2022 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational (July 13 - 16)

[JungleJimbo]

13 minutes ago, ChronicSlicer said:

Fassi jumped from 140th to 84th. 11 events, 7 missed cuts and a T35 for her best finish of the year. 

It's just my opinion, but these team events should not count as official points and wins. It's kinda cheap you can play like crap all year, but a team event could possibly give you the boost you need to keep your card...thanks partner...

@ChronicSlicer Seems like many folks in the LPGA hierarchy agree with you

(Caveat: The article doesn't specifically address your main point w.r.t. keeping their LPGA card ... more from a LPGA HOF p.o.v.)

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/07/13/nichols-should-lpga-titles-be-stripped-away-decades-later/ 

 

Nichols: Should LPGA titles be stripped away decades later? Jane Blalock and Sandra Palmer would like their records restored

golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/07/13/nichols-should-lpga-titles-be-stripped-away-decades-later

Beth Ann NicholsJuly 13, 2022

Jane Blalock either won 29, 26 or 27 times on the LPGA, depending on which media guide you pick up from the late 90s. How can a player who last won in 1985 have such a discrepancy in her record?

Well, like many things about this game, it’s complicated. But the bottom line is this: After being credited for having 29 wins for more than a decade, the phone rang in the late 90s and Blalock, 76, was told that her two victories in the Lady Angelo’s 4-Ball in 1972 and 1973 were being taken away. She’d now have 27 titles. Blalock’s partner for both events, Sandra Palmer, 79, received the same call. Her victory total dropped from 21 to 19.

They were told that a committee had met and decided that team events should not count as official victories, and that was that.

It seems exceedingly harsh to take titles away from players decades down the road. Add them, sure, but strip them away?

Jane Blalock in action during tournament play circa 1982. Blalock was on the LPGA Tour from 1969-87. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

When the LPGA introduced a two-person team event in 2019, the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, Blalock took note of the fact that it was considered an official win. While the results don’t count toward the Rolex Rankings, Solheim Cup points, or Player of the Year, the winners do receive the standard two-year winner’s exemption on the priority list, CME points, official money and a point toward the LPGA Hall of Fame.

“If Cydney Clanton is going to get her tournament win,” said Blalock of one of the inaugural winners, “then why not for me and Sandra?”

While there was some initial back and forth with the LPGA in 2019, Blalock said she hasn’t heard anything about it since.

(Her victory total dipped down to 26 when it looks like her 1974 Southgate Ladies Open victory was erroneously left off the list and then added back, giving her 27 titles.)

Meg Mallon served on the committee that made that decision back in the late 90s, when changes were being considered for the tour’s Hall of Fame criteria. Some of the greatest to ever play the game weren’t going to get in under the current system, that required 30 LPGA victories with two major championships, or 35 with one major, or 40 with no majors.

That’s when it was changed to the current 27-point system, in which one point is given for each regular LPGA victory, two for a major win and one point each for the LPGA Rolex Player of the Year and Vare Trophy awards. In addition to having 27 points, players must also either win an LPGA major or Player of the Year honors.

During the course of this years-long process, there was an effort made to clean up records. Through that process, Mallon said, it was discovered that credit was given to team events that many felt shouldn’t go into an individual system like the Hall of Fame.

“It took us a long time,” said Mallon. “This committee was (together) seven years. We knew we were going to be criticized.”

There were other team events in the 1970s that were never counted as official events, but Blalock maintains that she was always under the impression that Angelo’s was official. After all, her record immediately changed to reflect those victories and stayed that way for 25 years.

Judy Dickinson, who headed the committee ahead of the LPGA’s 50th anniversary, said they surveyed players from that era to see if they felt the events were official and found that many felt they’d been erroneously marked as official. The events were changed to unofficial, she said, in an effort to be consistent.

Palmer and Blalock disagree.

“I’d like to have credit for that,” said Palmer, who noted that the stars of the time teed it up those weeks on the Cape. Kathy Whitworth, JoAnne Carner, Betsy Rawls, Marlene Hagge and Judy Rankin were among those in the field in 1972.

Sandra Palmer plays a tee shot on the 10th hole during the second round of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Chicago Golf Club on July 13, 2018 in Wheaton, Illinois. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Neither Palmer nor Blalock are in the LPGA Hall of Fame and awarding them each two more points for their 4-Ball wins won’t change that. Palmer would still be three points short, and while Blalock has the points, she’s missing the POY or major title.

