With the LPGA taking a pause before its fall Asian swing, it's time to reexamine how the LPGA's last 8 generations stack up. Check out the career money and wins/majors totals for the top players in the generations that span the Sorenstam Era (1994-2008), the overlapping Ochoa Era (2003-2009), and the overlapping Tseng Dynasty (2008-present).
[Note: [square brackets] indicate the player has retired from professional golf; {squiggle brackets} indicate the player is no longer an LPGA member but still playing on another tour; *=includes non-member win; **=includes 3 non-member wins.]
1994-1996: The Sorenstam Generation
[1. Annika Sorenstam (1994) $22.57M (#1), 72/10]
2. Karrie Webb (1996) $18.05M (#2), 39*/7
3. Catriona Matthew (1995) $8.22M (#16), 4/1
4. Pat Hurst (1995) $6.94M (#22), 6/1
5. Lorie Kane (1996) $6.93M (#23), 4/0
6. Wendy Ward (1996) $4.97M (#45), 4/0
{7. Carin Koch (1995) $4.44M (#48), 2/0}
Hurst and Kane are locked in a real fight for the #4 spot. Webb continues to inch closer to Sorenstam (moreso in winnings than wins).
1997-1999: The Pak Generation
1. Cristie Kerr (1997) $14.99M (#3), 16/2
2. Se Ri Pak (1998) $12.14M (#6), 25/5
[3. Mi Hyun Kim (1999) $8.62M (#13), 8/0]
{4. Sophie Gustafson (1998) $6.17M (#27), 5/0}
5. Maria Hjorth (1998) $6.09M (#28), 5/0
[6. Rachel Hetherington (1997) $5.73M (#34), 8/0]
7. Laura Diaz (1999) $5.19M (#43), 2/0
8. Karen Stupples (1999) $3.98M (#53), 2/1
9. Janice Moodie (1998) $3.68M (#57), 2/0
Even though Kerr's passed Pak and now Ochoa on the career money list, she'll have to join them in the Hall of Fame to have her name on a generation, too. With Kim and Hetherington retired, and Gustafson limiting herself to the LET for the foreseeable future, Hjorth has a great opportunity to move up the list. Stupples is this close to breaking the $4M barrier.
2000-2002: Angela and the Seoul Sisters
1. Angela Stanford (2001) $8.06M (#17), 5/0
2. Hee-Won Han (2001) $6.97M (#21), 6/0
3. Jeong Jang (2000) $6.61M (#25), 2/1
4. Candie Kung (2002) $5.72M (#36), 4/0
[5. Grace Park (2000) $5.44M (#40), 6/1]
6. Natalie Gulbis (2002) $4.80M (#46), 1/0
{7. Gloria Park (2000) $3.28M (#70), 2/0}
8. Heather Bowie Young (2000) $3.18M (#72), 1/0
9. Jennifer Rosales (2000) $2.74M (#90), 2/0
10. Dorothy Delasin (2000) $2.65M (#92), 4/0
11. Nicole Castrale (2002) $2.53M (#96), 1/0
12. Guilia Sergas (2002) $2.13M (#111), 0/0
Stanford is increasing her lead on Han as the top player of this generation in terms of winnings (hence the change to the generation's name), although it's still hard to argue that her overall career tops the now-retired (and much missed) Grace Park's. Meanwhile, the "other" Park's pursuers are slowly catching up on her.
2003-2005: The Ochoa Generation
[1. Lorena Ochoa (2003) $14.86M (#4), 27/2]
2. Suzann Pettersen (2003) $11.09M (#7), 13/2
3. Paula Creamer (2005) $10.35M (#8), 9/1
4. Brittany Lincicome (2005) $5.37M (#41), 5/1
5. Christina Kim (2003) $4.22M (#49), 2/0
6. Meena Lee (2005) $4.14M (#50), 2/0
7. Katherine Hull-Kirk (2004) $3.54M (#62), 2/0
8. Stacy Prammanasudh (2003) $3.54M (#63), 2/0
9. Karine Icher (2003) $3.03M (#78), 0/0
10. Shi Hyun Ahn (2004) $2.65M (#93), 1*/0
11. Lindsey Wright (2004) $2.57M (#95), 0/0
{12. Young Kim (2003) $2.36M (n.r. [~#105]), 1/0}
13. Jimin Kang (2003) $2.26M (#108), 2/0
With Lorena looking less and less likely to ever come back to the LPGA full-time, the only real question is how close Pettersen and Creamer can come to matching her career. The race between the 3 mid-level Americans, 2 Australians and 3 Koreans below them will be of interest, as well, as Lincicome has broken out of the pack and Icher wants to join in the fun. (I've heard Stacy P will be the 2nd in the generation to retire, but I won't bracket her just yet. Looks like Young Kim won't be returning from the JLPGA, either.) Creamer, Lincicome, and Lee (the top '05ers) are the 1st from this generation that I've started tracking more closely with a wider variety of stats and have included in my career ranking that focuses mainly on the younger generations.
