Friday, September 7, 2012
Konica Minolta Cup Set-Up: Chie Arimura and Yumiko Yoshida Set the Pace through 36 Holes
Yumiko Yoshida opened the JLPGA's 2nd major with a 64 yesterday and Chie Arimura answered with a 65 today as they leapt out to -9 and -10 starts, respectively, at the Konica Minolta Cup. With Kaori Ohe (-6) and Na-Ri Kim (-5) the only players within 5 shots of Arimura's lead, and big names like Mi Jeong Jeon (-4), Inbee Park (-4), Bo-Mee Lee (-3), Sakura Yokomine (-1), Sun-Ju Ahn (E), Yuri Fudoh (E), and Shiho Oyama (E) well off the pace after 2 rounds, a lot hangs on tomorrow's moving day results. If Arimura and Yoshida can keep the pedal to the metal, they can turn Sunday into a 2-player showdown. But with nobody currently on the course (it's tomorrow already in Japan!) making a big move--the best rounds thus far are only -2--with Ritsuko Ryu, Rikako Morita, and Miki Saiki missing the cut, and with Ji-Hee Lee withdrawing before today's round with shoulder soreness, this is a fantastic opportunity for Arimura to make a major statement. Let's see if she can do it--she's just about to tee off!
Kingsmill Championship Friday: Ji-Yai Shin Opens Door a Crack with 68
It's always tough to follow up a super-low round with another great round, but former world #1 Ji-Yai Shin looked like she was going to do it today at the Kingsmill Championship. After breaking the 18-hole tournament record yesterday with a bogey-free 62, she added 4 more birdies over her 1st 12 holes today, bringing her grand total to 13 birdies over her 1st 30 holes. But when her bogey-free run ended 4 holes later and she ended up playing her last 6 holes in +1, she opened the door to the rest of the field just a crack. And, boy, did they take advantage!
Rookie and 2-time U.S. Women's Amateur champion Danielle Kang fired a bogey-free 29 on the par-35 back 9 and extended her bogey-free run to 29 holes before bogeying the par-5 3rd. But she bounced back by going -2 over her last 6 holes to post a 64 that brought her to -11, 1 shot behind Shin. Current money-list leader Stacy Lewis put on one of her patented charges, as well. After a blah-for-her opening 22 holes (4 birdies, 2 bogeys, actually near the cut line, which ended up being at -1), Lewis exploded with 5 birdies and an eagle between the 5th and 15th holes today. Even though she suffered a walkoff bogey to post a "mere" 65, she moved to -8, only 4 shots behind Shin. Of course, when Dewi Claire Schreefel and Lexi Thompson serve up a pair of 66s to move to -10 and -9, respectively, Paula Creamer keeps firing on all cylinders and posts a 67 to join Schreefel at -10, and Azahara Munoz backs up her opening 65 with a 68, Lewis still has many players to pass over the weekend. But she still has a great chance to extend her lead in all the LPGA's major season-long races (money list, Player of the Year, Vare Trophy for low scoring average).
Of course, an impressive mix of LPGA newbies and vets behind Lewis are itching to make up ground on her, instead. A resurgent Maria Hjorth (69, -8) and Candie Kung (67, -7) are leading the way, while Chella Choi (68, -7) continues to roll and Ai Miyazato (68, -7) continues to lurk as she tries to put together a great ballstriking day and a great putting day in the same round. And there are plenty of people in the prime of their careers, from Angela Stanford to Natalie Gulbis to Mika Miyazato hanging around at -6. But just look at how many rookies and youngsters have either joined Kang and Schreefel in making big moves thus far this week or played pretty close to that well: Jodi Ewart (68-67), Jennifer Johnson (66-69), Jennifer Song (66-69), Victoria Tanco (70-66), Gerina Piller (67-69), Belen Mozo (71-66), Angela Oh (69-68), Thidapa Suwannapura (71-67), Mariajo Uribe (70-68), Pornanong Phatlum (69-69), Amelia Lewis (67-71), Pernilla Lindberg (71-68), Ilhee Lee (68-71), Mo Martin (70-69), Hannah Yun (72-68), Lizette Salas (70-70), Alison Walshe (70-70), Numa Gulyanamitta (70-70), Mi Hyang Lee (72-69), Jacqui Concolino (72-69), and Jane Rah (70-71). Here's hoping they keep it rolling all week! Some of them are fighting for a ticket into the Asian swing (top 50 on the money list), some for a berth on the U.S. Women's Open (top 70 on the season-ending money list), and some for a "Get Out of Q-School Free" card (top 100). But this is a big weekend for all of them.
