With the 4th LPGA major of 2014 just hours away, it's time I unveiled my updated ranking of the top performers in LPGA majors since the start of the 2000 season (excepting the du Maurier, which last counted as an LPGA major that season). What's different than the April 2014 and June 2014 and July 2014 editions? The 1st 3 majors of 2014 (duh!). Please join me in welcoming Mo Martin to the top 50!
You can find more details on my spreadsheet, which is basically a modification of my career ranking system of the LPGA's rookie classes from 2005 to 2014, but in a nutshell its core idea is to reward both consistency and peak performances, with a special bonus for being able to win more than one major and an even bigger bonus for winning the same major more than once (it's kind of like Yahtzee that way!). The formula I use to put it all together results in the following ranking, with the number of points gained or lost since the last ranking [in brackets] following each player's point total (in parentheses):
Simply the Best
1. Annika Sorenstam (3034)
2. Ya Ni Tseng (2030) [-54]
3. Karrie Webb (1948) [-23]
4. Inbee Park (1831) [-3]
The Contenders
5. Stacy Lewis (1613) [-30]
6. Lorena Ochoa (1569)
The Next Best
7. Ji-Yai Shin (1423) [-40]
8. Suzann Pettersen (1406) [+62]
9. So Yeon Ryu (1392) [-49]
10. Se Ri Pak (1342) [-16]
11. Cristie Kerr (1295) [-17]
12. Na Yeon Choi (1142) [-34]
13. Paula Creamer (1117) [-20]
Quantum Leap Candidates
14. Michelle Wie (976) [-20]
15. Morgan Pressel (975) [-17]
16. In-Kyung Kim (972) [-26]
17. Lexi Thompson (865) [-31]
18. Catriona Matthew (814) [-11]
19. Grace Park (795)
20. Eun-Hee Ji (779) [+25]
21. Shanshan Feng (769) [+140]
22. Amy Yang (765) [-20]
23. Juli Inkster (762) [+/-0]
24. Anna Nordqvist (736) [-4]
25. Ai Miyazato (682) [-12]
26. Brittany Lincicome (678) [-12]
27. Angela Park (664)
28. Mo Martin (631) [+564]
29. Angela Stanford (626) [+31]
30. Song-Hee Kim (621)
31. Lydia Ko (580) [-44]
32. Jeong Jang (527) [-6]
33. Hee Kyung Seo (522) [+/-0]
34. Brittany Lang (514) [-8]
The Best of the Rest
35. Sun Young Yoo (487) [-11]
36. Natalie Gulbis (486) [+/-0]
37. Candie Kung (478) [-7]
38. Hee Young Park (453) [-9]
39. Mika Miyazato (453) [-7]
40. Kristy McPherson (418) [-9]
41. Jee Young Lee (413) [-7]
42. Chella Choi (385) [-11]
43. Lindsey Wright (380) [+/-0]
44. Christina Kim (372) [-4]
45. Azahara Munoz (369) [+9]
46. Hee-Won Han (353) [+/-0]
47. Caroline Masson (312) [-24]
T48. Lizette Salas (307) [+/-0]
T48. Julieta Granada (307) [+38]
50. Meaghan Francella (296) [+/-0]
It's interesting to see who performs better in majors than regular events and vice versa--although as you can see from the big movers, there's a bit more volatility on this list than in my career ranking system.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
The Best to Join the LPGA Since 2005, August 2014 Edition
It's about time I welcomed Mo Martin, Mirim Lee, and Line Vedel to the top 50 of my ranking of the best to join the LPGA since 2005, which I last updated in early July, before the Women's British Open. For the full rundown, check out my spreadsheet. The first number in brackets following each active player's name and point total represents how many points they have gained or lost since my last ranking; the 2nd, how many they have gained or lost in 2014.
