If possible, I think I have less respect for LPGA talent after hearing this

[chriskzoo]

Yes, I know that the LPGA plays a much similar game to most of us amateurs and we can learn a lot by the way they play courses, but I tend to lump it in with things like the WNBA as far as what I'd like to watch on TV.

That being said, I just heard this on the Golf Channel, which absolutely floored me:

This past weekend Yani Tseng made holed out from a sand trap for the first time EVER as a professional.  She has been a pro for 5+ years.

[meenman]

I guess I am missing what the big deal is - holing out from the sand has just a little less luck involved than a hole in one

[GaijinGolfer]

Soooo, you lost respect for the LPGA just because 1 player had been a pro for 5 years and never holed out from a bunker???

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by chriskzoo

Yes, I know that the LPGA plays a much similar game to most of us amateurs and we can learn a lot by the way they play courses, but I tend to lump it in with things like the WNBA as far as what I'd like to watch on TV.

That being said, I just heard this on the Golf Channel, which absolutely floored me:

This past weekend Yani Tseng made holed out from a sand trap for the first time EVER as a professional.  She has been a pro for 5+ years.

Hey, it's only the third time she ever hit INTO a sand trap.  LOL

[Clambake]

Why are you lumping all LPGA talent together just because Tseng had her first sand save?    If you actually looked at the stats, you'll see the LPGA players are about the same as the PGA players in sand save percentages.     In the LPGA a couple players are at 80% (with a small number of attempts), but the top 10 players are around 60-66% in saves.    In the PGA it is about the same - a couple guys lead with 72-73%, but the rest of the top 10 are right at the same numbers as the LPGA, about 60-66%.

Tseng happens to be pretty poor out of the sand, saving par only 35% of the time.   Clearly she has a strong weakness in this part of her game.      But don't knock the whole LPGA for the performance of a single player in just one category.....

[bwdial]

Originally Posted by turtleback

Hey, it's only the third time she ever hit INTO a sand trap.  LOL

Dammit!  You beat me to it.

[colin007]

I guess I am missing what the big deal is - holing out from the sand has just a little less luck involved than a hole in one

Define "just a little less luck".

[meenman]

Originally Posted by colin007

Define "just a little less luck".

You cant hole out of the sand at will any more than you can from the tee box - the bunkers tend to be a bit closer to the pin than the tee box is.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by chriskzoo

Yes, I know that the LPGA plays a much similar game to most of us amateurs and we can learn a lot by the way they play courses, but I tend to lump it in with things like the WNBA as far as what I'd like to watch on TV.

That being said, I just heard this on the Golf Channel, which absolutely floored me:

This past weekend Yani Tseng made holed out from a sand trap for the first time EVER as a professional.  She has been a pro for 5+ years.

Seriously?

[zipazoid]

I'm sure any of them could spot you five a side & still kick your butt.

[xxsoultonesxx]

I actually heard the commentary. OP is wrong.

This was the first time she holed out from a bunker for a birdie. Not her first time holing out.

[LuciusWooding]

Originally Posted by chriskzoo

Yes, I know that the LPGA plays a much similar game to most of us amateurs and we can learn a lot by the way they play courses, but I tend to lump it in with things like the WNBA as far as what I'd like to watch on TV.

That being said, I just heard this on the Golf Channel, which absolutely floored me:

This past weekend Yani Tseng made holed out from a sand trap for the first time EVER as a professional.  She has been a pro for 5+ years.

Have you ever holed out from a bunker for a birdie?

[bobsuruncle]

not sure why the ladies don't get the respect they deserve ... could be a MCP thing?

[stealthduffer]

Your initial statement certainly implies that you didn't have any respect for them to begin with.  Then you state that they (LPGA players) have a game similar to "most of us amateurs".  Really?  Most of us amateurs average 270 on our drives?  A scoring average below par? 70% greens in regulation?  1.8 putts per GIR?  You are obviously "in" with a far better group of amateurs than I'm associated with.

[colin007]

Originally Posted by meenman

You cant hole out of the sand at will any more than you can from the tee box - the bunkers tend to be a bit closer to the pin than the tee box is.

yes i can.  and i suck.

hole in one is a lot of luck and (possibly) a lot of skill.  holing out from the sand is a lot of skill and not so much luck.

[x129]

A hole in 1 isn't luck either. It is just the skill of hitting ball the right distance and direction just like holing out from the sand. It just happens about 20x less frequently.  Holing out from the sand, chipping in from 30 ft, or putting from 40 ft are have a skill component but they happen rarely enough that when one happens saying you got lucky is pretty accurate. Of course this all comes down to your definition of luck.

Originally Posted by colin007

yes i can.  and i suck.

hole in one is a lot of luck and (possibly) a lot of skill.  holing out from the sand is a lot of skill and not so much luck.

[Beachcomber]

I played 9-holes back in the 90's with then LPGA professional Tammie Green.  While I was driving it past her on several holes, she hit every green in regulation.  She shot a 34 to my 39 on a par 36.  And I literally felt like I lost by 12 shots because she was throwing darts. To my scrapping around trying to get up and down from everywhere.

[shades9323]

Originally Posted by colin007

yes i can.  and i suck.

hole in one is a lot of luck and (possibly) a lot of skill.  holing out from the sand is a lot of skill and not so much luck.

Are you saying that you can hole out from the sand at will?