Which makes the missed cut by 2-time Kingsmill champion Cristie Kerr all the more mystifying. I mean, Michelle Wie, Morgan Pressel, Ryann O'Toole, Tiffany Joh, and Amanda Blumenherst have been playing badly enough for some time now that it's no longer a surprise when they miss a cut. Brittany Lincicome, Vicky Hurst, and Sydnee Michaels are all bombers, so it's not that surprising that when they're a little off they can make some big numbers and end up on the wrong side of the cut line (although actually Hurst and Michaels were bunting it around by their standards, at least on the holes they were being measured). And although they've been playing pretty well lately, it's not a huge surprise that Momoko Ueda, Jee Young Lee, Mina Harigae, and Moira Dunn would suffer a few hiccups on the River Course and play below their expectations. But the determined, focused, driven Kerr? To not even come close? To hit 75% of her greens in regulation but make only 3 birdies in 36 holes? That is just inexplicable. Only bright side for her, I guess, is that she gets to the Women's British Open early....
My darn DVR failed to tape the 2nd round, but it'll be neat to see how Kang and Schreefel handle playing with Shin in the final group off the front. I guess we'll find out tomorrow what kind of fire Lydia Ko lit under which golfers!
[Update 1 (11:55 pm): Check out LPGA.com for a great tribute to Leta Lindley, who planned to retire after this week and missed the cut, as well as for details on Schreefel's 2-stroke penalty early today (but late in her 1st round) and other goodies. Should have known Inbee Park was #1 on the money list, but needed a reminder from them. Since she's playing in Japan, she won't be #1 after this week....]
Rookie and 2-time U.S. Women's Amateur champion Danielle Kang fired a bogey-free 29 on the par-35 back 9 and extended her bogey-free run to 29 holes before bogeying the par-5 3rd. But she bounced back by going -2 over her last 6 holes to post a 64 that brought her to -11, 1 shot behind Shin. Current money-list leader Stacy Lewis put on one of her patented charges, as well. After a blah-for-her opening 22 holes (4 birdies, 2 bogeys, actually near the cut line, which ended up being at -1), Lewis exploded with 5 birdies and an eagle between the 5th and 15th holes today. Even though she suffered a walkoff bogey to post a "mere" 65, she moved to -8, only 4 shots behind Shin. Of course, when Dewi Claire Schreefel and Lexi Thompson serve up a pair of 66s to move to -10 and -9, respectively, Paula Creamer keeps firing on all cylinders and posts a 67 to join Schreefel at -10, and Azahara Munoz backs up her opening 65 with a 68, Lewis still has many players to pass over the weekend. But she still has a great chance to extend her lead in all the LPGA's major season-long races (money list, Player of the Year, Vare Trophy for low scoring average).
Of course, an impressive mix of LPGA newbies and vets behind Lewis are itching to make up ground on her, instead. A resurgent Maria Hjorth (69, -8) and Candie Kung (67, -7) are leading the way, while Chella Choi (68, -7) continues to roll and Ai Miyazato (68, -7) continues to lurk as she tries to put together a great ballstriking day and a great putting day in the same round. And there are plenty of people in the prime of their careers, from Angela Stanford to Natalie Gulbis to Mika Miyazato hanging around at -6. But just look at how many rookies and youngsters have either joined Kang and Schreefel in making big moves thus far this week or played pretty close to that well: Jodi Ewart (68-67), Jennifer Johnson (66-69), Jennifer Song (66-69), Victoria Tanco (70-66), Gerina Piller (67-69), Belen Mozo (71-66), Angela Oh (69-68), Thidapa Suwannapura (71-67), Mariajo Uribe (70-68), Pornanong Phatlum (69-69), Amelia Lewis (67-71), Pernilla Lindberg (71-68), Ilhee Lee (68-71), Mo Martin (70-69), Hannah Yun (72-68), Lizette Salas (70-70), Alison Walshe (70-70), Numa Gulyanamitta (70-70), Mi Hyang Lee (72-69), Jacqui Concolino (72-69), and Jane Rah (70-71). Here's hoping they keep it rolling all week! Some of them are fighting for a ticket into the Asian swing (top 50 on the money list), some for a berth on the U.S. Women's Open (top 70 on the season-ending money list), and some for a "Get Out of Q-School Free" card (top 100). But this is a big weekend for all of them.
