2024 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions (Jan 18 - 21)

[Argonne69]

I'll admit, the celebrity players aren't half bad. A number of them can actually play. However, I'd still like to see more of the LPGA players. I don't want to see a celebrity grinding over a 4 foot putt. If they hit a great shot, then fine, show a replay of it, but other focus on the real talent.

 

[pmcuk]

I've always thought about this tournament as a kind of fun and noisy prelude to the LPGA season, nothing more. I'm most interested in watching how the younger players perform, and the ones here under par so far are Furue, Pano, Zhang, Stark, Grace Kim, Wannasaen and the well established Hataoka. But this is just a slice of the whole tour.   

 

 

 

 

Edited January 19 by pmcuk

[Zitlow]

8 hours ago, JungleJimbo said:

Hally Leadbetter made her LPGA debut this week at 31 y.o. 🙂

 

 

I see she is carrying on the high pants tradition. 

[Shakeshook]

17 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

I think they need more background noise. Maybe a chainsaw or jackhammer. 

 

well, Asian legs soon -- there'll be large blowing "electric fans" soon 🤣♨️

[Shakeshook]

4 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

I'll admit, the celebrity players aren't half bad. A number of them can actually play. However, I'd still like to see more of the LPGA players. I don't want to see a celebrity grinding over a 4 foot putt. If they hit a great shot, then fine, show a replay of it, but other focus on the real talent.

 

always wondered how i should take these events, half seriously or whatnot... i mean, it is a true lpga event, and i recognize the need to satisfy sponsors' wishes and  viewership (though i dunno if inviting tim wakefield truly moves the needle on the ratings front).  OTOH, it's got less of a competitive feel to it.  

[pjc]

Thank goodness the Am's are gone after Saturday.  Sunday should be good as long as the weather is ok.

[woahnelly]

Looks like Charley and LG got the memo today the season started already 😂

[Titleist_PT23]

Lydia's swing looks good.  Not sure exactly how to describe it, but she seems to be a tad steeper into the ball with the irons?  A lot of abbreviated follow throughs and perfect balance.  Her driver swing (relative weak point the last few seasons) also looked to have much better tempo / balance.  

 

Maybe she can get it done here?  Follow up with the KPMG, USWO, Gold in Paris, and the AIG Women's Open.  Perhaps, that would be going out in style...

[woahnelly]

34 minutes ago, Titleist_PT23 said:

Maybe she can get it done here?  Follow up with the KPMG, USWO, Gold in Paris, and the AIG Women's Open.  Perhaps, that would be going out in style...

I think one those achievements would be OK 😂

 

She may be the most motivated for the Olympics so she can add a gold to her silver and bronze collection. 

[Tom Kelly]

7 hours ago, pjc said:

Thank goodness the Am's are gone after Saturday.  Sunday should be good as long as the weather is ok.

Couldn't agree more. Can't bear to watch these talentless oafs, unheard of outside the US. I remember when baseball was briefly popular over the pond in the 'Eighties, thanks to Channel Four. Players with names like Poo-Hole and Rent Arrears, a droopily moustached pitcher who resembled Matthew Mcconaugheys character, after he'd let himself go, in the first series of True Detective. Then there was the tight figure-hugging (uncomfortably homoerotic) uniforms. Oh God, and the spitting, the faux tough guy spitting. I abandoned the sport toot sweet and concluded that America must either be a deeply unserious nation or its television viewership must consist of barely credulous dupes.

[bcjim]

1 hour ago, Tom Kelly said:

Couldn't agree more. Can't bear to watch these talentless oafs, unheard of outside the US. I remember when baseball was briefly popular over the pond in the 'Eighties, thanks to Channel Four. Players with names like Poo-Hole and Rent Arrears, a droopily moustached pitcher who resembled Matthew Mcconaugheys character, after he'd let himself go, in the first series of True Detective. Then there was the tight figure-hugging (uncomfortably homoerotic) uniforms. Oh God, and the spitting, the faux tough guy spitting. I abandoned the sport toot sweet and concluded that America must either be a deeply unserious nation or its television viewership must consist of barely credulous dupes.

That's quality writing,  lmao.

[JungleJimbo]

 

https://www.youtube.com/@LPGA

 

 

 

 

Edited January 20 by JungleJimbo

[3eagles]

12 hours ago, pjc said:

Thank goodness the Am's are gone after Saturday.  Sunday should be good as long as the weather is ok.

You probably know more about this than I do but are you certain the celebrities only play 3 rounds? I think they played all 4 days last year. I think Fish's winning total was about 150. Roenick is at 75 after 2 rounds this year.

[MJ2712]

Yes, the "celebrities" (most of whom I have never heard of) play all four rounds. The amateurs don't play the final day at the Aramco events.

[JungleJimbo]

29 minutes ago, wolfcreek said:

You probably know more about this than I do but are you certain the celebrities only play 3 rounds? I think they played all 4 days last year. I think Fish's winning total was about 150. Roenick is at 75 after 2 rounds this year.

 

The LPGA's media reference PDF mentions "72 holes" for the celebrities & amateurs.

