2 USWO starts after missing it in her 1st 2 but has never gone under par on a USWO course. After a surprising 4th-place finish at the Sybase Match Play Championship, she's missed 3 of her last 4 cuts, so I'd call her a very long shot at Blackwolf Run.
Tiffany Joh (#115 RR): She's a 2-time Women's Amateur Public Links winner, so even though she missed the cut in her only USWO start (in 2010) and just broke a 3-event missed-cut run on the LPGA with a top 45 in Rogers, Arkansas, let's call her a very long shot this week.
Jennifer Johnson (#92 RR): She's having a very solid season, with a run of 3 straight top 20s broken by a T31 at the Manulife, plus she's got 2 top 45s in her 2 USWO starts the last 2 years. She's a long shot, for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her name high on the leaderboard for a good amount of time at Blackwolf Run.
Danielle Kang (#254 RR): Her 2 U.S. Women's Amateur wins haven't carried over to USWO success, as she's finished outside the top 60 twice in a row after missing the cut as an amateur in 2007. She's gone MC-MC-T31-T23 in her last 4 LPGA starts, but if she can get her putter going this week, I think she's a long shot who could become a real dark horse. Having talked with her in Rochester and Waterloo, I can tell you she doesn't lack for confidence and she's been improving each week in this 1st run of consecutive events in her professional career.
Jessica Korda (#81 RR): She's got a good USWO record, with 3 cuts made in her 4 starts (T19 in 2008, T26 in 2009, and T34 in 2011), so don't count her out, although I'd call her a very long shot this week, given that her best finish since her surprise win to open the season is a T17 at the Sybase Match Play Championship.
Cindy LaCrosse (#182 RR): She made the cut in 2009 and missed it in 2011 in her only 2 USWO starts, but she's coming off the 2nd-best finish of the season (exceeded only by her near-top-25 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship), so let's call her a very long shot at Blackwolf Run.
Paige Mackenzie (#183 RR): She's made the cut in 2 of her 3 USWO starts, with her best finish a T13 in 2005. However, she's missed 2 of her last 4 cuts on the LPGA and hasn't cracked the top 40 in an official start this year, so I'm calling her an extreme long shot this week.
Mo Martin (#209 RR): Although she's qualified only for 1 USWO (a MC in 2007), she's been playing very well lately, with 3 top 30s in her last 4 starts, including a T14 in NW Arkansas. Although she's a long shot, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see her name pretty high on the leaderboard for a good amount of time at Blackwolf Run. She's been exceeding expectations all year, so why not this week?
Kristy McPherson (#143 RR): She's made the cut in 2 of her 4 USWO starts, with her best finish a top 20 in 2010. Although her performance stats on USWO setups are pretty impressive and she opened the season with 4 straight solid starts, her T31 at Waterloo was her only made cut in her last 8 LPGA starts, so I'd call her an extreme long shot this week.
Ryann O'Toole (#130 RR): Last year's USWO was a career-changer, as she contended almost the entire week and finished in the top 10 in a real coming-out party. In 2012, though, she's had an up-and-down season, with some flashes of brilliance and some really bad let-downs. Let's see if she can stay focused the entire week. I'm calling her a sleeper this week.
Gerina Piller (#120 RR): This is her 1st USWO and 1st major since having a chance to win the Wegmans LPGA Championship until an untimely disaster on her 71st hole knocked her back to 6th place. I'm calling her a very long shot this week.
Lizette Salas (#206 RR): She also had a great USWO last year, hanging near the top of the leaderboard all week and finishing T15. Although she missed the cut in her 1st USWO in 2010, she's made it in 7 of her 8 LPGA starts this season, with a top 25 at the Wegmans LPGA Championship. So I'm calling her a long shot with dark horse potential at Blackwolf Run.
Jennifer Song (#147 RR): She's made the cut in 3 of her 5 USWO starts, with her best finish a T13 in 2009. Although she's missed the cut in 2 of her last 3 LPGA starts, she has a top 10 at the RR Donnelley and a top 20 at the Manulife, so she's showing signs of getting her professional career off the ground. I'm calling her a very long shot this week, but wouldn't be surprised to see her name pretty high up the leaderboard for a good amount of time this week.
