2021 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship (Sep 24 - 26)

[Lobby]

Good luck to all the mommas playing this weekend. Nice to hear all the support for the working moms!

[Argonne69]

I'm going with Anna this week. After a month's rest, she should be recharged after her major win. She finished 2nd here last year.

 

Austin earned her 2nd career victory here last year after a dry spell of 6 years. My dark horse pick to win her 2nd tournament is Jenny Shin. Her only win came 5 years ago at the VoA. She finished T5 here last year.

 

[North Texas]

11 hours ago, Lobby said:

Good luck to all the mommas playing this weekend. Nice to hear all the support for the working moms!

 

Hear, hear. I wouldn't be here without my Mom!

[18majors]

 

KLPGA will have its biggest purse ($1.5 Billion Won) of the year next week, Hana Financial Group Championship.  Hana's endorsees Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee, Yealimi Noh and Atthaya Thitikul will all be in attendance.

 

Since Lydia, Minjee and Yealimi are here this week and will play Cognizant Founders Cup the week after; they'll spend plenty of quality time together at Hana's private jets.

 

I assume caddies will enjoy the free rides also; can't complain, right!

 

Lee Min-jee, Lydia Ko, and Noh Yealimi to participate in KLPGA Tour Hana Financial Championship

 

 

Edited September 23, 2021 by 18majors

[KBong]

2 hours ago, 18majors said:

Since Lydia, Minjee and Yealimi are here this week and will play Cognizant Founders Cup the week after; they'll spend plenty of quality time together at Hana's private jets.

 

My only hope is that Tina doesn't get caught abusing the flight attendants and asking them to kneel for forgiveness when they serve her some nuts in a bag instead of on a plate.

 

Lydia will have lots of explaining to do why mom is taking a DEEP BOW at Incheon airport in front of the public and media.

 

I've met and chatted with Tina a few times....I'll admit I was a bit scared.🤣

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nut_rage_incident

 

 

[Golf Dino]

5 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

I'm going with Anna this week. After a month's rest, she should be recharged after her major win. She finished 2nd here last year.

 

Austin earned her 2nd career victory here last year after a dry spell of 6 years. My dark horse pick to win her 2nd tournament is Jenny Shin. Her only win came 5 years ago at the VoA. She finished T5 here last year.

 

 

 

I  think she would be a popular winner among much of the rest of the field.

[ChronicSlicer]

Feeling like a Minjee type of week. Caroline Masson for dark horse. Hoping to see Su, Esther and Pajaree inside the top 15.

[ChronicSlicer]

On 9/21/2021 at 1:43 PM, MagicClassic407 said:

Happy to see Nicole Broch Estrup in the lineup. Apparently she got married in July. Kasper Estrup is also a pro golfer and the pair have a daughter together. I had no idea she was also a member of the 'mama brigade' on the LPGA. I'm always rooting for that crowd. 👣

When did Nicole have a baby?

[Raving Shanker]

On 9/23/2021 at 7:06 AM, 18majors said:

 

There're a million reasons why Hyo Joo Kim is scheduled to come back to play LPGA next week.  She skipped AIG Women's $5.8 million purse, but a million dollars is still tempting enough.

 

 

It might be a million reasons NOT to play, which could have been the Ciganda strategy in 2019. Carlota was a late withdrawal from the final Aon Risk-Reward qualifier. Did she bank on maintaining her lead? This would be the Aon Risk-Reward concept working on a meta-level.

[KBong]

On 9/22/2021 at 2:36 PM, 18majors said:

 

There're a million reasons why Hyo Joo Kim is scheduled to come back to play LPGA next week.  She skipped AIG Women's $5.8 million purse, but a million dollars is still tempting enough.

 

 

 

This AON thing is stupid....just fork out another $2.5M...purse & infrastructure build and finance a new event.

 

BUT

The stupidest "Bonus" is that PGA $40M Play Impact Fund...WTH....Garbage nonsense. 