Simply the Best
1. Ya Ni Tseng (3747) [-12] [-177]
The Contenders
2. Ji-Yai Shin (3376)
3. Lydia Ko (3338) [+192] [n/a]
4. Stacy Lewis (3124) [-34] [+422]
5. Inbee Park (2863) [+36] [+138]
6. Paula Creamer (2695) [-22] [+/-0]
3. Lydia Ko (3338) [+192] [n/a]
4. Stacy Lewis (3124) [-34] [+422]
5. Inbee Park (2863) [+36] [+138]
6. Paula Creamer (2695) [-22] [+/-0]
7. Na Yeon Choi (2688) [-36] [-136]
The Next Best
8. So Yeon Ryu (2385) [+39] [-79]
9. Lexi Thompson (2112) [-73] [+270]
10. Ai Miyazato (2098) [-19] [-120]
11. Michelle Wie (1906) [-20] [+549]
9. Lexi Thompson (2112) [-73] [+270]
10. Ai Miyazato (2098) [-19] [-120]
11. Michelle Wie (1906) [-20] [+549]
Quantum Leap Candidates
12. Shanshan Feng (1690) [+55] [+67]
13. In-Kyung Kim (1687) [-7] [-72]
14. Anna Nordqvist (1670) [-8] [+223]
13. In-Kyung Kim (1687) [-7] [-72]
14. Anna Nordqvist (1670) [-8] [+223]
15. Mirim Lee (1507) [n/a] [n/a]
16. Brittany Lincicome (1439) [-10] [-48]
17. Morgan Pressel (1306) [-11] [-49]
18. Amy Yang (1260) [+6] [+21]
19. Azahara Munoz (1237) [-8] [+56]
20. Song-Hee Kim (1226)
21. Lizette Salas (1215) [+/-0] [+246]
22. Jessica Korda (1196) [+26] [+334]
18. Amy Yang (1260) [+6] [+21]
19. Azahara Munoz (1237) [-8] [+56]
20. Song-Hee Kim (1226)
21. Lizette Salas (1215) [+/-0] [+246]
22. Jessica Korda (1196) [+26] [+334]
23. Seon Hwa Lee (1173) [+/-0] [-51]
24. Hee Kyung Seo (1170) [+/-0][-89]
24. Hee Kyung Seo (1170) [+/-0][-89]
25. Mika Miyazato (1142) [-6] [-85]
26. Angela Park (1114)
27. Beatriz Recari (1076) [+4] [-88]
28. Hee Young Park (1075) [-10] [-113]
26. Angela Park (1114)
27. Beatriz Recari (1076) [+4] [-88]
28. Hee Young Park (1075) [-10] [-113]
29. Eun-Hee Ji (1044) [+12] [-3]
30. Sun Young Yoo (1022) [-6] [-43]
The Best of the Rest
31. Jee Young Lee (962) [-7] [-46]
32. Brittany Lang (903) [-6] [-34]
33. Caroline Hedwall (890) [-23] [-107]
32. Brittany Lang (903) [-6] [-34]
33. Caroline Hedwall (890) [-23] [-107]
34. Meena Lee (874) [-5] [+23]
35. Chella Choi (860) [-14] [+78]
36. Mo Martin (834) [n/a] [~+430]
37. Julieta Granada (791) [+21] [+37]
38. Momoko Ueda (765)
39. Jenny Shin (763) [-7] [+125]
40. Gerina Piller (741) [-12] [+49]
36. Mo Martin (834) [n/a] [~+430]
37. Julieta Granada (791) [+21] [+37]
38. Momoko Ueda (765)
39. Jenny Shin (763) [-7] [+125]
40. Gerina Piller (741) [-12] [+49]
41. Sandra Gal (733) [+8] [+3]
42. Jennifer Johnson (692) [-12] [+4]
43. Pornanong Phatlum (688) [-6] [+84]
44. Line Vedel (671) [n/a] [n/a]
45. Ilhee Lee (631) [-11] [-95]
46. Teresa Lu (613)
47. Jodi Ewart Shadoff (605) [-19] [-58]
48. Ji Young Oh (582) [-7] [-30]
49. Kristy McPherson (568) [-8] [-36]
50. Carlota Ciganda (564) [+/-0] [-204]
The newbies bumped Mi Jung Hur, Haeji Kang, and Caroline Masson out of the top 50. With Harukyo Nomura and Thidapa Suwannapura also joining my overall ranking, I now track 64 players' careers in detail. I hope to move backwards to include Lorena Ochoa and Suzann Pettersen, both in the Class of 2003, in my end-of-the-year ranking.
42. Jennifer Johnson (692) [-12] [+4]
43. Pornanong Phatlum (688) [-6] [+84]
44. Line Vedel (671) [n/a] [n/a]
45. Ilhee Lee (631) [-11] [-95]
46. Teresa Lu (613)
47. Jodi Ewart Shadoff (605) [-19] [-58]
48. Ji Young Oh (582) [-7] [-30]
49. Kristy McPherson (568) [-8] [-36]
50. Carlota Ciganda (564) [+/-0] [-204]
The newbies bumped Mi Jung Hur, Haeji Kang, and Caroline Masson out of the top 50. With Harukyo Nomura and Thidapa Suwannapura also joining my overall ranking, I now track 64 players' careers in detail. I hope to move backwards to include Lorena Ochoa and Suzann Pettersen, both in the Class of 2003, in my end-of-the-year ranking.
My Picks for the Wegmans LPGA Championship
Based on my take on Monroe Golf Club's front and back 9, and my sense of who's playing well coming into the 4th major of the LPGA season, here are my best guesses as to who will be in contention at the Wegmans LPGA Championship in its final year in the Rochester area. I'm coming off a victory in last week's PakPicker over at Seoul Sisters.com and am in 4th overall, so let's see if my homework helps me make it 2 in a row!