Which makes the missed cut by 2-time Kingsmill champion Cristie Kerr all the more mystifying. I mean, Michelle Wie, Morgan Pressel, Ryann O'Toole, Tiffany Joh, and Amanda Blumenherst have been playing badly enough for some time now that it's no longer a surprise when they miss a cut. Brittany Lincicome, Vicky Hurst, and Sydnee Michaels are all bombers, so it's not that surprising that when they're a little off they can make some big numbers and end up on the wrong side of the cut line (although actually Hurst and Michaels were bunting it around by their standards, at least on the holes they were being measured). And although they've been playing pretty well lately, it's not a huge surprise that Momoko Ueda, Jee Young Lee, Mina Harigae, and Moira Dunn would suffer a few hiccups on the River Course and play below their expectations. But the determined, focused, driven Kerr? To not even come close? To hit 75% of her greens in regulation but make only 3 birdies in 36 holes? That is just inexplicable. Only bright side for her, I guess, is that she gets to the Women's British Open early....
My darn DVR failed to tape the 2nd round, but it'll be neat to see how Kang and Schreefel handle playing with Shin in the final group off the front. I guess we'll find out tomorrow what kind of fire Lydia Ko lit under which golfers!
[Update 1 (11:55 pm): Check out LPGA.com for a great tribute to Leta Lindley, who planned to retire after this week and missed the cut, as well as for details on Schreefel's 2-stroke penalty early today (but late in her 1st round) and other goodies. Should have known Inbee Park was #1 on the money list, but needed a reminder from them. Since she's playing in Japan, she won't be #1 after this week....]
Kingsmill Championship Thursday: Ji-Yai Shin Breaks Tournament Record with Bogey-Free 62
LPGA.com did a great job of putting Ji-Yai Shin's tournament-record, bogey-free 62 in the 1st round of the Kingsmill Championship in perspective as well as introducing fans to the 4 golfers 3 shots behind her (Paula Creamer, Azahara Munoz, Beatriz Recari, and Maria Hjorth). It's not just because I don't have much time to write this that I strongly urge you to check out their 1st-round notes and interviews!
Of course, I was also pleased to see Mika Miyazato, Jennifer Rosales, and Jennifer Song open with 66s, Ai Miyazato, Hee Kyung Seo, Danielle Kang, and Lexi Thompson with 67s, Jane Park and Mitsuki Katahira with 68s, and Stacy Lewis, Angela Stanford, Nicole Castrale, and Laura Diaz with 69s, among the many other players who broke 70 yesterday.
Looks like we've got a real shootout shaping up in Williamsburg! Nice to see a lot of the rookies Tony Jesselli just rated and LPGA members without a win on tour that I just ranked in the hunt early on!
Of course, I was also pleased to see Mika Miyazato, Jennifer Rosales, and Jennifer Song open with 66s, Ai Miyazato, Hee Kyung Seo, Danielle Kang, and Lexi Thompson with 67s, Jane Park and Mitsuki Katahira with 68s, and Stacy Lewis, Angela Stanford, Nicole Castrale, and Laura Diaz with 69s, among the many other players who broke 70 yesterday.