Both, however, can still be considered for the World Golf Hall of Fame. Blalock said that’s one big reason why she reached out to the LPGA in 2019, not for herself as much as for Palmer, whose 19 LPGA victories (possibly 21), including two majors and a POY award, make a strong case. There are men in the WGHOF with similar records.

Should this week’s Dow event count as an official victory? It’s Clanton’s only LPGA title. For some, it could be a life-changing week. For others, like last year’s winner Ariya Jutanugarn, another step toward the Hall.

Count former No. 1 Stacy Lewis among those who believes this week should be official.

“Yeah, it’s a team format, but you’re still playing against the best players in the world,” said Lewis. “For Dow, I think for our sponsors, it should be an official format. I don’t think you get world rankings points. There is no way to count stats or anything like that with the format.

“But I think you can still call it an official win. I have no problem with that. I think the tournament deserves that. I think Dow’s investment into this tournament and women’s golf deserves it. And players do, too. You’re playing four rounds. You still got to hit the putts, the shots. You just got a little bit of help.”

In the midst of a stressful summer, Lewis continued, events like this are needed.

Teammates Cydney Clanton of the United States (R) and Jasmine Suwannapura of Thailand pose for a simulated selfie with the championship necklace’s after winning the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational at Midland Country Club on July 19, 2019 in Midland, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

This week’s field is missing several big names, like World No. 1 Jin Young Ko and No. 2 Minjee Lee. But the Korda sisters are in Midland, Michigan, along with Lexi Thompson, Jennifer Kupcho and Leona Maguire. Giving this event official status matters when it comes to strength of field. The same reason it matters for the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic, which also counts as an official victory.

When Elaine Scott, former LPGA communications director, worked on Louise Sugg’s biography, “And That’s That!”,  it was discovered the LPGA founder’s victory total was a bit off.

Six weeks shy of Suggs’ 90th birthday, the tour added three more wins to her name. Two of those titles came in 1961 during Suggs’ last full year on tour – Sea Island Open and the Naples Pro-Am – plus the Pro-Lady Victory National Championship, which she won as an amateur with Ben Hogan in 1946.

The additions moved Suggs ahead of Berg (60) to rank fourth all-time on the LPGA list, behind Kathy Whitworth (88), Mickey Wright (82) and Annika Sorenstam (72).

(The old JCPenney Classic, a mixed event between the LPGA and PGA Tours, was not considered official.)

Scott said players kept records in their car trunks in those early years and drove down the highway with scoreboards attached to their roofs.

Left to right; Patty Berg, Betty Jameson, Jean Hopkins, and Louise Suggs, before the start of the Western Women’s Golf tournament, June 1946. (Copyright Unknown/USGA Museum)

The LPGA’s record keeping is notoriously poor. Wikipedia is used far more often than resources offered by the tour.

During a time when the core of this game is being scrutinized like never before, the finer points about what should count toward the Hall of Fame serves as a reminder of why the roots of the game are so important.

Should event titles be stripped from a player decades later? Should team events be given the same weight as individual ones? These are worthy debates.

Just as it’s important for records to be as fair and complete as possible, so that decorated LPGA players can rightly take their place among all golfers.

“For Sandra, it could make a very big difference to the Hall of Fame,” said Blalock. “It’s just a number, but to me, it’s more meaningful to Sandra. I also like the sound of 29 much better than 27.

“I hate going backwards in life.”

Edited July 17, 2022 by JungleJimbo

[Tasals]

1 hour ago, ChronicSlicer said:

Fassi jumped from 140th to 84th. 11 events, 7 missed cuts and a T35 for her best finish of the year. 

It's just my opinion, but these team events should not count as official points and wins. It's kinda cheap you can play like crap all year, but a team event could possibly give you the boost you need to keep your card...thanks partner...

Team events are fun, a decent change of pace, and allows the pros to hit some dumb shots in trying to go low with a partner. But I agree, shouldnt count as a career win, and shouldn't count towards official points. Wow  just read the above post, kinda wild that they are giving a 2 year exemption for a win.

