2021 US Women's Open, June 3-6

[stingerfade]

2 hours ago, KBong said:

I think Lexi's short game crashes when it REALLY counts and the NERVES move into her hands.

 

I also have the short putt yips...too many missed short putts when I need/want them.

Yet as much as I think I'm a really lousy putter....I'm at about 33/1 putts/rd which is the norm for a 7ish capper.

 

I'm a lousy chipper....I have good practice sessions...but in REAL play...Mr. Vince SCULLY or Mr. STUBBY THE MONKEY shows up....UGH...I'm a MENTAL MIDGET.

 

Stop moving lower body on short putts. Trust me it helps and I know you’ll say “I don’t do that!!”  Trust me you do even a minor amount screws up the shorties. 

[stingerfade]

1 hour ago, pmcuk said:

 

What a ridiculous statement. I can't even start to say why it's so ridiculous. A case of a journalist creating a catchy hook just to attract attention. 

 

 

.

Borderline racist IMO. Not blatant prob wouldn’t even know it was….casual racist is the term BUT the best player won. That’s it. Celebrate play NOT nationalities. 

[AWinfortheAges]

18 hours ago, tatertot said:

I agree, the media can be brutal. But she doesn't seem to mind when they're fawning over her and making her a superstar. And without the media - and the connection they make between her and her fans - she doesn't make a very good living playing golf. When you're a pro athlete, you've got to take the good with the bad when it comes to media.

 

US women's golf media is charmin soft.

[Golf Dino]

4 hours ago, Rustbelt said:

She reminds me of a tennis player who has a big serve and forehand but cannot do much when those do not work.  

 

Meaning they move like a tree?

[Golf Dino]

4 hours ago, stingerfade said:

As stated before you can be dual citizen until age 22. Then you have to choose to be a Japanese citizen or not. Definitely more lucrative in the Japanese market for endorsements and everything but money isn‘t everything, right? 🙂

 

depends where her heart lies. She’s only 19?? Plus she speaks fluent Japanese growing up there so can handle the intense media there 

 

 

She does not speak fluent Japanese.  She could barely field a question in Japanese yesterday.    And, I do not believe that she grew up in Japan either.  Speaking to a friend of Yuka's it seems that she spent most of her time living in the Philippines playing golf at Canlubang Golf and Country Club.   

 

Anyway, here is a photo of her proudly repping the Philippines.   

 

20180800_asian-games_golf_yuka-saso-psc-pool.webp

[tacklingdummy]

1 hour ago, KBong said:

I still say mishit.

Considering how much time pros take to discuss the shot. all the info & play they have gathered in a week....it's rare on a mis-calculation on yardage vs. poor shot/swing/execution.

 

The loop is 50 years old...gotta believe he has quite a bit of experience to avoid a poor calculation or mis-jugdement on the shot at hand...especially on back to back holes.

 

Yeah, it is debatable. My opinions come from watching the video several times over. The strikes look clean to me. @17:00 and @20:50. 

 

 

 

[HMHS]

1 hour ago, Golf Dino said:

 

 

She does not speak fluent Japanese.  She could barely field a question in Japanese yesterday.    And, I do not believe that she grew up in Japan either.  Speaking to a friend of Yuka's it seems that she spent most of her time living in the Philippines playing golf at Canlubang Golf and Country Club.   

 

Anyway, here is a photo of her proudly repping the Philippines.   

 

20180800_asian-games_golf_yuka-saso-psc-pool.webp 114.68 kB · 0 downloads

yup, born in RP, lived in jpn from 4-9/10yrs old, went back to phils from 10 yrs old onwards, and the rest is history...

[KBong]

1 hour ago, stingerfade said:

Stop moving lower body on short putts. Trust me it helps and I know you’ll say “I don’t do that!!”  Trust me you do even a minor amount screws up the shorties. 

For me, I'm trying not to peak on shorter putts and avoid coming out of the putt....same with full swings.

