- 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.
Friday, August 29, 2014
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!
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
First Olympic Golf Medals Rewarded In Nanjing
The Youth Olympic Games are currently taking place in Nanjing, China (and I'm sure you've ALL been watching) and for the first time in over a hundred years, Olympic medals have been rewarded in an official Olympic competition. Part of the reason this event hasn't gotten any coverage through the golf media is because the big name young golfers either decided not to play or were ineligible. The United States didn't even field a team, and only amateurs were eligible. Still, this was a landmark moment for golf as they continue to move towards Rio 2016.
On the boys' side, the gold went to Renato Paratore of Italy, silver to Marcus Kinhult of Sweden, and Danthai Boonma of Thailand. Paratore is the 5th ranked amateur player in the world and won a couple of European amateur events, including the Portuguese Amateur Championship. He's also played a few events on the European Tour, and made the cut at the Open de Espana back in May. Several members of the Italian press are already comparing Paratore to the Molinari Brothers, Matteo Manassero, and Costatino Rocca. It's amazing how quickly Italian golf has surged.
The the girls' side, Korea's So-Young Lee won the golf, Cheng Ssu-Chia of Taiwan won the silver, and Supamas Sangchan won the bronze, completing the Asian sweep of the girls division. So-Young Lee played in one event on the LPGA Tour this season, finishing T22 at the LOTTE Championship. She also qualified for this years US Women's Open, but withdrew before the start of competition. Lee has stated that she will turn pro after the Asian Games, so look for her on the KLPGA Tour next season.
There was also a mixed team event, which is not an event that will be on the schedule at Rio. Sweden took home the golf, Korea the silver, and Italy the bronze. Congratulations to all the medalists!
On the boys' side, the gold went to Renato Paratore of Italy, silver to Marcus Kinhult of Sweden, and Danthai Boonma of Thailand. Paratore is the 5th ranked amateur player in the world and won a couple of European amateur events, including the Portuguese Amateur Championship. He's also played a few events on the European Tour, and made the cut at the Open de Espana back in May. Several members of the Italian press are already comparing Paratore to the Molinari Brothers, Matteo Manassero, and Costatino Rocca. It's amazing how quickly Italian golf has surged.
The the girls' side, Korea's So-Young Lee won the golf, Cheng Ssu-Chia of Taiwan won the silver, and Supamas Sangchan won the bronze, completing the Asian sweep of the girls division. So-Young Lee played in one event on the LPGA Tour this season, finishing T22 at the LOTTE Championship. She also qualified for this years US Women's Open, but withdrew before the start of competition. Lee has stated that she will turn pro after the Asian Games, so look for her on the KLPGA Tour next season.
There was also a mixed team event, which is not an event that will be on the schedule at Rio. Sweden took home the golf, Korea the silver, and Italy the bronze. Congratulations to all the medalists!
Monday, August 25, 2014
Two Year Winless Droughts End
- Now that Hunter Mahan has turned his game around and won his first event since 2012, perhaps we will finally see Mahan win his first major title. Mahan has been a borderline great player who goes in streaks, and now that he is on the other end of a bad streak, who knows what we will see from him. I think it is a safe bet that we will see Hunter Mahan in Scotland at the end of the season, and hopefully give a much needed boost to the American team.
- With this win, Mahan will continue his streak of playing in every FedEx Cup event since it's inception, as he is now a lock to make it to East Lake.
- Another 54 hole lead, another weekend without a trophy for Jim Furyk. This is starting to get old.
- Late career Stuart Appleby has been very interesting to watch. For a majority of the last couple of seasons, Appleby has not been a part of the conversation. Prior to this week, Appleby only had two top tens this season, and while he was making cuts, he never really had a run at a tournament. Every once and a while, though, much like this week, Appleby will make a charge and remind people of the great player he was and still has the ability to be. I hope we see Appleby win again on Tour, as he is one of my favorite players.
- Good for Cameron Tringale for finishing second a week after having to forfeit his winnings for a rules infraction at the PGA Championship. Perhaps calling the infraction on himself cleared his mind and relaxed him.
- Let me get this straight - Ernie Els can finish in the top 10 at the PGA Championship, then barely make the cut and finish towards the bottom at the Wyndham Championship, and turn around and get another top 10 at the Barclays? I don't understand you at all, Big Easy.