Edited July 17, 2022 by Tasals

[AWinfortheAges]

16 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Dow needs to step up like John Deere does and charter a flight to France for the players entered in the Evian. We'd very likely see an much stronger field if the players knew that travel hassles were greatly reduced. 

 

 

Charter would be nice, but I'm thinking it isn't much of a hassle to get a flight out of Detroit. A bunch of Instagram posts are colliding in my memory, I'm wondering if they've had a charter or everyone was just on the same flight in past years (or it could have been from a different event altogether).

[Redpro]

3 hours ago, Shortgamemagic said:

Usually she’s very pouty. Just unlikeable personality IMO 

I think it's a combination of the breeding process in junior golf and her basic personality. In interviews, she'll say "I'm very competitive" as cover for the visuals we see. There are many like her in the LPGA. She's too young to handle someone saying to her, "Hey, lighten up, youngsters are watching". Takes a number of years for sportsmanship to develop. 

 

[AWinfortheAges]

3 hours ago, JungleJimbo said:

 

Should this week’s Dow event count as an official victory? It’s Clanton’s only LPGA title. For some, it could be a life-changing week. For others, like last year’s winner Ariya Jutanugarn, another step toward the Hall.

Count former No. 1 Stacy Lewis among those who believes this week should be official.

“Yeah, it’s a team format, but you’re still playing against the best players in the world,” said Lewis. “For Dow, I think for our sponsors, it should be an official format. I don’t think you get world rankings points. There is no way to count stats or anything like that with the format.

“But I think you can still call it an official win. I have no problem with that. I think the tournament deserves that. I think Dow’s investment into this tournament and women’s golf deserves it. And players do, too. You’re playing four rounds. You still got to hit the putts, the shots. You just got a little bit of help.”

In the midst of a stressful summer, Lewis continued, events like this are needed.

27.

 

I'm going to agree with Stacy Lewis here.

[ChronicSlicer]

47 minutes ago, Redpro said:

 She's too young to handle someone saying to her, "Hey, lighten up, youngsters are watching". Takes a number of years for sportsmanship to develop. 

 

Are you saying she should put on fake smiles because kids might be watching her? 

[woahnelly]

6 hours ago, ChronicSlicer said:

Fassi jumped from 140th to 84th. 11 events, 7 missed cuts and a T35 for her best finish of the year. 

It's just my opinion, but these team events should not count as official points and wins. It's kinda cheap you can play like crap all year, but a team event could possibly give you the boost you need to keep your card...thanks partner...

 

I don't disagree but most of the ladies ranked 80 and below haven't done anything all season. Yealimi is in 70s with 1, now 2, top 10s all season but has been garbage all year and benefits from her high priority rank, those early tournaments in Asia with no cut give a nice cushion. The points system is weighted for high finishes so if you make every cut but finish 50-60 every time vs someone like Maria who vaulted up with a top 3 finish seems fair. The eligibility of this tournament being weighted is a diff discussion which I have no qualms about. 

[Argonne69]

How about weighting the points awarded based on the CME rankings going into the week. Two highly ranked players would receive fewer points than a team with two lower ranked players, or one high paired with one low. 

 

[Lobby]

Why would I choose to sponsor a team event, with all the $ and employee hours I have to donate, if the event isn’t going to be official?

 

look, the tourney was entertaining, it paid good prize money, the ladies enjoyed it, and the fans had fun. 
 

I don’t get the grumbling 

[JungleJimbo]

14 hours ago, woahnelly said:

 

I don't disagree but most of the ladies ranked 80 and below haven't done anything all season. Yealimi is in 70s with 1, now 2, top 10s all season but has been garbage all year and benefits from her high priority rank, those early tournaments in Asia with no cut give a nice cushion. The points system is weighted for high finishes so if you make every cut but finish 50-60 every time vs someone like Maria who vaulted up with a top 3 finish seems fair. The eligibility of this tournament being weighted is a diff discussion which I have no qualms about. 

 

I was delighted to see Kelly Tan and Matilda Castren jump up the LPGA Priority List, with their solo-2nd finish this week! 

 

@Argonne69: How would that "points-weighted-based-on-incoming-ranking" suggestion work? (i get the gist... e.g. Matilda and Kelly would receive higher win points in this event, vs (say) Nelly/Jessica Korda?  But might that also disincentivise strength-of-field e.g. the higher-ranked players decide not to play? And consequently not a pull-factor for sponsors?