 

[KBong]

1 hour ago, AWinfortheAges said:

 

US women's golf media is charmin soft.

I agree....women's golf media throws a lot of softballs.

[KBong]

1 hour ago, tacklingdummy said:

 

Yeah, it is debatable. My opinions come from watching the video several times over. The strikes look clean to me. @17:00 and @20:50. 

 

 

I've also had clean strikes on PW & 9 irons but with the slightest open swing & face producing straight shots  too .......only for them to come up 10-15 yards short vs. when I really compress the ball well and then ball just keeps on flying.

 

Not saying it could have been a mis-club in hindsight....but I've generally ....always for me....put the blame on myself for poor execution/swing vs. mis-clubbing when I'm out playing...and I don't take 1+ minutes deciding on club selections.

[Lobby]

We need to remember that many of these players are teenagers.   They are still kids, with nowhere near the life experiences we of grandparent age have gone thru.

Heck, even Lexi is late 20's.  

Let's not add to the mental pressure they're obviously feeling, and instead marvel at and celebrate their skills and accomplishments.

 

[KBong]

2 hours ago, Medson said:

 

• Feng Shanshan is very popular and has a global appeal. She literally would take time to sign autographs and had picture taken whenever. Even after she got into her car, a fan stopped her car in the middle of road and asked her to sign flags. She'd sign it.
•  

The last time I saw Shanshan was in 2012 & 2015....she wasn't rude....but I thought she'd be more engaging...but she wasn't .....and guy on this site said the same...actually he was more critical of her.

 

Seems like Jenny Money is more approachable nowadays....or maybe she was happy that she won $245.000 and could give all her HATERS the bird who called her a QUITTER (Vegas).

 

With the return of fans and caution at Olympic....I'm surprised fans were allowed to ask for autographs.

 

Too bad you can't fanboy at the Mediheal.

[Argonne69]

3 hours ago, tacklingdummy said:

It is possible she mishit it, but on camera she said she hit it just how she wanted to. They are the best in the world, they rarely miss 143 yard shots by 15 yards. Personally, I doubt it was mishit and it was either they misclubbed or got the yardage incorrect. This is another reason for rangefinders to be implemented to double-check yardages. The caddies are the best in the world, but players should be able to double check yardages on their own. 

 

Really? I've seen Rory hit wedges 20 yds over the flag on numerous occasions. Some players just struggle with wedges. 

 

[Argonne69]

48 minutes ago, KBong said:

I've also had clean strikes on PW & 9 irons but with the slightest open swing & face producing straight shots  too .......only for them to come up 10-15 yards short vs. when I really compress the ball well and then ball just keeps on flying.

 

Not saying it could have been a mis-club in hindsight....but I've generally ....always for me....put the blame on myself for poor execution/swing vs. mis-clubbing when I'm out playing...and I don't take 1+ minutes deciding on club selections.

 

Winds were blowing 20+ with gusts up to 30. It's very likely the wind gusted while the ball was airborne. 

 

Didn't the same thing happen to Jim Furyk? I recall him coming up short in a front bunker when he had to have a birdie putt to tie. 

 

[Argonne69]

2 hours ago, stingerfade said:

Yea that’s her real name ha

 

Shin Ae moved to New Zealand when she was nine, and changed her name to Sharon. She was a very good amateur player. I believe she competed against Lydia when Lydia was a junior. 

 

[Golf Dino]

Just now, Argonne69 said:

 

Shin Ae moved to New Zealand when she was nine, and changed her name to Sharon. She was a very good amateur player. I believe she competed against Lydia when Lydia was a junior. 

 

 

 

Are you referring to Shin Ae Ahn?  

[Argonne69]

2 minutes ago, Golf Dino said:

 

 

Are you referring to Shin Ae Ahn?  

 

Yes. 