2006-2008: The Tseng Dynasty
1. Ya Ni Tseng (2008) $9.29M (#9), 15/5
2. Na Yeon Choi (2008) $8.41M (#14), 7/1
3. Ai Miyazato (2006) $7.54M (#19), 9/0
4. Inbee Park (2007) $7.45M (#20), 9/4
5. In-Kyung Kim (2007) $6.18M (#26), 3/0
6. Morgan Pressel (2006) $5.08M (#44), 2/1
7. Seon Hwa Lee (2006) $4.06M (#52), 4/0
8. Brittany Lang (2006) $3.95M (#54), 1/0
9. Sun Young Yoo (2006) $3.80M (#56), 2/1
10. Song-Hee Kim (2007) $3.67M (#58), 0/0
11. Jee Young Lee (2006) $3.52M (#64), 1*/0
12. Hee Young Park (2008) $3.49M (#66), 3/0
13. Amy Yang (2008) $3.15M (#74), 0/0
14. Julieta Granada (2006) $3.03M (#79), 1/0
15. Eun-Hee Ji (2007) $3.00M (#80), 2/1
16. Shanshan Feng (2008) $2.87M (#85), 1/1
17. Angela Park (2007) $2.12M (#112), 0/0
18. Kristy McPherson (2007) $2.06M (#114), 0/0
19. Sandra Gal (2008) $2.02M (#116), 1/0
20. Momoko Ueda (2008) $1.70M (#130), 2*/0
21. Ji Young Oh (2007) $1.61M (#134), 2/0
22. Kyeong Bae (2006) $1.44M (#146), 0/0
23. Katie Futcher (2006) $1.33M (#153), 0/0
24. Jane Park (2007) $1.24M (#166), 0/0
25. Meaghan Francella (2006) $1.19M (#173), 1/0
{26. Teresa Lu (2006) $1.13M (#180), 0/0}
The Tseng Dynasty is still strong, but fellow '08er NYC is making some noise and Inbee is buzzing up the list. This generation is the deepest in LPGA history, despite the fact that so many golfers in it have already suffered huge slumps in their short careers. Few LPGA generations have more than 4 players with 5 or more wins, but I'll bet this turns out to be one of them!
2009-2011: New Blood
1. Ji-Yai Shin (2009) $6.07M (#29), 11**/2*
2. Stacy Lewis (2009) $5.64M (#38), 8/2
3. Anna Nordqvist (2009) $3.11M (#75), 2/1
4. Mika Miyazato (2009) $2.94M (#83), 1/0
5. Michelle Wie (2009) $2.76M (#88), 2/0
6. Azahara Munoz (2010) $2.37M (#103), 1/0
7. Hee Kyung Seo (2011) $1.95M (#120), 1*/0
8. Beatriz Recari (2010) $1.81M (#126), 3/0
9. Chella Choi (2009) $1.61M (#132), 0/0
10. Vicky Hurst (2009) $1.42M (#147), 0/0
11. Haeji Kang (2009) $1.20M (#172), 0/0
12. Mi Jung Hur (2009) $1.19M (#175), 1/0
13. Jessica Korda (2011) $.92M (#212), 1/0
14. Jenny Shin (2011) $.87M (#220), 0/0
15. Ilhee Lee (2010), $.87M (#221), 0/0
16. Caroline Hedwall (2011) $.87M (#222), 0/0
17. Jennifer Johnson (2011) $.78M (#233), 0/0
18. Mina Harigae (2010) $.76M (#238), 0/0
19. Pornanong Phatlum (2009) $.75M (#239), 0/0
20. Gerina Piller (2010) $.74M (#242), 0/0
21. Jodi Ewart Shadoff (2011) $.64M (#256), 0/0
{22. Gwladys Nocera (2010) $.61M (#261), 0/0}
23. Mindy Kim (2009) $.59M (#266), 0/0
24. Mariajo Uribe (2010) $.57M (#267), 0/0
25. Amanda Blumenherst (2010) $.53M (#274), 0/0
26. Cindy LaCrosse (2010) $.47M (#295), 0/0
27. Alison Walshe (2010) $.46M (#298), 0/0
28. Dewi Claire Schreefel (2010) $.43M (#304), 0/0
29. Pernilla Lindberg (2010) $.37M (#316), 0/0
30. Christel Boeljon (2011) $.37M (#319), 0/0
31. Belen Mozo (2011) $.34M (#330), 0/0
32. Ryann O'Toole (2011) $.34M (#335), 0/0
33. Tiffany Joh (2011) $.31M (#345), 0/0
34. Jennifer Song (2011) $.24M (#369), 0/0
Obviously with this generation, it's really too soon to tell who's going to have a great LPGA career, besides Shin and Lewis (and Blumenherst, who is retiring). For now, I'm erring on the side of inclusiveness by putting everyone over $150K in career winnings in this generation on this list. As we get further into their careers, I'll slowly start raising the bar, until by 2015 they'll need to have broken the $1M barrier to stay on the list. I'd be very impressed if as many of them did it as in the previous generation in the same amount of time. The problem for everyone who hasn't already done it is they are all competing against each other and are sandwiched between 2 historic generations. Still, this is about the time in a player's career that they start to make quantum leaps. Let's see if Shin and Lewis can pull others in their generation in their wakes.