 

https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/dow-great-lakes-bay-invitational/leaderboard 

 

 

https://www.lpga.com/videos/2022/matilda-castren-and-kelly-tan-final-round-interview-dow-glbi 

 

 

 

 

Statistics & Prize Money:  https://www.lpga.com/-/media/images/lpga/tournaments/dow-championship/2022/2022-dow-great-lakes-bay-invitational---fourth-round-statistics.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 7/13/2022 at 8:41 AM, JungleJimbo said:

Matilda Castren and Kelly Tan look to be genuinely good buddies & might surprise folks this week (both can be birdie machines, on their day)

 

 

 

Kelly-Castren finish Runners-Up at Great Lakes Bay Invitational

www.thestar.com.my/sport/golf/2022/07/17/golf-kelly-castren-finish-runners-up-at-great-lakes-bay-invitational



Commenting on their performance via WhatsApp, Kelly told The Star on Sunday (July 17): "It's been an incredible week. There's nothing better than having a great week with your best friend - finishing on a high note.

"It was a special performance for both of us and it's a long way from when we first met on the Symetra Tour (now Epson Tour) back in 2018. We were both struggling then, and those hardships brought us together and forged this friendship.

"This tournament will be remembered for a lifetime for me," Kelly added. "It was nice to accomplish this with Matilda, who will be my maid of honour at my wedding in December. This week was really special."

With all this momentum, the two players are now looking forward to the season's final two Majors, the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian-les-Bains Golf Resort in France, starting Thursday, and the Women's British Open at Carnousite Golf Links in Scotland, from Aug 4 to 7. It also moved Kelly from 66th to 42nd in the Race to the CME Globe points standings.

"This performance will definitely give us a boost as we head to the Amundi Evian Championship," said Kelly. "Hopefully we can carry this form into this coming week."

********

Kelly Tan chalks up best finish of LPGA career with second place performance partnering Matilda Castren in Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational

golfmatters.com/index.php/news/93-news/tours/600-kelly-tan-chalks-up-best-finish-of-lpga-career-with-second-place-performance-partnering-matilda-castren-in-dow-great-lakes-bay-invitational

“If you were to wind back the clock and tell us, ‘You guys are going to be playing this tournament and you're going to finish second,’ I think it would be really hard for both of us to believe because we were really just at the lowest point of our careers,” said Tan.

“It feels really good that we got out of that hole and were able to compete at such high level and finish second this week, proving to us that we could do it.

"The fact that we went through adversity and now that we have a good finish, you can taste the bittersweet feeling. I'm super glad. There's nobody else I would choose to share that with but her, my best friend and my maid of honor,” added the 28-year-old.

Tan’s previous best finish on the LPGA Tour was T4 at the 2014 Marathon Classic (now the Dana Open), while 27-year-old Castren won her first LPGA Tour title last year at the LPGA Mediheal Championship.

Tan noted that she has been playing really well recently. "It’s really nice to see that this week it was all together.

"I still want to chase my first win, so that remains my priority this year," stressed the Batu Pahat-born golfer.

********

(Credit to jumpcut: https://seoulsisters.freeforums.net/post/73317 )

Edited July 18, 2022 by JungleJimbo

[Argonne69]

7 hours ago, JungleJimbo said:

 

I was delighted to see Kelly Tan and Matilda Castren jump up the LPGA Priority List, with their solo-2nd finish this week! 

 

@Argonne69: How would that "points-weighted-based-on-incoming-ranking" suggestion work? (i get the gist... e.g. Matilda and Kelly would receive higher win points in this event, vs (say) Nelly/Jessica Korda?  But might that also disincentivise strength-of-field e.g. the higher-ranked players decide not to play? And consequently not a pull-factor for sponsors?

 

https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/dow-great-lakes-bay-invitational/leaderboard 

 

 

https://www.lpga.com/videos/2022/matilda-castren-and-kelly-tan-final-round-interview-dow-glbi 

 

 

 

 

Statistics & Prize Money:  https://www.lpga.com/-/media/images/lpga/tournaments/dow-championship/2022/2022-dow-great-lakes-bay-invitational---fourth-round-statistics.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kelly-Castren finish Runners-Up at Great Lakes Bay Invitational

www.thestar.com.my/sport/golf/2022/07/17/golf-kelly-castren-finish-runners-up-at-great-lakes-bay-invitational



Commenting on their performance via WhatsApp, Kelly told The Star on Sunday (July 17): "It's been an incredible week. There's nothing better than having a great week with your best friend - finishing on a high note.

