2015 KPMG LPGA Championship

[Valleygolfer]

Just flipped to the tournament during a commercial and the leaders are 4 holes behind the the second to last flight... No wonder it's hard to watch.

[legitimatebeef]

Just flipped to the tournament during a commercial and the leaders are 4 holes behind the the second to last flight... No wonder it's hard to watch.

LIES. I attended today's round and followed the final group. We were pushing up against the group ahead. Kim and Park waited on just about every shot.

[Vinsk]

Well...I can say I have time to grab a beer from the start of Inbee's swing until she hits hit. Don't care for her at all.

[rkim291968]

I saw it on TV and the pace wasn't so bad.    It was a lackluster final b/c Park had a comfortable lead down the stretch.  The way she plays, she wasn't going to lose the lead.

I didn't like the fact that the major was par 73 and offered no challenge - winner's score at -19 and many deep in red score.

[Vinsk]

Yeah par 73 and a 287yd par 4. They've got to put it to the girls more. No more soft greens and easier pin placements. I understand the tees have to be shorter than the men's ...but nothing else....they're professionals. It's ridiculous.

[Valleygolfer]

LIES. I attended today's round and followed the final group. We were pushing up against the group ahead. Kim and Park waited on just about every shot.

According to the broadcast the last flight was at 6 and the second at 10. Did they catch up or wrongly reported?

[legitimatebeef]

According to the broadcast the last flight was at 6 and the second at 10. Did they catch up or wrongly reported?

I can't speak about the broadcast, but this four-hole gap you are referring to never happened. There was no catching up either because they never fell that far behind. Park and Kim are not slow players either. Park's movements might seem deliberate but she is a model of efficiency. When it's her turn, she is ready to go. Among the leaders Karrie Webb was the slowest player by far, and she was either third or fourth to last out on Sunday.

I also attended Saturday, when Webb was in the final group with Sei Young Kim. They did fall about a hole behind. Other than that, I did not witness any other instances of slow play among the leaders.

Q.E.D.

[RandallT]

Sadena Parks (of Big Break fame- who never reached the finals despite being the most athletic woman in the season) shot a 67 in the final round of a major. That's pretty impressive, considering she was struggling until late last season on the Symetra Tour.  Only Lexi T and Sandra G topped her with a 66. Sadena posted T22, earning over $35,000.  Her season has been up and down (mostly down, but signs of brilliance), but I thought she was such an athlete during the Big Break season. I think she's got more rounds like that ahead in her future. If she gets hot, watch out- she won twice on the Symetra Tour late last season, and when she's hot it's fun to watch.

How about Brooke Henderson, 17-year old Canadian, trying to earn her LPGA card? They are saying that with her few tourneys that she has had exemptions to play this year, she might earn enough outright to get her card at age 18.  T5 for this major tournament, earning over $130,000.  She doesn't look too flashy though. @nevets88 posted her swing in another thread, and it seemed a bit off to me. Every time she tees it up though (not often), she is right at the top of the leaderboard, it seems.

Maybe these North Americans can provide some spark to the sport for our continent that Stacy Lewis, Christie Kerr, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome haven't been able to do. Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson showed signs in the past of creating some electricity, but just haven't been consistent lately.  Here are the current top 10 players (South Korea with half of them).

Edit: how prescient was this post in a thread about another "phenom" (who apparently never made it like Brooke appears to be making it):

It was probably too easy to use Ko as an example of a young successful golfer.

There is a Canadian golfer that played in the same 2012 Canadian Women's Open that Ko won.

Unfortunately she was 9 over after two days and didn't make the cut.

Earlier in 2012 she won a PGA Canada Women's Tour event in Quebec. She won by two strokes with a score of 3 under par. The course played to 6,164 yards.

That win granted her entry into the Canadian Women's Open.

She was an amateur like Ko.

In between those two events she won the Canadian Junior Girl Championship where she was competing against 18 year olds.

