- You can argue whether or not the Evian Championship should be a major, but what can not be argued is that Hyo Joo Kim delivered a major performance. Coming out of the gate on Thursday and shooting a 61 showed Hyo Joo's talent and shot making ability, and her birdie on the final hole on Sunday showed her performance under pressure. The question now is whether or not Hyo Joo joins the LPGA. I don't see any reason why she would stay on the KLPGA, as she no longer has anything to prove on that tour, but she is only 19 years old, so anything is possible.
- After struggling at the early part of the season and watching the Americans dominate the Tour, Koreans have won four of the last five events, including the final two majors.
- When Brittany Lincicome bogied the 18th hole at the LPGA Championship, it showed how much nerves play a factor going down the stretch, and the players who have won majors can swallow those nerves more than players who haven't. The exact opposite was true on Sunday, when Hall Of Famer Karrie Webb fell victim to the nerves on the 72nd hole. At this point, I no longer feel confident in any player that has a lead on Sunday, especially if someone with the resume as Webb can't cash in on a golden opportunity. All that being said, Webb isn't done winning, and she showed this week that she will remain a major factor for some time.
- So Yeon Ryu finally won a few weeks ago after putting together a string of near misses, so I wonder if Na Yeon Choi's drought is close to an end. After being silent all season, she has put together several tournaments where she was a factor on Sunday. It's still amazing that she hasn't won in close to two years, but I think that streak is about to end.
- Ha Na Jang has gotten use to finishing behind Hyo Joo Kim. Jang is currently number 2 on the KLPGA Tour money list, though Hyo Joo has separated herself from Jang on that list. If it weren't for Hyo Joo, not only would Jang be the clear favorite for Player Of The Year on that Tour, but we would be talking about Jang's performance on the major stage in the face of competition from the top players from all over the world. Jang is a great player, and if she ever decides to come over to the US, she'll be a contender for a lot of tournaments, but unfortunately, she's not as explosive as Hyo Joo is.
-Lydia Ko will win a major in 2015. I've seen enough to know that she's set to take over this Tour, and very, very soon.
- The PGA Tour has tried to make the FedEx Cup as lucrative as the major championship. Most players don't see it that way, but Billy Horschel did, as he made sure he prepped himself for the long haul in order to win the FedEx Cup. It paid off, as Horschel won the final two playoff events and walked away with the ten million dollar grand prize. Unfortunately, Horschel is not on the US Ryder Cup team, which hurts to have someone playing that hot sitting at home.
- I honestly think Rory McIlroy should have skipped one of the playoff events if he wanted a chance to win the Cup. He has a tremendous summer, but he also played a lot during the summer, so for him to play four straight tournaments after that was just too much to overcome. That being said, Horschel may have won the FedEx Cup, and he may have out-dueled Rory in two tournaments, but Rory is still the best player in the world.
- Best wishes to Greg Norman, who was involved in a chainsaw accident and almost lost his hand this weekend.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
News Grab-Bag: 9/12/2014
- Happy Belated 85 Birthday to the King, Arnold Palmer!
- There is a weird controversy surrounding Rory McIlroy this week. In an interview, McIlroy indicated that Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods were in "the last few holes of their career". A firestorm surrounded McIlroy, almost unfairly, as McIlroy didn't really say anything that derogatory. The point of McIlroy's statement was that Tiger and Phil were getting older and that they are going to have to cash in on the opportunities they have, or else they are going to run out of time. Seeing as Phil is in his mid-40's and Tiger has been struggling with injuries, I'm not sure how this is shocking to anyone. McIlroy did say that he expects Tiger to make it back to East Lake for the FedEx Cup finale again, and soon.
- PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem suggested this week that no big changes are likely to occur regarding the FedEx Cup playoff format. The format came under fire when Dustin Johnson, who did not play in the first three playoff events, still managed to qualify for the Tour Championship. Finchem concluded that they are looking into evaluating that particular scenario, but the system will remain relatively the same.
- Best wishes go out to Fabrizino Zanotti, who was struck in the head with a wayward drive at the European Tour's KLM Open and was knocked to the ground. Zanotti was rushed to a local hospital, where all test came back negative. Zanotti is currently recovering.
