2019 Tournament of Champions

[Chris122]

Sadly I've only seen the piddling highlights on YT,blink and you miss them.

I enjoy those extracts taken from play with the regular commentators but the short daily highlights package is voiced over by some guy with the most horrible,grating accent that makes me hit the mute button,he's dreadful and I cannot believe the LPGA couldn't do better and also show more extended highlights for us poor souls who live in the underprivileged UK.

[ChronicSlicer]

The LPGA is really trying to make it seem the celebrities aren't mostly all has beens/D listers. Roger Clemmons and Toby Keith seem to be the "biggest stars" here. None of these girls are going to be starstruck playing alongside Blair O'Neal.

 

Funny female celebs don`t come and play considering it an LPGA event. No, I don`t really count Blair, as she is in the golf industry already. I hate to assume things but, I guess maybe not many feel they could keep up?

[elwhippy]

Sad that in the UK we are only getting one hour live coverage and that is full of breaks. Another flat, bland course. A shame the ladies have to put up with mediocre resort courses....

[IH82BOGEY]

Loved watching Smoltz on the mound but on the course... not so much. More coverage of the ladies in an LPGA event would be good.

[Argonne69]

Hmmm, so much for making a statement. Oh, Lydia. Here's hoping for better Sundays in the near future. Looks like a two player shootout at this point.

 

[rushfan96]

Yup that double and bogey took her out of it?

[Argonne69]

Congrats to Eun-Hee. She seems to be in good form early in the season.

 

Haven't seen Mirim near the top of the leaderboard in some time.

 

Good start to the season by Nelly and Moriya. Stacy's performance was even more impressive.

 

[AKL Kiwi]

Hmmm, so much for making a statement. Oh, Lydia. Here's hoping for better Sundays in the near future. Looks like a two player shootout at this point.

 

I feel sorry for her caddy if he is just standing there and watching his commission dissapear...Lydia does not need the money. I was not going to bet yesterday she would put 4 good rounds together but equal worst score of the day....looks like the good old days are still gone.

Got the usual poor commercial infected coverage from the GC despite old Whan gloating about all the extra coverage the LPGA will get this year... Yeah it will come from everywhere outside the US and not the GC....I can't believe you actually have to pay for the GC with that many commercials or is it very cheap there?

[Argonne69]

I don't think it's all that cheap. Imagine what it would cost without the excessive commercials.

 

[JL1]

I have not read this entire thread to see if this was discussed anywhere, so please go easy if this has indeed been talked about. I have been around the game of golf for forty years and I saw something in this event that I have never seen before. Not with an LPGA player, but with John Smoltz. I don't know if Smoltz did this all tournament as I was only watching Saturday while I was working out at the gym. So here goes ...

 

Smoltz lined up a putt of maybe around 10 to 12 feet somewhere yesterday and just as I expect him to put his stroke on the ball he backs away but, BUT, the putter stays on the green in position as it was before he backed off. He looks down the line and apparently likes what he sees, comes back in, resets himself, and makes his stroke. Isn't this basically an artificial way of aiming? Kind of along the lines of the caddie lining you up and then backing off, which I know is allowed in LPGA events.

 

This is not allowable under USGA or PGA rules, right? I have never seen this in my life.

[AKL Kiwi]

I don't think it's all that cheap. Imagine what it would cost without the excessive commercials.

 

Perhaps then Whan should be investing in getting more coverage in the US than extra prizemoney for the elite players. I would like to see more of the other players than commercials and other players ouside the leaders would get better sponsorship with more air time. Not a problem getting 5+ hours of live commercial free coverage for most tournaments outside the US. I have talked to SKY my paid sports provider and they give us as much coverage as they can commercial free. Unlike other providers outside the US the GC stop commentry and feed during commercial breaks so Sky have to fill in untill they resume.

[geeceman]

Kind of along the lines of the caddie lining you up and then backing off, which I know is allowed in LPGA events.

 

This is not allowable under USGA or PGA rules, right? I have never seen this in my life.

 

With the rules change the caddies are not allowed to line you up when you address the ball anymore...but.....a club is not a caddy and you can line yourself up....so loop hole.

It is funny looking and good for a chuckle I doubt a pro will have the balls to try it, also I am willing to bet a rule/club modification is coming soon.

[Shilgy]

Kind of along the lines of the caddie lining you up and then backing off, which I know is allowed in LPGA events.

 

This is not allowable under USGA or PGA rules, right? I have never seen this in my life.

 

With the rules change the caddies are not allowed to line you up when you address the ball anymore...but.....a club is not a caddy and you can line yourself up....so loop hole.

