2021 US Women's Open, June 3-6

[KBong]

9 minutes ago, grm24 said:

Unless they picked numbers out of a hat that tv didn't show Nasa was first in the clubhouse to post her -4 score. She was two groups in front of Yuka. First to post seems to get the honor on the tee with the USGA.

Yes...unless they picked #'s that TV didn't cover...... could this be a USGA run event format?

I have 2 playoffs still on my DVR....2015 CWO & the 2016 KPMG...both had #'s being picked.

[heeday]

18 minutes ago, grm24 said:

Unless they picked numbers out of a hat that tv didn't show Nasa was first in the clubhouse to post her -4 score. She was two groups in front of Yuka. First to post seems to get the honor on the tee with the USGA for a playoff.

 

Thank you for the insight 🙂

 

[grm24]

17 minutes ago, KBong said:

Yes...unless they picked #'s that TV didn't cover...... could this be a USGA run event format?

I have 2 playoffs still on my DVR....2015 CWO & the 2016 KPMG...both had #'s being picked.

Right. It's a USGA event that runs their events differently from the PGA & LPGA Tours. BTW you need to clean up your DVR '22putt.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

2 hours ago, Christen_The_Sloop said:

I watched the whole thing... Don't ask me what channel... Not the regular one... The whole TV system over here is unintelligible. Anyway, I got the right channel. They have never showed the LPGA, but they did this week. They didn't show the memorial when I woke up today, so that was really nice..

 

That's exactly what I want to ask you! I only have terrestrial TV, no satellite or cable anymore, and I couldn't find any coverage on the regular channels. 

Do you have BS or CS, or something like that? Golf Network?

[Golf Dino]

 

Actually, there was a serious bit of misinformation regarding Lexi and a post-round interview.  She did not do a post-round interview with the GC/NBC, but she did attend the media tent and answered questions there.    She was very gutted, but extremely classy in the media tent.  

[JungleJimbo]

2 minutes ago, Golf Dino said:

 

Actually, there was a serious bit of misinformation regarding Lexi and a post-round interview.  She did not do a post-round interview with the GC/NBC, but she did attend the media tent and answered questions there.    She was very gutted, but extremely classy in the media tent.  

@Golf Dinois correct. This GolfChannel Link (from ~1m30s onwards) includes Lexi's interview Q&A.

 

https://www.golfchannel.com/video/lexi-thompson-blows-fiveshot-lead-2021-us-womens-open

[Golf Dino]

3 hours ago, Supermilo said:

Am not surprised Yuka didn't know this... @18majors knows we don't know much about these things - hence I ask if LPGA media is accurate in tweeting...  Case in point: Bianca didn't know she made US Open  in 2020 after T9 in KPMG... 

 

 

 

 

Ahem ... she found out when an eagle-eyed golf editor/writer congratulated her on qualifying.

[Cwebb]

1 hour ago, OrangeGravy said:

She was basically begging for him to save her. She had lost all confidence in herself. You could hear it in her voice. She was so shook, she couldn't make a decision on her own. That chilly dipped pitch took emptied the mental tank. 

Honestly, she's got terrible touch. No short game. She was lucky to avoid that dreaded just outside tap-in range for 3.5 rounds. I like her, but all she has is hulk smash. She swings every club, in every shot as hard a she can. Kind of like a 15 year old kid does

 

I agree.  That's why the comments that "she is the best ball striker" and "nobody has her skill set"  are so far out there.  Just nonsense.  

 

I could pick at least 10 players ranked lower than her currently, that have a better skill set...and everyone ranked higher clearly does.

[Golf Dino]

4 hours ago, deadsolid...shank said:

But the other players were getting to the green. . Shen Shen was about a half club short on 17, but I don’t remember any of the other contenders misjudging that badly. 