 

Link to PDF: https://media.lpga.com/docs/librariesprovider3/2024-hgvtoc/this-week-on-the-lpga-tour---2024-hilton-grand-vacations-tournament-of-champions.pdf?sfvrsn=2fd4813d_3

 

17 minutes ago, MJ2712 said:

Yes, the "celebrities" (most of whom I have never heard of) play all four rounds. The amateurs don't play the final day at the Aramco events.

 

13 hours ago, pjc said:

Thank goodness the Am's are gone after Saturday.  Sunday should be good as long as the weather is ok.

 

[JungleJimbo]

 

 

 

[Seamus_McDuff]

The way I remember it, the celebs play four rounds but do not play with LPGA players in round four(at least not in the final groups.)

[JungleJimbo]

 

 

Edited January 20 by JungleJimbo

[Rapidcat]

I don't like this event, so I don't watch much (but I can't help myself, I watch a tiny bit of it). 1 hour of R1, maybe watch some of R4.

 

Not interested in celebrities from the US/Oz/Uk/Kazakhstan or wherever playing golf. 

 

Sponsors are needed though so be it.

 

In Oz, maybe 1 hour of 3 per day is watchable, fast forwarding celebrities, interviews, Brittany Henderson (not her fault). Can't watch this rubbish live where I am.

[dmbolp]

Heading to the course!

[pjc]

3 hours ago, Seamus_McDuff said:

The way I remember it, the celebs play four rounds but do not play with LPGA players in round four(at least not in the final groups.)

Thank you, I guess this is what I meant, just wasn't clear.  Don't think that they play with the LPGA players at all on the final day.

[8602081]

I think it's little weird for Annika to be playing in a celebrity tournament, which is golf..

 

I don't think any other celebrities are former all time great Professional Golfer...

 

She played professional golf all her life..

 

[Argonne69]

Lydia's swing looks so good. Natural and effortless. Doesn't appear to be doing any preshot drills. 

 

[woahnelly]

This tournament has turned into the Lydia Ko redemption arc, maybe Pano can challenge her but I doubt it. 

 

They noted Lydia is teeing the ball lower and it's making her ball straighter, which was her bugaboo last year. Shes had several putts throughout this tournament miss by an inch, so a 2 shot lead is generous for how well shes been playing.  

[GolfMoose]

Interesting, this was supposed to be the tough scoring day but a full third of the players shot their best round (or equaled it) today, aside from Alexa/Ally most notably Inami, Ruoning, NKM.  Seems like Lydia's tourney to lose but if there's still a -6 or possibly -7 round to be made tomorrow, I wonder how far back is too far.

 

If I remember correctly, Pano was listed amongst the bottom half dozen pre-tournament as a true longshot, well over 100-1.

[Titleist_PT23]

2 hours ago, woahnelly said:

This tournament has turned into the Lydia Ko redemption arc, maybe Pano can challenge her but I doubt it. 

 

They noted Lydia is teeing the ball lower and it's making her ball straighter, which was her bugaboo last year. Shes had several putts throughout this tournament miss by an inch, so a 2 shot lead is generous for how well shes been playing.  

There have been a few high 140s ball speeds, seems like more zip than she's had in recent years.  As I mentioned and noted above by others as well, her driver swing has much better balance and effortless (in contrast, the last couple of years it really looks like she was trying to hit it hard at times).

 

I wonder what her new swing coach has told her?  Based on the iron swing, driver ball flight and tee height, perhaps she is not trying to sling it from the inside / hit up on it as much.  Get it in play and go from there.

[Argonne69]

11 minutes ago, Titleist_PT23 said:

There have been a few high 140s ball speeds, seems like more zip than she's had in recent years.  As I mentioned and noted above by others as well, her driver swing has much better balance and effortless (in contrast, the last couple of years it really looks like she was trying to hit it hard at times).

 

I wonder what her new swing coach has told her?  Based on the iron swing, driver ball flight and tee height, perhaps she is not trying to sling it from the inside / hit up on it as much.  Get it in play and go from there.

 

Switching to a low spin driver doesn't appear to have hurt. 

 

[8602081]

Let's hope Lydia pulls this off..

 

I remember Lydia coming apart on a final round, when she played with Danielle..

 

Very hard to watch..

 

[Shilgy]

3 hours ago, woahnelly said:

This tournament has turned into the Lydia Ko redemption arc, maybe Pano can challenge her but I doubt it. 

 

They noted Lydia is teeing the ball lower and it's making her ball straighter, which was her bugaboo last year. Shes had several putts throughout this tournament miss by an inch, so a 2 shot lead is generous for how well shes been playing.  

They’re professional golfers! You expect them to miss by feet? 
In all seriousness I’m guessing every player has burned the edge on multiple holes so far in this event.

 

edit…that reads more harsh than intended….but the point stands.

Edited January 21 by Shilgy

[3eagles]

RE: Lydia swing.

She had a video last week from her coach. Behind, down the line. I compared it to a swing from last summer.

 

What I noticed . .

Last year from the top her hands moved straight down or almost even a little further behind her back. The new swing transition she moves hands down and towards the ball.

 

At the shaft horizontal to ground pic, her right elbow is now 3-4 inches further in front of her body than last year.

 

She can accelerate through impact where last year she had to flip her hands to try to square the clubface. (Club was stuck behind her).

 

Last year, high right or low left. This year straight line to the ball, she can power through impact.