CreamerFan

Trying to best understand all the putting stats and how they tell the whole picture of how well a player is putting, esp putts per/gir. If a player misses all but one green and 1 putts that 1 hole their percentage is 1.0. If a player hits all 18 greens and 2-putts all 18, their percentage is 2.0. Doesn't tell the whole story. What about total putts stat? Looking at a lot of tour players stats and they might have 25-27 putts but missed a lot of greens so that must mean they usually got up and down for a 1 putt or chiped in. If your hitting 16 or more greens and putting more than 33 strokes that's probably not good i'm thinking. Interested in anyones thoughts on all the putting stats and how misleading they can be.

Trying to best understand all the putting stats and how they tell the whole picture of how well a player is putting, esp putts per/gir. If a player misses all but one green and 1 putts that 1 hole their percentage is 1.0. If a player hits all 18 greens and 2-putts all 18, their percentage is 2.0. Doesn't tell the whole story. What about total putts stat? Looking at a lot of tour players stats and they might have 25-27 putts but missed a lot of greens so that must mean they usually got up and down for a 1 putt. If your hitting 16 or more greens and putting more than 33 strokes that's probably not good i'm thinking. Interested in anyones thoughts on all the putting stats and how misleading they can be.

For those who don't follow the tour, the LPGA added 4 more tournament from last year when it was at an all time low of 23 events. I believe less than half of those were domestic events. However, I kind of consider the tournaments in Mexico and Canada as domestic (N. America) since you don't have to watch them on replay. Which is important because tv viewership is critical to growing the game. You can have a great product, but if nobody sees it than what's the point. When you have so few tournaments it's very difficult to win unless your super human like Yani. The pga tour has around 38 events and Tiger, Rory or Donald are not going to play in all of them so your not competing against the top10 every week. There are no Reno-Tahoe Opens on the LPGA.. The best players play in almost every tournament. Now add a player like Yani who's winning half the time she tees it up, the opportunites for Americans like Paula and Cristie to win don't come often. Also, someone mentioned why the LPGA is not shown on the main networks, not true. The US Open is always covered by NBC and ABC covers the British Open just like they do with the men. Espn used to show tournaments but their coverage was horrible and I'am glad their gone. Although, I think they show the first two rounds of the US Open. Recent nielsin ratings show viewership for the LPGA is at an all time high. The tour signed a longterm deal with Golf Channel and they've done a good job, but still need improvment. Fewer replays and three hour viewing blocks rather than two.

Does anyone think the suspension of play might be a good thing for the leaders, being that the course might play a little easier in the early morning? Paula might be able to put a little distance between those players that already finished or only have 1 or 2 holes left. Question is can she physically handle two straight days of all day golf.

I have a completely new respect for Michelle Wie. I think the slate is wiped clean for her. She went in to the Solheim cup the old Michelle Wie and a new and confidant Michelle Wie has come out. I never thought I would say this, but Michelle Wie was clutch this week. Even Christi Kerr sounded some what shocked when she said how much Michelle had improved her putting.

I think its great, it's what's different outside the ropes between an lpga and pga tour event. Very fan and female friendly atmosphere. Kids under a certain age get in free and and numerous girls high school golf teams are screaming and cheering the USA on. The whole "cheek tat" thing stems from the many young players on the team...some of these girls only a few years out of high school, which is ok for now..but when they get to Juli Inkster's age you won't see that too much. Would you ever see Tiger and Phil do a "hip bump" like Paula and Christi did. Priceless

I agree, I think it was like 5 or 6 including a couple to save par. He probably should have got the one on the first hole to give himself the 3 shot cushion right off the bat. If he gets at least half of those its a different ball game even with Yeng's chip in on 14.

Anyone else annoyed at the tv coverage of this tournament? I know Golf channel has no control of the pictures (Canal Plus + ), but the coverage is amateurish and production value is poor. They don't seem to have the ability to cover many groups or don't care to. Kerr and Creamer had good rounds and did not get shown at all. Even the annoucers seemed miffed at the ingnoring of good rounds.

Paula managed to break my heart again just like on no. 9 in last years open. It was errily similar to what happen last year, bad decision compounded by consecutive poorly executed shots. Last year it happend in the last round so i'm not sure which one is worse. This time coming back the next day knowing you probably won't make up 8 shots on course that's barely yielding 2 or 3 birdies a round. Its gotta be demoralizing.

Yeah, I thinks it's curious that the one special exemption they gave was to Laura Davies, who's not playing well now, but I suppose is more to honor her years of great play.

This is straight from the us womens open website: 1. Winners of the U.S. Women's Open Championship for the last 10 years (1999-2008). 2. Winner and runner-up of the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship (must be an amateur). 3. Winners of the LPGA Championship the last five years. 4. Winners of the Ricoh Women's British Open Championship the last five years. 5. Winners of the Kraft Nabisco Championship the last five years. 6. 15 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 15th place from the 2008 U.S. Women's Open Championship. 7. Top 50 money leaders from the 2008 final official LPGA money list. 8. Top 10 money leaders from the 2009 official LPGA money list, through June 1. (Must have filed an entry by May 6). 9. Winners of LPGA co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2008 U.S. Women's Open Championship to the initiation of the 2009 U.S. Women's Open Championship. 10. Top five money leaders from the 2008 Japan LPGA Tour, Korea LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour. 11. Special exemptions selected by the USGA. Natalie's best chance to get in would have been to be in the top 50 on the money list last year, but she played really poor last year due to injuries. Wie only real chance was to get in through qualifying.

On another note, What about next weeks US Open with no Michelle Wie or Gulbis. I was shocked that Natalie didn't make it. I'm not sure why the USGA changed the exemption rules down to the top 10. I know it now matchs the mens open, but mens golf is way deeper than womens.

I'm sorry, but I just get the feeling that Carolyn Bivens doesn't have a clue on how to run a major professional tour. Just one PR disaster after another and bad decision after another. As a fan of the LPGA I have no confidence that she's the right person for the job in these difficult times.

Despite all the negatives involved with playing 2nd banana to the man, that is, the conditions of the greens, driving range and everything else, it' too big of an opportunity for the LPGA to pass up.