2012-2014: Generation Prodigy
1. So Yeon Ryu (2012) $2.37M (#101), 2*/1*
2. Lexi Thompson (2012) $1.26M (#163), 1*/0
3. Lizette Salas (2012) $.94M (#209), 0/0
4. Danielle Kang (2012) $.43M (#303), 0/0
5. Mo Martin (2012) $.42M (#305), 0/0
6. Carlota Ciganda (2012) $.33M (#337), 0/0
7. Sydnee Michaels (2012) $.29M (#353), 0/0
8. Caroline Masson (2013) $.24M (#368), 0/0
9. Chie Arimura (2013) $.23M (#377), 0/0
10. Moriya Jutanugarn (2013) $.22M (#386), 0/0
11. Ayako Uehara (2013) $.21M (#390), 0/0
12. Jacqui Concolino (2012) $.19M (#400), 0/0
13. Veronica Felibert (2012) $.13M (#434), 0/0
14. Thidapa Suwannapura (2012) $.12M (#440), 0/0
15. Austin Ernst (2013) $.12M (#445), 0/0
16. Rebecca Lee-Bentham (2012) $.11M (#459), 0/0
OK, why am I so high on this generation if very few from the Class of 2012 have made over $500K in their short careers and only 5 '13ers have broken the $100K barrier thus far this season? Partly it's because I don't think those already in it have really begun to fight, and partly it's because I'm anticipating that Lydia Ko, Ariya Jutanugarn, Hyo-Joo Kim, and Charley Hull will be joining them next year. If so, game on! But with 108 active players already on this list, you can see how tough it's going to be for most in the Class of 2014 just to keep their cards....
Monday, September 16, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Evian Championship Sunday: Off to the Races
After a 90-minute weather delay, the players who survived the cut line at the Evian Championship were off to the races, trying to get 54 holes in before the heavens opened once again. Anyone who's concerned about slow play in golf should note that over half the field has already completed their rounds. Some big names with no chance to win clearly valued speed over quality, as Inbee Park (76, +8), Amy Yang (76, +8), Lee-Anne Pace (76, +6), Brittany Lang (74, +6), Michelle Wie (76, +4), Na Yeon Choi (75, +4), Anna Nordqvist (75, +4), and Ji-Yai Shin (73, +4) played well below their usual standards. Their job was to clear the stage quickly for those with good chances to win.
And no doubt those who struggled from higher up the leaderboard can also console themselves with awareness of the extra-difficult conditions: Paula Creamer shot a 74 to fall back to E. Lindsey Wright has fallen from -4 to +4 by going +8 through 17 today, while 3rd-round leader Mika Miyazato opened with 3 bogeys and a triple on the par-5 7th to fall from -8 to -2, before fighting back with birdies on 9 and 10 and falling back with a bogey on 14. In-Kyung Kim opened with 3 bogeys and a double in her 1st 6 holes to fall from -4 to +1, before fighting back to E for the week with 1 hole left to play.
That's not to say that there are no good rounds out there. Angela Stanford, who's been playing too great to stick to her plan of sticking to golf in the States, posted a final-round 69 to finish at -4, despite 2 bogeys in her last 5 holes. Shanshan Feng had a roller-coaster 6-birdie 69 to finish at -2, even though she suffered 3 bogeys in her final 7 holes. Ai Miyazato fired a bogey-free 33 on the back to break 70 for the 2nd day in a row and fight back to -1 for the tournament. Ai-sama's playing partner Cindy LaCrosse had an even better round going until she doubled the 18th and had to settle for a 69/-1 finish. And hats off to the 70 club, which currently includes Lizette Salas, Ilhee Lee, and Rebecca Lee-Bentham at -2, Katherine Hull-Kirk at -1, Mi-Hyang Lee at E, and Mina Harigae at +1. Congrats to all--and to Hee Young Park, who's -3 and bogey-free in today's round with 2 holes to play.
But the most entertaining subplot of the week has to be Caroline Hedwall, who continued to evoke the heyday of Laura Davies and Pat Hurst by turning Evian into a giant roller coaster. After going bogey-par-birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie for a 31 on the back yesterday after starting her day going birdie-double-double (that's a 68 for those keeping score at home), she was -2 and bogey-free through 10 holes today, but finished bogey-birdie-birdie-bogey-bogey-par-birdie-double to end the week where she started at E!!!
OK, so on to the main event, which doesn't hit NBC for awhile yet (they were showing an infomercial when I started writing this post). If Okinawa is going to be hugely disappointed today (Bo-Mee Lee beat 19-year-old Mamiko Higa in a 3-hole playoff in the JLPGA's 2nd major when the final round got washed out over in Hokkaido), who will be the champion when the golf is done?
How about Se Ri Pak, who's looking to capture a Career Grand Slam (wins in 4 different majors) today? She opened with 2 bogeys in her 1st 6 holes to fall to -3 for the week, but has fought back on the back with 3 birdies (and a bogey) to stand at -5 with 1 hole left to play. Not going to happen.
Will it be Lydia Ko, who's trying to become the youngest winner of an LPGA major? Well, she started out birdie-bogey-birdie, then made a bunch of pars until she bogeyed the par-5 13th and birdied the par-5 15th. She's -8 with 2 to play and handling the pressure of being in the final group much better than Mikan.
How about Stacy Lewis, who's trying to win her 2nd major in a row? She opened well from the next-to-last group with 2 birdies and no bogeys in her 1st 5 holes to get to -8, but then bogeyed the par-4 6th and doubled the par-3 8th and with one bogey and one birdie on the back thus far is still -5 with 2 holes to play. Not going to happen.