Looks like we've got a real shootout shaping up in Williamsburg! Nice to see a lot of the rookies Tony Jesselli just rated and LPGA members without a win on tour that I just ranked in the hunt early on!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Here's My Problem with the Cut at LPGA Q-School's First Stage
As Tony Jesselli has already noted, Cheyenne Woods and 2007 LPGA Rookie of the Year Angela Park missed the 36-hole cut at the 1st stage of LPGA Q-School today. Other players I'm following to fall on the wrong side of the +4 cut line included Lee Lopez, Moah Chang, and Susan Choi at +5, Tiffany Lua, Maria Laura Elvira, and Jillian Fraccola at +6, Rui Yokomine, Elena Robles, Keiko Kubo, and Maiya Tanaka with Woods at +7, Sally Watson at +10, Keiko Kiyomoto at +11, Kristina Wong at +12, and Violeta Retamozo at +32. Now obviously those in double digits under par didn't have a real chance to get into the top 60 after 72 holes. But why cut a field of 240 down to 70 and ties after only 2 rounds? Wouldn't it have been better to go down to 120 and ties after 36 holes, 90 and ties after 54, and 60 and ties after 72?
Right now we have 80 golfers playing for 60 spots over 36 holes. That's a lot of holes to eliminate at most 20 golfers. And imagine if it had been exactly 70 players on the dot who made the cut! 36 holes to eliminate at most 10 golfers doesn't make much sense to me--especially considering that in that scenario 170 were cut over the 1st 36 holes.
Let's face it: probably only 10% of the original Stage I field has a real chance to contend in the final stage of Q-School. Even the top third are entirely capable of blowing up over 9 or 18 holes. If they do worse than that, fine, try again next year. But with such a draconian halfway point cut, the LPGA ran a real risk of losing some top-notch golfers. And they did. A more gradual series of cuts wouldn't have ruled out losing some big names at some point. But it would have been nice to see if at least some of them could have turned things around tomorrow!
What's more, everyone paid a lot of money for the chance to compete. Allowing half the field to at least play 54 holes seems fairer to everyone.
[Update 1 (11:47 pm): Here's Brent Kelley's take.]
Right now we have 80 golfers playing for 60 spots over 36 holes. That's a lot of holes to eliminate at most 20 golfers. And imagine if it had been exactly 70 players on the dot who made the cut! 36 holes to eliminate at most 10 golfers doesn't make much sense to me--especially considering that in that scenario 170 were cut over the 1st 36 holes.
Let's face it: probably only 10% of the original Stage I field has a real chance to contend in the final stage of Q-School. Even the top third are entirely capable of blowing up over 9 or 18 holes. If they do worse than that, fine, try again next year. But with such a draconian halfway point cut, the LPGA ran a real risk of losing some top-notch golfers. And they did. A more gradual series of cuts wouldn't have ruled out losing some big names at some point. But it would have been nice to see if at least some of them could have turned things around tomorrow!
What's more, everyone paid a lot of money for the chance to compete. Allowing half the field to at least play 54 holes seems fairer to everyone.
[Update 1 (11:47 pm): Here's Brent Kelley's take.]
Q-School Shocker! Cheyenne Woods Missed Cut
In the first real shocker at phase one of Q-School, Cheyenne Woods has missed the cut. This means she has failed in her attempt to get a 2013 LPGA card, and will have to settle for playing on the Symetra Tour next year. Other notable scores after the completion of the second round include:
Moriya Jutanugarn 69-66=135 -9 (1st place)
Jaye Marie Green 70-66=136 -8 (2nd Place)
Brooke Pancake 71-67 = 138 -6 (5th place)
Emily Talley 72-70=142 -2 (10th place)
Austin Ernst 72-70=142 -2 (10th place)
The cut was at +4
2007 Rookie of the Year Angela Park Shot a 76-85=161 +17
Here is the full leaderboard.
The field was made up of 240 players, with the top 70 and ties making the cut. The top 60 players at the completion of round 4 will go on to phase 2.
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Moriya Jutanugarn 69-66=135 -9 (1st place)
Jaye Marie Green 70-66=136 -8 (2nd Place)
Brooke Pancake 71-67 = 138 -6 (5th place)
Emily Talley 72-70=142 -2 (10th place)
Austin Ernst 72-70=142 -2 (10th place)
The cut was at +4
2007 Rookie of the Year Angela Park Shot a 76-85=161 +17
Here is the full leaderboard.
The field was made up of 240 players, with the top 70 and ties making the cut. The top 60 players at the completion of round 4 will go on to phase 2.
Follow @tonyjesselli Tweet
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