- Minjee Lee is playing for money! The Australian amateur turned pro prior to the start of her first round at the Evian Championship. Lee was the number one ranked amateur in the world and was the only amateur that competed in the International Crown.
- There were two notable early exits from the Evian Championship this week. The first was Michelle Wie, who withdrew after 12 holes and admitted that she rushed back to the course too early. Wie has been battling a finger injury that has kept her sidelined for the past month. Also going home early is So Yeon Ryu, who was disqualified after she bent her putter in frustration during Friday's round. Rules state that a player can not use a club that has been damaged, and Ryu made her comeback putt with the putter. She would have been unable to replace the club anyway, because she bent the club in anger instead of during the natural course of play. For Ryu, I'm sure this is just going to be one of those "laugh it off" experiences and she'll get back to it when the Asian swing starts. The more concerning story is Wie, whose season seems to mirror that of Jason Day, who won early, then battled thumb injuries the rest of the year.
- Speaking of Wie, she was recently on the cover of Golf Digest. She now has something in common with Paulina Gretsky. Let's hope that's the ONLY thing.
- There is a weird controversy surrounding Rory McIlroy this week. In an interview, McIlroy indicated that Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods were in "the last few holes of their career". A firestorm surrounded McIlroy, almost unfairly, as McIlroy didn't really say anything that derogatory. The point of McIlroy's statement was that Tiger and Phil were getting older and that they are going to have to cash in on the opportunities they have, or else they are going to run out of time. Seeing as Phil is in his mid-40's and Tiger has been struggling with injuries, I'm not sure how this is shocking to anyone. McIlroy did say that he expects Tiger to make it back to East Lake for the FedEx Cup finale again, and soon.
- PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem suggested this week that no big changes are likely to occur regarding the FedEx Cup playoff format. The format came under fire when Dustin Johnson, who did not play in the first three playoff events, still managed to qualify for the Tour Championship. Finchem concluded that they are looking into evaluating that particular scenario, but the system will remain relatively the same.
- Best wishes go out to Fabrizino Zanotti, who was struck in the head with a wayward drive at the European Tour's KLM Open and was knocked to the ground. Zanotti was rushed to a local hospital, where all test came back negative. Zanotti is currently recovering.
- Minjee Lee is playing for money! The Australian amateur turned pro prior to the start of her first round at the Evian Championship. Lee was the number one ranked amateur in the world and was the only amateur that competed in the International Crown.
- There were two notable early exits from the Evian Championship this week. The first was Michelle Wie, who withdrew after 12 holes and admitted that she rushed back to the course too early. Wie has been battling a finger injury that has kept her sidelined for the past month. Also going home early is So Yeon Ryu, who was disqualified after she bent her putter in frustration during Friday's round. Rules state that a player can not use a club that has been damaged, and Ryu made her comeback putt with the putter. She would have been unable to replace the club anyway, because she bent the club in anger instead of during the natural course of play. For Ryu, I'm sure this is just going to be one of those "laugh it off" experiences and she'll get back to it when the Asian swing starts. The more concerning story is Wie, whose season seems to mirror that of Jason Day, who won early, then battled thumb injuries the rest of the year.
- Speaking of Wie, she was recently on the cover of Golf Digest. She now has something in common with Paulina Gretsky. Let's hope that's the ONLY thing.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Predicting The Evian Championship (Poorly)
While the PGA Tour ends their season this week, the LPGA still has several high quality events on their schedule, including the final major of the season, the Evian Championship. It is the second major that takes place outside of the United States, with the ladies of the LPGA Tour descending on France to compete for one of the richest purses in the sport. This is the second year the event is a major, but prior to that is played as a pseudo-major, as all the top players would circle this event as a much win based on the purse.
In the first part of the year, the LPGA season was pretty predictable, with the top names in the world all picking up victories and battling for supremacy. Since Mo Martin's victory at the Women's British Open, however, the season as been anything but predictable, with Mirim Lee and Austin Ernst picking up their first LPGA victories, and So Yeon Ryu winning for the first time since 2012. Now, we head to France for what may be the most wide open major of the year, with several players all coming in feeling as if they have a chance to win.