It is funny looking and good for a chuckle I doubt a pro will have the balls to try it, also I am willing to bet a rule/club modification is coming soon.

That putter has been legal for years.

[JL1]

Kind of along the lines of the caddie lining you up and then backing off, which I know is allowed in LPGA events.

 

This is not allowable under USGA or PGA rules, right? I have never seen this in my life.

 

With the rules change the caddies are not allowed to line you up when you address the ball anymore...but.....a club is not a caddy and you can line yourself up....so loop hole.

It is funny looking and good for a chuckle I doubt a pro will have the balls to try it, also I am willing to bet a rule/club modification is coming soon.

That putter has been legal for years.

Kind of along the lines of the caddie lining you up and then backing off, which I know is allowed in LPGA events.

 

This is not allowable under USGA or PGA rules, right? I have never seen this in my life.

 

With the rules change the caddies are not allowed to line you up when you address the ball anymore...but.....a club is not a caddy and you can line yourself up....so loop hole.

It is funny looking and good for a chuckle I doubt a pro will have the balls to try it, also I am willing to bet a rule/club modification is coming soon.

 

Well I'll be darned. Never seen that in my life.

[Awsi Dooger]

I have not read this entire thread to see if this was discussed anywhere, so please go easy if this has indeed been talked about. I have been around the game of golf for forty years and I saw something in this event that I have never seen before. Not with an LPGA player, but with John Smoltz. I don't know if Smoltz did this all tournament as I was only watching Saturday while I was working out at the gym. So here goes ...

 

Smoltz lined up a putt of maybe around 10 to 12 feet somewhere yesterday and just as I expect him to put his stroke on the ball he backs away but, BUT, the putter stays on the green in position as it was before he backed off. He looks down the line and apparently likes what he sees, comes back in, resets himself, and makes his stroke. Isn't this basically an artificial way of aiming? Kind of along the lines of the caddie lining you up and then backing off, which I know is allowed in LPGA events.

 

This is not allowable under USGA or PGA rules, right? I have never seen this in my life.

 

I should have mentioned this days ago but I get so worn out walking the course I never get around to daily summaries until after the event ends. I saw Smoltz doing that on Thursday and was amazed. I kept trying to sneak a look into his bag at the type of putter. When I'm playing I often attempt the same type of thing but I have to keep the fingertip atop the putter grip and then maneuver behind the ball to take a look.

 

Smoltz didn't do it on every hole. I never detected a clear pattern, other than it was always on shorter putts. But not all of them. If he seemed comfortable he just went ahead without it.

 

When I mentioned that putter to other spectators I was surprised that so many of them were not only familiar with that type of putter, but a couple of them said they owned the identical model. One guy told me that Deane Beman was the first one to design that type of putter.

 

I have to say this tournament featured a bizarre number of missed short putts. Every day, from pros and celebrities alike. I couldn't make much sense of it. The greens didn't seem to have an abundance of tricky pin positions. Putts with little to no break were being missed. But late on Sunday I decided to walk out onto a green that was no longer in use for the day. I was shocked. It almost seemed like an artificial green. Very hard. And I couldn't detect grain patterns at all. Strangest of all was the cup liner. It was barely below the surface. I mean...not even an eighth of an inch below. The cup was so bright it was almost blinding and the fact that it was barely below the surface really screwed up the perception. I walked out onto a second green just to verify it was identical. Yep. Then on the way back to the shuttle bus I walked across the practice green. That was the same also.

 

At least I now have a better understanding for the weak putting I saw all week. I'm not sure I saw anyone go on a sustained run with the putter.

[Awsi Dooger]

* This tournament was well organized from a spectator standpoint. Parking was free. That is always a bonus, when I don't feel like I'm being gouged at every turn. A main entrance gate at Disney World was used and attendants at the gate gave clear directions to the golf parking, which was in the outdoor uncovered lots Scar and Cruella that are no longer used for Disney proper but are right there near the original main entrance. Full sized buses ran frequently, going to the tournament and on return to the parking lot. The daily program was full sized and not a small pamphlet like most events feature. They also provided a Passport that was good for complimentary beverages at certain stops on the course.

 

* However, this event should not be advertised as 18 holes daily when spectators are only allowed to view 15 1/2 holes. That was a disgrace, and seemingly no reason for it. We could follow a group to the 5th tee before being turned away via a sign declaring, "No Spectators Beyond This Point." Then you are redirected like a dodo bird to the middle of the 7th fairway, where once again you are allowed to watch.