Amanda Blumenherst (#145 Rolex Rankings): Has made the cut in 4 of 6 USWOs she's played, with her best finish a T10 in 2006 when she tied Jane Park for low amateur. However, has missed her last 2 cuts in a row at the USWO and last 4 cuts in a row on the LPGA, so even though she has a history of hitting a good number of greens in regulation on USWO courses, I'd put her as an extreme long shot this week.
Nicole Castrale (#242 RR): She's coming back from her 2nd major shoulder injury and has made the cut in 4 of 6 USWOs, with her best finishes coming in her last 2, a T6 in 2008 and a T17 in 2009. She got a top 20 at the Wegmans LPGA Championship, so she can handle tough set-ups, but she missed the cut last week in NW Arkansas, so she's another extreme long shot at Blackwolf Run.
Katie Futcher (#63 RR): She's made the cut in 2 of 3 USWOs she's played, is the highest-ranked American golfer after Michelle Wie, and is coming off a top 20 at the Walmart last week, but her 2 worst non-missed cut finishes this year have come at majors and she doesn't have very good stats on USWO layouts, so I'd call her a long shot this week.
Natalie Gulbis (#88 RR): She's made the cut in 8 of 10 USWOs, with her best finish a T4 in 2005 and 3 top 20s, the last one coming in 2010. However, she's been in a bit of a rut lately, with 2 missed cuts in a row before finishing T55 at the Walmart, which has put a damper on a fantastic start to her season. It's really a question of which Natalie shows up this week. Let's call her a long shot.
Mina Harigae (#79 RR): She's made the cut in 3 of her 5 USWO starts and hasn't yet cracked the top 30. Even though she's missed the cut in 2 of her last 4 LPGA starts, she's having a very solid overall season, is coming off a T15 at the Wegmans LPGA Championship, and already has 5 top 25s in 2012, so I'd call her a very long shot this week.
Vicky Hurst (#68 RR): She's made the cut in her last 2 USWO starts after missing it in her 1st 2 but has never gone under par on a USWO course. After a surprising 4th-place finish at the Sybase Match Play Championship, she's missed 3 of her last 4 cuts, so I'd call her a very long shot at Blackwolf Run.
Tiffany Joh (#115 RR): She's a 2-time Women's Amateur Public Links winner, so even though she missed the cut in her only USWO start (in 2010) and just broke a 3-event missed-cut run on the LPGA with a top 45 in Rogers, Arkansas, let's call her a very long shot this week.
Jennifer Johnson (#92 RR): She's having a very solid season, with a run of 3 straight top 20s broken by a T31 at the Manulife, plus she's got 2 top 45s in her 2 USWO starts the last 2 years. She's a long shot, for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her name high on the leaderboard for a good amount of time at Blackwolf Run.
Danielle Kang (#254 RR): Her 2 U.S. Women's Amateur wins haven't carried over to USWO success, as she's finished outside the top 60 twice in a row after missing the cut as an amateur in 2007. She's gone MC-MC-T31-T23 in her last 4 LPGA starts, but if she can get her putter going this week, I think she's a long shot who could become a real dark horse. Having talked with her in Rochester and Waterloo, I can tell you she doesn't lack for confidence and she's been improving each week in this 1st run of consecutive events in her professional career.
Jessica Korda (#81 RR): She's got a good USWO record, with 3 cuts made in her 4 starts (T19 in 2008, T26 in 2009, and T34 in 2011), so don't count her out, although I'd call her a very long shot this week, given that her best finish since her surprise win to open the season is a T17 at the Sybase Match Play Championship.
Cindy LaCrosse (#182 RR): She made the cut in 2009 and missed it in 2011 in her only 2 USWO starts, but she's coming off the 2nd-best finish of the season (exceeded only by her near-top-25 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship), so let's call her a very long shot at Blackwolf Run.
Paige Mackenzie (#183 RR): She's made the cut in 2 of her 3 USWO starts, with her best finish a T13 in 2005. However, she's missed 2 of her last 4 cuts on the LPGA and hasn't cracked the top 40 in an official start this year, so I'm calling her an extreme long shot this week.
Mo Martin (#209 RR): Although she's qualified only for 1 USWO (a MC in 2007), she's been playing very well lately, with 3 top 30s in her last 4 starts, including a T14 in NW Arkansas. Although she's a long shot, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see her name pretty high on the leaderboard for a good amount of time at Blackwolf Run. She's been exceeding expectations all year, so why not this week?