- It was becoming a common thing on this site to discuss So Yeon Ryu and her inability to close the deal in tournaments where she had the chance to lead. It became such a common trend that I swore not to write about her again until she wins again. Well, a month later, Ryu went wire to wire in Canada to pick up her first victory on the LPGA Tour. The reason I knocked her so often on this site was that I always thought Ryu was much better than her results. She's always had the skill level to not have more than two victories on Tour, and her notching top 10s and runner up finishes was proof of that. While it got a little close down the stretch, Ryu's incredibly solid play all week long shows the kind of player she can be. Ryu admitted on Instagram that she's waited a long time for this win, and perhaps with that mental hurdle gone, Ryu can start raking in trophies.
- Na Yeon Choi's runner up finish is only her third top ten of the season. I don't know how great players can suddenly stop playing well, but NYC looked like she was on track to become the number one player in the world until a fall from form the last two seasons has dropped her all the way to 15th in the rankings. Perhaps this is a return for form for the former US Women's Open champion, or perhaps it was just a good week in a friendly environment. Either way, it was great to see NYC back towards the top of the leaderboard.
- Koreans go 1-2-3 on the leaderboard for the first time in 2014, which just so happens to be three tournaments after the International Crown. In fact, since the International Crown, Koreans have won every event on Tour, with two runner up finishes and eight top 10s for various Korean players. I don't know if the International Crown was the kick in the pants for the Korean players, or if they were just tired of hearing about the rise of the American players and the lack of success of Koreans on Tour this year, but they're back, and right before the international portion of the schedule.
- With Inbee Park's third place finish, coupled with Stacy Lewis's disappointing week, the gap between the two players has now shrunk to an incredibly small margin. Considering how dominating Lewis looked this seasons, and how Inbee struggled for part of 2014, it's astonishing that this has become a battle once again.
- Perhaps giving up your LPGA membership can benefit you after all. Former world number one JiYai Shin has won twice this season in Asia after forfeiting her LPGA membership, and now Momoko Ueda wins her first JLPGA event since 2011 after leaving the LPGA prior to the start of this season. While I enjoyed watching both players, I'd rather see them excel on a level even though I can't watch them than see them struggle in the US. Hopefully Momoko plays in the Mizuno Classic, an event she has won twice, towards the end of the season.
- With this win, Mahan will continue his streak of playing in every FedEx Cup event since it's inception, as he is now a lock to make it to East Lake.
- Another 54 hole lead, another weekend without a trophy for Jim Furyk. This is starting to get old.
- Late career Stuart Appleby has been very interesting to watch. For a majority of the last couple of seasons, Appleby has not been a part of the conversation. Prior to this week, Appleby only had two top tens this season, and while he was making cuts, he never really had a run at a tournament. Every once and a while, though, much like this week, Appleby will make a charge and remind people of the great player he was and still has the ability to be. I hope we see Appleby win again on Tour, as he is one of my favorite players.
- Good for Cameron Tringale for finishing second a week after having to forfeit his winnings for a rules infraction at the PGA Championship. Perhaps calling the infraction on himself cleared his mind and relaxed him.
- Let me get this straight - Ernie Els can finish in the top 10 at the PGA Championship, then barely make the cut and finish towards the bottom at the Wyndham Championship, and turn around and get another top 10 at the Barclays? I don't understand you at all, Big Easy.
- It was becoming a common thing on this site to discuss So Yeon Ryu and her inability to close the deal in tournaments where she had the chance to lead. It became such a common trend that I swore not to write about her again until she wins again. Well, a month later, Ryu went wire to wire in Canada to pick up her first victory on the LPGA Tour. The reason I knocked her so often on this site was that I always thought Ryu was much better than her results. She's always had the skill level to not have more than two victories on Tour, and her notching top 10s and runner up finishes was proof of that. While it got a little close down the stretch, Ryu's incredibly solid play all week long shows the kind of player she can be. Ryu admitted on Instagram that she's waited a long time for this win, and perhaps with that mental hurdle gone, Ryu can start raking in trophies.
- Na Yeon Choi's runner up finish is only her third top ten of the season. I don't know how great players can suddenly stop playing well, but NYC looked like she was on track to become the number one player in the world until a fall from form the last two seasons has dropped her all the way to 15th in the rankings. Perhaps this is a return for form for the former US Women's Open champion, or perhaps it was just a good week in a friendly environment. Either way, it was great to see NYC back towards the top of the leaderboard.
