ISPS Women's Australian Open Preview & Pairings.

[Tontj5]

ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open Preview & Pairings

The wait is over. After a  three month break the LPGA season will kick off this week with the playing of the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open.

The long layoff it seems, wasn't long enough for most of the LPGA stars. Either that or Commissioner Michael Whan forgot to inform his players that there is a tournament this week.The following players will not be playing in this event:

Inbee Park, Na Yeon Choi, Ai Miyazato, Suzann Pettersen, Shanshan Feng, Mika Miyazato, Amy Yang, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer, Sun Young Yoo, Hee Kyung Seo, Sandra Gal, I.K. Kim, Candie Kung, Se Ri Pak, Hee Young Park, Julie Inkster, Meena Lee, Natalie Gulbis, Morgan Pressel, and Momoko Ueda.

This will be good news for the players who are way down on the Priority List, as they will be able to get into a tournament very early in the season. Cheyenne Woods and Lydia Ko, are two of this week's sponsor exemptions.

This is the first of 28 tournaments this season. Here are some of the key details:

http://mlyhlss.blogspot.com/2013/02/isps-handa-womens-australian-open.html

[Tontj5]

Here are the pairings for the first 2 rounds:

http://tinyurl.com/bjsy9vo

[Rouleur]

Go Lydia!

[joekelly]

Well, here in OZland the amateur is the favorite. Well, Yani is pretty good too and says she has cast off her Dragon Year demons and is good to go in this the Year of the Snake.

I also wonder if Uncle Tiger will be watching, biting his nails, as his niece goes 'down under'?

GO, GIRLS !!

[Tontj5]

Here are the leaders after round 1:

1- Lydia Ko -10
2- Mariajo Uribe -9
3- Jiyai Shin -8
4- R. Lee Bentham -7
4- A. Uehara -7
4- MH Lee -7
7- Guila Sergas -6
8- Sarah Jane Smith -5
8- Beatriz Recari -5
8- Kristie Smith -5
8- Angela Stanford -5
8- Yani Tseng -5
8- Katherine Hull -5

[thescarecrow]

Was amazed at Michelle Wie's putting style.......Bent over 90 degrees, looks very uncomfortable..........Looked like she was going to miss cut, was hitting the ball sideways, always in trouble..

[Rick Martin]

Originally Posted by thescarecrow

Was amazed at Michelle Wie's putting style.......Bent over 90 degrees, looks very uncomfortable..........Looked like she was going to miss cut, was hitting the ball sideways, always in trouble..

Watching now and coudn't believe what she's doing. Is Leadbetter teaching her this?

Looks like she's not going to make the cut. Helluva long way to travel to get only two official rounds of golf in.

[Ernest Jones]

Just posted this on another thread, anyone else notice how much flexion they keep in their back leg?? Wie is gonna be slamming' the trunk I think.

[Ernest Jones]

Wow, that is one helluva awkward looking putting stance!

[Rick Martin]

I think most of us male golfers would be better off watching these women golf - they hit the ball closer to our distances (I'm guessing - or should I speak for myself?), they play courses closer to our length.

[Ernest Jones]

Just don't watch them putting. I think there's a lot of great things to pick up on tempo and course management (due to the similar distances) but I'd stay away from most of their technique.

[Rick Martin]

Pretty short course 6,100 yds.

http://www.lpga.com/golf/tournaments/lpga/isps-handa-womens-australian-open/course-info.aspx

[thescarecrow]

Originally Posted by Rick Martin

Pretty short course 6,100 yds.

http://www.lpga.com/golf/tournaments/lpga/isps-handa-womens-australian-open/course-info.aspx

no course is 6100 meters  6672 yards

................even though the course is in meters,all distance is discribed as yardage.  Australia does not use yards.  Tseng belted one over 300 meters yesterday....330 yards

[joekelly]

I noticed watching the  broadcast that not once did the TV show the distance any drive traveled. I was curious to see how far Yani, Michelle or Lydia hit the drive on a long par 5.  So why no coverage of drive length, as we see frequently for the men pros?  I never listen but have often seen graphics of various holes with drives spotted and Woods is 305, Donald 288 and Rory 321.  So, i concluded that the LPGA tour does not want to show the actual yardage of the drives so that folks won't think the girls can't hit long drives. There may be other reasons.

[thescarecrow]

Was watching Yani , Michelle Wie, and Lydia Ko, they hit the ball a long long long way, they would beat MOST male golfers for length...........The majority of male golfers underestimate how good and how far these women can hit a golf ball, the above players would beat most elite  male amatures with ease.

[Tontj5]

Here are the leaders after round 2:

1- Mariajo Uribe -15
2- Jiyai Shin -14
2- Lydia Ko -14
4- Kristie Smith -10
5- Beatriz Recari -9
6- Holly Aitchison - 8
6- Sarah Jane Smith -8
8- Gerina Piller -7
8- Jessica Korda -7
8- Yani Tseng -7

[thescarecrow]

you are a day behind.....................Ko and Shin are 6 shot ahead after 3 rounds ( 202) third is Recari  (208)

[joekelly]

From the LPGA website, 2012

Driving Distance

RANK	NAME	DIST.
1	Brittany Lincicome	276.1
2	Lexi Thompson	272.0
3	Gerina Piller	268.9
4	Michelle Wie	268.6
5	Yani Tseng	267.0
6	Maria Hjorth	267.0
7	Suzann Pettersen	265.4
8	Karin Sjodin	264.6
9	Cydney Clanton	263.6
10	Sandra Changkija	263.3