I have done these predictions a variety of different ways. I have split them up into groups, I have eliminated players I don't think have a chance, I have set aside my criteria for success, and yet none of that seems to do any good as I eventually end up failing anyway. So, instead of doing any sort of gimmicks, I'm just going to give you my top 10 players that I think can win the Evian Championship.
10) Anna Nordqvist - European players have typically performed well at this event, and Norqvist has had the kind of season that is usually rewarded by winning a major. Norqvist has two victories and seven top 10's this season, and has performed well in the last two majors. She has set herself up as the second best player in Europe, behind another Scandinavian that is also on this list.
9) Sakura Yokomine - Veteran JLPGA member is skipping the JLPGA major this week to compete here, which may be a signal that she's looking for a change of scenery. She won four times on that tour last year, but hasn't won this season. Yokomine did record a top 10 as the Women's US Open, and was the star of the Japanese International Crown team that made it much further than many suspected. A player with that talent feeds off great competitive environments, and will be looking for a win, perhaps, to secure an LPGA card.
8) Lexi Thompson - Seven top 10's this season is a little misleading, as most of her success was early. Still, she's the kind of player you don't discount in a major, and if on this list particularly because of her major success at the Kraft Nabisco earlier this year. Also shouldn't be penalized much for wayward shots, which is crucial to her game.
7) Hyo Joo Kim - Leader of the KLPGA money list by a wide margin. Should be the next great Korean star to break through and have success on the LPGA Tour, and could do so the same way many of her counterparts have - by winning a major. Kim is deadly accurate and has nerves of steel, so she won't be rattled by the situation she's in.
6) So Yeon Ryu - Mixed bag with Ryu, as she won a few weeks ago to finally get the monkey off the back, but let a golden opportunity slip away on Sunday two weeks ago. Regardless, Ryu has now become a fixture on leaderboards and should contend all the way up to Sunday. Whether she cashes in and wins her second major remains to be seen.
5) Azahara Munoz - Eight top 10's this season symbolizes a huge turn around for Munoz, who struggled throughout 2013. Munoz could have easily won a few times this season, had she not been outplayed on Sunday by several different competitors. With this event in Europe, Munoz should have extra motivation.
4) Stacy Lewis - This is a major that I'm not sure really suits her, but you never count Stacy Lewis out of any event. Has only one top 10 in her last five events, which means, despite her brilliant season up until now, her number one ranking and her Player Of The Year Award are both in jeopardy if she does not perform well down the stretch.
3) Inbee Park - Has finished 3-1-2-4 in her last four events, with her victory being at the LPGA Championship. Former winner of this event. Only reaches number three because I have more confidence in the top two players, but an Inbee Park victory would not be surprising to me.
2) Suzann Pettersen - Defending champion is finally 100% healthy and rolling in with confidence. May be the most under the radar player in the top 5, seeing as she's the only one of that group that has lost rankings points this season. Positive environment and course familiarity should give Pettersen a real shot to repeat.
1) Lydia Ko - Has followed up good tournaments with bad ones, and vice versa all season. Her most recent event was the Canadian Open, where she finished T55, so a good tournament should be upcoming. Poised and confidence well beyond her years. Given how well she has played this year, she should be the next in line to win a major.
In the first part of the year, the LPGA season was pretty predictable, with the top names in the world all picking up victories and battling for supremacy. Since Mo Martin's victory at the Women's British Open, however, the season as been anything but predictable, with Mirim Lee and Austin Ernst picking up their first LPGA victories, and So Yeon Ryu winning for the first time since 2012. Now, we head to France for what may be the most wide open major of the year, with several players all coming in feeling as if they have a chance to win.
I have done these predictions a variety of different ways. I have split them up into groups, I have eliminated players I don't think have a chance, I have set aside my criteria for success, and yet none of that seems to do any good as I eventually end up failing anyway. So, instead of doing any sort of gimmicks, I'm just going to give you my top 10 players that I think can win the Evian Championship.
10) Anna Nordqvist - European players have typically performed well at this event, and Norqvist has had the kind of season that is usually rewarded by winning a major. Norqvist has two victories and seven top 10's this season, and has performed well in the last two majors. She has set herself up as the second best player in Europe, behind another Scandinavian that is also on this list.