- Koreans go 1-2-3 on the leaderboard for the first time in 2014, which just so happens to be three tournaments after the International Crown. In fact, since the International Crown, Koreans have won every event on Tour, with two runner up finishes and eight top 10s for various Korean players. I don't know if the International Crown was the kick in the pants for the Korean players, or if they were just tired of hearing about the rise of the American players and the lack of success of Koreans on Tour this year, but they're back, and right before the international portion of the schedule.
- With Inbee Park's third place finish, coupled with Stacy Lewis's disappointing week, the gap between the two players has now shrunk to an incredibly small margin. Considering how dominating Lewis looked this seasons, and how Inbee struggled for part of 2014, it's astonishing that this has become a battle once again.
- Perhaps giving up your LPGA membership can benefit you after all. Former world number one JiYai Shin has won twice this season in Asia after forfeiting her LPGA membership, and now Momoko Ueda wins her first JLPGA event since 2011 after leaving the LPGA prior to the start of this season. While I enjoyed watching both players, I'd rather see them excel on a level even though I can't watch them than see them struggle in the US. Hopefully Momoko plays in the Mizuno Classic, an event she has won twice, towards the end of the season.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Wednesday Preview - The FedEx Cup Playoffs
This week is the Barclays, the first round of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Normally, I would do a typical preview where I talk about the course and the field, but we're likely to see the same field of golfers for four weeks straight, so instead of making the same predictions each week, I decided to clump the entire stretch into one post. I decided to break down the fields into three groups - players 100 or below that could make a run, players in the middle of the pack who could surprise some people, and players I see contending and eventually winning the FedEx Cup. Sound like fun? Great!
Making The Leap:
Paul Casey (118) - Only played 15 events this season with Past Champions status, but recorded a top 25 in eight of those starts. Now that he has his card for next season secured, he can focus on winning on the PGA Tour for the first time since 2009, and possibly sneaking his way onto the Ryder Cup team. He was on the bubble entering the final event of the year, but would have easily made the playoffs if he played more events. I have a feeling Casey will be competitive in each playoff event, and make it all the way to East Lake.
Sang-Moon Bae (120) - Only player in the field that moved his way into the playoffs after being on the outside entering last week. Has zero top 10's this season, but the adrenaline of last week may translate into this week and give Bae a boost.
Lee Westwood (107) - Been a disappointing season for Westwood, but does have top 10s at the Masters and the Players, and briefly held the lead at the PGA Championship on Thursday. He's going to need a good run in the playoffs if he wants any chance at making the Ryder Cup team.
Don't Sleep On Them:
Retief Goosen (96) - Has made the cut in 13 straight tournaments, but has only four top 25s during that stretch. He's the kind of player that will just kind of hang around. I can easily see him making it to the BMW Championship with no attention being made to him. Quiet and consistent, just like he was in his prime.
Henrik Stenson (70) - Had a rough year after winning the FedEx Cup playoffs last season, but has only played 12 events on the PGA Tour this season after devoting a majority of his time to the European Tour. Finished T3 at the PGA Championship, so don't be surprised if he wins the first event of the playoffs and make a run to the cup, much like he did last season.
Hunter Mahan (62) - Has played in every FedEx Cup event since it's inception, but he needs a couple of big weeks in order to keep that streak alive. Had a down season, but has always performed well in stretches, and recorded a T7 finish at the PGA Championship following a top 25 at the Bridgestone.
Real Contenders:
Rickie Fowler (16) - Four majors, four top 5 finishes. He season outside of that is relatively mundane, but it can't be ignored that Fowler has performed his best at the biggest stages, and he seems to embrace the FedEx Cup as a big deal. Besides, his second victory HAS to be around the corner, right?
Sergio Garcia (7) - Eight top 10's in 13 stars is all that needs to be said about Sergio's season. In fact, the only thing that is missing from his resume this year is a victory. His T35 at the PGA Championship is more of an anomaly and speaks more about his comfort with Valhalla then it does about his current form. Look for him to be in the magic top 5 entering the Tour Championship.
Adam Scott (15) - Amazing to me that Scott is 15th in the standings, but that is attributed entirely to his lack of production in the majors this season. He's the defending champion of the Barclays, so he has some experience winning in the playoffs. Will be completely under the radar thanks to the new World Number One.
Your FedEx Cup Champion:
Rory McIlroy (1) - My only question mark is whether Rory really wants to give it his all during the entire stretch of the playoffs. He's the best player in the world and can win any tournament as long as he maintains his focus. Three wins in three events, which includes a World Golf Championship and two majors. Could be considered one of the all time greatest seasons of golf if he were to also cash the ten million dollar check.
