I.K. Kim misses One Foot Putt, Yoo wins 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship

[mvmac]

After I.K. Kim missed a one-foot par putt on the 18th hole to force a two-player playoff, Yoo hit her approach shot to 20-feet on the first playoff hole and sank the birdie putt to clinch what seemed to be an improbable victory at the season's first major championship.

I.K. Kim appeared to have the Kraft Nabisco Championship right in her grasp as she stared at a one-foot par putt on the 18th hole. With Sun Young Yoo already in at 9-under-par and Yani Tseng needing an eagle on the last hole to finish at 10-under-par, the putt seemed to be almost a gimme but with so much on the line, Kim made an uncharacteristic error, as the one-footer broke right and forced the playoff that would leave her one shot short of her first major championship.

If anyone is interested in what Sun Yung Yoo was playing, our Callaway guy sent me this:

Sun Yung Yoo had a RAZR Fit driver (9.5 degrees), RAZR Fit 3-wood and RAZR X Forged irons in her bag in her playoff win at the LPGA’s Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Also at the Kraft, Callaway had the most iron sets in play, with 28 players using Callaway. The Diablo Forged irons were the most popular; eight players used the model.

[Zwick]

That is just cruel.

(The putt is at 2:25 in the video.)

[zipazoid]

Only thing I can say is, maybe shadows distracted her.

[soon_tourpro]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Only thing I can say is, maybe shadows distracted her.

a Pro distracted by shadows in a major and one footer?

LOL got to be kidding me.

she choked BIG time.

she can make a 1000 of those in a row in practice.

[mtsalmela80]

We had some good tournaments for the men and ladies this week. Pretty good weekend leading up to MASTERS week.

I don't see how she missed that, I mean a 1 foot putt...nobody misses a 1 foot putt! I don't care if its your first time holding a putter!

[Mr. Desmond]

Quote of the day from Ron Sirak at GolfWeek:

" I've eaten chili dogs longer than that putt."

Does everyone agree if Kim had just walked up to the putt and batted it in, that it would have fallen. But she stood over it ... a little too  long. The more you stand still over a putt, the more likely you tense up and miss - a stroke doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to go in the hole.

[iacas]

Y-I-P?

[zeg]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Does everyone agree if Kim had just walked up to the putt and batted it in, that it would have fallen. But she stood over it ... a little too  long. The more you stand still over a putt, the more likely you tense up and miss - a stroke doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to go in the hole.

Yep, I know I've missed stupid putts like that by overthinking them. I'm sure it has happened to everyone at some point.

It's sort of like how easy it is to reach across the hole one-handed and knock the ball in with the back of your putter after you just missed the two-foot triple bogey putt. For some reason that doesn't work when it's a putt for birdie...

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by soon_tourpro

a Pro distracted by shadows in a major and one footer?

LOL got to be kidding me.

she choked BIG time.

she can make a 1000 of those in a row in practice.

No, I'm not kidding you. I'm just trying to account for the gaffe. There were shadows. Nevertheless she should have made it, obviously.

Forgive me for trying to inject some humanity into the situation.

[Motley01]

Look, no offense to any of the Asians here. But it kills me to try and watch the LPGA tournaments when there is only one American lady out of 10 on the front page of the leaderboard.

Why do the Asians dominate so much above our American girls? I just don't understand....

They need to rename it the LPGA Asian Tour

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Motley01

Why do the Asians dominate so much above our American girls? I just don't understand....

Non-PC answer: Because they have a good work ethic and practice while American girls are more concerned with doing their hair and shopping, if their Twitter feeds are any indication.

[mtsalmela80]

What the LPGA needs is a really hot (as in good at golf, not beautiful) African American star.

[walk18]

Who among us hasn't missed one of those at some point in their lives, due to carelessness or for whatever reason? Be honest.

[bplewis24]

Just watched the video.  It's not very helpful in showing the putt, but if her bogey putt is any indication, she left it short.  I would have understood if it was a lip-out due to a hard break or something, but she left a 1-foot putt short.  That's amazing to me.

Unless of course it did a 180* lip out and finished in front of the hole again?

Brandon

[Nole77]

Yup, that's exactly what happened, it 180'd.  If I remember correctly, the putt broke hard right, she caught the edge, and it ended up on the left side near her.

Here's a better video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBbKY7FU48U

Originally Posted by bplewis24

Just watched the video.  It's not very helpful in showing the putt, but if her bogey putt is any indication, she left it short.  I would have understood if it was a lip-out due to a hard break or something, but she left a 1-foot putt short.  That's amazing to me.

Unless of course it did a 180* lip out and finished in front of the hole again?

Brandon

[boogielicious]

I felt so bad for her.  She didn't rush it or take too long.  I watched her putting for the last 4 or 5 holes and it was the same routine.

Women's sports are a big deal in Korea, Japan and Taiwan.  They are well supported by the public.  Therefore, they generate a lot of good athletes.  It is the same with countries like Australia.  New York city is as big as Australia for population, but they generate many world class athletes.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Does everyone agree if Kim had just walked up to the putt and batted it in, that it would have fallen. But she stood over it ... a little too  long. The more you stand still over a putt, the more likely you tense up and miss - a stroke doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to go in the hole.

Yes.  Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed this being done by pros (on all the tours) lately?  And I don't even mean putts.  Tee shots is where I've been seeing it a lot.  I thought that was a pre-shot routine exclusive to the 30 handicaps who are waiting for the 1000 swing tips or whatever to quiet down in their heads for 30 seconds before they hit?  In just the last couple of weeks I've seen it on all the tours.  I can't name all of the names, but one of them was Bobby Clampett at Newport Beach a couple of weeks ago.  Saturday a saw a few different girls doing it (Morgan Pressel might have been one) and yesterday in Houston I saw at least one guy doing it as well.  What's up with that?

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by Nole77

Yup, that's exactly what happened, it 180'd.  If I remember correctly, the putt broke hard right, she caught the edge, and it ended up on the left side near her.

Here's a better video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBbKY7FU48U

Okay, I can at least fathom that.  Still brutal, but I have probably done that in my lifetime.

Brandon