How about So Yeon Ryu, who was robbed of a KLPGA victory last week when someone made 2 eagles from the fairway in her last 10 holes and beat her in a playoff? Playing with Lewis and Chella Choi, she's made 3 birdies and a bogey to get to -7 with 2 holes to play. She's still in this thing.
How about Lexi Thompson, who's been overshadowed by Ko and Charley Hull in recent weeks? She's made 5 birdies and only 2 bogeys to fight to -6 with the 18th left to play. If she can make up for her pair of bogeys there in the opening rounds with something special, she'll be the leader in the clubhouse with a low enough score to give the leaders pause.
How about Chella Choi, who's looking to make her 1st LPGA victory a major? She was playing well, with 3 birdies and a bogey to get to -7 with 3 holes to play. But a disaster on the par-3 16th--a triple--has ended her title run.
That leaves your leader Suzann Pettersen, who's been playing probably the best golf of her life in recent weeks. She made 3 birdies and a bogey on the front to pass Mikan as she was crashing and burning, then made her way to -10 for the week by matching Ko's birdie on the par-5 15th and maintains a 2-shot lead on her and a 3-shot lead on Ryu with 2 holes left to play.
Look's like this will be all done before NBC goes on air. Stay away from here if you don't want the ending spoiled!
[Update 1 (11:42 am): Oh man, Mikan doubled the 16th! I feel awful for her!]
[Update 2 (11:44 am): Lexi parred 18 to post the low round of the day thus far (a great 68), but -6 won't scare Pettersen in the slightest, especially after she got past the treacherous 16th with a par. She's now tied with Ryu (who bogeyed 17) in 3rd. Great week for the American teenager!]
[Update 3 (11:47 am): Wow! The Rocket birdied the par-5 9th for a bogey-free 67 that brought her back to E for the week. Looks like Hee Young Park and Caroline Hedwall are twins separated at birth. Just take a look at the Rocket's back 9 before today!]
[Update 4 (11:49 am): Pak parred 18 to finish at -5 for the week. A great finish for the wounded warrior, but not what she wanted.]
[Update 5 (11:50 am): Ko parred 17. Still -8.]
[Update 6 (11:51 am): So did Pettersen. 2-up with 1 to play!]
[Update 7 (11:54 am): Realized I never mentioned Beatriz Recari. She birdied her 1st hole to get to -5 for the week, but never went lower than that as she made 3 bogeys and a birdie the rest of the way to end up at -3 for the week. Good enough for a top 10, but not to contend.]
[Update 8 (11:56 am): Inky was another player who rode the Evian roller coaster this week. After a final-round 75, she also ended up at E overall.]
[Update 9 (11:58 am): In case you're wondering how Jennifer Johnson got her top 10, she made an early birdie to get to -3, immediately bogeyed back-to-back holes, then birdied the 2 par 5s on the back to fight back to -3 for the week.]
[Update 10 (12:03 pm): Ryu finished bogey-bogey to end up T4 with Pak at -5. Not the finish either wanted, but still pretty darn good.]
[Update 11 (12:05 pm): So they didn't quite finish before NBC's coverage started, but close. I'm going to watch now.]
[Update 12 (10:41 pm): Finally finished watching the last few holes after lots of family time, and Pettersen's serenity, ability to hit clutch shots from 100 yards and in, scrambling and putting touch, and confidence were so wonderful to see. The look on her face when Ko's pitch from behind the 18th green almost trickled in was priceless. And speaking of Ko, it's hard to imagine how she could be more lovable or a tougher competitor. Yes, she couldn't get those birdie tries on 16 and 17 to drop, but almost everything else she did was awesome and just a little bit goofy at the same time. When you can charm Suzann Pettersen, you know you have a lot of charisma. Back to Pettersen, it was also heartwarming to see her smiling so much on 18, even before she made that great 2-putt for a 68 and to stay double digits under par for the week. Sure, I was hoping for a Miyazato, Ko, or Pak win, but my respect and admiration for Pettersen went up several notches in the brief time she and Ko shared center stage on network tv. Here's hoping for much more from both!]
And no doubt those who struggled from higher up the leaderboard can also console themselves with awareness of the extra-difficult conditions: Paula Creamer shot a 74 to fall back to E. Lindsey Wright has fallen from -4 to +4 by going +8 through 17 today, while 3rd-round leader Mika Miyazato opened with 3 bogeys and a triple on the par-5 7th to fall from -8 to -2, before fighting back with birdies on 9 and 10 and falling back with a bogey on 14. In-Kyung Kim opened with 3 bogeys and a double in her 1st 6 holes to fall from -4 to +1, before fighting back to E for the week with 1 hole left to play.
That's not to say that there are no good rounds out there. Angela Stanford, who's been playing too great to stick to her plan of sticking to golf in the States, posted a final-round 69 to finish at -4, despite 2 bogeys in her last 5 holes. Shanshan Feng had a roller-coaster 6-birdie 69 to finish at -2, even though she suffered 3 bogeys in her final 7 holes. Ai Miyazato fired a bogey-free 33 on the back to break 70 for the 2nd day in a row and fight back to -1 for the tournament. Ai-sama's playing partner Cindy LaCrosse had an even better round going until she doubled the 18th and had to settle for a 69/-1 finish. And hats off to the 70 club, which currently includes Lizette Salas, Ilhee Lee, and Rebecca Lee-Bentham at -2, Katherine Hull-Kirk at -1, Mi-Hyang Lee at E, and Mina Harigae at +1. Congrats to all--and to Hee Young Park, who's -3 and bogey-free in today's round with 2 holes to play.