 

Ridiculous. The marshalls on those holes didn't pretend to understand it or to justify it. One told me, "I agree with you, and please complain about it." He said that on Friday they had been given 4 different instructions for those holes during the day, each one conflicting with the previous one and never any explanation for the switch.

 

I followed the final group that day, the Brooke Henderson group. We were allowed to walk those holes. Immediately I noticed there were no gallery ropes. So obviously this had been determined ahead of time, that the holes would be off limit to spectators. But it was no big deal at all. Completely normal holes, and not swampland or dangerous footing or overly taxing. Normal distance between holes. Minus gallery ropes we merely policed ourselves, and had no problem doing so.

 

Once we reached the 6th green the marshall there was thrilled to have human beings following the groups. He said nobody had a decent explanation for the variance. He said that John Smoltz demonstrated the absurdity of the situation earlier in the day, after sinking a nice birdie putt before the change was made to allow spectators on that stretch: "He tipped his cap...to a gallery that did not exist."

[Awsi Dooger]

I ended up speaking to several parents of players this week, often unplanned. Perhaps the most unexpected was late on Thursday when I was sitting by myself on the bank behind the par 5 17th, but maybe 20 yards to the player's right of the green. Nelly Korda played her second shot toward the green with a fairway wood but it was very low and seemed destined for the water. As soon as that shot was airborne and looked awful I said out loud, "Oh Nelly, what are you doing..."

 

The ball seemed to hit the pond at least 5 yards shy of the bank. Then the small group of spectators sitting in the high bleachers to my right and directly behind the green started to cheer. Again I said out loud, but only to myself, "What the heck are they cheering about?"

 

As soon as I said that, a female voice with an distinct accent said from behind me, "Maybe they like the ball in the water." It was a quick irritated tone. The words were funny but mostly I was surprised that anyone was behind me. I hadn't heard anyone approach.

 

When I turned around, Mrs. Korda was sitting on a carry stool only feet away. I instinctively said, "Oh...you're Nelly's mom. How is she doing?"

 

"Well, she is 1 under...until that shot."

 

It was a bit awkward because I have seen her at many events but never spoken to her. The Kordas are difficult to miss, partially because she is roughly 6 feet tall. They speak Czechoslovakian at least 95% of the time during events, and don't seem approachable as other parents. Heck, I have had a few parents tell me as much, saying they would like to get to know the Kordas better.

 

But this time it was Mrs. Korda alone. That made all the difference. He seems more guarded. When Nelly started to take a drop behind the huge water hazard we didn't understand the cheering from the bleachers. Mrs. Korda was still convinced it had been the late afternoon drunk crowd cheering for misfortune. But once Nelly started to run briskly forward along the bank I said, "She's going to check it out. She might be safe. It could have skipped out."

 

Mrs. Korda was suddenly more hopeful, "Do you think so? It looked in the water."

 

Indeed, from our angle there seemed to be no chance. But once Nelly waved her caddy forward I convinced Mrs. Korda it had to be safe...in the bunker but not in the lake. I told her it might even have skipped twice to cover that much distance.

 

Once Mrs. Korda was obviously relieved I decided to ask about Jessica.

 

"She was qualified for this, right"

 

"Yes"

 

"But she's not playing. Is she sick...or injured?"

 

"She's injured."

 

"Is it her hand?"

 

"Yes"

 

"Is she okay? Is it coming along well? How soon before she's back out here?"

 

"It doesn't look good. She doesn't know when she'll be able to play again."

 

****

 

I was a little bit shocked at that. Granted, I don't follow the LPGA as closely day to day as years ago. But I thought I would have heard about a recent injury to Jessica Korda. I guessed hand injury only because that is most common for golfers and I thought I remembered something about Jessica with wrist issues.

 

Normally I would have inquired further, but Mrs. Korda understandably had a sad face and tone when answering questions about her daughter's injury. It didn't seem proper to continue. Later that night I checked online and did not find any details.

 

BTW, Nelly hit a low flaming bunker shot that didn't look great but caught the severe upslope behind the pin. Mrs. Korda got up and said, "Oh, it's not so bad. It stayed on the green."

 

I said, "Downhill birdie putt is a heck of a lot better than hitting 4 from the other side of the lake."

 

Mrs. Korda smiled in agreement and waved goodbye as she walked to take a closer look at Nelly's putt.

[third-times-a-charm]

So my wife and I went with another golfing couple on Saturday. It was all our first LPGA event, after being to so many APIs over the years in Orlando. Bulleted thoughts-

 

-Very well attended on Saturday, whether due to the constricted 'area' or 'free tickets' from businesses, but it was nice to see

 

-As the poster above said the reduced size was weird but must have been due to them wanting to make it seem busy on tv?