[KBong]

3 hours ago, ChronicSlicer said:

Feeling like a Minjee type of week. Caroline Masson for dark horse. Hoping to see Su, Esther and Pajaree inside the top 15.

Hmmm...so if Su trunk slams...we'll BLAME you...just sayin.

 

I say Minjee comes back rusty.

[Argonne69]

Interesting leaderboard. Not surprised to see Pajaree or Eun Hee up there, but the others don't contend on a regular basis. 

 

Maria has a nice round going. Can she keep it up? 

 

On the opposite end, what is with Bianca? +5 today? 

 

[HMHS]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Interesting leaderboard. Not surprised to see Pajaree or Eun Hee up there, but the others don't contend on a regular basis. 

 

Maria has a nice round going. Can she keep it up? 

 

On the opposite end, what is with Bianca? +5 today? 

 

I have no clue... she's heading to qschool pretty much at this point, even if she's the last on the entry list for shoprite next week... sheesh smh

Edited September 24, 2021 by HMHS

[Golf Dino]

1 hour ago, Supermilo said:

I have no clue... she's heading to qschool pretty much at this point, even if she's the last on the entry list for shoprite next week... sheesh smh

 

Bianca:   

 

12 of 18 GIR with 33 putts is a dangerous combination for a professional player.  Then toss in her 0/2 greenside sand saves and thats where her +5 came from.   That has been her nemesis all season long ... so, it seems that she should be focusing on improving her iron & wedge game along with her putting . . . a missed green and you might recover to make par ... a missed putt is a stroke lost for good.

[HMHS]

1 hour ago, Golf Dino said:

 

Bianca:   

 

12 of 18 GIR with 33 putts is a dangerous combination for a professional player.  Then toss in her 0/2 greenside sand saves and thats where her +5 came from.   That has been her nemesis all season long ... so, it seems that she should be focusing on improving her iron & wedge game along with her putting . . . a missed green and you might recover to make par ... a missed putt is a stroke lost for good.

Her iron play has been the most problematic in the past, now she's missing putts too...  Bottom line: if her GIR stats dont improve, she can't be competitive. 

 

Putting comes and goes for her. It's the iron play that is her Waterloo. It  was dialled in PGA championship and lake oconee, but otherwise, it's been iffy, at best... Her putting has deteriorated the past few events, that I have no idea why - she did use a new prototype putter but I'm sure that doesn't explain the whole story. Either way, I'm sure she knows the need to step up, lest she steps down to symetra next year... Not the end of the world but certainly would be a tougher grind that can spiral into oblivion...

Edited September 25, 2021 by HMHS

[fredogolfer]

Just got back after a 3.5 hour drive there yesterday and a 3.5 hour drive back. I left all my toiletries at home because I was transferring them to a smaller bag since I was only going a day and never transferred them. Got most of what I needed at Walmart but did not have my glasses or contacts which are disposable dailies. I am about +8.50 in each eye so yeah I’m useless without them. I put them in some lense solution and they seemed to work but my eyes are so dry and irritated. 
 

Just some observations about the area. Even though this is a smaller metro, there is lots of money. Driving around, every imaginable brand in the world has an office here. Of course that’s due to WalMart being in the area and some of the requirements they have for companies that do business with them. Lots of expensive cars. 
 

The course is kind of meh but all the holes are packed in tightly so it makes getting around somewhat east except for the hills. The course has some quirks, 13 and 14 green being next to each other, 15 and 16 tees both elevated off the same hill etc. This course was obviously never intended to host an event as the roping was really misleading and there are parts where the cart path can’t be used due to interfering with play so spectators have to walk on grass in areas that probably never have people walking there.

 

Some of the houses surrounding the course are charming but some are really tacky. Tacky as in a 30 person dinner table out on the patio, chimney bases as big as houses etc. The pro shop is pretty disappointing too and there was little to no Pinnacle CC branded shirts or merchandise.
 

I followed Ingee Chun, NYC and Esther Henseleit in the morning.  Esther could have been 2-4 more shots under had some putts not lipped. She read really well. 
 