9) Sakura Yokomine - Veteran JLPGA member is skipping the JLPGA major this week to compete here, which may be a signal that she's looking for a change of scenery. She won four times on that tour last year, but hasn't won this season. Yokomine did record a top 10 as the Women's US Open, and was the star of the Japanese International Crown team that made it much further than many suspected. A player with that talent feeds off great competitive environments, and will be looking for a win, perhaps, to secure an LPGA card.
8) Lexi Thompson - Seven top 10's this season is a little misleading, as most of her success was early. Still, she's the kind of player you don't discount in a major, and if on this list particularly because of her major success at the Kraft Nabisco earlier this year. Also shouldn't be penalized much for wayward shots, which is crucial to her game.
7) Hyo Joo Kim - Leader of the KLPGA money list by a wide margin. Should be the next great Korean star to break through and have success on the LPGA Tour, and could do so the same way many of her counterparts have - by winning a major. Kim is deadly accurate and has nerves of steel, so she won't be rattled by the situation she's in.
6) So Yeon Ryu - Mixed bag with Ryu, as she won a few weeks ago to finally get the monkey off the back, but let a golden opportunity slip away on Sunday two weeks ago. Regardless, Ryu has now become a fixture on leaderboards and should contend all the way up to Sunday. Whether she cashes in and wins her second major remains to be seen.
5) Azahara Munoz - Eight top 10's this season symbolizes a huge turn around for Munoz, who struggled throughout 2013. Munoz could have easily won a few times this season, had she not been outplayed on Sunday by several different competitors. With this event in Europe, Munoz should have extra motivation.
4) Stacy Lewis - This is a major that I'm not sure really suits her, but you never count Stacy Lewis out of any event. Has only one top 10 in her last five events, which means, despite her brilliant season up until now, her number one ranking and her Player Of The Year Award are both in jeopardy if she does not perform well down the stretch.
3) Inbee Park - Has finished 3-1-2-4 in her last four events, with her victory being at the LPGA Championship. Former winner of this event. Only reaches number three because I have more confidence in the top two players, but an Inbee Park victory would not be surprising to me.
2) Suzann Pettersen - Defending champion is finally 100% healthy and rolling in with confidence. May be the most under the radar player in the top 5, seeing as she's the only one of that group that has lost rankings points this season. Positive environment and course familiarity should give Pettersen a real shot to repeat.
1) Lydia Ko - Has followed up good tournaments with bad ones, and vice versa all season. Her most recent event was the Canadian Open, where she finished T55, so a good tournament should be upcoming. Poised and confidence well beyond her years. Given how well she has played this year, she should be the next in line to win a major.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
FedEx Cup Reset
It has been four weeks since I wrote my preview for the FedEx Cup where I pretty much got everything wrong that I could have possibly gotten wrong. What I keep forgetting, year after year, is that the rest of the schedule doesn't really matter when the FedEx Cup rolls around. In the end, it's what you do in these last four weeks that will determine the FedEx Cup champion, and just because you've had a good year, doesn't mean you're going to play well when the lights are brightest.
So, now we head to East Lake to put a ribbon on the 2013-2014 season, which was literally the longest season in PGA Tour history. The grind has already worn players down, including Phil Mickelson, who withdrew last week after the second round, siting "mental fatigue", which kept him out of the Tour Championship for the first time since the FedEx Cup was instituted. After three weeks of the Playoffs, I have officially learn nothing except that only the mentally tough survive the long hall. With that in mind, here are my top 5 picks The Tour Championship.
5) Hideki Matsuyama - Why not? I've ran with him all season, and while he has struggled as of late, his youth and his confidence should mean he isn't completely worn out by the brutal Playoff schedule.
4) Sergio Garcia - I just wonder if he's going to be able to close the deal on Sunday if he is within striking distance of the lead. We've seen it time and time again with Garcia where he makes a charge and comes close only to lose it on one hole coming down the stretch. His top 5 finish last week gives me reason to believe he can contend at East Lake, but I don't think he can win with the pressure on him.