 

 

Nasa did the same thing on 17.  She came up short too as a result of the wind higher up around the tree tops.   Besides, the wind today was gusting ... it was not a steady wind.  So it can change between shots, between players, etc.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

3 hours ago, JungleJimbo said:

Yuka Saso's interview = got questions from both Philippines media and Japanese ... maybe both sides with identify with her (i.e. not a "choose a side" debate)... but i got the feeling from the interview, that she's representing the Philippines at the Olympics?
 

 

 

Yep, representing the Philippines.

As a child with a Japanese parent, she gets Japanese nationality until she's 22 (IIRC, it used to be only for children with Japanese fathers if born outside Japan, but the law was changed). Then she has to choose, as Japan does not recognise dual nationality. In fact, the law is due to change next year, so children with dual nationalities will have to make their choice at 18, deferred for 2 years until they are 20. 

 

However, for international competitions, she already had to choose which side to represent, and she chose The Philippines. A similar example would be Osaka Naomi, who chose to represent Japan rather than the USA (her father is Haitian, but seems to have become a US citizen at some point).

 

Interestiningly, the headlines here in Japan showed her name in Chinese characters, 笹生優花, which is recognition of her Japanese nationality. Usually, people with ethnic Japanese backgrounds but not Japanese nationality get their names written in katakana, the writing system that is used mainly for loan words and foreign names.

 

For example, Alberto Fujimori, who was president of Peru back in the Nineties, got his name written in Katakana in the newspapers because, while he had a Japanese background, he supposedly did not have Japanese nationality. Though his case is pretty sticky, as the Japanese government later claimed he'd never renounced his Japanese nationality so he still had it...meaning he was not a Peruvian national....meaning he should never have been able to become the president of Peru...even though during the election campaigns he claimed he did not have Japanese nationality....

[Cwebb]

4 minutes ago, Golf Dino said:

 

 

Nasa did the same thing on 17.  She came up short too as a result of the wind higher up around the tree tops.   Besides, the wind today was gusting ... it was not a steady wind.  So it can change between shots, between players, etc.

 

That's where Lexi's steep angle of attack kills her.  It makes it harder to control spin and distance...especially with wind

[Golf Dino]

8 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

Yep, representing the Philippines.

As a child with a Japanese parent, she gets Japanese nationality until she's 22 (IIRC, it used to be only for children with Japanese fathers if born outside Japan, but the law was changed). Then she has to choose, as Japan does not recognise dual nationality. In fact, the law is due to change next year, so children with dual nationalities will have to make their choice at 18, deferred for 2 years until they are 20. 

 

However, for international competitions, she already had to choose which side to represent, and she chose The Philippines. A similar example would be Osaka Naomi, who chose to represent Japan rather than the USA (her father is Haitian, but seems to have become a US citizen at some point).

 

Interestiningly, the headlines here in Japan showed her name in Chinese characters, 笹生優花, which is recognition of her Japanese nationality. Usually, people with ethnic Japanese backgrounds but not Japanese nationality get their names written in katakana, the writing system that is used mainly for loan words and foreign names.

 

For example, Alberto Fujimori, who was president of Peru back in the Nineties, got his name written in Katakana in the newspapers because, while he had a Japanese background, he supposedly did not have Japanese nationality. Though his case is pretty sticky, as the Japanese government later claimed he'd never renounced his Japanese nationality so he still had it...meaning he was not a Peruvian national....meaning he should never have been able to become the president of Peru...even though during the election campaigns he claimed he did not have Japanese nationality....

 

 

Yuka Saso is a Japanese name ... so it can be spelled easily with Kanji or Traditional Chinese characters.  Katakana is actually a brilliant system as it seems to me to be a "phonetic" spelling of  foreign words ...it used to be in the Chinese language, if they had a foreign word, they would just spell it in English but the Japanese system allowed them to say the foreign word using Katakana.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

3 minutes ago, Golf Dino said:

 

 

Yuka Saso is a Japanese name ... so it can be spelled easily with Kanji or Traditional Chinese characters.  Katakana is actually a brilliant system as it seems to me to be a "phonetic" spelling of  foreign words ...it used to be in the Chinese language, if they had a foreign word, they would just spell it in English but the Japanese system allowed them to say the foreign word using Katakana.