But the most entertaining subplot of the week has to be Caroline Hedwall, who continued to evoke the heyday of Laura Davies and Pat Hurst by turning Evian into a giant roller coaster. After going bogey-par-birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie for a 31 on the back yesterday after starting her day going birdie-double-double (that's a 68 for those keeping score at home), she was -2 and bogey-free through 10 holes today, but finished bogey-birdie-birdie-bogey-bogey-par-birdie-double to end the week where she started at E!!!
OK, so on to the main event, which doesn't hit NBC for awhile yet (they were showing an infomercial when I started writing this post). If Okinawa is going to be hugely disappointed today (Bo-Mee Lee beat 19-year-old Mamiko Higa in a 3-hole playoff in the JLPGA's 2nd major when the final round got washed out over in Hokkaido), who will be the champion when the golf is done?
How about Se Ri Pak, who's looking to capture a Career Grand Slam (wins in 4 different majors) today? She opened with 2 bogeys in her 1st 6 holes to fall to -3 for the week, but has fought back on the back with 3 birdies (and a bogey) to stand at -5 with 1 hole left to play. Not going to happen.
Will it be Lydia Ko, who's trying to become the youngest winner of an LPGA major? Well, she started out birdie-bogey-birdie, then made a bunch of pars until she bogeyed the par-5 13th and birdied the par-5 15th. She's -8 with 2 to play and handling the pressure of being in the final group much better than Mikan.
How about Stacy Lewis, who's trying to win her 2nd major in a row? She opened well from the next-to-last group with 2 birdies and no bogeys in her 1st 5 holes to get to -8, but then bogeyed the par-4 6th and doubled the par-3 8th and with one bogey and one birdie on the back thus far is still -5 with 2 holes to play. Not going to happen.
How about So Yeon Ryu, who was robbed of a KLPGA victory last week when someone made 2 eagles from the fairway in her last 10 holes and beat her in a playoff? Playing with Lewis and Chella Choi, she's made 3 birdies and a bogey to get to -7 with 2 holes to play. She's still in this thing.
How about Lexi Thompson, who's been overshadowed by Ko and Charley Hull in recent weeks? She's made 5 birdies and only 2 bogeys to fight to -6 with the 18th left to play. If she can make up for her pair of bogeys there in the opening rounds with something special, she'll be the leader in the clubhouse with a low enough score to give the leaders pause.
How about Chella Choi, who's looking to make her 1st LPGA victory a major? She was playing well, with 3 birdies and a bogey to get to -7 with 3 holes to play. But a disaster on the par-3 16th--a triple--has ended her title run.
That leaves your leader Suzann Pettersen, who's been playing probably the best golf of her life in recent weeks. She made 3 birdies and a bogey on the front to pass Mikan as she was crashing and burning, then made her way to -10 for the week by matching Ko's birdie on the par-5 15th and maintains a 2-shot lead on her and a 3-shot lead on Ryu with 2 holes left to play.
Look's like this will be all done before NBC goes on air. Stay away from here if you don't want the ending spoiled!
[Update 1 (11:42 am): Oh man, Mikan doubled the 16th! I feel awful for her!]
[Update 2 (11:44 am): Lexi parred 18 to post the low round of the day thus far (a great 68), but -6 won't scare Pettersen in the slightest, especially after she got past the treacherous 16th with a par. She's now tied with Ryu (who bogeyed 17) in 3rd. Great week for the American teenager!]
[Update 3 (11:47 am): Wow! The Rocket birdied the par-5 9th for a bogey-free 67 that brought her back to E for the week. Looks like Hee Young Park and Caroline Hedwall are twins separated at birth. Just take a look at the Rocket's back 9 before today!]
[Update 4 (11:49 am): Pak parred 18 to finish at -5 for the week. A great finish for the wounded warrior, but not what she wanted.]
[Update 5 (11:50 am): Ko parred 17. Still -8.]
[Update 6 (11:51 am): So did Pettersen. 2-up with 1 to play!]
[Update 7 (11:54 am): Realized I never mentioned Beatriz Recari. She birdied her 1st hole to get to -5 for the week, but never went lower than that as she made 3 bogeys and a birdie the rest of the way to end up at -3 for the week. Good enough for a top 10, but not to contend.]
[Update 8 (11:56 am): Inky was another player who rode the Evian roller coaster this week. After a final-round 75, she also ended up at E overall.]
[Update 9 (11:58 am): In case you're wondering how Jennifer Johnson got her top 10, she made an early birdie to get to -3, immediately bogeyed back-to-back holes, then birdied the 2 par 5s on the back to fight back to -3 for the week.]
[Update 10 (12:03 pm): Ryu finished bogey-bogey to end up T4 with Pak at -5. Not the finish either wanted, but still pretty darn good.]
[Update 11 (12:05 pm): So they didn't quite finish before NBC's coverage started, but close. I'm going to watch now.]