3) Rickie Fowler - This is his last opportunity to grab a victory and cap off his impressive 2014 with a win. Fowler seems to contend in every event he's in these days but still only has one PGA Tour victory to his name, which is a shame considering his talent and his personality. He's going to go all out for this one, which means he'll be there at the end.
2) Billy Horschel - Finished top 5 in two straight events, including a victory last week. I worry if he'll slump after breaking through a second time, but Horschel was able to put the disappointment of coming up short two weeks ago behind him, so I think he'll be able to put last week behind him, as well. May be the best American not selected to the Ryder Cup team. If he win the FedEx Cup, I wonder if Tom Watson gets a mulligan.
1) Rory McIlroy - Has one bad round or one bad hole that has kept him from winning the last two Playoff events, but Rory knew going into these events that all he needed was to be top 5 entering East Lake in order to have a chance. He's in the top 5 with only 28 other players in the field. Rory should come out on top.
So, now we head to East Lake to put a ribbon on the 2013-2014 season, which was literally the longest season in PGA Tour history. The grind has already worn players down, including Phil Mickelson, who withdrew last week after the second round, siting "mental fatigue", which kept him out of the Tour Championship for the first time since the FedEx Cup was instituted. After three weeks of the Playoffs, I have officially learn nothing except that only the mentally tough survive the long hall. With that in mind, here are my top 5 picks The Tour Championship.
5) Hideki Matsuyama - Why not? I've ran with him all season, and while he has struggled as of late, his youth and his confidence should mean he isn't completely worn out by the brutal Playoff schedule.
4) Sergio Garcia - I just wonder if he's going to be able to close the deal on Sunday if he is within striking distance of the lead. We've seen it time and time again with Garcia where he makes a charge and comes close only to lose it on one hole coming down the stretch. His top 5 finish last week gives me reason to believe he can contend at East Lake, but I don't think he can win with the pressure on him.
3) Rickie Fowler - This is his last opportunity to grab a victory and cap off his impressive 2014 with a win. Fowler seems to contend in every event he's in these days but still only has one PGA Tour victory to his name, which is a shame considering his talent and his personality. He's going to go all out for this one, which means he'll be there at the end.
2) Billy Horschel - Finished top 5 in two straight events, including a victory last week. I worry if he'll slump after breaking through a second time, but Horschel was able to put the disappointment of coming up short two weeks ago behind him, so I think he'll be able to put last week behind him, as well. May be the best American not selected to the Ryder Cup team. If he win the FedEx Cup, I wonder if Tom Watson gets a mulligan.
1) Rory McIlroy - Has one bad round or one bad hole that has kept him from winning the last two Playoff events, but Rory knew going into these events that all he needed was to be top 5 entering East Lake in order to have a chance. He's in the top 5 with only 28 other players in the field. Rory should come out on top.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Ryder Cup Teams Set
It's been a long week for me, as I've been laid up in bed, sicker than a dog. That's why you haven't heard much from me this week. That, and there hasn't been a whole lot going on in the golf world. The LPGA is off, the PGA Tour enters the third of what seems to be an endless FedEx Cup Playoffs. The only real notable news is the fact that both Ryder Cup captains made their wild card selections.
The first to announce his picks was European Captain Paul McGinley, who wasted no time and was straight forward with his picks, which were Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, and Stephen Gallacher. With those picks, here is how the team now looks:
Rory McIlroy
Henrik Stenson
Victor Dubuisson
Jamie Donaldson
Sergio Garcia
Justin Rose
Martin Kaymer
Thomas Bjorn
Graeme McDowell
Lee Westwood
Ian Poulter
Stephen Gallacher
Later that evening, American captain Tom Watson spent a half hour beating around the bush before finally announcing that Keegan Bradley, Hunter Mahan, and Webb Simpson would be joining his team. With the announcement of the three Ryder Cup veterans, here is how Team USA looks:
Bubba Watson
Rickie Fowler
Jim Furyk
Jimmy Walker
Phil Mickelson
Matt Kuchar
Jordan Speith
Patrick Reed
Zach Johnson
Keegan Bradley
Hunter Mahan
Webb Simpson
The obvious advantage lies with Team Europe, who has home field advantage, who won the last three Ryder Cup matches, and who has the better team, at least on paper. Rory McIlroy should be a work horse, and he will play in all five matches. With the way he has been playing, he could easily win them all. Stenson won the FedEx Cup and European Order Of Merit last year, Sergio played well in the majors this season, and Martin Kaymer won the US Open going away. There is a lot of fire power there...but am not as convinced that this will be a blow out as I originally expected. McGinley was almost forced into taking Poulter and Westwood because of their experience, but they are not going in with any kind of form. Jamie Donaldson has played well in Europe, but looked weak in big events this season, same as Gallacher. Dubuisson is brand new to these proceedings, and Bjorn is an inconsistent player.