1. Park Inbee
2. Lewis, Stacy
3. Ryu
4. Ko
5. Pettersen
6. Feng, Shanshan
7. Creamer
8. Kerr
9. Yang
10. Nordqvist
11. Munoz
12. Choi Chella
Alts: Choi Na Yeon; Thompson; Stanford
I just got back from playing the front 9 at Diamond Hawk from tees that'll approximate the length of Tuscarora on Friday. In heavy winds, I parred the last 7 holes in a row to salvage a 39 after an ugly start. Something finally clicked for me 3 weeks ago in the final round of the Utica City Amateur and since then my rounds have ended up between 6.2 and 10.4 for my handicap index, so at least I can say I'm getting consistent. If I can eliminate the big numbers and get off to a normal start (instead of my usual terrible start this season!), I should be able to put together a round in the mid-70s in a couple of days. Here's hoping something rubs off on me tomorrow from following So Yeon Ryu's group in the morning and Ai Miyazato's in the afternoon!
[Update 1 (5:19 pm): Forgot to link to Tony Jesselli's preview!]
1. Park Inbee
2. Lewis, Stacy
3. Ryu
4. Ko
5. Pettersen
6. Feng, Shanshan
7. Creamer
8. Kerr
9. Yang
10. Nordqvist
11. Munoz
12. Choi Chella
Alts: Choi Na Yeon; Thompson; Stanford
I just got back from playing the front 9 at Diamond Hawk from tees that'll approximate the length of Tuscarora on Friday. In heavy winds, I parred the last 7 holes in a row to salvage a 39 after an ugly start. Something finally clicked for me 3 weeks ago in the final round of the Utica City Amateur and since then my rounds have ended up between 6.2 and 10.4 for my handicap index, so at least I can say I'm getting consistent. If I can eliminate the big numbers and get off to a normal start (instead of my usual terrible start this season!), I should be able to put together a round in the mid-70s in a couple of days. Here's hoping something rubs off on me tomorrow from following So Yeon Ryu's group in the morning and Ai Miyazato's in the afternoon!
[Update 1 (5:19 pm): Forgot to link to Tony Jesselli's preview!]
Wegmans LPGA Championship Day 3: Monroe Golf Club's Back 9
All right, continuing my previews of the Wegmans LPGA Championship, I follow up here on my overall impressions of Monroe Golf Club and observations on its front 9. Drawing on my notes from yesterday and the LPGA media guide, here's my scouting report on the back 9!
#10: 423-Yard Par 4
As on #1, players get a little bit of a break on their drives with a wide fairway that doesn't pinch until about 290 yards off the tee. So long as you avoid the small hidden right-side fairway bunker about 270 off the tee, you'll be fine with a right miss, as this is one of the few fairways on the course that doesn't have trees on both sides of the fairway (or at least that many where most drives would typically end up!). The green narrows from 45 feet across at the front to only 24 feet at the middle, and it's protected b short-right and middle-left bunkers, so most of the challenge comes on the approach shot. The green itself slopes severely from back to front and has a false front, so flying your approach well onto it is a good idea, but quite a challenge, as there's something of a cliff right behind the green that extends down into the right rough on the 12th fairway. On the bright side, there is something of a bowl effect, particularly on the right side, so approaches at most edges should feed back toward the center of the green.
#11: 414-Yard Par 4
This one starts to dogleg right about 200 yards from the tee, the right rough is thick, and an overhanging tree blocks the right side of the green from the right rough, so it'll be a challenging but necessary fairway to hit, particularly with that fairway bunker guarding the left landing area about 250 yards out. The green is slightly elevated and deep but somewhat narrow, has a false front, slopes left to right, and has a big bump in the back. It was raining fairly hard, but I hung out with a retired couple in the well-situated shelter to the right of the green and watched Christina Kim keep up a running conversation with her caddy as she putted from dozens of spots to dozens of other spots on this green!
#12: 480-Yard Par 5
This is another great short par 5, as the landing area for drives is narrow, going for the green in 2 is tempting but a huge risk and almost impossible from the left rough if you find yourself in "Smitty's Moguls." Most drives will end up somewhere in the vicinity of the 2nd right fairway bunker, which is about 250 yards off the tee, but those who go for the left side of the fairway should get a forward kick. Assuming you do find the fairway and can go for the green, it's super-narrow (only 10 paces wide!), guarded by big trees on both sides, a deep bunker front right, and a series of mounds and bumps everywhere else. I saw more players practicing chips and pitches from the rough around the green on this hole than any other. The green itself is a piece of work, with at least 5 bumps separating the green into very different sections. Where the pin will be each day will affect players' game plans in a big way. It was too tough a puzzle for me to figure out when you'd be better off laying up than going for it, but the landing area for your layup is no picnic to hit, either, what with all the traps surrounding it, so probably most players who can will go for this one in 2 and hope for the best. The LPGA media guide notes the green is fast from back to front and deceptively slow from front to back, so even hitting the green in 2 gives you no guarantee of a birdie. Another great hole!