Yes, but if she didn't have Japanese nationality, it's likely that her name would not be written in kanji in the press. Different papers may have different rules, but just because you have a Japanese surname, doesn't mean you will get your name written in Kanji. Now, in Yuka's case, she was given kanji at birth; I'm curious to see if her name will still be written in kanji in the newspapers after she gives up her Japanese nationality at 20 or 22 (assuming she does, of course). Just academic curiosity regarding the writing conventions of the Japanese press.

 

Katakana is useful, but it has its limits, particularly with regard to the number of sounds it can represent. For example, it can't show the difference between "r" and "l" ("reach" and "leech" would both be リーチ), and the guttural "u" sound is difficult to reproduce (as in "work"). Then there's the "o" added after most consonant sounds.

[Christen_The_Sloop]

1 hour ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

That's exactly what I want to ask you! I only have terrestrial TV, no satellite or cable anymore, and I couldn't find any coverage on the regular channels. 

Do you have BS or CS, or something like that? Golf Network?

It's Golf Network.

[elwhippy]

Nice choke Lexi. It was in the bag. 

[Titleist_PT23]

Another big win for SE Asia!  I love seeing some of these younger players (Shibuno, Patty, Yuka) or unestablished players (Popov or Hannah Green when she won KPMG) just go out and win it!  No reason to need to lose it 5 times before you break through or be happy with the process, etc, etc.

 

Re Lexi, I'm not really sure what to say.  I've never been a fan of hers and probably specifically don't like her if you put a gun to my head, but I've also never wished for pain and suffering for these people that are in the public spotlight.  I am glad that she signed for the fans and did complete a USGA interview.  Pissed, heart-broken or whatever, I believe these players have an obligation to speak to the media no matter how bad they blow it.  Had she won, there would have been a 30-45 minute press conference all about how great she is.

 

Regardless of whether I like or don't like Lexi, I think this was a blow for American women's golf.  If you go back to 2014 when she won the ANA and Wie won the USWO, one may have thought the U.S. had two mega stars to ride forward for the next 5-10 years.  Instead, the U.S. has got major wins from Mo Martin, Brittany Lincicome, Brittany Lang, Danelle Kang, and Angela Stanford.  Congrats to all of them and maybe Kang will do more but there is no superstar here (yet) and one of their best couldn't close it out at a historic course in the national championship.  If you believe America need a star for the LPGA to really really grow, well keep waiting...

[pmcuk]

I just don't "get" Lexi at all. She has a really strong winning record - 11 wins and one major. And yet she has a really clunky swing and a short game full of holes. When you watch her putting you'd think she has no natural aptitude for golf, and is basically a very fit athlete who can put a good hit on a ball. But if she has no natural aptitude for golf, how come she was already competing in the US Open at age 12? I just don't get it. 

 

Is it relevant that she was a bit of a hot-house plant, mostly home-schooled? She's always struck me as a bit "different" from all the Asians with their text-book swings. More of a Carlota Ciganda - unique in her way. 

 

 

.

Edited June 7, 2021 by pmcuk

[Titleist_PT23]

2 hours ago, KBong said:

“Yeah, of course it’s tough,” she said. “I really didn’t feel like I hit any bad golf shots. That’s what this golf course can do to you, and that’s what I’ve said all week.”

 

This what Lexi said in the article.
WTH....man is Lexi delusional....she hit more than her fair share of BAD shots and putts to lose her 5 shot lead.

 

I also have golf friends who say the same thing time and time again after bad shots...it's so hilarious.

Maybe she didn't make a "bad swing" but no doubt she hit TONS of "bad golf shots."  There is not even the excuse to say "I got beat (by someone that did something crazy)."  

