2021 Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play (May 26 - 30)

[preiter20]

Golf Channel is just phoning in the coverage.  Subpar compared to typical LPGA coverage.

[postfold]

Shanshan sighting!

 

Looks like Amy Olson's caddie is carrying her bag this afternoon.

[postfold]

11 minutes ago, preiter20 said:

Golf Channel is just phoning in the coverage.  Subpar compared to typical LPGA coverage.

 

They definitely seem to be spread pretty thin this week covering events, though it seems like the coverage should be better than it has been so far today since there are only the few matches going on.

[Mike_Honcho]

i was gonna say that this seems very meh...

[18majors]

 

We've totally witnessed Minjee's putting issues this season throughout her match with Ariya this afternoon.

 

She must putted very well to win her last three matches decidedly; but the fundamental issue hasn't gone away.  Have the best of luck next week!

 

 

[postfold]

I get featuring the Kang-Ewing match, it has the most appeal for U.S. viewers and it's delivering.

 

I do not get how zero shots are being shown from the Shanshan-Ji match.  A few putts, zero shots.  Come on.  

 

And it's not like we're getting many shots out of Popov- Patty T either.  

 

Sad.

[18majors]

 

Both Danielle and Ally couldn't have putted better today; and either of them could've won.

 

Danielle seems to be Ally's panacea; she brought the best out of Ally the last two times they faced each other.

 

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by 18majors

[18majors]

 

Sophia Popov couldn't have putted worse than today, but she still beat Patty Tavatanakit.

 

One thing I learned about Patty from both Thailand and today, is that she's a formidable front runner but not the best grinder.

 

[ChronicSlicer]

3 minutes ago, 18majors said:

 

Sophia Popov couldn't have putted worse than today, but she still beat Patty Tavatanakit.

 

One thing I learned about Patty from both Thailand and today, is that she's a formidable front runner but not the best grinder.

 

The few shots they showed of Patty, it looked like she just gave up..

[18majors]

Just now, ChronicSlicer said:

The few shots they showed of Patty, it looked like she just gave up..

 

 

Unfortunately, but you're right.

[subrew]

40 minutes ago, postfold said:

I get featuring the Kang-Ewing match, it has the most appeal for U.S. viewers and it's delivering.

 

I do not get how zero shots are being shown from the Shanshan-Ji match.  A few putts, zero shots.  Come on.  

 

And it's not like we're getting many shots out of Popov- Patty T either.  

 

Sad.

 

This was the worst coverage of any golf event I've ever watched.  By the time they finished up with their Kang/Ewing coverage, Sophia and Patty had already finished up.  And now it's five more minutes of Kang, instead of showing the only two women actually playing on the course.

[Golf Dino]

4 hours ago, 18majors said:

 

 

Agreed, Popov has games.

 

I noticed her in 2016-2018 when she played her occasional LPGA events, but she didn't deliver at that time.  She's a tremendous short game and is a good ball striker.

 

 

 

 

There were a couple of events where she was heading into the weekend and even into a Sunday as the leader, but as @Argonne69 pointed out, she was done in by a "bad" round.    So, we knew she had some game, but seemed like she couldn't close the deal ... and her confidence "fell off" ...

[Golf Dino]

29 minutes ago, 18majors said:

 

Sophia Popov couldn't have putted worse than today, but she still beat Patty Tavatanakit.

 

One thing I learned about Patty from both Thailand and today, is that she's a formidable front runner but not the best grinder.

 

 

Don't forget, she's still learning how to play ... and she will learn how to grind.  But one thing for sure ... match play is rarely forgiving if you're having a bad day at the "office".  

[18majors]

1 minute ago, Golf Dino said:

 

Don't forget, she's still learning how to play ... and she will learn how to grind.  But one thing for sure ... match play is rarely forgiving if you're having a bad day at the "office".  

 

Yes, time is on Patty's side.

[dcmidnight]

29 minutes ago, subrew said:

 

This was the worst coverage of any golf event I've ever watched.  By the time they finished up with their Kang/Ewing coverage, Sophia and Patty had already finished up.  And now it's five more minutes of Kang, instead of showing the only two women actually playing on the course.

 

It was absolutely pathetic. One one hole, 15 or 16, they showed the tee shots of Popov/Patty T. They then broke away for 10+ minutes, came back to show Patty T putting for par to win the hole. Miss, make for bogey...then...nothing. No explanation AT ALL of what transpired on the hole.

 

Cripes its not like there were 32 matches going on out there.

[Stooch]

4 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Yeah, I can't figure it out. Seems world rankings go out the window when it comes to match play. On paper it should be no competition, but they find a way to win. 

 

 

Over the course of 4 days (rounds). I think if you take the 80th player in the world and put them up against the #1 and took the 80th player best round and the #1 players worst, most times the 80th player would win.  I guess on 18 holes of match play, you don't have the other 54 more to make it right. lol

[ChronicSlicer]

Shanshan from down town..

[postfold]

Shanshan is just amazing.  She had to be dead tired, walking 40+ holes in the desert.   And yet she's still smiling, talking away, making everyone laugh.

 

And, oh yeah, making a monster putt to win.  

 

So if I understood it right the back nine of the morning matches will be streamed, then they'll broadcast the championship match?  

[Argonne69]

Well, that's match play for you. 'Not quite what I expected, but compelling golf nonetheless. Well, at least most of what we saw.

 

Amazing that a player who won four straight matches, and only trailed for two holes in four and a half matches was sent packing. Danielle looked unstoppable, but a few small mistakes was all it took. Yow. Ally looked solid in her win. It wasn't just handed to her.

