World No1 Yani Tseng takes instruction from coach Gary Gilchrist.
The most prestigious tournament of the LPGA season is underway at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisconsin, but rather than discuss the provenance of an as-yet incoherent leaderboard, I’ve elected to craft something a little more worthwhile: a summary of the narratives most likely to inform coverage over the coming days.
Kiss the trophy
Plagued by delays and inclement weather, the US Women’s Open wrapped up on Monday afternoon in Colorado Springs. Finally.
So Yeon Ryu defeated fellow South Korean rival Hee Kyung Seo in a three-hole playoff to capture the major championship. Ryu had three holes in regulation left to play and needed to birdie one of them to force a playoff. She rolled in a six-fotter for birdie on the 18th, and then started the playoff just a half-hour later.
Westy
Apologies for the lack of posts today, but being that I always plan ahead of time, I had quite a few errands to run before heading to the airport. You know, like picking up my passport! It’s amazing how quickly you can get one of those renewed in NYC if you’re an American citizen. Anyway, hopefully we’ll be back to our regularly-scheduled programming tomorrow, but I may get lost in a pub.
Yep, I’m about to hop on a plane en route for the other side of the pond to cover the Open. WOOT! I’m excited. Really excited. It’s going to be a little different than St. Andrews, though. This is kind of random, but the Open in 2003 at Royal St. George’s is the only other one I’ve attended. I was studying in London that summer and took a day trip to Sandwich, so I guess RSG has a special place in my heart (even if it’s in the middle of nowhere).
Yani looks to add to her trophy collection
Considering Yani Tseng is the youngest player in history to win four major championships, she doesn’t have the best US Women’s Open record: two MCs, T42 and T10. It’s the only major to elude her so far, and just a few weeks after wiping away the field by ten shots at the LPGA Championship, Yani seeks to add the last one to complete the career grand slam this week at Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.
Thompson
Lexi Thompson, 16, will be allowed to compete at LPGA Q-school and become a member if she earns her card, according to Sean Martin’s report in Golfweek:
Believe it or not — at the second straight major, an American stood at the top of the leaderboard when the last putt dropped at the US Women’s Open.
After draining a five-footer for par on 18, she dropped her putter and covered her face with her hands. The wait was finally over for Paula Creamer — she is a major champion winner. With a dazzling performance in the final nine holes, Creamer rose to the occasion at Oakmont GC, hitting one remarkable shot after another and draining birdies to pull away from the field with a commanding four-shot victory.
Well, look what we have here: Two Americans atop the leaderboard at Oakmont, and they’re fantastic personalities, no less! Paula Creamer, who has been battling a thumb injury, leads Christina Kim by two shots. Creamer has won eight times on the LPGA tour, but she’s looking to capture her first major victory today.
Yesterday, we learned Michelle Wie was no Phi Beta Kappa. Today, she played like Phi Beta Krappa. In the first round of the US Women’s Open, Michelle shot 11-over 82. While scores were predictably high, there weren’t that many higher. What went wrong?
Since it’s been well established that Oakmont is playing excruciatingly difficult and scores are going to be discouragingly high, what’s the over/under on anyone breaking par in the first round of the US Women’s Open? There’s gotta be someone who lights up the course and fires even par, right? With all the reports of the grueling challenge the ladies have ahead of them, it’s hard to say.
Welcome to Balls in the Air, where I size up my Fantasy Golf picks of the week, featuring guys to watch (or not) and interesting story lines. Disclaimer: Don’t yell at me if my picks suck. There’s no mathematical formula to my attempt at predicting something as random as golf scores.
Remember last week when I said my friend doesn’t read “Balls in the Air” because he said “There’s no Stephanie in it”? Well, with the feedback I received, it wasn’t just me that thinks there’s a ton of Wei in these posts. And it makes me happy to know that Jerry Foltz (the friend) will now actually be reading every word I write. In fact, there will be a quiz on Thursday afternoon! So, study up!
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