 

I've long wondered whether how the U.S. crowns these young stars as above god before they've actually done anything is holding them back? They have good money, are pampered, and probably above the rules in some cases.  In contrast, take kids from some of these dirt poor countries (or countries that instill more discipline in kids) and I can guarantee you the only outcomes are succeed or fail.  No one cares about anything other than the result.  If in Lexi's shoes right now, many of them would have no issue owning up to the plain fact that they "blew it big time."

[Titleist_PT23]

15 minutes ago, pmcuk said:

I just don't "get" Lexi at all. She has a really strong winning record - 11 wins and one major. And yet she has a really clunky swing and a short game full of holes. When you watch her putting you'd think she has no natural aptitude for golf, and is basically a very fit athlete who can put a good hit on a ball. But if she has no natural aptitude for golf, how come she was already competing in the US Open at age 12? I just don't get it. 

 

Is it relevant that she was a bit of a hot-house plant, mostly home-schooled? She's always struck me as a bit "different" from all the Asians with their text-book swings. More of a Carlota Ciganda - unique in her way. 

IMO, she's one of the most naturally talented players we've seen in recent times.  The fact that she can keep a ball on the planet with her swing is amazing (she's falling over half the time?).  To me, she's one of the really really good players that never works on their weakness though. When on, she can still dominate a tournament or a few weeks stretch.  But eventually the holes in her game keep her from reaching the next level.

[mjbfyb]

Did anyone else notice that Lexi added weights to her putter after round 2? I wonder what her reasoning was. 

[pmcuk]

I just watched the last round on YT. First time I've really had a look at Yuka Saso. Does anyone else think her facial expressions look like Tiger Woods? That cool concentration and penetrating stare. 

[Rustbelt]

Branded Chamblee on TGC had an interesting comments on Lexi Thompson's first hole putt attempt.  “Her putt on the first hole, she missed the center of the putter by a half an inch,” the Golf Channel analyst said. “I’ve never seen a professional golfer miss the center of the putter by a wider margin than that.” Like him or not, he does not sugar coat anything. 

[north_east_pro]

5 hours ago, mjbfyb said:

Did anyone else notice that Lexi added weights to her putter after round 2? I wonder what her reasoning was. 

 

At the start of the week Lexi probably thought the  green speeds were going to be very quick. The inclement weather on the first two days would have slowed them down enough for the game plan with her putter not work as well as she thought. Her putter without weights installed would have had a head weight of 330 grams and at 34 inches would have meant it would quite light in her hands.

 

Since she doesn't have the best stroke and her contact point is more than often out of the toe she'd need to add mass back into those weight ports to ensure she gets a sensation of a more solid strike but also to make sure the putter is more balanced which clearly worked to shoot that 3rd round of 66.

 

Shame she couldn't hang on for the win.

Edited June 7, 2021 by north_east_pro

[Yuck]

9 hours ago, Cwebb said:

 

Wrong club.  She hit it clean.  SHe even said she was "staring it down" as if was going to be close to the hole.

 

I watched the one on 18 again, a couple times close.  She hit that one good too.  So it was bad club selection on two consecutive holes to close the tournament.  Rough timing

The Dark side of sports betting has gotten into professional tennis, resulting in a recent player being arrested for match fixing.  Could the same thing happen with a caddie?  A couple bad yardages could be a mistake, or not…..

[18majors]

7 hours ago, Supermilo said:

how can she have had 2 top 10s???  retroactive? 

 

 

Yes, for sure.  Yuka was T6 at 2021 Lotte Championship.

[chillybilly]

Despite numerous years of in-person attendance at the Memorial and being a lifelong fan of the Golden Bear, the Rahm fiasco put me off watching Sunday's round although I was fascinated to see the changes at MVGC.  Nicklaus' obsession with his creation is enduring, as anyone who has watched him play MV while simultaneously scanning the course and fretting about pitchmarks, brown spots, etc. can attest.  Although he's made substantial changes to almost every hole, his quest to eliminate poa annua from the greens was part and parcel of the nuclear option of rebuilding the greens entirely.