She was 14 in 2012.

I bet most of you haven't heard of her.

Her name is Brooke Henderson.

Just pointing out that there are many other 13 and 14 year old girls that can successfully compete with much older players on courses set up for professionals.

[rkim291968]

How about Brooke Henderson, 17-year old Canadian, trying to earn her LPGA card? They are saying that with her few tourneys that she has had exemptions to play this year, she might earn enough outright to get her card at age 18.  T5 for this major tournament, earning over $130,000.  She doesn't look too flashy though.  @nevets88 posted her swing in another thread, and it seemed a bit off to me. Every time she tees it up though (not often), she is right at the top of the leaderboard, it seems.

Maybe these North Americans can provide some spark to the sport for our continent that Stacy Lewis, Christie Kerr, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome haven't been able to do. Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson showed signs in the past of creating some electricity, but just haven't been consistent lately.  Here are the current top 10 players (South Korea with half of them).

Lewis, Kerr, and Lincicom all won this year.   Morgan Pressel is doing well, too.   They are doing their part against the Koreans who seems to churn out a fresh crop of young players who can win at LPGA.    Wie & Lexi, not so much.   When Lexi came into scene, I thought she was going to be the next dominant force but her short game/putting seems to hold her back.   Brooke will definitely add a spark to LPGA.   How big of a spark?  I am not so sure.

[RandallT]

Lewis, Kerr, and Lincicom all won this year.   Morgan Pressel is doing well, too.   They are doing their part against the Koreans who seems to churn out a fresh crop of young players who can win at LPGA.    Wie & Lexi, not so much.   When Lexi came into scene, I thought she was going to be the next dominant force but her short game/putting seems to hold her back.   Brooke will definitely add a spark to LPGA.   How big of a spark?  I am not so sure.

That's what I mean- even tho they are winning and playing well, there's not huge excitement around those Americans. On the other hand, Wie and Lexi have that IT factor somehow, but they haven't played well enough yet this year to command as much attention. I'm gonna pull for Sadena cuz she's exciting to watch. Packs some power too.

[newtogolf]

That's what I mean- even tho they are winning and playing well, there's not huge excitement around those Americans. On the other hand, Wie and Lexi have that IT factor somehow, but they haven't played well enough yet this year to command as much attention. I'm gonna pull for Sadena cuz she's exciting to watch. Packs some power too.

Given even LPGA golf is watched mostly by men, the "IT" might be how attractive men find them.

[Gunther]

That's what I mean- even tho they are winning and playing well, there's not huge excitement around those Americans. On the other hand, Wie and Lexi have that IT factor somehow, but they haven't played well enough yet this year to command as much attention. I'm gonna pull for Sadena cuz she's exciting to watch. Packs some power too.

[quote name="newtogolf" url="/t/82620/2015-kpmg-lpga-championship/0_40#post_1155175"]Given even LPGA golf is watched mostly by men, the "IT" might be how attractive men find them.   [/quote] If Tiger's niece ever got consistently good, she would be a needle-mover. Name, looks, well-spoken. Just needs to shore up the game and she could be a mega-star.

[rkim291968]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandallT

That's what I mean- even tho they are winning and playing well, there's not huge excitement around those Americans. On the other hand, Wie and Lexi have that IT factor somehow, but they haven't played well enough yet this year to command as much attention. I'm gonna pull for Sadena cuz she's exciting to watch. Packs some power too.

If Tiger's niece ever got consistently good, she would be a needle-mover. Name, looks, well-spoken. Just needs to shore up the game and she could be a mega-star.

Yeah, Woods can add to the spark factor if she is any good.   As is, I think she will be lucky to return to LPGA.  Her best finish this year is 24T.

[Vinsk]

If Tiger's niece ever got consistently good, she would be a needle-mover. Name, looks, well-spoken. Just needs to shore up the game and she could be a mega-star.

Yeah Inbee and shanshang feng are well....