[18majors]

There's wall to wall coverage of Yuka Saso in Japan

 

Jumbo Ozaki congratulates Yuka Saso "The result of working hard to understand that there is only effort"

[18majors]

Low key coverage in Korea

 

Jinyoung Ko and Inbee Park tied for 7th at the US Women's Open..

[KBong]

6 hours ago, Stooch said:

 

Brooke is 23 years old, I put no blame on her Dad for anything she decides.  Although I'm betting Brooke herself is as stubborn as a mule lol

Never really cared much for Dave.

[KBong]

Now that I looked at the highlight reel posted above and looked at Lexi's 2 approach shots on 17 & 18 again...ya the shot on 17 likely was a mis-club considering how far the shot came up short from the pin....likely putted it as she lost her nerves to chip it.

The really really bad shot was leaving her downhill par 18 on short considering she had to make it for the playoff.

[ChronicSlicer]

7 hours ago, MelloYello said:

 

It's also very easy for a fan to say that at this moment in time when the very last thing that happened was yesterday's US Open collapse. We can sit and act like the only thing that matters is what happened yesterday but it's not. 

 

In reality, she already validated her career with a major title. Certainly she wants to add more but everything from here on is icing on the cake. She could retire and feel proud. 

 

She knows she'll win more tournaments. She knows she'll continue to be one of the highest-ranked Americans in women's golf. The idea that she wants to re-invent herself is naive. Her game produced a lead that got her to the final group in a major on Sunday. To suggest her approach isn't effective would be wrong. Clearly, she knows what she's doing. 

 

She needs to tighten up her wedge game. That's about it. She's worked really hard on her putting in the last couple years and it shows. 

She needs help with her putter, she never ever looks confident putting at least in my opinion. Even when she is putting well she just looks scared to step up there. She know very well her putting is her nemesis out there, and maybe controlling spin on wedge shots.

[Titleist_PT23]

6 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Minus a couple of stressed-out bad putts yesterday, Lexi hasn't putted this well in quite some time. She averaged 28.3 putts over the first three days. That's 2 strokes better than her season average, which is huge. 

 

A few bad tee shots, and a few bad wedges, and it was game over. 

 

Lexi finished 3rd on the toughest course they've played this season. She managed to beat 153 other players, including the six players ranked higher than her in the World, and collected a $382,000 paycheck. She'll survive.

 

I think people are missing the nuance.  She's been a Top 10 player on tour for a decade now.  Reached #1 at a few points if I recall correctly.  Probably one of the 5 most talented players we've seen at 15 years old in the last 10 years.  But I don't think she's ever looked like Lydia at her peak or JYK's 12 month run.  

 

Will she continue to do well?  Probably.  But her record doesn't match up to the darling treatment she gets, and I think why is clear.  Unwilling to work on the things you are relatively bad at or uncomfortable doing.  People of all sorts (not just athletes) have this issue.  You try to minimize the importance of what you are bad at and tell yourself all the thigs you are good at (could be public speaking or not good at math for a nobody office worker).  She's riding her driver as far as it will take her and it came up short over the last 9 holes.

 

Just look at the American press articles.  It's all about learning and how she's got back up before.  Maybe good characteristics for life but not really what gets it done at this level in professional sports.  The Korean media would basically tell the person not to land at ICN if they chopped it up like that.

[KBong]

26 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Shin Ae moved to New Zealand when she was nine, and changed her name to Sharon. She was a very good amateur player. I believe she competed against Lydia when Lydia was a junior. 

 

Here's a great vid of Sharon.....little Lydia appears at 0:45....I'm not sure they competed much....Sharon is a bit older that Lydia...though if Sharon was still in NZ when Lydia was 12+...Sharon may have played in some same events.

 

For those of you who may not know...some old female members at the golf club in NZ where Lydia was a member as a little girl...these ladies use to complain to the club's staff that they didn't like Lydia skipping and hopping down the cart path at the club when she was playing golf....LMAO....there's a really good Youtube video when Lydia was a kid and skipping too...I just can't find it.