That's not to say the US isn't without their problems. In fact, they are riddled with issues, as Phil Mickelson has only one top 10 this season, Furyk has had serious problems with Sundays, Zach Johnson can't find his putter, and Bubba Watson has been quiet since he won the Masters. Perhaps that is more of the issue. It is less about the firepower that Team Europe has, and more about the firepower that is missing from Team USA. None of these players jump out at you as someone who has had a terrific season, and will shake the cages and get his team fired up.
Here is what can be said about the Ryder Cup, though - expect the unexpected. These events rarely go as you expect them. Every player starts from scratch, and someone like Patrick Reed, who has struggled since his hot start, could be a vocal, fiery personality that gets his team pumped up. You never know. As it stands right now, however, it is safe to say Team Europe are the favorites. Still, I can not wait for these matches to start!
The first to announce his picks was European Captain Paul McGinley, who wasted no time and was straight forward with his picks, which were Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, and Stephen Gallacher. With those picks, here is how the team now looks:
Rory McIlroy
Henrik Stenson
Victor Dubuisson
Jamie Donaldson
Sergio Garcia
Justin Rose
Martin Kaymer
Thomas Bjorn
Graeme McDowell
Lee Westwood
Ian Poulter
Stephen Gallacher
Later that evening, American captain Tom Watson spent a half hour beating around the bush before finally announcing that Keegan Bradley, Hunter Mahan, and Webb Simpson would be joining his team. With the announcement of the three Ryder Cup veterans, here is how Team USA looks:
Bubba Watson
Rickie Fowler
Jim Furyk
Jimmy Walker
Phil Mickelson
Matt Kuchar
Jordan Speith
Patrick Reed
Zach Johnson
Keegan Bradley
Hunter Mahan
Webb Simpson
The obvious advantage lies with Team Europe, who has home field advantage, who won the last three Ryder Cup matches, and who has the better team, at least on paper. Rory McIlroy should be a work horse, and he will play in all five matches. With the way he has been playing, he could easily win them all. Stenson won the FedEx Cup and European Order Of Merit last year, Sergio played well in the majors this season, and Martin Kaymer won the US Open going away. There is a lot of fire power there...but am not as convinced that this will be a blow out as I originally expected. McGinley was almost forced into taking Poulter and Westwood because of their experience, but they are not going in with any kind of form. Jamie Donaldson has played well in Europe, but looked weak in big events this season, same as Gallacher. Dubuisson is brand new to these proceedings, and Bjorn is an inconsistent player.
That's not to say the US isn't without their problems. In fact, they are riddled with issues, as Phil Mickelson has only one top 10 this season, Furyk has had serious problems with Sundays, Zach Johnson can't find his putter, and Bubba Watson has been quiet since he won the Masters. Perhaps that is more of the issue. It is less about the firepower that Team Europe has, and more about the firepower that is missing from Team USA. None of these players jump out at you as someone who has had a terrific season, and will shake the cages and get his team fired up.
Here is what can be said about the Ryder Cup, though - expect the unexpected. These events rarely go as you expect them. Every player starts from scratch, and someone like Patrick Reed, who has struggled since his hot start, could be a vocal, fiery personality that gets his team pumped up. You never know. As it stands right now, however, it is safe to say Team Europe are the favorites. Still, I can not wait for these matches to start!
Friday, August 29, 2014
News Grab-Bag: 8/29/2014
- Thoughts go out to the family and friends of Amanda Bennett, wife of Matt Kuchar's caddie Lance Bennett. Amanda died suddenly early Wednesday. The PGA Tour has rallied behind the family, and all the players played Friday's opening round with black hats with "Amanda" written on them.