Kristy McPherson (#143 RR): She's made the cut in 2 of her 4 USWO starts, with her best finish a top 20 in 2010. Although her performance stats on USWO setups are pretty impressive and she opened the season with 4 straight solid starts, her T31 at Waterloo was her only made cut in her last 8 LPGA starts, so I'd call her an extreme long shot this week.
Ryann O'Toole (#130 RR): Last year's USWO was a career-changer, as she contended almost the entire week and finished in the top 10 in a real coming-out party. In 2012, though, she's had an up-and-down season, with some flashes of brilliance and some really bad let-downs. Let's see if she can stay focused the entire week. I'm calling her a sleeper this week.
Gerina Piller (#120 RR): This is her 1st USWO and 1st major since having a chance to win the Wegmans LPGA Championship until an untimely disaster on her 71st hole knocked her back to 6th place. I'm calling her a very long shot this week.
Lizette Salas (#206 RR): She also had a great USWO last year, hanging near the top of the leaderboard all week and finishing T15. Although she missed the cut in her 1st USWO in 2010, she's made it in 7 of her 8 LPGA starts this season, with a top 25 at the Wegmans LPGA Championship. So I'm calling her a long shot with dark horse potential at Blackwolf Run.
Jennifer Song (#147 RR): She's made the cut in 3 of her 5 USWO starts, with her best finish a T13 in 2009. Although she's missed the cut in 2 of her last 3 LPGA starts, she has a top 10 at the RR Donnelley and a top 20 at the Manulife, so she's showing signs of getting her professional career off the ground. I'm calling her a very long shot this week, but wouldn't be surprised to see her name pretty high up the leaderboard for a good amount of time this week.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Ai Miyazato's Win Was Good for My Golf Game
Just came back from shooting a 2-over par 72 at my local course. My lowest score since 2004 and 1st round under 75 since last August. Thank you, Ai Miyazato!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Sunday: Ai Miyazato Fires 65 to Secure 2nd Win of 2012
Ai Miyazato bounced back from a bogey on the long par-3 17th hole at Pinnacle Country Club with a great up-and-down walkoff birdie to post a 65 and get to -12 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, then signed autographs in the shade while Mika Miyazato's 10-foot birdie putt to force a playoff with her just slid by the hole. And just like that, Ai-sama had earned her 2nd LPGA win of 2012 and 9th career victory on tour.
There were lots of great rounds in the 100-degree Sunday heat, but just about all of them had some flaw that opened the door for Ai-sama. 1st- and 2nd-round leader Veronica Felibert had trouble on and around the greens after getting to -12 for the week with a birdie on the par-4 8th, leading to 4 bogeys in her final 10 holes. She finished in a tie at -10 with Inbee Park, who bogeyed 2 holes in a row early on the back but failed to birdie either of the par 5s down the stretch. Azahara Munoz shot a bogey-free 65 of her own to get to -11 and force Ai Miyazato to birdie the last hole to avoid a playoff with her, but she, too, didn't birdie either home-stretch par 5. That was a particularly painful shortcoming, given that she hit a perfect drive on 18 and had a hybrid in her hand to hit the green in 2. Her playing partner, Hee Kyung Seo, who had 2 eagle chances to win the previous week in Waterloo, made one today to get to -9, but an early double on the par-4 4th had made her comeback attempt nearly impossible to achieve. Even Amy Yang's 65 included a bogey on a par 3 and only 1 birdie out of 4 par-5 attempts. And Mika Miyazato had gotten to -12 with 6 holes to play, but couldn't make a birdie the rest of the way (including on the par-5 14th and 18th) and took a tough bogey on the par-4 16th.
All in all, it was a welcome turnaround for Ai Miyazato, who had uncharacteristic trouble on the greens at Grey Silo the week before and missed the cut by several strokes. The past several events, her approach shots hadn't been quite as precise as they usually are and she said last Friday that she was working on her takeaway, timing, and tempo. I asked her that day, right after she had finished her 2nd-straight round where she was struggling to break 75, what her mindset is when she's not playing like a world-class golfer, and she told me, "It's just, 'Be patient.' It really definitely happens sometimes in your life. I have this experience so many times. So I know sometimes it's not going well and sometimes it's going really well." Well, not many players can go from the former to the latter from one week to the next. But clearly Ai-sama is one of those kinds of golfers. It's a huge lift coming into the U.S. Women's Open, and even though I'm sad for Mikan, I'm really happy for my favorite golfer!
