2018 LPGA Year in Review

[Argonne69]

Danielle Kang gets a score of A+ for the simple fact that she was smart enough to dump Leadbetter as her coach.

 

Amen to that. I'm surprised anyone on the LPGA Tour works with him after he showed how unprofessional he can be.

 

Going with Butch Harmon is a brilliant move. From everything I've read and heard about Butch is that he doesn't make major changes to his players' swings and tends to tell them to get out of their own way, which seems to work very well.

 

Unlike Lydia, Danielle actually saw a small but steady improvement in driving distance, driving accuracy, and GIRs over the past four years. However, the overall results didn't change much. She seems to be more of a feel player, and gets too tight focusing on technique.

[Argonne69]

Nabbing her first career major was the highlight of Angela's year, but otherwise it was a year to forget. She managed four other top 5's, but missed 6 cuts in 32 events.

 

Grade: C+.

[Argonne69]

Marina continued to show improvement this year, winning her first tournament, and adding 5 more top 10's. She earned nearly 40% of her career earnings in this, her 6th season. After missing the cut in Canada, she rebounded with her win in Portland, and 2 additional top 10's. However, the stretch before that was rather poor with a best 18T in the previous 5 events, and only 1 top 10 in the previous 12 events.

 

Grade: C+.

[Argonne69]

Jessica started with season with a bang, winning in her first start in Thailand, and following it up with 3 more top 10's in the next 5 events. However, she only managed one more top 10 in the next nine tournaments along with two missed cuts. She was feast or famine in the majors with two 4T's and a 8T, and a missed cut and 42T. She only played in one Asian swing event, and finished 13T at the CME, so it's hard to draw a conclusion on her late year performance.

 

She finished the year 6th in ballstriking, 11th in total driving, and 6th in scoring. She ranked 4th in putts per GIR, but 36th in putting average. That seems to indicate that the scrambling needs a lot of work.

 

Grade: B-.

[Argonne69]

I can't quite figure out Charley. In four years she's managed only 1 win, and 19 top 10's. She had 6 this season, but otherwise was a non-factor most weeks. She played great at the Hana Bank (2nd), but didn't manage another top ten since her 6T at the KPMG.

 

She ranked 14th in ballstriking, which is great, but 33rd in total driving. 'Seems the misses off the tee are manageable, but she's not getting many quality looks at birdie. She's 89th in putting average.

 

Grade: C+

[ClairefromClare]

It speaks to the depth of talent that 2018 felt like a year without a dominant player. Then you look at Ariya's stats. It just didn't feel like it at the time.

 

A quick search doesn't find me a list of players ranked by Hall of Fame points. Inbee was certainly the fastest to get there. Ariya must be getting reasonably close, what with Vare trophies and all?

[Argonne69]

It speaks to the depth of talent that 2018 felt like a year without a dominant player. Then you look at Ariya's stats. It just didn't feel like it at the time.

 

A quick search doesn't find me a list of players ranked by Hall of Fame points. Inbee was certainly the fastest to get there. Ariya must be getting reasonably close, what with Vare trophies and all?

 

A player needs 27 points. A non-major win is 1 pt, a major 2 pts, and 1 pt for a Vare or PoY.

 

Ariya has 10 wins vs. 19 for Inbee, but only 2 majors. Thus, she's just over half way there. 'Pretty impressive given that she only won her first tournament in 2016.

[ChronicSlicer]

I expect to see more improvement next year, including double digit top 10's.

 

 

 

Double digit top 10`s is pretty near cream of the crop, only 6 players managed that this year, 3 of them had multiple wins. You have high expectations from her.

I would love to see this as well. I`ll be impressed if she can crack the top 10 at some point, and finish 2019 inside the top 15. She is 22nd now.

[Argonne69]

I expect to see more improvement next year, including double digit top 10's.

 

 

Double digit top 10`s is pretty near cream of the crop, only 6 players managed that this year, 3 of them had multiple wins. You have high expectations from her.

I would love to see this as well. I`ll be impressed if she can crack the top 10 at some point, and finish 2019 inside the top 15. She is 22nd now.

 

Yeah, it'll be tough, but I think Nelly has the talent. She seems to be more comfortable out there, especially when in contention. Her ballstriking is fine. If she can drop a single putt more per round she's move into the top 5 in scoring.