Ingee is sweet but as fidgety as ever. Plane flies over she stands off, roar from a far away hole, interrupts he stance. It reminds me a lot tennis player Mary Pierce who for a long time had to adjust her pony tail, check her contacts, wipe her brow, between each point. 
 

Also by no means,  Ingee’s fault but the amount of older  men who follow her like drooling fanboys is disgusting. Ingee was wearing a sweater and tear away pants because it was chilly. As the round progressed it warmed up at one point after finishing on the green, Ingee began tearing away her pants and everyone just stares at her drooling. Sweater comes off to reveal a sleeveless top more drooling. There was a man on the course with a flying dumbo hat who was walking by himself most of the round lo and behold at the 9th hole his wife and kids catch up to him and she scolds her husband for leaving them behind and asks him not to do it again. More than once, the wife and kids had to be told to stay still or move out of the way. I don’t think they had been to an event before so they weren’t sure about etiquette but there is something disturbing about a married man with two children dragging his wife around so he can drool. 
 

NYC is just that degree or two off from being the NYC of old, a few wayward drives and shots kept her from having a better round. She did have behavior to indicate she is happy in her personal life.  
 

There were few people on the course in the morning but I saw an older woman walking around the course with a young girl in a push chair. I figured it was just a resident walking with a granddaughter, well Brittany Lincicome walks by on her way to the green on the 4th hole and the little girl says mommy, Brittany stops and says here baby, I got you snacks and gives the girl a banana and some cookies.  Obviously Brittany’s mom. Very cool to see that. Brittany has lost quite a bit of weight over the years. 
 

Again, I am tired and have more observations  and will maybe post them later but I think I may have witnessed cheating or I don’t understand how a provisional shot is supposed to work. I will not reveal the name of the player since it may be my misunderstanding of the rules.

 

The player teed off and the drive goes way, way left almost into the practice range. The player hits a provisional that goes left but not quite as far.  The group has a hard time finding the ball. The player that teed off says she found her 1st ball but the couple of people who are following the group know that was not the original ball. If it was it would have been much further left. Someone brings it to the Marshall’s attention and the Marshall says I didn’t even see her hit a second ( she did!!). I say to the Marshall she did hit 2 shots and try explaining but she walks away. The player ended up making par but had the original ball really been played a double would have been generous. 

 

So , this is cheating right? if the provisional was played as the original shot?
 

Finally, Yuka Saso, Patty Tavatanakit and Minjee Lee have 10 people following their group. Brooke Henderson, Gaby Lopez and Lexi Thompson have 300+. Obviously perception is sometimes reality.
 

 

Edited September 25, 2021 by fredogolfer

[Raving Shanker]

7 minutes ago, fredogolfer said:

Just got back after a 3.5 hour drive there yesterday and a 3.5 hour drive back. I left all my toiletries at home because I was transferring them to a smaller bag since I was only going a day and never transferred them. Got most of what I needed at Walmart but did not have my glasses or contacts which are disposable dailies. I am about +8.50 in each eye so yeah I’m useless without them. I put them in some lense solution and they seemed to work but my eyes are so dry and irritated. 
 

Just some observations about the area. Even though this is a smaller metro, there is lots of money. Driving around, every imaginable brand in the world has an office here. Of course that’s due to WalMart being in the area and some of the requirements they have for companies that do business with them. Lots of expensive cars. 
 

The course is kind of meh but all the holes are packed in tightly so it makes getting around somewhat east except for the hills. The course has some quirks, 13 and 14 green being next to each other, 15 and 16 tees both elevated off the same hill etc. This course was obviously never intended to host an event as the roping was really misleading and there are parts where the cart path can’t be used due to interfering with play so spectators have to walk on grass.

 

Some of the houses surrounding the course are charming but some are really tacky. Tacky as in a 30 person dinner table out on the patio, chimney bases as big as houses etc. The pro shop is pretty disappointing too and there was little to no Pinnacle CC branded shirts or merchandise.
 

I followed Ingee Chun, NYC and Esther Henseleit in the morning.  Esther could have been 2-4 more shots under had some putts not lipped. She read really well. 
 