 

And some of you WRX old timers will remember a thread of a guy complaining that some guy brought his young daughter out...riding in a cart wacthing dad play golf....it was really really slow that day and this guy lost it when the young girl would do some cart wheels to pass the time....LMAO

 

 

[KBong]

3 minutes ago, agolf1 said:

I think people are missing the nuance.  She's been a Top 10 player on tour for a decade now.  Reached #1 at a few points if I recall correctly. 

 

Just look at the American press articles.  It's all about learning and how she's got back up before.  Maybe good characteristics for life but not really what gets it done at this level in professional sports.  The Korean media would basically tell the person not to land at ICN if they chopped it up like that.

In the coverage, I believe they said Lexi has reached #2 but never #1,

 

The Korean media can be brutal....when NYC was in a dry spell.... she got really depressed and stressed out because some in the media were calling her a LOSER. 

 

I also think the pressure from back in Taiwan also contributed to some of Yani's downward spiral.

 

I saw Yani in 2010 in Portland in 2010..she was carefree...once she started winning.... the pressure made that prior innocence ...lost forever.

[ChronicSlicer]

12 hours ago, 18majors said:

 

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!

Um, not sure it's the same thing. 100% says if Lexi Thompson wasn't involved these numbers would be much lower, most came to express how much of a disaster her performance was. Not exactly the "positive" way of "growing the game" of woman's golf.

[OrangeGravy]

16 hours 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. 

 

 

.

Because women's golf was/is still maturing. It's slightly better now, but has a long way to go. When a sport is in that maturation stage, young players come in and are instantly better than just about everyone. A couples years later those players get usurped by another set of young players. 

When Lexi was 12, the talent on tour was thinner. It's still thin enough that a lot of really  young players can keep up for the most part. I can't believe she's won as much as she has with that putting stroke. 

[Cwebb]

6 hours ago, stingerfade said:

She is the worst pitcher and chipper I’ve ever seen on a touring pro level. She just lunges at the ball with zero rhythm. 

I've never seen a high ranked tour pro, hit as many chips/pitches with their weight transferring to the back foot.  Her knees will increase their flex during the downswing with weight going into her back foot.  It's bizarre from that level of player.

 

Before the collapse, they were praising her for basically never changing anything that she naturally does, since she was a kid.  I disagree.  There's some serious issues with her game, that should have been addressed a long time ago.

 

She gets "away with it" much of the time, but it's not something that any knowledgeable player or instructor, would trust to hold up down the stretch under pressure.

Edited June 8, 2021 by Cwebb

[Titleist_PT23]

4 hours ago, KBong said:

As I've said many many times...... I've yet to see Lexi walk away from any request for autographs or a selfie.

 

Lexi has had some criticism over the years...right or wrong....Lexi will NEVER be criticized how she treats her fans.

For me...this is one of the reasons why I like to attend LPGA events....it's refreshing watching how the LPGA pros treat the fans and how they make the effort to sell the tour to the fans(customers).

 

Lexi's parents, Scott & Judy are also very nice and approachable too.

I've seen her pretty indifferent towards people at the HSBC.  Don't recall if it was a specific request for an autograph or selfie but basically walking past people that were cheering for her without even acknowledging them.  Also slamming her driver into the ground on a few hooked tee shots (one into the water).  But I'll give her a pass here.  I think she was not doing so well at the time and she was paired with SYR in Inbee so it probably wasn't her favorite round or place to be.

 

Scott Thompson seems like the kind of guy that wants the airline to hold the 777 at the gate because he's running late.  I.e. lost passport and other players clubs.  May be nice but quite self-centered and lack of thinking about the consequences for others.

[ChronicSlicer]

6 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Hyunjoo Yoo. You're welcome.

 

I wouldn't expect much tv time for Hyunjoo or Sharon though