[Raving Shanker]

My hi's and lo's for 2018

 

Hi (mum)

- Overall play (except the chipping around greens)

- Lydia's recovery from 2017. Apparently she has gained nothing in her long game, but at least she got her touch back around greens.And she is a glowing presence!

- In Gee's win

- Ariya, always

- The battle of the sisters! Jutanugarn's shaded the Korda's, despite Jessica's flying start.

- The International Crown tournament (South Koreans! I love ALL of them)

- Danielle's Asian swing play, and general spiciness! Not bad for a party girl.

- A LOT of interesting characters in the game, and genuinely likable people

- The depth and truly international flavour of the tour.

- Argonne's work in driving this forum. Pretty much agree with all of his player by player analysis on this thread.

- People who attend tournaments and give lengthy on-the-ground reports on this forum. Love'em!

 

Lo (and behold)

- Slooooooooow play. I'd like to see less pre-shot analysis. I am pretty sure it adds nothing, most of the time (except maybe strokes to the score!)

- TV coverage

- Too many 350 yard par 4's. This means it's often drive/sand-wedge for the longer hitters, drive/8 or 9 iron for the shorter hitters. I'd like to see the girls' complete game tested a little more. Not always, but a few more longer holes, and a more typical par 4 length of about 370. Just think, Ariya might have to get out her driver!

- The mysterious demise of the great Haru. In February 2016 I think her swing was unmatched. Her 6 extra hole triumph over Kerr in Texas last year had "superstar" tattooed all over it.

- Karrie Webb's disappointing "part-time" experiment.

[North Texas]

Not a lot to add that hasn't been said. Wife and I are huge LPGA fans. Record every tournament. And never forget to add the max 3 hour extension :taunt:

 

And as others have said, a huge thanks and shoutout to Argonne. If you ever make your way back to the DFW area, give me a shout as I would gladly buy you a drink and get in a round of golf somewhere.

[Argonne69]

Brittany L had her typical up and down year with a win, 7 top 10's, and only 2 missed cuts. When she wasn't contending she was in the back half of the field. 'Not quite sure why her game doesn't show up most weeks. She ranks 11th in driving distance, but 62nd in total driving. That inaccuracy costs her, as we saw during 3rd round of the CME. Her short game can be spotty at times, and her putting is hot or deep freeze cold. She just finished her 14th season on tour. I think she has a few more wins in her, but I don't expect her to be contending often.

 

Grade: C+.

[Argonne69]

Fairly mediocre year for Lizette. The loss in Indy was rough. She only managed 4 top tens this season, compared to 7 last year. She only missed two cuts, though. She has the game to make a living on tour, but at this point she's outgunned by the competition. She finished the year 45th in ballstriking, which isn't bad given that there are several multiple time winners ranked lower, but she needs to improve on her 40th ranked putting average.

 

Grade: C-.

[Argonne69]

Georgia Hall had a very good rookie season if you simply look at the RoY points race, which of course included an exciting win the the WBO. However, she only managed two other top 10's, and missed four cuts (in a five tournament stretch). After starting the season with a solid 13T in Australia, she didn't finish better than 24T in the next 11 events. She's ranked 40th in ballstriking, and 14th in putting average, but that number is a but skewed because she misses a lot of greens (#75 in GIR). Similar to Pernilla, she seemed to catch fire at the right time to snag a major, but otherwise it was a ho hum season.

 

Grade: C.

[Argonne69]

Amy Yang? Has anyone seen Amy? Actually, while fairly invisible this season, she did manage 8 top 10's. Her usual stellar play in the majors was missing, though. While she did finish 11T at the KPMG, she missed the cut at the ANA and USWO, and finished no better than 35T at the other two.

 

Grade: C.

[Argonne69]

Defintiely a down year for Shanshan compared to 2017 in which she rose to #1 in the World late in the season after a blistering Asian swing. This year she only managed six top 10's in 22 events. After securing a top 10 at the WBO, she didn't have another top 10 until her final event at the Blue Bay. I think she'll be glad the season is over, and look to reset next year. She doesn't have any major weaknesses in her game. She's 11T in ballstriking, tied with So Yeon, and 27th in putts per GIR. I think it boils down to lack of birdies, as she's ranked 31st in that category. With the average winning score in double digits under par, the best players are having to average more than 4 birdies a round to compete.