There were lots of great rounds in the 100-degree Sunday heat, but just about all of them had some flaw that opened the door for Ai-sama. 1st- and 2nd-round leader Veronica Felibert had trouble on and around the greens after getting to -12 for the week with a birdie on the par-4 8th, leading to 4 bogeys in her final 10 holes. She finished in a tie at -10 with Inbee Park, who bogeyed 2 holes in a row early on the back but failed to birdie either of the par 5s down the stretch. Azahara Munoz shot a bogey-free 65 of her own to get to -11 and force Ai Miyazato to birdie the last hole to avoid a playoff with her, but she, too, didn't birdie either home-stretch par 5. That was a particularly painful shortcoming, given that she hit a perfect drive on 18 and had a hybrid in her hand to hit the green in 2. Her playing partner, Hee Kyung Seo, who had 2 eagle chances to win the previous week in Waterloo, made one today to get to -9, but an early double on the par-4 4th had made her comeback attempt nearly impossible to achieve. Even Amy Yang's 65 included a bogey on a par 3 and only 1 birdie out of 4 par-5 attempts. And Mika Miyazato had gotten to -12 with 6 holes to play, but couldn't make a birdie the rest of the way (including on the par-5 14th and 18th) and took a tough bogey on the par-4 16th.
All in all, it was a welcome turnaround for Ai Miyazato, who had uncharacteristic trouble on the greens at Grey Silo the week before and missed the cut by several strokes. The past several events, her approach shots hadn't been quite as precise as they usually are and she said last Friday that she was working on her takeaway, timing, and tempo. I asked her that day, right after she had finished her 2nd-straight round where she was struggling to break 75, what her mindset is when she's not playing like a world-class golfer, and she told me, "It's just, 'Be patient.' It really definitely happens sometimes in your life. I have this experience so many times. So I know sometimes it's not going well and sometimes it's going really well." Well, not many players can go from the former to the latter from one week to the next. But clearly Ai-sama is one of those kinds of golfers. It's a huge lift coming into the U.S. Women's Open, and even though I'm sad for Mikan, I'm really happy for my favorite golfer!
Mi-Jeong Jeon Needs to Win Today on the JLPGA to Qualify for the U.S. Women's Open
Mi-Jeong Jeon, the money-list leader on the JLPGA, is in a great position to win the Nichi-Iko Ladies Open today, and if she does, she's likely to move into the top 25 in the Rolex Rankings, thereby earning a spot into the U.S. Women's Open. She holds a 2-shot lead on Erina Hara as they enter the home stretch, while 2nd-round co-leader Miki Saiki has fallen 4 shots off the pace and other top golfers who had a chance to win at the start of the final round--like Akiko Fukushima, Sun-Ju Ahn, Bo-Mee Lee--have fallen even further. If Jeon can shake off a bogey on the par-4 13th and keep Hara from making up ground on the 2 par 5s (the 1st of which Hara has already parred), 2 par 4s, and 1 par 3 she has left to play she'll have to decide whether to travel to the States for the biggest tournament in women's golf of the year here. Already, alternates Kyung Kim (newly-crowned WAPL champion) and Allison Lee have made it into the field, as Ji-Yai Shin (injury) and Sun-Ju Ahn (focusing on the JLPGA while in a mini-slump) have decided not to play at Blackwolf Run. So if Jeon doesn't win or if she wins and turns down the invitation, another alternate will get into the Open field next week.
[Update 1 (2:36 pm): Jeon did it! Hara birdied 2 of her last 5 holes, but Jeon birdied the 14th and parred in. Now we'll see if she makes it into the top 25 and if so, whether she accepts the invitation.]
[Update 1 (2:36 pm): Jeon did it! Hara birdied 2 of her last 5 holes, but Jeon birdied the 14th and parred in. Now we'll see if she makes it into the top 25 and if so, whether she accepts the invitation.]
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