- As you have all heard by now, Tiger Woods has split with swing coach Tom Foley. While this is an interesting story, I honestly have nothing more to add. I just want to see Woods back and healthy again.
- Lydia Ko may be missing some significant time soon. Ko has had a history of cysts in her wrist, but in recent weeks the cysts have gotten worse to the point where it is causing a high amount of pain. Ko has already committed to the Evian Masters and still plans on competing in that event, as well as the event in Alabama. Ko, however, may be missing the Asian swing at the end of the year in favor of surgery. It would be a shame as Ko has climbed to number 3 in the Rolex Rankings and had a shot at the beginning of the year to take over the number one spot until Stacy Lewis and Inbee Park both started playing lights out golf. At the same time, Ko is too young to have to play through pain, so she should seek to get this problem fixed as quickly as possible.
- If you read my post on Wednesday you would have heard the announcement of the retirement of Jeong Jang and Hee-Won Han. Both players may want to hold off on cutting the cake, though - Jang is safely inside the cut line, and as of this writing, Han one shot inside the cut, as well. No matter how they play this week, though, I still want to see them play in the Hana Bank as their last tournament.
- How about this for playing an international schedule - the first round of the JLPGA Q-School was yesterday. KLPGA pro Ha Neul Kim played in the event, then flew from Japan back to Korea and is currently playing in the KLPGA tournament. She shot an opening round 68 and is one shot off the lead. With the rise of Korean players playing well on the JLPGA Tour, Kim, who was once the best player on the KLPGA, is hoping to revitalize her career with a chance in scenery. I was hoping that chance of scenery would be in America, but we don't always get what we wish for.
- I know you were all on the edge of your seats, but the wait is finally over - Los Angeles Country Club will host the 2023 US Open.
- As you have all heard by now, Tiger Woods has split with swing coach Tom Foley. While this is an interesting story, I honestly have nothing more to add. I just want to see Woods back and healthy again.
- Lydia Ko may be missing some significant time soon. Ko has had a history of cysts in her wrist, but in recent weeks the cysts have gotten worse to the point where it is causing a high amount of pain. Ko has already committed to the Evian Masters and still plans on competing in that event, as well as the event in Alabama. Ko, however, may be missing the Asian swing at the end of the year in favor of surgery. It would be a shame as Ko has climbed to number 3 in the Rolex Rankings and had a shot at the beginning of the year to take over the number one spot until Stacy Lewis and Inbee Park both started playing lights out golf. At the same time, Ko is too young to have to play through pain, so she should seek to get this problem fixed as quickly as possible.
- If you read my post on Wednesday you would have heard the announcement of the retirement of Jeong Jang and Hee-Won Han. Both players may want to hold off on cutting the cake, though - Jang is safely inside the cut line, and as of this writing, Han one shot inside the cut, as well. No matter how they play this week, though, I still want to see them play in the Hana Bank as their last tournament.
- How about this for playing an international schedule - the first round of the JLPGA Q-School was yesterday. KLPGA pro Ha Neul Kim played in the event, then flew from Japan back to Korea and is currently playing in the KLPGA tournament. She shot an opening round 68 and is one shot off the lead. With the rise of Korean players playing well on the JLPGA Tour, Kim, who was once the best player on the KLPGA, is hoping to revitalize her career with a chance in scenery. I was hoping that chance of scenery would be in America, but we don't always get what we wish for.
- I know you were all on the edge of your seats, but the wait is finally over - Los Angeles Country Club will host the 2023 US Open.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Jeong Jang And Hee-Won Han Retire
This week, the LPGA will be saying goodbye to two women who helped usher in the explosion of golfers from Korea during the late 90's and early 2000's. Immediately following Se Ri Pak's break out season in 1998, Jeong Jang and Hee-Won Han were among the ladies from the Republic of Korea that came to America and started winning golf tournaments. In essence, they were part of the original :Seoul Sisters", a term that can now be applied to close to 50 players.