 

Grade: C.

[ChronicSlicer]

Amy Yang? Has anyone seen Amy? Actually, while fairly invisible this season, she did manage 8 top 10's. Her usual stellar play in the majors was missing, though. While she did finish 11T at the KPMG, she missed the cut at the ANA and USWO, and finished no better than 35T at the other two.

 

Grade: C.

 

Is it fair to say Amy is a bit of an underachiever? She has a tough time on Sundays.

[ChronicSlicer]

Similar to Pernilla, she seemed to catch fire at the right time to snag a major, but otherwise it was a ho hum season.

 

 

 

Agreed, but I think Georgia will be way more consistent in the future.

[Argonne69]

This is tough to write, but In Gee had a mediocre season at best, even with the sweet victory in Korea. She only had 3 other top 10's this season, compared to an average of 11.5 in each of her first two seasons. Other than the win at the Hana Bank, she didn't have a top 10 since mid-June at the ShopRite.

 

The culprit clearly seems to be her driver. She finished last season 18th in total driving. This year she fell to 49th. She's ranked 146th in driving distance (243), behind Inbee, In Kyung, and Lydia. Last season she averaged 252 yds, which is a huge dropoff. As a result, her GIR percentage dropped 5% this season. That to me seems to indicate that she's been battling an injury. On a positive note, her putting did improve this year.

 

To contend on a regular basis, a player has to average 252+. In 32 tournaments this season, only 5 winners had a driving average of less than 250.

 

Grade: C.

[Argonne69]

 

Is it fair to say Amy is a bit of an underachiever? She has a tough time on Sundays.

 

 

I'd say it's fair. She's earned over $8 million in 11 seasons, but only has 3 wins to go along with 65 top 10's.

[Argonne69]

Megan Kang basically had a repeat of her rookie season. I was expecting to see some improvement. She managed 6 top 10's, the same as last year, and earned ~$75k less than last season. She missed 7 cuts. She ran out of gas late in the year, finishing in the top 10 only once since September. She needs to find a way to pick up some distance off the tee, as she only manages 248 yds (#113/165). By comparison, Moriya averages 252 yds. Her putting is mid-pack.

 

Grade: C-.

[Argonne69]

Even with a season ending injury, Michelle still managed to play in 16 events. She hoisted the trophy at the HSBC early in the season, but otherwise it was a poor year with only one additional top 10. On a positive note, her swing looked as good as it has in years. Can I say "normal"?

 

Grade: C.

[Argonne69]

Similar to Shanshan, Anna had a fairly mediocre year. You might saw awful by her normal standards. After winning twice in 2017, including a major, she went winless this year for the first time since 2013, and only managed six top 10's, and missed the cut six times. After finishing 8T in Canada, she placed no better than 21T in her final seven starts.

 

She finished the year 10th in ballstriking, but her putter was ice cold, and she ranked 98th in putting average.

 

Grade: C.

[OffTheDole]

Defintiely a down year for Shanshan compared to 2017 in which she rose to #1 in the World late in the season after a blistering Asian swing. This year she only managed six top 10's in 22 events. After securing a top 10 at the WBO, she didn't have another top 10 until her final event at the Blue Bay. I think she'll be glad the season is over, and look to reset next year. She doesn't have any major weaknesses in her game. She's 11T in ballstriking, tied with So Yeon, and 27th in putts per GIR. I think it boils down to lack of birdies, as she's ranked 31st in that category. With the average winning score in double digits under par, the best players are having to average more than 4 birdies a round to compete.

 

Grade: C.

 

The whole strange situation with her being pressured by the Chinese government to pull out at the last moment from the Swinging Skirts event, one where she'd had great success, probably didn't help much either.

[Raving Shanker]

I notice Argonne pretends to be a tough marker, but still ends up passing everyone. Or, is he just getting to them?!

[Argonne69]

I notice Argonne pretends to be a tough marker, but still ends up passing everyone. Or, is he just getting to them?!