Making The Leap:
Paul Casey (118) - Only played 15 events this season with Past Champions status, but recorded a top 25 in eight of those starts. Now that he has his card for next season secured, he can focus on winning on the PGA Tour for the first time since 2009, and possibly sneaking his way onto the Ryder Cup team. He was on the bubble entering the final event of the year, but would have easily made the playoffs if he played more events. I have a feeling Casey will be competitive in each playoff event, and make it all the way to East Lake.
Sang-Moon Bae (120) - Only player in the field that moved his way into the playoffs after being on the outside entering last week. Has zero top 10's this season, but the adrenaline of last week may translate into this week and give Bae a boost.
Lee Westwood (107) - Been a disappointing season for Westwood, but does have top 10s at the Masters and the Players, and briefly held the lead at the PGA Championship on Thursday. He's going to need a good run in the playoffs if he wants any chance at making the Ryder Cup team.
Don't Sleep On Them:
Retief Goosen (96) - Has made the cut in 13 straight tournaments, but has only four top 25s during that stretch. He's the kind of player that will just kind of hang around. I can easily see him making it to the BMW Championship with no attention being made to him. Quiet and consistent, just like he was in his prime.
Henrik Stenson (70) - Had a rough year after winning the FedEx Cup playoffs last season, but has only played 12 events on the PGA Tour this season after devoting a majority of his time to the European Tour. Finished T3 at the PGA Championship, so don't be surprised if he wins the first event of the playoffs and make a run to the cup, much like he did last season.
Hunter Mahan (62) - Has played in every FedEx Cup event since it's inception, but he needs a couple of big weeks in order to keep that streak alive. Had a down season, but has always performed well in stretches, and recorded a T7 finish at the PGA Championship following a top 25 at the Bridgestone.
Real Contenders:
Rickie Fowler (16) - Four majors, four top 5 finishes. He season outside of that is relatively mundane, but it can't be ignored that Fowler has performed his best at the biggest stages, and he seems to embrace the FedEx Cup as a big deal. Besides, his second victory HAS to be around the corner, right?
Sergio Garcia (7) - Eight top 10's in 13 stars is all that needs to be said about Sergio's season. In fact, the only thing that is missing from his resume this year is a victory. His T35 at the PGA Championship is more of an anomaly and speaks more about his comfort with Valhalla then it does about his current form. Look for him to be in the magic top 5 entering the Tour Championship.
Adam Scott (15) - Amazing to me that Scott is 15th in the standings, but that is attributed entirely to his lack of production in the majors this season. He's the defending champion of the Barclays, so he has some experience winning in the playoffs. Will be completely under the radar thanks to the new World Number One.
Your FedEx Cup Champion:
Rory McIlroy (1) - My only question mark is whether Rory really wants to give it his all during the entire stretch of the playoffs. He's the best player in the world and can win any tournament as long as he maintains his focus. Three wins in three events, which includes a World Golf Championship and two majors. Could be considered one of the all time greatest seasons of golf if he were to also cash the ten million dollar check.
Wednesday Preview - Canadian Pacific Women's Open
The ladies of the LPGA Tour head back across the northern border for the Canadian Pacific Women's Open. The tournament used to be a major on the LPGA from 1979 until 2000, and still carries the stigma of a significant tournament, and in fact has one of the richest purses on the LPGA Tour, which is quite hilarious when you consider the last two years the winner has not cashed that large check.
Course: London Hunt & Country Club, which enters the rotation for the first time. This course was absolutely ravished by the winter season, but the club and the greens keepers have done a fantastic job getting the course in tournament shape. Seeing as this is the first time we are seeing this course, I will make no prediction on the final tally.
Strength Of Field: B+. Michelle Wie is the only really significant player missing from the field. The top 5 in the world all return to battle it out once again.
Extra Tidbits: A Canadian has not won this event since the first tournament back in 1973...Two years ago, Lydia Ko won the Canadian Women's Open to become the youngest champion on a major professional golf tour at 15 years old. She returned last year to defend her title...Seven players have won two or more tournaments on the LPGA this season. Stacy Lewis is the leader with three victories. Inbee Park's LPGA Championship victory made her the most recent to double up in 2014. Only Paula Creamer, Lexi Thompson, Lizette Salas, Mo Martin and Mirim Lee have one victory in 2014...Charley Hull, Ariya Jutanugarn, and Stephanie Meadow are among the players receiving sponsor's exemptions this week. Emma Jandal, Jillian Hollis, Elizabeth Tong, and Emme De Groot (I am Groot!) are your Monday qualifiers.