#13: 183-Yard Par 3
The LPGA media guide notes that amateurs in the Monroe Invitational Championship have had the most trouble with this hole over the 70-year history of the tournament, and I can see why. The difficulty starts with a steep, closely-mown neck that repels all shots that land even a little short and turns ones that happen to spin back off the false front into awful approaches. Many players were practicing tossing wedges from the bottom of that neck maybe 30 feet up to the green. So missing short is bad, but finding any of the deep traps that surround the green may be worse. Overall, the green slopes from right to left, but there's a back-left bump that can serve as something of a backstop, with luck. If you go long-left, though, you'll end up in a chipping area. The back-right corner of the green has been extended out in a recent Gil Hanse restoration.
#14: 488-Yard Par 5
The left fairway bunker is about 220 yards off the tee and the right is about 260, so most drives will end up between them--tending toward the left side of the fairway--as a big tree guards the right side of the green about 100 yards short of it. Long hitters will be able to overcome the incline leading up to the small green and, with accuracy, negotiate its left to right slope, although most players will end up in the little neck that widens out about 30 yards short of the green on the left. The green itself is kind of rectangular, with bumps on its front-left and back-right and another false front.
#15: 360-Yard Par 4
The shortest par 4 on the course has one of its most diabolical greens. You hit from an elevated tee into a gently-sloping uphill fairway by guarded by a deep right-fairway bunker about 190 from the tee, but it's really the pot bunker on the left side of the fairway about 260 yards from the tee that most players will be worrying about. The fairway is wide short of it, but if you go too far right, there's a 2nd fairway bunker guarding the right corner, maybe 230 yards off the tee or so. The good news is that shots hit to the left side of the fairway will kick back toward the center, so longer hitters may wish to challenge that last left bunker yet avoid going through the fairway which ends in another pair of traps. The reason is that the 2-tiered green is very wide but not very deep, and you get really different challenges if the pin is on the right or the left. The left tier is lower and harder to see from the fairway; it's guarded by a trap short and deep rough long and left. The right tier is also guarded by a trap to the right and trees left and long. You definitely want your favorite wedge in your hands for either approach!
#16: 193-Yard Par 3
Another hole where you fly over a big valley and end up on a hill, where the relatively flat green (for Monroe GC, that is) slopes generally from back-left to front-right. The traps are well short of the green, so all you have to deal with if you miss it is really thick rough, especially on the left.
#17: 415-Yard Par 4
Having few trees on the right gives this hole a relatively open feel (for Monroe GC, that is) and both short and long hitter should get kicks forward off well-placed hills. With the green set off on its own hill kinda diagonally right off the fairway, a tree about 125 yards out on the right can block approaches from the right rough, so expect players to stay left with their drives. The approach is one of the few downhill ones on the course, but if you miss the green left, it's death valley down there, whether you find the trap, the rough, or the fairway, and with traps guarding the front and back-right portions of the green, it's still a very challenging one. The green itself is one of the flattest on the course, but it does gently slope left to right and has just as gentle a bowl effect, so Ross did take it easy on golfers to some extent!
#18: 422-Yard Par 4
This is a great finishing hole, made even more difficult by how closely the bleachers surround the green! It's one of the widest fairways on the course and you get lines or clumps of trees rather than the more-typical foresty feel, so all short hitters have to do is stay left of the trio of bunkers near their landing area, which shouldn't be that much of a problem, because shots down the right side of the fairway ought to kick left back toward the center of the uphill fairway. Long hitters may even reach a level shelf past those bunkers, but will have to pay attention to a left-side fairway bunker about 250 yards from the tee. The green itself is another piece of work, with a swale that separates it into 2 tiers running from its back-left to its front-right portion. Thank god (or Ross) that it's a less-elevated and flatter green than most!
So that's what I saw yesterday while I was hoping I wouldn't get soaked. I'd say more about how Lisa McCloskey, Kelly Tan, and Heather Bowie Young played the back, but I have to get out to Diamond Hawk!
[Update 1 (5:12 pm): Here's the LPGA's (more concise) overview of the course!]
#10: 423-Yard Par 4
As on #1, players get a little bit of a break on their drives with a wide fairway that doesn't pinch until about 290 yards off the tee. So long as you avoid the small hidden right-side fairway bunker about 270 off the tee, you'll be fine with a right miss, as this is one of the few fairways on the course that doesn't have trees on both sides of the fairway (or at least that many where most drives would typically end up!). The green narrows from 45 feet across at the front to only 24 feet at the middle, and it's protected b short-right and middle-left bunkers, so most of the challenge comes on the approach shot. The green itself slopes severely from back to front and has a false front, so flying your approach well onto it is a good idea, but quite a challenge, as there's something of a cliff right behind the green that extends down into the right rough on the 12th fairway. On the bright side, there is something of a bowl effect, particularly on the right side, so approaches at most edges should feed back toward the center of the green.