 

Luck and timing meant the US Women's Open was this weekend as well and kudos to the local watering hole/eatery that had both events on their TVs.  It was compelling stuff and we watched it all (while expressing frequent gratitude for the lack of commercials)...until, that is, the playoff extended beyond 7 pm Eastern.  Network jumps out, Golf Channel steps in...except the YouTubeTV DVR is not smart or well-programmed enough, despite Google's billions, to adjust even when 'record all USGA events' is enabled.  Intellectually I know that the tagging of programming is done well in advance and they have no way of knowing the broadcast will run long but...come on.  Since all DVR recordings are by show, not by time window/channel, there is really no way to force the DVR to kick on to catch the ending unless one records 'Playing Lessons From A Pro' or whatever canned content might be airing at that hour.  And, of course, there is no way of knowing how long the playoff will run and therefore no way of knowing how many 30-minute shows to record even though the shows in question are merely a pretext to engage the DVR.

 

And so we missed the finish despite sitting rapt for the previous hours.  🙄🙄

 

While acknowledging cool weather conditions, the ubiquity of white trousers, ballcaps, white shoes, snug long-sleeve tops once again made it challenging, shall we say, for the casual fan to identify players at times.

 

 

Edited June 7, 2021 by chillybilly

[18majors]

 

We're approaching PGA Tour in Social Media popularity.

 

The 2021 PGA Championship thread with Phil Mickelson winning has 2,100 posts and 80,100 views; we've already reached 1,300 posts and 33,100 views and we aren't done yet.

 

Congratulations to every and each fan of LPGA tour!

[18majors]

3 hours ago, agolf1 said:

 If you believe America need a star for the LPGA to really really grow, well keep waiting...

 

Don't forget, we've Rose Zhang (B. 2003), Rachel Heck (2002) and Megha  Ganne (2004) in the wings.

[Argonne69]

10 minutes ago, chillybilly said:

Despite numerous years of in-person attendance at the Memorial and being a lifelong fan of the Golden Bear, the Rahm fiasco put me off watching Sunday's round although I was fascinated to see the changes at MVGC.  Nicklaus' obsession with his creation is enduring, as anyone who has watched him play MV while simultaneously scanning the course and fretting about pitchmarks, brown spots, etc. can attest.  Although he's made substantial changes to almost every hole, his quest to eliminate poa annua from the greens was part and parcel of the nuclear option of rebuilding the greens entirely.

 

Luck and timing meant the US Women's Open was this weekend as well and kudos to the local watering hole/eatery that had both events on their TVs.  It was compelling stuff and we watched it all (while expressing frequent gratitude for the lack of commercials)...until, that is, the playoff extended beyond 7 pm Eastern.  Network jumps out, Golf Channel steps in...except the YouTubeTV DVR is not smart or well-programmed enough, despite Google's billions, to adjust even when 'record all USGA events' is enabled.  Intellectually I know that the tagging of programming is done well in advance and they have no way of knowing the broadcast will run long but...come on.  Since all DVR recordings are by show, not by time window/channel, there is really no way to force the DVR to kick on to catch the ending unless one records 'Playing Lessons From A Pro' or whatever canned content might be airing at that hour.  And, of course, there is no way of knowing how long the playoff will run and therefore no way of knowing how many 30-minute shows to record even though the shows in question are merely a pretext to engage the DVR.

 

And so we missed the finish despite sitting rapt for the previous hours.  🙄🙄

 

While acknowledging cool weather conditions, the ubiquity of white trousers, ballcaps, white shoes, snug long-sleeve tops once again made it challenging, shall we say, for the casual fan to identify players at times.

 

 

 

I've been burned enough to know that I need to set up manual recordings on the Golf Channel any time a tournament is scheduled on NBC, or any major network. 

 

[stingerfade]

9 hours ago, FredWomble said:

No one will remember who was in the role of Paul Lawrie. This USWO will always be Thompson's van de Velde collapse, only played out over several holes, not just the 18th. That was painful to watch, worse when you could see it coming the last few holes...nothing much to say beyond epic choke job.

I think 2 whole countries disagree with you