 

Minjee's putter showed up again. Oy. I thought Ariya was going to collapse. 'Hope she gets a good night sleep, or she's not going to make it through the morning round tomorrow.

 

Sophia continues to impress. Unfortunately we didn't get to see a whole lot of the match. Pffftttt.

 

I totally agree that the coverage is substandard. During a stroke play contest the winner typically comes out of the final two groups, so two cameras is usually sufficient. If one player gets hot in a forward group they can send a camera ahead. Can't do that with four equally important matches going on at the same time. I hope they figure this out by next year.

 

[iBanesto]

2 hours ago, postfold said:

Shanshan is just amazing.  She had to be dead tired, walking 40+ holes in the desert.   And yet she's still smiling, talking away, making everyone laugh.

 

And, oh yeah, making a monster putt to win.  

 

So if I understood it right the back nine of the morning matches will be streamed, then they'll broadcast the championship match?  

 

Feng is like a wiry veteran at your club.

 

Unassuming and just shoots the light out on the course.

 

Love it.

[grm24]

Go Ariya! Keep crushing people.

[Golf Dino]

5 hours ago, Stooch said:

 

Over the course of 4 days (rounds). I think if you take the 80th player in the world and put them up against the #1 and took the 80th player best round and the #1 players worst, most times the 80th player would win.  I guess on 18 holes of match play, you don't have the other 54 more to make it right. lol

 

Exactly.  Four rounds of medal play really does allow the best players that week to rise to the top.   It's essentially an abbreviated "law of averages".  

[Golf Dino]

4 hours ago, postfold said:

Shanshan is just amazing.  She had to be dead tired, walking 40+ holes in the desert.   And yet she's still smiling, talking away, making everyone laugh.

 

And, oh yeah, making a monster putt to win.  

 

So if I understood it right the back nine of the morning matches will be streamed, then they'll broadcast the championship match?  

 

 

 

Nah, like she said at the ANA Inspiration about her long time away from Golf because of the lockdowns and travel advisories ...  " I feel young again ... maybe not 18 but more like 25"!!!  😂

[KBong]

7 hours ago, postfold said:

I get featuring the Kang-Ewing match, it has the most appeal for U.S. viewers and it's delivering.

 

I do not get how zero shots are being shown from the Shanshan-Ji match.  A few putts, zero shots.  Come on.  

 

And it's not like we're getting many shots out of Popov- Patty T either.  

 

Sad.

Agree...that was GARBAGE that we received few shots from the other 2 matches....just a couple of putts...WTH.

[KBong]

Not that many people watch the LPGA...but the ratings are gonna drop like stone with the final 4....lol.

 

Patty....UGH....come on....the few shots we saw....looked like she was just airmailing it in.

I don't care for Popov.

Go Shanshan!

If Mercer is still sick....I like Amy Olson's loop for Shanshan to keep things light hearted.

If Shanshan does advance to the finals...I think she might run out of gas (fatigue) on the back 9 in the finals.

 

Ewing looked pretty solid this afternoon.

Edited May 30, 2021 by KBong

[KBong]

5 hours ago, postfold said:

Shanshan is just amazing.  She had to be dead tired, walking 40+ holes in the desert.   And yet she's still smiling, talking away, making everyone laugh.

 

And, oh yeah, making a monster putt to win.  

 

Shanshan knows when the cameras are around and hambones it.

Not that she's rude or anything but when I saw her in 2012 & 2015..... I thought she'd be more engaging with the galleries based on what we see on TV.

 

Although it was 6 years ago.....I watched Shanshan play 2 holes....it didn't take long for me to notice she plays with confidence and doesn't over think things too much....I think she rolls with the punches well.

I could see her confidence with the driver too....on a tight tree lined hole where many other pros were hitting a 3W....Shanshan pulled out her driver w/o hesitation.

 

It's crazy to see non-athletic looking pros like Shanshan and Inbee compete well on the LPGA.

Another thing they don't do is constantly change loops.

Mercer and Brad are long time loops for both.

[KBong]

4 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

I thought Ariya was going to collapse. 'Hope she gets a good night sleep, or she's not going to make it through the morning round tomorrow.

 

Ariya should of put away Minjee a lot sooner.

 

Then in her interview we found out that she was tired and likely dehydrated.

Maybe I'm wrong....did a relative or friend pass away recently back in Thailand.

 

That was in poor form for Ariya to walk ahead and not watch Minjee putt to potentially tell her to pick up her putt.

Hopefully Pete Godfrey tells her that's bad etiquette...especially in match play. 

[KBong]

We have not seen Lydia play match play as a pro....or at least I can't remember.

Some of the chips and pitches are very tricky this week...especially if short sided above the hole.

Lydia has some good touch...so that would have been nice to watch this week.

[dcmidnight]

I know it can sound strange talking about pros who are used to all sorts of playing conditions but playing in Vegas can get you pretty good if you don't stay overly hydrated. If you start to get to the point where you can feel the symptoms - its too late at that point, you cant just drink more. It's not only extremely dry out there but the altitude is probably around 2500 feet where they are. It's not nothing. Not saying that is what happened here but it's definitely gotten me before.

 

I hope we get some more shots of 18 today though, had to be one of the best looking holes out there. Strange to be a par 5 given the yardage - probably playing around 475 or so factoring in the altitude, plus a real downhill landing area in the fairway.

 

Looks like a million bucks though.

 

 

[golf1010]

Why can’t I watch the semi final ?

no streaming of it anywhere? 
Is this correct? 
what a waste