#11: 414-Yard Par 4
This one starts to dogleg right about 200 yards from the tee, the right rough is thick, and an overhanging tree blocks the right side of the green from the right rough, so it'll be a challenging but necessary fairway to hit, particularly with that fairway bunker guarding the left landing area about 250 yards out. The green is slightly elevated and deep but somewhat narrow, has a false front, slopes left to right, and has a big bump in the back. It was raining fairly hard, but I hung out with a retired couple in the well-situated shelter to the right of the green and watched Christina Kim keep up a running conversation with her caddy as she putted from dozens of spots to dozens of other spots on this green!
#12: 480-Yard Par 5
This is another great short par 5, as the landing area for drives is narrow, going for the green in 2 is tempting but a huge risk and almost impossible from the left rough if you find yourself in "Smitty's Moguls." Most drives will end up somewhere in the vicinity of the 2nd right fairway bunker, which is about 250 yards off the tee, but those who go for the left side of the fairway should get a forward kick. Assuming you do find the fairway and can go for the green, it's super-narrow (only 10 paces wide!), guarded by big trees on both sides, a deep bunker front right, and a series of mounds and bumps everywhere else. I saw more players practicing chips and pitches from the rough around the green on this hole than any other. The green itself is a piece of work, with at least 5 bumps separating the green into very different sections. Where the pin will be each day will affect players' game plans in a big way. It was too tough a puzzle for me to figure out when you'd be better off laying up than going for it, but the landing area for your layup is no picnic to hit, either, what with all the traps surrounding it, so probably most players who can will go for this one in 2 and hope for the best. The LPGA media guide notes the green is fast from back to front and deceptively slow from front to back, so even hitting the green in 2 gives you no guarantee of a birdie. Another great hole!
#13: 183-Yard Par 3
The LPGA media guide notes that amateurs in the Monroe Invitational Championship have had the most trouble with this hole over the 70-year history of the tournament, and I can see why. The difficulty starts with a steep, closely-mown neck that repels all shots that land even a little short and turns ones that happen to spin back off the false front into awful approaches. Many players were practicing tossing wedges from the bottom of that neck maybe 30 feet up to the green. So missing short is bad, but finding any of the deep traps that surround the green may be worse. Overall, the green slopes from right to left, but there's a back-left bump that can serve as something of a backstop, with luck. If you go long-left, though, you'll end up in a chipping area. The back-right corner of the green has been extended out in a recent Gil Hanse restoration.
#14: 488-Yard Par 5
The left fairway bunker is about 220 yards off the tee and the right is about 260, so most drives will end up between them--tending toward the left side of the fairway--as a big tree guards the right side of the green about 100 yards short of it. Long hitters will be able to overcome the incline leading up to the small green and, with accuracy, negotiate its left to right slope, although most players will end up in the little neck that widens out about 30 yards short of the green on the left. The green itself is kind of rectangular, with bumps on its front-left and back-right and another false front.
#15: 360-Yard Par 4
The shortest par 4 on the course has one of its most diabolical greens. You hit from an elevated tee into a gently-sloping uphill fairway by guarded by a deep right-fairway bunker about 190 from the tee, but it's really the pot bunker on the left side of the fairway about 260 yards from the tee that most players will be worrying about. The fairway is wide short of it, but if you go too far right, there's a 2nd fairway bunker guarding the right corner, maybe 230 yards off the tee or so. The good news is that shots hit to the left side of the fairway will kick back toward the center, so longer hitters may wish to challenge that last left bunker yet avoid going through the fairway which ends in another pair of traps. The reason is that the 2-tiered green is very wide but not very deep, and you get really different challenges if the pin is on the right or the left. The left tier is lower and harder to see from the fairway; it's guarded by a trap short and deep rough long and left. The right tier is also guarded by a trap to the right and trees left and long. You definitely want your favorite wedge in your hands for either approach!
#16: 193-Yard Par 3
Another hole where you fly over a big valley and end up on a hill, where the relatively flat green (for Monroe GC, that is) slopes generally from back-left to front-right. The traps are well short of the green, so all you have to deal with if you miss it is really thick rough, especially on the left.
#17: 415-Yard Par 4
Having few trees on the right gives this hole a relatively open feel (for Monroe GC, that is) and both short and long hitter should get kicks forward off well-placed hills. With the green set off on its own hill kinda diagonally right off the fairway, a tree about 125 yards out on the right can block approaches from the right rough, so expect players to stay left with their drives. The approach is one of the few downhill ones on the course, but if you miss the green left, it's death valley down there, whether you find the trap, the rough, or the fairway, and with traps guarding the front and back-right portions of the green, it's still a very challenging one. The green itself is one of the flattest on the course, but it does gently slope left to right and has just as gentle a bowl effect, so Ross did take it easy on golfers to some extent!