[Update 12 (10:41 pm): Finally finished watching the last few holes after lots of family time, and Pettersen's serenity, ability to hit clutch shots from 100 yards and in, scrambling and putting touch, and confidence were so wonderful to see. The look on her face when Ko's pitch from behind the 18th green almost trickled in was priceless. And speaking of Ko, it's hard to imagine how she could be more lovable or a tougher competitor. Yes, she couldn't get those birdie tries on 16 and 17 to drop, but almost everything else she did was awesome and just a little bit goofy at the same time. When you can charm Suzann Pettersen, you know you have a lot of charisma. Back to Pettersen, it was also heartwarming to see her smiling so much on 18, even before she made that great 2-putt for a 68 and to stay double digits under par for the week. Sure, I was hoping for a Miyazato, Ko, or Pak win, but my respect and admiration for Pettersen went up several notches in the brief time she and Ko shared center stage on network tv. Here's hoping for much more from both!]
Konica Minolta Cup Sunday: Final Round Washed Out; 3-Hole Playoff between Bo-Mee Lee and Mamiko Higa to Start at 1 pm Hokkaido Time
It appears that the LPGA isn't the only tour cursed by bad weather this week. The JLPGA just announced that they have decided to cancel the final round of their 2nd major, the Konica Minolta Cup, and hold a 3-hole playoff between 3rd-round co-leaders Bo-Mee Lee and Mamiko Higa.
[Update 1 (2:18 am): Bo-Mee Lee has won the playoff!]
[Update 2 (2:21 am): This was the 1st time since the tournament went to 72 holes in 1982 that they had to shorten it to 54 holes. I'll try to get more details on the playoff later in the morning!]
[Update 1 (2:18 am): Bo-Mee Lee has won the playoff!]
[Update 2 (2:21 am): This was the 1st time since the tournament went to 72 holes in 1982 that they had to shorten it to 54 holes. I'll try to get more details on the playoff later in the morning!]
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Evian Championship Saturday Afternoon: Lydia Ko Fires Bogey-Free 67 to Pull within 1 of Mika Miyazato
Lydia Ko got a pair of birdies early in her round and finished it with another pair to fire a bogey-free 67 and leap to -7 through 36 holes of the Evian Championship, putting her only 1 shot behind leader Mika Miyazato. Ko tied Stacy Lewis and Chella Choi from the morning wave for low rounds in the clubhouse until Rebecca Lee-Bentham posted a 7-birdie 66 to get to -1 for the week. With So Yeon Ryu at -7 today after getting a hole in 1 on the 16th and Lexi Thompson at -5 through 16, it's looking like Lee-Bentham's mark might even be eclipsed. Let's see!
[Update 1 (11:36 am): Ya Ni Tseng's struggles with big numbers and bad stretches continued this week. She opened the back yesterday with a double and 2 bogeys for a 40 and closed it exactly the same way today to miss the cut. She keeps showing signs of playing great golf, but then falls apart! So frustrating!]
[Update 2 (11:37 am): Ya Ni's not alone, of course. Charley Hull made 2 doubles and 2 bogeys on the back to offset her 2 birdies and miss the cut, as well.]
[Update 3 (11:39 am): Inbee Park doubled the par-4 4th to balloon to +5 for the week and flirt with the cut line, but she shot a bogey-free 34 on the back to come in at E for the day and +3 for the week.]
[Update 4 (11:41 am): Whoops, that hole in 1 was Caroline Hedwall's, not So Yeon Ryu's! Little glitch with the live scoring there!]
[Update 5 (11:44 am): Now I'm not sure whether Lindsey Wright just canned one on the par-3 14th to get to -4 for the day and -7 for the week!]
[Update 6 (11:45 am): Bad news for Se Ri Pak and her legions of fans. 2 holes ago she was -6 for the week, but just went double bogey-bogey.]
[Update 7 (11:47 am): 64 at +3 or better, 76 at +4 or better, 88 at +5 or better: where will the cut line fall?]
[Update 8 (11:52 am): Now 66 at +3 or better! Catriona Matthew, Brittany Lincicome, Eun-Hee Ji, Hee Kyung Seo used to be shoo-ins at +4; now they're holding their breaths!]
[Update 9 (11:53 am): Ah, it was a bogey by Wright at 14, not a hole in 1. Easy to confuse!]
[Update 10 (11:54 am): Se Ri fighting! Birdie on 16 gets her back to -4 for the week!]
[Update 11 (11:55 am): Na Yeon Choi, Morgan Pressel, Shanshan Feng all fall back to E for the week.]
[Update 12 (11:57 am): Check out Caroline Hedwall's scorecard! She was +6 through 21 holes after back-to-back doubles, but has gone birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie-hole in 1 eagle-birdie to fight back to +1 for the week! And she still has the 18th left to play!]
[Update 13 (11:58 am): Jennifer Song (-3 through 13 today) and Mi-Hyang Lee (-2 through 13) also mounting impressive comebacks.]
[Update 14 (12:01 pm): Lexi bogeyed 18 to settle for great 67 and tie Hurst and Creamer at -3. Angela Stanford and Jennifer Johnson looking to make it an All-American bunch at T11.]
[Update 15 (12:03 pm): Kerr birdied 14 and 15 to fight back to +6, but that was the best she could do coming home. She'll have the silver lining of not having to deal with the weather tomorrow (and maybe for a day or 2 after) as they try to get to 54 holes, but any MC in a major has to sting for her.]