Jeong Jang won the Korea Women's Open as a teenager in 1997, and qualified for the LPGA in her first attempt in 2000. She was a solid, consistent player for a number of years, but did not win her first LPGA Title until 2005, when she stormed through Royal Birkdale and won the Women's British Open, becoming the forth major champion from Korea in the process. She would win her second and last LPGA tournament in 2006, though she would come close a number of times, including the Evian Masters in 2007, where she lost to Natalie Gulbis in a playoff. Jang's last decent season was 2012, and hasn't recorded a top 10 since 2010, though she did miss the entire 2011 season, as she got married and gave birth to her daughter Seul.
Hee-Won Han joined the LPGA in 2001 and won the Rookie Of The Year Award in the same season. Han also won the JLPGA Rookie Of The Year Award in 1998, and would win twice the following season on that tour. Han would go on to win six times on the LPGA, all within a three year span between 2003 and 2006. She was never able to win a major, but did some close on a number of occasions, including the 2009 Women's British Open, where she finished third. Like Jang, Han also missed a majority of a season in 2007 when she gave birth to her son, Dale. Han's career slowly started to decline from that moment, as her husband and child remained in Korea while she continued to play on the LPGA Tour. She recorded her last top 10 finish in 2012.
With the retirement of Jang and Han, coupled with the retirements of Mi Hyun Kim and Grace Park the last couple of years, only one player from South Korea remains on the LPGA Tour that joined prior to 2002, and that is the one who started it all, Se Ri Pak. These were all players I remember rooting hard for when I first started watching the LPGA, and it's sad that they're moving on with their lives, though I completely understand their decisions. Park and Kim have been hampered with injuries, and Han and Jang have young children. It's a perfectly logical decision...it just doesn't make it any easier.
I hope Jang and Han get an exemption to play the Hana Bank Championship in Korea, and go out like Park and Kim were able to. Ending your career in Portland doesn't seem to have the same special feeling like ending your career in Korea would. Hopefully they reconsider and play one last time in from of their home crowds.
Hee-Won Han and Jeong Jang, I salute you! Best of luck with everything going forward, and congratulations on your careers! You will be missed!
Jeong Jang won the Korea Women's Open as a teenager in 1997, and qualified for the LPGA in her first attempt in 2000. She was a solid, consistent player for a number of years, but did not win her first LPGA Title until 2005, when she stormed through Royal Birkdale and won the Women's British Open, becoming the forth major champion from Korea in the process. She would win her second and last LPGA tournament in 2006, though she would come close a number of times, including the Evian Masters in 2007, where she lost to Natalie Gulbis in a playoff. Jang's last decent season was 2012, and hasn't recorded a top 10 since 2010, though she did miss the entire 2011 season, as she got married and gave birth to her daughter Seul.
Hee-Won Han joined the LPGA in 2001 and won the Rookie Of The Year Award in the same season. Han also won the JLPGA Rookie Of The Year Award in 1998, and would win twice the following season on that tour. Han would go on to win six times on the LPGA, all within a three year span between 2003 and 2006. She was never able to win a major, but did some close on a number of occasions, including the 2009 Women's British Open, where she finished third. Like Jang, Han also missed a majority of a season in 2007 when she gave birth to her son, Dale. Han's career slowly started to decline from that moment, as her husband and child remained in Korea while she continued to play on the LPGA Tour. She recorded her last top 10 finish in 2012.
With the retirement of Jang and Han, coupled with the retirements of Mi Hyun Kim and Grace Park the last couple of years, only one player from South Korea remains on the LPGA Tour that joined prior to 2002, and that is the one who started it all, Se Ri Pak. These were all players I remember rooting hard for when I first started watching the LPGA, and it's sad that they're moving on with their lives, though I completely understand their decisions. Park and Kim have been hampered with injuries, and Han and Jang have young children. It's a perfectly logical decision...it just doesn't make it any easier.
I hope Jang and Han get an exemption to play the Hana Bank Championship in Korea, and go out like Park and Kim were able to. Ending your career in Portland doesn't seem to have the same special feeling like ending your career in Korea would. Hopefully they reconsider and play one last time in from of their home crowds.
Hee-Won Han and Jeong Jang, I salute you! Best of luck with everything going forward, and congratulations on your careers! You will be missed!
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