Course: London Hunt & Country Club, which enters the rotation for the first time. This course was absolutely ravished by the winter season, but the club and the greens keepers have done a fantastic job getting the course in tournament shape. Seeing as this is the first time we are seeing this course, I will make no prediction on the final tally.
Strength Of Field: B+. Michelle Wie is the only really significant player missing from the field. The top 5 in the world all return to battle it out once again.
Extra Tidbits: A Canadian has not won this event since the first tournament back in 1973...Two years ago, Lydia Ko won the Canadian Women's Open to become the youngest champion on a major professional golf tour at 15 years old. She returned last year to defend her title...Seven players have won two or more tournaments on the LPGA this season. Stacy Lewis is the leader with three victories. Inbee Park's LPGA Championship victory made her the most recent to double up in 2014. Only Paula Creamer, Lexi Thompson, Lizette Salas, Mo Martin and Mirim Lee have one victory in 2014...Charley Hull, Ariya Jutanugarn, and Stephanie Meadow are among the players receiving sponsor's exemptions this week. Emma Jandal, Jillian Hollis, Elizabeth Tong, and Emme De Groot (I am Groot!) are your Monday qualifiers.
Fantasy Four:
Lydia Ko - I have no reason to pick against her in Canada, especially considering how well she's playing this season. It would be an historic feat if Ko were to pull off the three peat, but if anyone is capable of doing it, I believe she is.
Inbee Park - Best player on Tour for the past three weeks. Her win at the LPGA Championship showed that she has restored confidence in her ability to seal the deal when in a position to win. Was the runner up two years ago, and cashed the first place check when Ko was still an amateur.
Mirim Lee - Consider me a believer after her top 10 performance last week. Might be playing the best golf of anyone not named Inbee over the past three tournaments. I have no reason to believe she can't keep up her strong performances.
Stacy Lewis - Is still the number one player on Tour, though may need another win soon if she wishes to keep that distinction. Backdoored a top 10 last week, which she seems to be doing a lot of lately with strong final rounds. Her middle two rounds have been her downfall, as her strong final rounds occur after she's already out of the tournament. Last week was her first top 10 since her win in Arkansas.
(SLEEPER) Meena Lee - Finished just outside the top 10 at the LPGA Championship, which continues her strong performances this year as she's already notched four top 10's, including the US Women's Open. Hasn't won since 2006, and is extremely overdue. With Inbee and Mirim winning the last two weeks, it may be time for a run of Korean champions.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Koreans Have Risen Again On The LPGA
- After two weeks of blowing leads late in tournaments, it is only fitting that Inbee Park wins the LPGA Championship by coming from behind. We can sometimes forget how hard it is to win a professional golf tournament, and no one has made it harder on themselves than Inbee has, so to see her rewarded in this fashion seems right. Now that she strung together three great weeks, and cashed in on another victory, I wonder if she's going to give Stacy Lewis a real run towards the end of the season. They have one more major that could be a deciding factor.
- I know everyone is saying that Brittany Lincicome proved herself to be the next American major winner, but I can't see that as being true. Personally, this may have been Lincicome's best opportunity to win, as her career has started to take a slight downturn the past two seasons. Of course, Lincicome is still only 28, so she'll have several more opportunities, but who knows if she'll ever get another great opportunity like she got heading up the 72nd hole of the LPGA Championship. I know IK Kim is still looking for her breakthrough from a similar situation.
- Lydia Ko is ready to be a major winner. Nothing has made me realize that more than her performance on Sunday, trying to chase down the leaders late as they were trying to pull away from her. Ko's bogies on the final two holes derailed her chances, but she gave more of a charge at it than anyone else. Physically, she may be the best player on Tour, and if she can get through a few mental hurdles, she may be almost unstoppable.
- I am now convinced that Mirim Lee is ready to be a big time player on the LPGA Tour. I wanted to see how Mirim would be able to handle her first major following her first victory on Tour, and she handled it better than most could have expected. She stumbled on the back 9 on Sunday, but she did not completely implode and shoot 80 like she could have. I believe this, more than her victory last week, will give Mirim confidence moving forward.