[Update 16 (12:05 pm): It's looking like those at +4 will be safe, but with 77 there and most who are still on the course well better than that, the cut line is very unlikely to go to +5.]
[Update 17 (12:07 pm): So it's looking like Hee Young Park needs to birdie 18 to play any more this week. Laura Davies, Helen Alfredsson, Moira Dunn, Sun Young Yoo, and Moriya Jutanugarn are definitely out.]
[Update 18 (12:10 pm): Last update for awhile and my lucky number goes to So Yeon Ryu, who was unlucky last week when she got out by KLPGAer who made 2 eagles from the fairway in her last 10 holes. Ryu opened with a 5-birdie 30 and hung on for a 6-birdie 66 to vault to -5 for the week, T5 right now with Chella Choi.]
[Update 1 (11:36 am): Ya Ni Tseng's struggles with big numbers and bad stretches continued this week. She opened the back yesterday with a double and 2 bogeys for a 40 and closed it exactly the same way today to miss the cut. She keeps showing signs of playing great golf, but then falls apart! So frustrating!]
[Update 2 (11:37 am): Ya Ni's not alone, of course. Charley Hull made 2 doubles and 2 bogeys on the back to offset her 2 birdies and miss the cut, as well.]
[Update 3 (11:39 am): Inbee Park doubled the par-4 4th to balloon to +5 for the week and flirt with the cut line, but she shot a bogey-free 34 on the back to come in at E for the day and +3 for the week.]
[Update 4 (11:41 am): Whoops, that hole in 1 was Caroline Hedwall's, not So Yeon Ryu's! Little glitch with the live scoring there!]
[Update 5 (11:44 am): Now I'm not sure whether Lindsey Wright just canned one on the par-3 14th to get to -4 for the day and -7 for the week!]
[Update 6 (11:45 am): Bad news for Se Ri Pak and her legions of fans. 2 holes ago she was -6 for the week, but just went double bogey-bogey.]
[Update 7 (11:47 am): 64 at +3 or better, 76 at +4 or better, 88 at +5 or better: where will the cut line fall?]
[Update 8 (11:52 am): Now 66 at +3 or better! Catriona Matthew, Brittany Lincicome, Eun-Hee Ji, Hee Kyung Seo used to be shoo-ins at +4; now they're holding their breaths!]
[Update 9 (11:53 am): Ah, it was a bogey by Wright at 14, not a hole in 1. Easy to confuse!]
[Update 10 (11:54 am): Se Ri fighting! Birdie on 16 gets her back to -4 for the week!]
[Update 11 (11:55 am): Na Yeon Choi, Morgan Pressel, Shanshan Feng all fall back to E for the week.]
[Update 12 (11:57 am): Check out Caroline Hedwall's scorecard! She was +6 through 21 holes after back-to-back doubles, but has gone birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie-hole in 1 eagle-birdie to fight back to +1 for the week! And she still has the 18th left to play!]
[Update 13 (11:58 am): Jennifer Song (-3 through 13 today) and Mi-Hyang Lee (-2 through 13) also mounting impressive comebacks.]
[Update 14 (12:01 pm): Lexi bogeyed 18 to settle for great 67 and tie Hurst and Creamer at -3. Angela Stanford and Jennifer Johnson looking to make it an All-American bunch at T11.]
[Update 15 (12:03 pm): Kerr birdied 14 and 15 to fight back to +6, but that was the best she could do coming home. She'll have the silver lining of not having to deal with the weather tomorrow (and maybe for a day or 2 after) as they try to get to 54 holes, but any MC in a major has to sting for her.]
[Update 16 (12:05 pm): It's looking like those at +4 will be safe, but with 77 there and most who are still on the course well better than that, the cut line is very unlikely to go to +5.]
[Update 17 (12:07 pm): So it's looking like Hee Young Park needs to birdie 18 to play any more this week. Laura Davies, Helen Alfredsson, Moira Dunn, Sun Young Yoo, and Moriya Jutanugarn are definitely out.]
[Update 18 (12:10 pm): Last update for awhile and my lucky number goes to So Yeon Ryu, who was unlucky last week when she got out by KLPGAer who made 2 eagles from the fairway in her last 10 holes. Ryu opened with a 5-birdie 30 and hung on for a 6-birdie 66 to vault to -5 for the week, T5 right now with Chella Choi.]
Evian Championship Saturday Morning: Miyazato, Pettersen, Lewis Set the Pace
Mika Miyazato is the leader in the clubhouse at the close of morning play in the 2nd round of the Evian Championship, after her 4-birdie 69 got her to -8 for the week, keeping her 1 shot ahead of Suzann Pettersen (who also shot a 4-birdie 69), 2 shots ahead of Stacy Lewis (5-birdie 67), 3 shots ahead of Chella Choi (6-birdie 67), and 4 shots ahead of In-Kyung Kim (6-birdie 69) and Beatriz Recari (5-birdie 69).
Mikan bounced back from a pair of bogeys to start her round with birdies on 6, 7, 13, and 18 and is taking a 16-hole-and-counting bogey-free run into tomorrow's final round. Pettersen, too, stumbled out of the gates with 2 bogeys in her 1st 5 holes on the back, but she offset them with early birdies and played her last 13 holes bogey-free and -3. The biggest comeback of the day, however, belonged to Inky, who started her day going double bogey-bogey but then boarded a 4-hole birdie train on holes 4 through 7 and followed it up with birdies on 11 and 12 before suffering a walkoff bogey.