 

Lol. I've only gotten to ~15% of the players. Everyone else needs to stay after class for a lot of remedial work.

[Argonne69]

A few highlights from the year:

 

- Jin Young's win in Australia shows that she's the real deal. Little attention was given to the fact that Hye Jin Choi, another KLPGA standout, finished 2nd. We'll be seeing her on the LPGA in one or two years.

 

- Jessica's win in Australia while still recovering from reconstructive jaw surgery. I think a lot of us didn't realize the extent of her pain, and it was a heck of a welcome back.

 

- Inbee's win at the Founders showed that she's still capable of winning any time she tees it up. A playoff loss the following week at the ANA is further proof.

 

- Shocking that Pernilla out-Inbee'd Inbee with an amazing putting performance at the ANA

 

- The emotional win for Moriya at the LA Open, including Ariya's reaction. I'm not crying! You're crying!

 

- Disappointing to see Minjee lose at the Mediheal, but boy, Lydia needed that win. Welcome back, Lydia! She's a joy to watch on the golf course. I've learned a lot about how to play the game from watching her over the past 6 years, going back to her first amateur win at the CPWO.

 

- Ariya's "collapse" at the USWO was probably the most nail biting stretch of holes all year. It may prove to be a key moment in her career, as she was able to prove to herself that she can overcome adversity.

 

- The heartbreak of So Yeon rinsing her teeshot at the 17th at Kemper Lakes. Ugh. The playoff that followed was as exciting as they come.

 

- Most folks know I'm not a fan of the easy course setups that lead to birdiefests. However, when Sei Young went on a tear at Thornberry, I was cheering for her the whole way to smash the old scoring record. What an absolutely amazing performance.

 

- I really wanted to see Pornanong grab her first win at the WBO, but I tip my hat to Georgia for her popular win in front of the home fans. Her putting performance was only surpassed by Pernilla at the ANA.

 

- Brooke's win at the CPWO was very cool, as she struggled in the past under the immense pressure from the home fans. 'Not this time.

 

- 'Not a big Amy Olsen fan, but I was mightily impressed with her solid play for 71 holes. The double on 18 was shocking knowing that a bogie would have at least forced a playoff.

 

- 'Really enjoyed seeing the Korean women capture the IC in front of the home fans. The pressure had to be intense.

 

- In Gee winning is always a treat, but comes way too infrequently. I've been a fan since her KLPGA days. 'Same goes for Danielle. I remember watching her win back to back U.S. Amateur titles.

 

- I was genuinely happy for Lexi at the CME. I've met her several times, and she's just so pleasant, and wonderful with the fans.

 

- 'Nice to see so many first time winners. Yeah, I like a few dominating players duking it out every week, but it's also good to see players finally step up and cross the finish line. With the competition getting better each year, it's getting much harder to win out there.

 

- Mightily impressed with Ariya's season. She sure seems to be getting better each season. If she can somehow manage to figure out how to hit a driver, she could be unstoppable.

 

- Overall round of applause for all the players. Not everyone can win each week, and I think we sometimes forget that these are young women out there trying to earn a living on a tough tour. I certainly couldn't live out of a suitcase for 25 to 30 weeks a year while managing to average 72 shots or less under tournament conditions. I love watching the women play because their ballstriking, tempo, and demeanor are just so impressive. To stand behind a group on a mid-length par 3 and watch them laser 5 irons to within 10 feet is impressive as heck. The fact that most of them will chat with you is even more impressive.

[WestTex]

I notice Argonne pretends to be a tough marker, but still ends up passing everyone. Or, is he just getting to them?!

 

Lol. I've only gotten to ~15% of the players. Everyone else needs to stay after class for a lot of remedial work.

 

Ha, I'd say anyone on tour for the 2019 season gets a passing grade because they kept their card!

[Argonne69]

I notice Argonne pretends to be a tough marker, but still ends up passing everyone. Or, is he just getting to them?!

 

Lol. I've only gotten to ~15% of the players. Everyone else needs to stay after class for a lot of remedial work.

 

Ha, I'd say anyone on tour for the 2019 season gets a passing grade because they kept their card!

 

Lol. Bah. That's like a participation trophy. :taunt:

[Seamus_McDuff]

IMO, no Major winner is lower than a B.