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1. Magic at the 72nd, steadiness at the 73rd make Mirim Lee a major champ
“This major was marred, however, by the advertising…that was ridiculously erected around the 18th green…” James Corrigan at the Telegraph accurately writes regarding the final stretch at the ANA Inspiration.
My feeling: The blue barrier benefitted Brooke Henderson (a little) and Mirim Lee (a lot) distracting from a finish that, absent the beneficial breaks, would likely have seen Nelly Korda hopping into Poppy’s Pond.
- Anyway, the winner… “Ranked 94th, Lee chipped-in twice in the last three holes at Mission Hills, Palm Springs to fight herself into the shootout against Nelly Korda, the world No 3, and Brooke Henderson, the world No 9. And when she birdied the first sudden-death hole the title was hers to enjoy. As was the traditional jump into Poppie’s Pond behind the 18th green.”
- …”It is fair to say that Korda and Henderson were completely stunned. All day, it had been a head-to-head and yet neither of them prevailed. In the searing heat, the advantage changed hands between the duo, this way and that, and even with a few holes to play it was almost inconceivable that someone else would come through.”
- “Credit to Lee, 29, who had not won for three years but who showed she had what it takes when finishing second at the 2016 AIG Women’s Open at Woburn, including a record-equalling 62.”
2. Safeway: Cink wins
AP report…”Sparked by a strong short game, Cink won the season-opening Safeway Open at 47 years old Sunday for his seventh PGA Tour victory and first since that win at Turnberry 11 years ago.”
“Making it more special? Cink won with 23-year-old son Reagan alongside as his caddie, with wife Lisa — in her fifth year of cancer remission — watching from beyond the ropes.”
Full piece.
3. A South African wins in Portugal
AP report…”South African George Coetzee shot a 5-under 66 to win the Portugal Masters by two strokes on Sunday.”
- “Coetzee finished at 16 under par after birdies on two of the last three holes to seal the victory over Englishman Laurie Canter, who also shot a 66.”
- “Tommy Fleetwood (64) ended another shot back after making a late charge with four birdies in his last seven holes, including the final two. The Englishman was tied for third with Swede Joakim Lagergren (65), who also finished strongly with birdies on Nos. 14, 16 and 17.”
4. From done with the game to KFT winner
Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…“Curtis Thompson was done. Now, he’s a Korn Ferry Tour winner.”
- “The 27-year-old Thompson captured the Evans Scholars Invitational on Sunday, making birdie on the final hole for a closing 2-under 70 at Chicago Highlands Club in Westchester, Illinois, to finish a shot clear of Will Zalatoris (64) and Jimmy Stanger (66).”
- “It was the first KFT – and world-ranked – victory for Thompson, who two years ago gave up playing professional golf.”
- “After a disastrous season on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2018, he lost his card and decided to quit the game. He picked up the bag for his sister, LPGA star Lexi Thompson, and got a job looping at Pinetree Golf Club back home in Boynton Beach, Florida. During his sabbatical, Thompson also finished his degree (he turned pro early out of LSU in 2014) and got married.”
5. Tiger arrives at Winged Foot
Golf Digest’s Daniel Rapaport…“Woods arrived at Winged Foot Golf Club on Sunday afternoon for some light practice and a nine-hole round, playing the back nine a full four days before he’ll tee it up in the year’s second major.”
- “Wearing shorts, [EDIT: And an untucked shirt, I might add!] Woods returned to the iconic Mamaroneck, N.Y., layout to prepare for his first tournament there since the 2006 U.S. Open, where he did something he’d never done in his pro career to that point: missed the cut in a major. (That was also the first tournament start he had made since the death of his father, Earl.) He’s been back much more recently, though-Woods played a full 18 with Justin Thomas three weeks ago, when both players stopped over en route to The Northern Trust in Boston.”
6. ICYMI: Kisner’s COVID tweet
ESPN’s Bob Harig…”Golfer Kevin Kisner issued an apology and the PGA Tour put out a statement in response to the golfer’s tweet on Saturday morning in which he says he made a “reckless comment” about the guidelines that are in place to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.”
- “Kisner, a two-time PGA Tour winner who is also a member of the tour’s policy board, responded to former NBA player Rex Chapman, who tweeted on Friday that parents of his friends have died from COVID-19 and that one of his own children was diagnosed with the virus.”
- “Guess they can’t follow the guidelines,” was Kisner’s reply.
7. A most interesting win
AP report…”Miguel Angel Jimenez completed a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the Sanford International, the PGA Tour Champions’ first event with fans since returning from a break for the coronavirus pandemic.”
- “Jimenez closed with a 5-under 65 at Minehaha Country Club to beat Steve Flesch by a stroke. The 56-year-old Spanish star won for the second time this season and 10th on the 50-and-over tour.”
- “How am I going to celebrate?” Jimenez said. “We start already. We have some wine here, it’s my favorite drink. Nice cigar, Arturo Fuentes. … The short period you’re going to be here in this world, enjoy yourself.”
8. Phil was hardly alone…
PGATour.com’s Sean Martin…“Winged Foot may have been his best chance to win his national championship. Playing in the final group, he arrived at 18 needing a par to win. Instead, his drive sailed off a hospitality tent and his recovery shot ricocheted off a tree and nearly bounced back to his feet. He made double-bogey instead. “
- “I am such an idiot,” Mickelson famously said afterward. “This one hurts more than any tournament because I had it won.”
- “His 6 at the last hole dropped him to 6 over par for the tournament, one shot behind winner Geoff Ogilvy.”
- “He wasn’t the only one who lost the 2006 U.S. Open with bogey, or worse, on 18. PGATOUR.COM recently spoke to the others to illuminate all of the craziness that occurred on Winged Foot’s closing hole:”
9. Cink’s winning WITB
Driver: Ping G410 LST (10.5 degrees @11.5, Big +)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD XC 6 TX (45.25 inches)
3-wood: Ping G410 (14.5 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 70 6.5
7-wood: Ping G410 (20.5 degrees @19.75)
Shaft: Accra FX 2.0 360 M5
Irons: Ping i210 (4-UW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (+1/2 inches)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 Raw (56-08M, 60-04L)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (+1/2 inches, D6 swing weight)
Putter: Ping Vault 2.0 Ketsch
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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19th Hole2 weeks ago
19th Hole1 week ago
Moosejaw McWilligher
Sep 14, 2020 at 6:26 pm
So, Kisner pushed for fans to come back to golf ASAP for “revenues”… and then he’s going after people for catching the virus. Hypocrite, idiot, both? Yeah, Chapman was right to reject the apology.