"It was a special performance for both of us and it's a long way from when we first met on the Symetra Tour (now Epson Tour) back in 2018. We were both struggling then, and those hardships brought us together and forged this friendship.

"This tournament will be remembered for a lifetime for me," Kelly added. "It was nice to accomplish this with Matilda, who will be my maid of honour at my wedding in December. This week was really special."

With all this momentum, the two players are now looking forward to the season's final two Majors, the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian-les-Bains Golf Resort in France, starting Thursday, and the Women's British Open at Carnousite Golf Links in Scotland, from Aug 4 to 7. It also moved Kelly from 66th to 42nd in the Race to the CME Globe points standings.

"This performance will definitely give us a boost as we head to the Amundi Evian Championship," said Kelly. "Hopefully we can carry this form into this coming week."

********

Kelly Tan chalks up best finish of LPGA career with second place performance partnering Matilda Castren in Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational

golfmatters.com/index.php/news/93-news/tours/600-kelly-tan-chalks-up-best-finish-of-lpga-career-with-second-place-performance-partnering-matilda-castren-in-dow-great-lakes-bay-invitational

“If you were to wind back the clock and tell us, ‘You guys are going to be playing this tournament and you're going to finish second,’ I think it would be really hard for both of us to believe because we were really just at the lowest point of our careers,” said Tan.

“It feels really good that we got out of that hole and were able to compete at such high level and finish second this week, proving to us that we could do it.

"The fact that we went through adversity and now that we have a good finish, you can taste the bittersweet feeling. I'm super glad. There's nobody else I would choose to share that with but her, my best friend and my maid of honor,” added the 28-year-old.

Tan’s previous best finish on the LPGA Tour was T4 at the 2014 Marathon Classic (now the Dana Open), while 27-year-old Castren won her first LPGA Tour title last year at the LPGA Mediheal Championship.

Tan noted that she has been playing really well recently. "It’s really nice to see that this week it was all together.

"I still want to chase my first win, so that remains my priority this year," stressed the Batu Pahat-born golfer.

********

(Credit to jumpcut: https://seoulsisters.freeforums.net/post/73317 )

 

Yeah, that's a good point. The event already has a fairly weak field, and awarding fewer points to the "better" teams would likely discourage them from entering. 

 

 

[AWinfortheAges]

Any chance Kelly Tan represents Canada when she gets married? Any benefits gained by doing that? 

 

The way things are going she'll represent Malaysia at the Olympics again in '24. And likely '28 unless Malaysia has some future LPGA tour players in its pipeline. She'd be fighting for the second spot to represent Canada at the games.

 

 

[JungleJimbo]

16 minutes ago, AWinfortheAges said:

Any chance Kelly Tan represents Canada when she gets married? Any benefits gained by doing that? 

 

The way things are going she'll represent Malaysia at the Olympics again in '24. And likely '28 unless Malaysia has some future LPGA tour players in its pipeline. She'd be fighting for the second spot to represent Canada at the games.

 

 

My Guess = Kelly Tan will continue to represent Malaysia at the Olympics...

she gets quite a lot of Malaysian companies’ sponsorship support, as a ‘flag bearer’ on the LPGA?

 

Your question made me think about a Yuka Saso comparison. ie i think Yuka’s mixed-parentage gave her a foot in both Philippines and Japan (whereas Kelly wouldn’t have that ‘advantage’ wrt being seen as “one of [Canada’s] own”, if she were to apply for Canadian citizenship after her marriage

... ie might not be as easy to find corporate sponsorship opportunities?)

 

But travelling visa-free(?) on a Canadian passport for LPGA circuit = definitely relatively easier wrt visa-application logistics, vs a Malaysian/ Philippines passport!

Edited July 18, 2022 by JungleJimbo

[ChronicSlicer]

On 7/17/2022 at 10:29 PM, Lobby said:

I don’t get the grumbling 

You'll have grumbling on forums. Forums tend to bring opinions to the surface, which can cause grumbling amongst users. It's no different than the work place, coffee shop, local pub.