#18: 422-Yard Par 4
This is a great finishing hole, made even more difficult by how closely the bleachers surround the green! It's one of the widest fairways on the course and you get lines or clumps of trees rather than the more-typical foresty feel, so all short hitters have to do is stay left of the trio of bunkers near their landing area, which shouldn't be that much of a problem, because shots down the right side of the fairway ought to kick left back toward the center of the uphill fairway. Long hitters may even reach a level shelf past those bunkers, but will have to pay attention to a left-side fairway bunker about 250 yards from the tee. The green itself is another piece of work, with a swale that separates it into 2 tiers running from its back-left to its front-right portion. Thank god (or Ross) that it's a less-elevated and flatter green than most!
So that's what I saw yesterday while I was hoping I wouldn't get soaked. I'd say more about how Lisa McCloskey, Kelly Tan, and Heather Bowie Young played the back, but I have to get out to Diamond Hawk!
[Update 1 (5:12 pm): Here's the LPGA's (more concise) overview of the course!]
Wegmans LPGA Championship Day 3: Monroe Golf Club's Front 9
Following up on yesterday's general impressions of Monroe Golf Club, I continue my Wegmans LPGA Championship blogging from off-site today (as I have to prepare for my own Mid-Amateur qualifier at Tuscarora on Friday!), with observations on the front 9, drawn from my own notes from Monday and the LPGA media guide.
#1: 396-Yard Par 4
Even though there are trees on both sides of the fairway and 2 fairway bunkers down the right side (long hitters will have to watch the 2nd, which I estimated to start around 255 yards off the tee), this is one of the more open tee shots on the course. The real challenge comes on your approach shot, which is to an elevated green guarded by a front-left pot bunker. It looks to me like your ball will be drawn into one of 3 collection areas on the green, which is deeper than it appears from the fairway: either FL, BL, or BR. Especially if the course is softer this week, you don't want to play around trying to bounce it in from just short of the green or even from the very front of it. Better to take your medicine on your first iron shot of the day and make sure you fly it to the middle of the green.
#2: 381-Yard Par 4
The fairway widens out past the fairway bunker on the right, which starts about 160 yards from the small green and is still a factor until you get to about 125 yards out. Long hitters will have a small advantage here, but they have to make sure not to run their drives through the fairway on the left, where a couple more bunkers await them. The 2nd shot is a little tricky, with 2 very visible bunkers at the end of the fairway that are actually well short of a green which is surrounded by much less visible ones concentrated to the left of it (although there are also a couple very close to it on the right!). Oh yeah, and OB long is definitely a factor, too. The green itself slopes from back to front and has a tiny shelf way in the back. I can imagine a Sunday pin there.
#3: 465-Yard Par 5
This is a hole on which almost everyone should have at least a decision about whether to go for the green in 2, as the fairway slopes severely downhill in your landing area off the tee. On paper, the left fairway bunker at about 340 out and the hidden one on the right about 370 out shouldn't be a factor at all on your drive, but I saw some super-long ones on this hole on Monday, so if the course returns to that level of firmness, maybe some of the longer hitters will take 3-wood instead of pulling the driver? There's a big valley short of the green, but the last 30 yards rise sharply with 2 big bunkers protecting its front left and 1 protecting its front right. I saw some players bouncing their approaches up the neck between the left and right bunkers, but since the green is something of an inverted bowl, once again flying an approach to the middle of the green is probably the best play for those who have the distance.
#4: 406-Yard Par 4
I love the view off this tee, with fairway bunkers tracking up the right side of the fairway and 2 large ones marking the end of the left side of the fairway accessible off the tee, about 300 yards out. Short hitters get a break on this hole, as drives on the fairway kick forward starting about 210 yards off the tee. It's pretty much all uphill to the green after that last pair of left fairway bunkers. The green slopes from left to right toward a large and long and deep bunker guarding the right side of the green, and there's also a bunker on the left, but the back right corner of the green is elevated.
#5: 431-Yard Par 4
This is the #1 handicap hole on the course and it's easy to see why. First, you have pretty much a blind tee shot to a tortuously-contoured fairway. You will get a forward-left kick from the right side of the fairway if you land it less than 230 yards off the tee, but if you carry it around 240, the fairway starts running downhill sharply even as it doglegs right, and there's a weird wedge in the middle of it that can carom your ball to the right or the left, depending on where it lands or bounces on it. If you can carry it about 250 you can fly it past that bump and usually get a nice forward kick onto the left side of the fairway, but since you can't see where the ball lands, you really have to trust the line you pick from the tee. Really long hitters can take a huge risk and try to bomb it down the far right side of the fairway that you can see off the tee and trust it to fly the rough and find the narrow fairway straight down that hill most players will find themselves on, ending up 100 to 125 yards from the green on a level lie. (I would love to try that myself, just to see where it ends up!) Next, the level of difficulty stays high on the approach shot, as the green may be the most contoured of any on the course, with a big bump in the middle and a back tier that's lower than the front tier. And if you miss it, it's surrounded by Locust Hill-style bumps and nodes. Hitting it is no picnic, either, as every putt on it is delicate and challenging. Just a great hole!