 

-The 'shuttles' to get from hole 2/18 to the rest of the course was asinine, never seen it before. Typical Disney.

 

-The course is not very nice, and odd. They tried to court us as members but as you can see, we chose another club.

 

-The music/DJ on 18 was terrible and childish, I feel bad for the LPGA players trying to play seriously and the organizers basically trying to turn this event into a party. It felt like they basically used the LPGA to turn this into a golf tournament when it should be a glorified D-list celeb charity tourny.

 

-Watching LPGA players is great, and the girls loved it

 

-The wind today (Sunday) in Orlando was terrible. 20MPH all day. My wife and I played 9 at our course, but for those girls to keep playing in it for money was amazing.

 

-Overall we would probably attend again, if nothing more than for my wife and her golfing friends to see some pro swings in person.

[theboypinoy]

Just for those wondering where to get that putter that was talked about: https://bloodline.golf/

[Raving Shanker]

I have not read this entire thread to see if this was discussed anywhere, so please go easy if this has indeed been talked about. I have been around the game of golf for forty years and I saw something in this event that I have never seen before. Not with an LPGA player, but with John Smoltz. I don't know if Smoltz did this all tournament as I was only watching Saturday while I was working out at the gym. So here goes ...

 

Smoltz lined up a putt of maybe around 10 to 12 feet somewhere yesterday and just as I expect him to put his stroke on the ball he backs away but, BUT, the putter stays on the green in position as it was before he backed off. He looks down the line and apparently likes what he sees, comes back in, resets himself, and makes his stroke. Isn't this basically an artificial way of aiming? Kind of along the lines of the caddie lining you up and then backing off, which I know is allowed in LPGA events.

 

This is not allowable under USGA or PGA rules, right? I have never seen this in my life.

 

I discussed this very thing with a pro on Saturday during a lesson, and he admitted it was a hazy area. The lesson topic - me lining up better!

[nosil]

 

Smoltz lined up a putt of maybe around 10 to 12 feet somewhere yesterday and just as I expect him to put his stroke on the ball he backs away but, BUT, the putter stays on the green in position as it was before he backed off. He looks down the line and apparently likes what he sees, comes back in, resets himself, and makes his stroke. Isn't this basically an artificial way of aiming? Kind of along the lines of the caddie lining you up and then backing off, which I know is allowed in LPGA events.

 

 

If you want to know more about the putter is it by a company called Bloodline and it is legal. There have also been similar putters in the past.

 

As discussed a player cannot receive assistance in aligning their body via the use of a caddy or by laying a club on the ground to help align themselves.

[JL1]

So my wife and I went with another golfing couple on Saturday. It was all our first LPGA event, after being to so many APIs over the years in Orlando. Bulleted thoughts-

 

-The course is not very nice, and odd. They tried to court us as members but as you can see, we chose another club.

 

 

I played at Bay Hill in 2008. I went to Orlando for a college football bowl game. Anyways, I played 4 days at Bay Hill. I saw Mr. Palmer in the club house each morning but I wasn't going to be "that guy" to walk up to him and start talking and become a nuisance, so I just carried on about things. On the 3rd day a friend of Mr. Palmer's is paired with me and my buddy and says he wants to introduce us to "Arnie" at breakfast the following morning. Long story short, we ended up hitting balls on the driving range next to the King!

 

Mr. Palmer went on to send to both me and my friend, unsolicited in any way, signed photographs! I keep that up proudly on the wall in my man cave bar area. My wife even likes it! Absolutely everything ever written about Arnold Palmer being nice is true. True to the Nth degree.

[legitimategolf]

Props to Ji. I have always been a fan of her swing and game. She first won in 2008 and over ten years later is still winning. That deserves respect.

[JL1]

Smoltz lined up a putt of maybe around 10 to 12 feet somewhere yesterday and just as I expect him to put his stroke on the ball he backs away but, BUT, the putter stays on the green in position as it was before he backed off. He looks down the line and apparently likes what he sees, comes back in, resets himself, and makes his stroke. Isn't this basically an artificial way of aiming? Kind of along the lines of the caddie lining you up and then backing off, which I know is allowed in LPGA events.

 

 

If you want to know more about the putter is it by a company called Bloodline and it is legal. There have also been similar putters in the past.

 

As discussed a player cannot receive assistance in aligning their body via the use of a caddy or by laying a club on the ground to help align themselves.