Ingee is sweet but as fidgety as ever. Plane flies over she stands off, roar from a far away hole, interrupts he stance. It reminds me a lot tennis player Mary Pierce who for a long time had to adjust her pony tail, check her contacts, wipe her brow, between each point. 
 

Also by no means,  Ingee’s fault but the amount of older  men who follow her like drooling fanboys is disgusting. Ingee was wearing a sweater and tear away pants because it was chilly. As the round progressed it warmed up at one point after finishing on the green, Ingee began tearing away her pants and everyone just stares at her drooling. Sweater comes off to reveal a sleeveless top more drooling. There was a man on the course with a flying dumbo hat who was walking by himself most of the round lo and behold at the 9th hole his wife and kids catch up to him and she scolds her husband for leaving them behind and asks him not to do it again. More than once, the wife and kids had to be told to stay still or move out of the way. I don’t think they had been to an event before so they weren’t sure about etiquette but there is something disturbing about a married man with two children dragging his wife around so he can drool. 
 

NYC is just that degree or two off from being the NYC of old, a few wayward drives and shots kept her from having a better round. She did have behavior to indicate she is happy in her personal life.  
 

There were few people on the course in the morning but I saw an older woman walking around the course with a young girl in a push chair. I figured it was just a resident walking with a granddaughter, well Brittany Lincicome walks by on her way to the green on the 4th hole and the little girl says mommy, Brittany stops and says here baby, I got you snacks and gives the girl a banana and some cookies.  Obviously Brittany’s mom. Very cool to see that. Brittany has lost quite a bit of weight over the years. 
 

Again, I am tired and have more observations  and will maybe post them later but I think I may have witnessed cheating or I don’t understand how a provisional shot is supposed to work. I will not reveal the name of the player since it may be my misunderstanding of the rules.

 

The player teed off and the drive goes way, way left almost into the practice range. The player hits a provisional that goes left but not quite as far.  The group has a hard time finding the ball. The player that teed off says she found her 1st ball but the couple of people who are following the group know that was not the original ball. If it was it would have been much further left. Someone brings it to the Marshall’s attention and the Marshall says I didn’t even see her hit a second ( she did!!). I say to the Marshall she did hit 2 shots and try explaining but she walks away. The player ended up making par but had the original ball really been played a double would have been generous. 

 

So , this is cheating right? if the provisional was played as the original shot?
 

Finally, Yuka Saso, Patty Tavatanakit and Minjee Lee have 10 people following their group. Brooke Henderson, Gaby Lopez and Lexi Thompson have 300+. Obviously perception is sometimes reality.
 

 

It seems YOU have the issue with In Gee and her fans. Nothing you said about her and her fans was substantive in any way, just a projection of your own issues! In Gee is a pretty good player too, if you want to consider that.

[fredogolfer]

19 minutes ago, Raving Shanker said:

It seems YOU have the issue with In Gee and her fans. Nothing you said about her and her fans was substantive in any way, just a projection of your own issues! In Gee is a pretty good player too, if you want to consider that.

A projection of my own issues? I would say it's just an observation. It seems you have anger issues to attack someone for simply stating observations which at the end of the day are just that, observations not judgements, sentences or decrees of value.  Ingee is one of my favorite players. All the best to you!

[mallrat]

Being an outsider and knowing nowhere near as much as some on here about the Ladies (don’t mean that negatively at all). In Gee really seems to have taken to life in America, is that true? Just an observation.

[fredogolfer]

1 minute ago, mallrat said:

Being an outsider and knowing nowhere near as much as some on here about the Ladies (don’t mean that negatively at all). In Gee really seems to have taken to life in America, is that true? Just an observation.

 

I would say so. She lives in Texas and does a lot of charity work around Bethlehem, PA where she won the USWO. 

[KBong]

4 hours ago, fredogolfer said:

 

I would say so. She lives in Texas and does a lot of charity work around Bethlehem, PA where she won the USWO. 