#6: 207-Yard Par 3
The last 150 yards or so of this tough par 3 are uphill and the green is actually about 25 yards past what may look like a front-left bunker from the tee. The green is rectangular, deeper than it is long, sloping right to left, guarded by a deep bunker beyond it and traps on either side of it. Those side traps do provide bumpers of a sort, nudging shots just missed right or left back toward the middle of the green (if they manage to land on the green instead of in them, that is). This green is flatter than most and particularly flatter than the previous 2, so if players can get over the contrast, they may be able to take advantage of birdie opportunities here. They also get a peek of the 17th fairway and may start wondering what the players ahead of them are doing, which is probably why there's a scoreboard to the right of the green. It's the 1st time those on the front get any hint of what's going on on the back since the scoreboard to the left of the 3rd green.
#7: 392-Yard Par 4
This is a tight, blind driving hole, with fairway bunkers down the left side that start about 180 yards from the green and end about 130 out. Long hitters may have to worry about the fairway pinching and guarded by a right-side and 2 left-side bunkers at about 100 yards out. But the 2-tiered green (on a left to right diagonal across the green) is an even bigger challenge, as your approach shot will be quite different depending on where the pin is. Right and it brings very deep bunkers into play, but if you play it safe to avoid them you face a downhill big breaker. Left and you run the risk of having the green bounce your approach further left into a steep slope with deep rough. No problem!
#8: 145-Yard Par 3
The front-left trap is quite deep, the 2-tier green has a false front, and there's a bump in the front-left portion of the small green, so this one may be short, but it requires a high degree of precision on the approach. With 5 traps protecting the green and a tough chipping area on the left side of the green, hitting it is essential.
#9: 516-Yard Par 5
This is the only hole on the course longer than 500 yards (or 490, for that matter), and it's a great finishing hole for the front 9. The tee starts back parallel with the middle of the 17th fairway, your drives will end up between the 18th tee and the start of its fairway, and the rest of the hole parallels the 18th fairway, with a huge scoreboard near the end of the right side of the fairway to get you thinking about what's going on ahead of you. If you can carry you drive past the uphill portion of the fairway, it looks like you'll get a kick forward and to the right, so long hitters, especially those who carry the ball a long way, will get an advantage on this tee. But most players will decide not to go for this green in 2, as you'd need to fade your shot into a fairly narrow green that slants on a diagonal from left to right from a fairway that itself has been swinging gently to the right. The green itself is flatter than most, but it slants downhill at the end, so it's easy to go over it, even with a very good approach shot. You'll see a lot of players planning to stay left of the fairway bunkers that guard the approach to the green at intervals up the right side of the fairway. Anywhere past the crossover in the fairway gives you a pretty good look at the green. Players who miss the green, whether in 2 or 3 shots, will find out why this is the #3 handicap hole on the course.
So that's the front! On to the back!
[Update 1 (5:11 pm): Here's the LPGA's (more concise) overview of the course!]
#1: 396-Yard Par 4
Even though there are trees on both sides of the fairway and 2 fairway bunkers down the right side (long hitters will have to watch the 2nd, which I estimated to start around 255 yards off the tee), this is one of the more open tee shots on the course. The real challenge comes on your approach shot, which is to an elevated green guarded by a front-left pot bunker. It looks to me like your ball will be drawn into one of 3 collection areas on the green, which is deeper than it appears from the fairway: either FL, BL, or BR. Especially if the course is softer this week, you don't want to play around trying to bounce it in from just short of the green or even from the very front of it. Better to take your medicine on your first iron shot of the day and make sure you fly it to the middle of the green.
#2: 381-Yard Par 4
The fairway widens out past the fairway bunker on the right, which starts about 160 yards from the small green and is still a factor until you get to about 125 yards out. Long hitters will have a small advantage here, but they have to make sure not to run their drives through the fairway on the left, where a couple more bunkers await them. The 2nd shot is a little tricky, with 2 very visible bunkers at the end of the fairway that are actually well short of a green which is surrounded by much less visible ones concentrated to the left of it (although there are also a couple very close to it on the right!). Oh yeah, and OB long is definitely a factor, too. The green itself slopes from back to front and has a tiny shelf way in the back. I can imagine a Sunday pin there.
#3: 465-Yard Par 5
This is a hole on which almost everyone should have at least a decision about whether to go for the green in 2, as the fairway slopes severely downhill in your landing area off the tee. On paper, the left fairway bunker at about 340 out and the hidden one on the right about 370 out shouldn't be a factor at all on your drive, but I saw some super-long ones on this hole on Monday, so if the course returns to that level of firmness, maybe some of the longer hitters will take 3-wood instead of pulling the driver? There's a big valley short of the green, but the last 30 yards rise sharply with 2 big bunkers protecting its front left and 1 protecting its front right. I saw some players bouncing their approaches up the neck between the left and right bunkers, but since the green is something of an inverted bowl, once again flying an approach to the middle of the green is probably the best play for those who have the distance.
