5. A home W
Impressive, impressive answering of the bell. Ron Sirak, writing for LPGA.com…”The burden of expectation is a massive weight to lug around a golf course, especially when it’s magnified by the hopeful cheers of thousands of adoring home-country fans. On Sunday, Nasa Hataoka was more than a match for that pressure, closing with a 67, capped by a birdie on the final hole, to win the TOTO Japan Classic by two strokes, adding to an LPGA storyline in which globetrotting stars have risen to the occasion on home soil in 2018.”
- “Hataoka, all of 19-years-old, joins Rolex Player of the Year Ariya Jutanugarn and Sung Hyun Park, with three each, and Brooke Henderson with two, as multiple LPGA winners this year, adding the TOTO title to the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G in June, continuing a ferocious sprint to the finish line this season.”
Full story.
6. Does the Q-Series need tweaking?
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols with a strong take...”The LPGA threw down a sledgehammer on college golf with the inception of its new Q-Series. Seven of the eight amateurs who qualified for the eight-round event earned full status for 2019. Six college hotshots and one junior.”
- “Two of those players – 2018 NCAA champion Jennifer Kupcho of Wake Forest and Maria Fassi of Arkansas – say they will defer status until after the NCAA Championship next May….They will prove to be exceptions to this rule going forward, with the vast majority of players likely to skip the spring semester to take advantage of every playing opportunity that becomes available their rookie season.”
7. On the subject of Q-Series…
GolfWorld’s Ryan Herrington on the qualifiers…”Officially, the medalist was South Korea’s Jeongeun Lee6, already a standout at home with seven KLPGA titles and holding down 19th place on the Rolex Women’s World Ranking. A closing two-under 70 on the No. 7 course gave the 22-year-old an 18-under aggregate.”
- “Twenty-two of the 48 Q-Series grads will be rookies on tour in 2019, including eight amateurs: Jennifer Kupcho (runner-up to Lee by one stroke back), Jaclyn Lee (sixth), Lauren Stephenson (T-8), Kristen Gillman (T-13), Lilia Vu (T-27), Maria Fassi (32nd), Suzuka Yamaguchi (T-36), Robyn Choi (T-45).”
- “Seven of the eight are college golfers who have a difficult decision to make: Do they take their memberships immediate, turning pro and leaving school before the start of the spring semester? Or do you defer the membership until after the NCAA Championship, is an option not previously afforded amateurs who had success at Q school?”
- “Three of the seven-Stephenson, Gillman and Vu-have said they’ll make their pro debuts early in 2019, leaving college behind”
8. Grotesque golf course vandalism
WXIN Report…”Residents are demanding answers after vandals carved a racial slur and a swastika onto an Indianapolis golf course…The man who discovered it said he wasn’t upset about the golf course being defaced, but about the message being sent.”
- “It’s not the physical damage that was done, it’s the psychological damage,” said golfer Phil Rossman…Rossman plays golf at Smock Golf Course nearly five days a week. Over the weekend, the Vietnam vet saw something during his regular round that goes against everything he stands for in life.”
- “I guess I was a bit shocked to see it in the middle of a golf course,” Rossman said. “But not surprised to see it in society in general.”…Rossman snapped pictures showing a racial slur, along with a swastika carved into the 8th hole green.”
9. Woods, Federer friends no more
The newsworthiness of this bit of trivia is debatable, nevertheless, it’s moderately interesting to hear that the two greatest athletes of their generation (in their respective sports) no longer speak…especially given Woods’ expansive chumminess in his return.
- Adam Powers at the Daily Express… “I have not seen him for a lot of time…Yeah, once we used to see each other time-to-time for the Gillette (ad) campaign. Even Nike. But that was rare. It was more about wishing good luck. When he faced problems, he disappeared and changed his number.”
No word on what the two men shave with currently.
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Jamie
Nov 5, 2018 at 10:35 am
Phil Rossman probably carved the swastika himself. The sympathy card has been very lucrative. Wouldn’t be the first time. His name is Andrew King.