Dumbo won her 2015 USWO at Lancaster CC and In Gee does a lot of charity work with the locals in and around Lancaster, PA.

[KBong]

My recording cut short...how did Lydia double 18?

Driver into the water?...then continued to gag?

 

Lydia was lousy off the tee again in the TV coverage.

 

One can only imagine how great Lydia could be if she was better off the tee with more strength & length to her game to hit 2-3 less clubs into the greens for better proximity to the hole to increase birdie conversions...her short game/sand play, etc is pretty immaculate.

[KBong]

10 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

On the opposite end, what is with Bianca? 

 

One word.

POSER🤣

[KBong]

4 hours ago, fredogolfer said:

Also by no means,  Ingee’s fault but the amount of older  men who follow her like drooling fanboys is disgusting.

 

.....and everyone just stares at her drooling. 
 

[grm24]

Aditi Ashok finally breaks 71 on the LPGA Tour for the first time in an individual round since the start of July at the VOA and only for the 2nd time since April. Per some of the esteemed astute LPGA experts here wasn't her 4th place Olympic finish going to propel her to new heights on the LPGA Tour?

[grm24]

15 minutes ago, KBong said:

One can only imagine how great Lydia could be if she was better off the tee with more strength & length to her game to hit 2-3 less clubs into the greens for better proximity to the hole to increase birdie conversions...her short game/sand play, etc is pretty immaculate.

The same thing easily be said for Inbee Park. One of the greatest female golfers of all time but can barely hit her tee shots out of her own shadow. Inbee is shorter off the tee than Lydia.

[fredogolfer]

2 hours ago, KBong said:

Dumbo won her 2015 USWO at Lancaster CC and In Gee does a lot of charity work with the locals in and around Lancaster, PA.

My bad have no idea why I put Bethlehem lol. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[Argonne69]

9 hours ago, fredogolfer said:

 

Again, I am tired and have more observations  and will maybe post them later but I think I may have witnessed cheating or I don’t understand how a provisional shot is supposed to work. I will not reveal the name of the player since it may be my misunderstanding of the rules.

 

The player teed off and the drive goes way, way left almost into the practice range. The player hits a provisional that goes left but not quite as far.  The group has a hard time finding the ball. The player that teed off says she found her 1st ball but the couple of people who are following the group know that was not the original ball. If it was it would have been much further left. Someone brings it to the Marshall’s attention and the Marshall says I didn’t even see her hit a second ( she did!!). I say to the Marshall she did hit 2 shots and try explaining but she walks away. The player ended up making par but had the original ball really been played a double would have been generous. 

 

So , this is cheating right? if the provisional was played as the original shot?
 

 

Yes, it would certainly be a violation of the rules if the provisional was played as the original ball. A provisional should have a different marking on it. Did the player show the ball to her playing partners on the teebox? They should be aware of the difference between the two balls. Did the player locate the provisional, and pick it up?

 

It's always possible that the first ball clipped a tree, and wound up closer to the fairway than the original trajectory would have suggested. However, the only way to know for sure is to identify the balls using the markings. 

[Argonne69]

4 hours ago, grm24 said:

Aditi Ashok finally breaks 71 on the LPGA Tour for the first time in an individual round since the start of July at the VOA and only for the 2nd time since April. Per some of the esteemed astute LPGA experts here wasn't her 4th place Olympic finish going to propel her to new heights on the LPGA Tour?

 

She's ranked 159th in driving distance (237 yds), and 154th in greens in regulation (60%). While there have been short hitters that have had success, it's very difficult. The GIR stat is more troubling than the driving average. Inbee ranks 153 in driving distance, but still manages 71% of her greens (46th).

 

[HMHS]

11 hours ago, fredogolfer said:

Just got back after a 3.5 hour drive there yesterday and a 3.5 hour drive back. I left all my toiletries at home because I was transferring them to a smaller bag since I was only going a day and never transferred them. Got most of what I needed at Walmart but did not have my glasses or contacts which are disposable dailies. I am about +8.50 in each eye so yeah I’m useless without them. I put them in some lense solution and they seemed to work but my eyes are so dry and irritated. 
 