#4: 406-Yard Par 4
I love the view off this tee, with fairway bunkers tracking up the right side of the fairway and 2 large ones marking the end of the left side of the fairway accessible off the tee, about 300 yards out. Short hitters get a break on this hole, as drives on the fairway kick forward starting about 210 yards off the tee. It's pretty much all uphill to the green after that last pair of left fairway bunkers. The green slopes from left to right toward a large and long and deep bunker guarding the right side of the green, and there's also a bunker on the left, but the back right corner of the green is elevated.
#5: 431-Yard Par 4
This is the #1 handicap hole on the course and it's easy to see why. First, you have pretty much a blind tee shot to a tortuously-contoured fairway. You will get a forward-left kick from the right side of the fairway if you land it less than 230 yards off the tee, but if you carry it around 240, the fairway starts running downhill sharply even as it doglegs right, and there's a weird wedge in the middle of it that can carom your ball to the right or the left, depending on where it lands or bounces on it. If you can carry it about 250 you can fly it past that bump and usually get a nice forward kick onto the left side of the fairway, but since you can't see where the ball lands, you really have to trust the line you pick from the tee. Really long hitters can take a huge risk and try to bomb it down the far right side of the fairway that you can see off the tee and trust it to fly the rough and find the narrow fairway straight down that hill most players will find themselves on, ending up 100 to 125 yards from the green on a level lie. (I would love to try that myself, just to see where it ends up!) Next, the level of difficulty stays high on the approach shot, as the green may be the most contoured of any on the course, with a big bump in the middle and a back tier that's lower than the front tier. And if you miss it, it's surrounded by Locust Hill-style bumps and nodes. Hitting it is no picnic, either, as every putt on it is delicate and challenging. Just a great hole!
#6: 207-Yard Par 3
The last 150 yards or so of this tough par 3 are uphill and the green is actually about 25 yards past what may look like a front-left bunker from the tee. The green is rectangular, deeper than it is long, sloping right to left, guarded by a deep bunker beyond it and traps on either side of it. Those side traps do provide bumpers of a sort, nudging shots just missed right or left back toward the middle of the green (if they manage to land on the green instead of in them, that is). This green is flatter than most and particularly flatter than the previous 2, so if players can get over the contrast, they may be able to take advantage of birdie opportunities here. They also get a peek of the 17th fairway and may start wondering what the players ahead of them are doing, which is probably why there's a scoreboard to the right of the green. It's the 1st time those on the front get any hint of what's going on on the back since the scoreboard to the left of the 3rd green.
#7: 392-Yard Par 4
This is a tight, blind driving hole, with fairway bunkers down the left side that start about 180 yards from the green and end about 130 out. Long hitters may have to worry about the fairway pinching and guarded by a right-side and 2 left-side bunkers at about 100 yards out. But the 2-tiered green (on a left to right diagonal across the green) is an even bigger challenge, as your approach shot will be quite different depending on where the pin is. Right and it brings very deep bunkers into play, but if you play it safe to avoid them you face a downhill big breaker. Left and you run the risk of having the green bounce your approach further left into a steep slope with deep rough. No problem!
#8: 145-Yard Par 3
The front-left trap is quite deep, the 2-tier green has a false front, and there's a bump in the front-left portion of the small green, so this one may be short, but it requires a high degree of precision on the approach. With 5 traps protecting the green and a tough chipping area on the left side of the green, hitting it is essential.
#9: 516-Yard Par 5
This is the only hole on the course longer than 500 yards (or 490, for that matter), and it's a great finishing hole for the front 9. The tee starts back parallel with the middle of the 17th fairway, your drives will end up between the 18th tee and the start of its fairway, and the rest of the hole parallels the 18th fairway, with a huge scoreboard near the end of the right side of the fairway to get you thinking about what's going on ahead of you. If you can carry you drive past the uphill portion of the fairway, it looks like you'll get a kick forward and to the right, so long hitters, especially those who carry the ball a long way, will get an advantage on this tee. But most players will decide not to go for this green in 2, as you'd need to fade your shot into a fairly narrow green that slants on a diagonal from left to right from a fairway that itself has been swinging gently to the right. The green itself is flatter than most, but it slants downhill at the end, so it's easy to go over it, even with a very good approach shot. You'll see a lot of players planning to stay left of the fairway bunkers that guard the approach to the green at intervals up the right side of the fairway. Anywhere past the crossover in the fairway gives you a pretty good look at the green. Players who miss the green, whether in 2 or 3 shots, will find out why this is the #3 handicap hole on the course.
So that's the front! On to the back!
[Update 1 (5:11 pm): Here's the LPGA's (more concise) overview of the course!]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)