- Two weeks, two wins for Koreans on the LPGA Tour after everyone was applauding the rise of the American golfers this season. This is not to say that the Koreans are ready to retake their dominance, but it is great for all parties involved to have both American and Korean players playing well. Asia is one of the biggest markets for the LPGA, and if their stars are playing well, they will continue to support the product. A battle for supremacy between Korean and American stars on the LPGA can only be a positive thing for that Tour.
- I remember a few years ago the golf world was talking about the young guns being ready to step up and take over the PGA Tour when guys like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were ready to step away. Right towards the top of that conversation were Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas. Kim has been nowhere to be seen the past several years, and Villegas has struggled, notching only two top 10's since 2011. His victory at the Wyndham Championship turned back the clock a few years and showed us the kind of skills he is able to possess if he were to play at the top of his game. The win was Villegas' first top 10 of the season, so I'm not ready to say he's going to become this great player again, but it is a great step in the right direction for the Columbian.
- The Wyndham became a scene of pure disappointment for many players, such as Freddie Jacobson, Heath Slocum, and Brad Fritch, and while every golf writer will focus on the negative, I will, instead, discuss the positive. Sang-Moon Bae's final round 66 was enough to move him from 126 in the FedEx Cup standings to inside the top 125, giving him a tee time for next week. Also helping his cause was bubble boy Paul Casey, who was sitting right at 125 when the week started and was able to put together a decent tournament and get himself into the playoffs. For most players, the playoffs start at the Barclays, but for Casey and Bae, the playoffs started this week, which may give them some extra motivation and confidence heading into next week. The previously mentioned Slocum was able to translate his narrow entry into the playoffs in 2009 into a victory, so there is some previous history on this sort of thing happening.
- I know everyone is saying that Brittany Lincicome proved herself to be the next American major winner, but I can't see that as being true. Personally, this may have been Lincicome's best opportunity to win, as her career has started to take a slight downturn the past two seasons. Of course, Lincicome is still only 28, so she'll have several more opportunities, but who knows if she'll ever get another great opportunity like she got heading up the 72nd hole of the LPGA Championship. I know IK Kim is still looking for her breakthrough from a similar situation.
- Lydia Ko is ready to be a major winner. Nothing has made me realize that more than her performance on Sunday, trying to chase down the leaders late as they were trying to pull away from her. Ko's bogies on the final two holes derailed her chances, but she gave more of a charge at it than anyone else. Physically, she may be the best player on Tour, and if she can get through a few mental hurdles, she may be almost unstoppable.
- I am now convinced that Mirim Lee is ready to be a big time player on the LPGA Tour. I wanted to see how Mirim would be able to handle her first major following her first victory on Tour, and she handled it better than most could have expected. She stumbled on the back 9 on Sunday, but she did not completely implode and shoot 80 like she could have. I believe this, more than her victory last week, will give Mirim confidence moving forward.
- Two weeks, two wins for Koreans on the LPGA Tour after everyone was applauding the rise of the American golfers this season. This is not to say that the Koreans are ready to retake their dominance, but it is great for all parties involved to have both American and Korean players playing well. Asia is one of the biggest markets for the LPGA, and if their stars are playing well, they will continue to support the product. A battle for supremacy between Korean and American stars on the LPGA can only be a positive thing for that Tour.
- I remember a few years ago the golf world was talking about the young guns being ready to step up and take over the PGA Tour when guys like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were ready to step away. Right towards the top of that conversation were Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas. Kim has been nowhere to be seen the past several years, and Villegas has struggled, notching only two top 10's since 2011. His victory at the Wyndham Championship turned back the clock a few years and showed us the kind of skills he is able to possess if he were to play at the top of his game. The win was Villegas' first top 10 of the season, so I'm not ready to say he's going to become this great player again, but it is a great step in the right direction for the Columbian.
- The Wyndham became a scene of pure disappointment for many players, such as Freddie Jacobson, Heath Slocum, and Brad Fritch, and while every golf writer will focus on the negative, I will, instead, discuss the positive. Sang-Moon Bae's final round 66 was enough to move him from 126 in the FedEx Cup standings to inside the top 125, giving him a tee time for next week. Also helping his cause was bubble boy Paul Casey, who was sitting right at 125 when the week started and was able to put together a decent tournament and get himself into the playoffs. For most players, the playoffs start at the Barclays, but for Casey and Bae, the playoffs started this week, which may give them some extra motivation and confidence heading into next week. The previously mentioned Slocum was able to translate his narrow entry into the playoffs in 2009 into a victory, so there is some previous history on this sort of thing happening.
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