Just some observations about the area. Even though this is a smaller metro, there is lots of money. Driving around, every imaginable brand in the world has an office here. Of course that’s due to WalMart being in the area and some of the requirements they have for companies that do business with them. Lots of expensive cars. 
 

The course is kind of meh but all the holes are packed in tightly so it makes getting around somewhat east except for the hills. The course has some quirks, 13 and 14 green being next to each other, 15 and 16 tees both elevated off the same hill etc. This course was obviously never intended to host an event as the roping was really misleading and there are parts where the cart path can’t be used due to interfering with play so spectators have to walk on grass in areas that probably never have people walking there.

 

Some of the houses surrounding the course are charming but some are really tacky. Tacky as in a 30 person dinner table out on the patio, chimney bases as big as houses etc. The pro shop is pretty disappointing too and there was little to no Pinnacle CC branded shirts or merchandise.
 

I followed Ingee Chun, NYC and Esther Henseleit in the morning.  Esther could have been 2-4 more shots under had some putts not lipped. She read really well. 
 

Ingee is sweet but as fidgety as ever. Plane flies over she stands off, roar from a far away hole, interrupts he stance. It reminds me a lot tennis player Mary Pierce who for a long time had to adjust her pony tail, check her contacts, wipe her brow, between each point. 
 

Also by no means,  Ingee’s fault but the amount of older  men who follow her like drooling fanboys is disgusting. Ingee was wearing a sweater and tear away pants because it was chilly. As the round progressed it warmed up at one point after finishing on the green, Ingee began tearing away her pants and everyone just stares at her drooling. Sweater comes off to reveal a sleeveless top more drooling. There was a man on the course with a flying dumbo hat who was walking by himself most of the round lo and behold at the 9th hole his wife and kids catch up to him and she scolds her husband for leaving them behind and asks him not to do it again. More than once, the wife and kids had to be told to stay still or move out of the way. I don’t think they had been to an event before so they weren’t sure about etiquette but there is something disturbing about a married man with two children dragging his wife around so he can drool. 
 

NYC is just that degree or two off from being the NYC of old, a few wayward drives and shots kept her from having a better round. She did have behavior to indicate she is happy in her personal life.  
 

There were few people on the course in the morning but I saw an older woman walking around the course with a young girl in a push chair. I figured it was just a resident walking with a granddaughter, well Brittany Lincicome walks by on her way to the green on the 4th hole and the little girl says mommy, Brittany stops and says here baby, I got you snacks and gives the girl a banana and some cookies.  Obviously Brittany’s mom. Very cool to see that. Brittany has lost quite a bit of weight over the years. 
 

Again, I am tired and have more observations  and will maybe post them later but I think I may have witnessed cheating or I don’t understand how a provisional shot is supposed to work. I will not reveal the name of the player since it may be my misunderstanding of the rules.

 

The player teed off and the drive goes way, way left almost into the practice range. The player hits a provisional that goes left but not quite as far.  The group has a hard time finding the ball. The player that teed off says she found her 1st ball but the couple of people who are following the group know that was not the original ball. If it was it would have been much further left. Someone brings it to the Marshall’s attention and the Marshall says I didn’t even see her hit a second ( she did!!). I say to the Marshall she did hit 2 shots and try explaining but she walks away. The player ended up making par but had the original ball really been played a double would have been generous. 

 

So , this is cheating right? if the provisional was played as the original shot?
 

Finally, Yuka Saso, Patty Tavatanakit and Minjee Lee have 10 people following their group. Brooke Henderson, Gaby Lopez and Lexi Thompson have 300+. Obviously perception is sometimes reality.
 

 

I know 2 of the 10 people here (if it's exactly 10) following Yuka, so Patty and Minjee have the rest of the 8.. Yuka has/wears tear off pants too most, if not all the time -- BUT she almost never tears them off.   Interesting to hear your comments about the business side of these things eg Walmart -- but totally the truth,  just way too tacky indeed...