Others in the morning wave played well, including Vicky Hurst (7-birdie 68 marred by back-to-back closing bogeys to drop her to -3 for the week), Juli Inkster (6-birdie 68 to fight back to E overall), Anna Nordqvist (5-birdie 68 that also brought her to E), Ai Miyazato (who ballooned to +6 through her 1st 23 holes when she made her 3rd bogey in a row early on the back 9, but played her last 13 holes in -5, including birdies on 16, 2, and 7--and an eagle on the par-4 1st!--for a fighting 68 in which she took 11 fewer putts than in Friday's round), Jodi Ewart Shadoff (5-birdie 68 to come back from her opening 77 and make the cut), Paula Creamer (69, -3 overall), and Natalie Gulbis (69, +2). Hats off as well to Momoko Ueda and Holly Clyburn, whose 70s kept them in the race at -2 and -1, respectively. Ueda is tied with Karrie Webb (72), Michelle Wie (72), and Christina Kim (74)! Finally, a mental toughness award to Cheyenne Woods, who bounced back from an opening 80 with a solid 71. Even though she's going to miss the cut, she showed she knows how to bounce back from a terrible round.
In the afternoon wave, by the way, Cristie Kerr is in serious danger of missing the cut, while Inbee Park, Ya Ni Tseng, Caroline Hedwall, and Charley Hull are struggling to avoid that fate, so don't judge Cheyenne too harshly. With Lexi Thompson, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, and So Yeon Ryu putting together the best rounds of the wave thus far, there'll be lots to report on in a few hours. Stay tuned!
[Update 1 (11:08 am): By the way, the passionate and persuasive defense by Ron Sirak of the decision to go 54 holes this week (which may take until Tuesday, given weather forecasts) is an absolute must-read!]
[Update 2 (11:23 am): Forgot to mention that Rookie of the Year race leader Caroline Masson is tied with fellow rookie Ayako Uehara at E, while former leader Moriya Jutanugarn will miss the cut. With Chie Arimura 14 shots off the pace in her attempted title defense at the JLPGA's 2nd major of the season, I wonder if the ROY race will come down to Masson and Uehara?]
[Update 3 (11:49 am): Ryan Ballengee adds some good points of his own on the decision to go 54.]
[Update 4 (11:50 am): Lots of fireworks from the afternoon wave!]
Mikan bounced back from a pair of bogeys to start her round with birdies on 6, 7, 13, and 18 and is taking a 16-hole-and-counting bogey-free run into tomorrow's final round. Pettersen, too, stumbled out of the gates with 2 bogeys in her 1st 5 holes on the back, but she offset them with early birdies and played her last 13 holes bogey-free and -3. The biggest comeback of the day, however, belonged to Inky, who started her day going double bogey-bogey but then boarded a 4-hole birdie train on holes 4 through 7 and followed it up with birdies on 11 and 12 before suffering a walkoff bogey.
Others in the morning wave played well, including Vicky Hurst (7-birdie 68 marred by back-to-back closing bogeys to drop her to -3 for the week), Juli Inkster (6-birdie 68 to fight back to E overall), Anna Nordqvist (5-birdie 68 that also brought her to E), Ai Miyazato (who ballooned to +6 through her 1st 23 holes when she made her 3rd bogey in a row early on the back 9, but played her last 13 holes in -5, including birdies on 16, 2, and 7--and an eagle on the par-4 1st!--for a fighting 68 in which she took 11 fewer putts than in Friday's round), Jodi Ewart Shadoff (5-birdie 68 to come back from her opening 77 and make the cut), Paula Creamer (69, -3 overall), and Natalie Gulbis (69, +2). Hats off as well to Momoko Ueda and Holly Clyburn, whose 70s kept them in the race at -2 and -1, respectively. Ueda is tied with Karrie Webb (72), Michelle Wie (72), and Christina Kim (74)! Finally, a mental toughness award to Cheyenne Woods, who bounced back from an opening 80 with a solid 71. Even though she's going to miss the cut, she showed she knows how to bounce back from a terrible round.
In the afternoon wave, by the way, Cristie Kerr is in serious danger of missing the cut, while Inbee Park, Ya Ni Tseng, Caroline Hedwall, and Charley Hull are struggling to avoid that fate, so don't judge Cheyenne too harshly. With Lexi Thompson, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, and So Yeon Ryu putting together the best rounds of the wave thus far, there'll be lots to report on in a few hours. Stay tuned!
[Update 1 (11:08 am): By the way, the passionate and persuasive defense by Ron Sirak of the decision to go 54 holes this week (which may take until Tuesday, given weather forecasts) is an absolute must-read!]
[Update 2 (11:23 am): Forgot to mention that Rookie of the Year race leader Caroline Masson is tied with fellow rookie Ayako Uehara at E, while former leader Moriya Jutanugarn will miss the cut. With Chie Arimura 14 shots off the pace in her attempted title defense at the JLPGA's 2nd major of the season, I wonder if the ROY race will come down to Masson and Uehara?]
[Update 3 (11:49 am): Ryan Ballengee adds some good points of his own on the decision to go 54.]
[Update 4 (11:50 am): Lots of fireworks from the afternoon wave!]
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