 

Thank you kindly for the information but, honestly, I probably would never use that putter. It just would not seem "right" to me. If you can't use an alignment stick, then to my way of thinking you should also not be allowed to use a club that essentially offers you the same thing. People here are saying it is legal,so I believe them, but it just seems against the spirit of the rules and I am an old school purist.

[Stooch]

Congrats to Eun Hee Ji on a great win, she played very solid all week. Nice to see a great finish from Mirim Lee, I always liked her be nice to see her bounce back after a real bad year. Nelly also had an impressive Sunday so good for her. Was gonna rip Brooke for her collapse but after reading a local Ottawa reporter close to Brooke who was there, said she was suffering from the Flu bigtime and almost withdrew Sunday before the round I give her a mulligan and not judge this one ........but that putting lol

[fredogolfer]

I'm a bit surprised they used the standard 15% payout to the winner. With only 26 players you could have easily had a winner's check above 200k and 26th place would still get a decent amount.

[Shilgy]

I'm a bit surprised they used the standard 15% payout to the winner. With only 26 players you could have easily had a winner's check above 200k and 26th place would still get a decent amount.

The breakdown below first was odd. Just $32k from first to second but $40k from solo second to solo third?

[legitimategolf]

Hmmm, so much for making a statement. Oh, Lydia. Here's hoping for better Sundays in the near future.

 

I know she won last year but she is still a shadow of her teenage self. On and off the course. Let me explain. Wonderkid Lyd always came off as so confident and self-assured. Young Adult Lydia is searching for something, identity perhaps. It seems that she is also struggling with vanity. I don't mean to pick on her, young adulthood is hard for everyone, and especially for child prodigies. Considering all that she is doing extremely well in life. But as a player she is still struggling IMO, as seen last Sunday.

[Argonne69]

Hmmm, so much for making a statement. Oh, Lydia. Here's hoping for better Sundays in the near future.

 

I know she won last year but she is still a shadow of her teenage self. On and off the course. Let me explain. Wonderkid Lyd always came off as so confident and self-assured. Young Adult Lydia is searching for something, identity perhaps. It seems that she is also struggling with vanity. I don't mean to pick on her, young adulthood is hard for everyone, and especially for child prodigies. Considering all that she is doing extremely well in life. But as a player she is still struggling IMO, as seen last Sunday.

 

I wouldn't call it a shadow. I'd say the competition simply stepped up big time. Her GIR percentage in 2018 (72%) was actually higher than in 2016 (70.4%). No doubt her swing changes knocked her off track for a while, but she appears to be swinging quite well now. One bad swing on Sunday was all it took to knock her out of contention. It happens.

 

I gotta disagree on the vanity part. She seems to be very down to Earth. 'Don't see to many glamor selfies from her. I certainly believe her fitness program is designed to keep her healthy for years to come. There's no way she could continue to keep at the highest levels without being in shape. She's not the only player that works out regularly.

[legitimategolf]

Hmmm, so much for making a statement. Oh, Lydia. Here's hoping for better Sundays in the near future.

 

I know she won last year but she is still a shadow of her teenage self. On and off the course. Let me explain. Wonderkid Lyd always came off as so confident and self-assured. Young Adult Lydia is searching for something, identity perhaps. It seems that she is also struggling with vanity. I don't mean to pick on her, young adulthood is hard for everyone, and especially for child prodigies. Considering all that she is doing extremely well in life. But as a player she is still struggling IMO, as seen last Sunday.

 

I wouldn't call it a shadow. I'd say the competition simply stepped up big time. Her GIR percentage in 2018 (72%) was actually higher than in 2016 (70.4%). No doubt her swing changes knocked her off track for a while, but she appears to be swinging quite well now. One bad swing on Sunday was all it took to knock her out of contention. It happens.

 

I gotta disagree on the vanity part. She seems to be very down to Earth. 'Don't see to many glamor selfies from her. I certainly believe her fitness program is designed to keep her healthy for years to come. There's no way she could continue to keep at the highest levels without being in shape. She's not the only player that works out regularly.

 

Surprising fact about the GIR. But do you really think she looks like the same player as 3-4 years ago? IMO she was extraordinary back then. Hard to compare with now. More a credit to her past greatness than a knock on her current form I suppose. And yes she is pursuing fitness but she is also actively pursuing slimness, that is plain to see. Not critiquing any of this by the way, I still think she is wonderfully normal. Just looks very different (player) to me now. Even the certain look in her eye, during her follow through, is different. I know that I tend to look too deep into things but nowadays when she tracks the ball, her expression looks a little... worried.