19th Hole

5 dramatic moments from the last decade at the ANA Inspiration

Published

4 years ago

Sep 9, 2020

The 2020 ANA Inspiration gets underway this week, and down the years it has consistently thrown up some of the most unforgettable golf moments of the year.

Ahead of this year’s event at Mission Hills CC, we thought we’d take a look back at 5 of the most dramatic moments from what has always proven to be, a must-watch major championship.

The Horrible Horseshoe – 2012

Back in 2012, In-Kyung Kim was poised to win her first major at the then-named ‘Kraft Nabisco Championship’.

The Korean needed just a par on the par 5 final hole to clinch the title, and left with little over a foot for victory, the win looked inevitable. That was until one of the most shocking and significant horseshoes in major championship history occurred:

That 14-inch miss ended up placing Kim in a playoff which she lost on the first extra hole to Sun Young Yoo.

Five years later, Kim would finally win her first major at the Women’s British Open. Half a decade on from that incredible miss in California, Kim stated: “I’m finally at peace.”

Lincicome Stuns Lewis – 2015

Stacy Lewis looked almost certain to win the third major of her career at the ANA in 2015, holding the lead on Sunday for nearly the entirety of the back 9.

Looking confident, the Ohio native seemed set to take a minimum of a two-stroke lead down the 18th, before Brittany Lincicome hit one of the shots of her life, knocking a 5-iron from 188 yards to inside 10-feet.

She then converted the eagle putt to tie Lewis.

That 5-iron ended up being a championship-winning shot, as Lewis would agonizingly miss putts from 13 feet in regulation, 15 feet on the first extra hole and 12 feet on the second. All which, had they gone in, would have given her the title.

Lewis’ bogey on the third extra hole sealed her fate, and she has been searching for her third major championship ever since.

Lydia The History Maker – 2016

Lydia Ko became the youngest women’s major champion in history back in 2016, but the win was anything but straightforward for the then 18-year-old.

The Kiwi trailed Ariya Jutanugarn by two for the majority of Sunday and kept herself within touching distance thanks to some clutch par saves on the back 9 – the most notable being a lengthy par save on the 13th.

Still down by two with three holes remaining, the plot thickened as Jutanugarn stumbled home, leaving the door ajar for Lydia, who nervelessly stiffed her final approach on 18 to win by one and create history.

Lexi’s Stolen Major – 2017

One of the most controversial major moments in the sport’s history came at Mission Hills CC back in 2017 with Lexi Thompson seemingly cruising towards her second major title, holding a healthy lead on the back 9 on Sunday.

However, that lead eradicated when a rules official informed her that she was being assessed a four-shot penalty for not marking her ball correctly during round three.

An email from a viewer prompted officials to act a day late, and Thompson was hit with a two-stroke penalty for improper ball placement and a further two-stroke penalty for signing an incorrect scorecard.

“Is this a joke?” asked Thompson. It wasn’t.

Fighting back the tears and cheered on by the fans, Thompson bravely managed to force a playoff by birdieing three of her last six holes. But she was defeated by Ryu So-Yeon on the first extra hole.

A year later at the 2018 ANA, Thompson revealed to media members that 12 months on she still suffered nightmares from the incident:

“I was screaming, crying. You know, I’ve relived it for a while. I had nightmares about it — I still occasionally do.”

The 2014 edition of this week’s event remains her sole major victory.

Marathon In The Desert – 2018

2018 saw a playoff for the ages, with Inbee Park, Jennifer Song and Pernilla Lindberg all birdieing the final hole in regulation to reach extra holes.

In the dying light, Park and Lindberg both eliminated Song with birdies, and it looked set to be another major for the Korean who had seven majors to her name, while Sweden’s Lindberg had never before even won on the LPGA Tour.

Artificial light was brought to the playoff to attempt to prevent a Monday finish, but that effort was in vain, and both Park and Lindberg returned for the dreaded Monday morning resumption.

Defying every golf fan’s expectations, it was Lindberg who made the breakthrough on the eighth playoff hole, holing a 30-foot putt to stun Park.

Lindberg’s unlikely win that week remains her sole triumph on the LPGA Tour, while for Park, despite continuing to feature on Sunday leaderboards at the majors, her drought at golf’s biggest events now extends to five years.

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19th Hole

Why Ludvig Aberg is my new favorite player – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

9 hours ago

Apr 24, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

In our forums, our members have been discussing one of the new sensations in the world of golf – Ludvig Aberg. The 24-year-old finished solo second at the Masters a couple of weeks ago, and gained many plaudits, including from several WRXers.

RELATED: ‘There were a number of red flags’ – Ludvig Aberg reveals why he turned down multiple LIV offers

One member, RoyalMustang, took to the forums to explain why Aberg is now their favorite player, saying:

“I loved the way the Ludvig was out there, having a great time, not taking himself or the situation too seriously. Even after the double at 11, he was like “well, that’s golf!” Loose and relaxed: that’s the way to play. It’s obvious he loves what he’s doing, he loves the big moments, and he loves being a part of it all.

Arnold Palmer was viewed that way. Just like Brooks Robinson was forever viewed as not just a great baseball player, but a great human being and friend to Baltimore.”

And our members have been reacting and sharing their positive takes on the young Swede.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

redfirebird08: “Ludvig has a great attitude, a great smile, and a great golf swing.”
otto6457: “I’m very lucky to have talked with Ludde several times at the Rawls Course at Texas Tech. He’s a truly nice guy and very friendly. Always said hello when we passed each other in the club house and was always smiling. Watching him hit balls on the range was a joy. He has “that sound” and trajectory to die for. There were many times he was out on the range in 30+ mph winds just hitting the most beautiful shots that just seemed to ignore the wind. World class ball striker. And yes……..I am a fan boy.”
konklifer: “I like him. In an era of endless waggles and laboring, his swing and pace of play are a joy to watch.

Entire Thread: “Why Ludvig Aberg is my new favorite player – GolfWRXers discuss”

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19th Hole

‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage

Published

2 days ago

Apr 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

Over the past year or so, PGA Tour star Patrick Cantlay has taken a great deal of criticism for his pace of play.

Now, Cantlay is once again under fire for a questionable decision he made on Sunday at the RBC Heritage.

After the horn sounded to suspend play due to darkness, Cantlay, whose ball was in the fairway on the 18th hole, had a decision to make. With over 200 yards into the green and extreme winds working against the shot, conventional wisdom would be to wait until Monday morning to hit the shot.

On the other hand, if he could finish the hole, he may just want to get the event over with so he could get out of Hilton Head.

Curiously, Cantlay chose neither of those options. After hitting 3-wood into the green, and still coming up short, the former FedEx Cup champion chose to mark his ball and return to chip and putt on Monday morning.

Ian Woosnam, who was watching from home, took to X to give his thoughts on Cantlay’s decision-making.

Can’t believe my eyes watching Patrick Cantlay why on earth would you hit your second shot then mark your ball absolutely crazy, maybe says a lot ?

— Ian Woosnam (@IWoosnam) April 22, 2024

Cantlay would end up getting up and down for par when play resumed at 8:00 Monday morning.

Following his round, Cantlay explained his decision to wait to hit his third shot the next morning:

“I really did want to finish last night, so I felt like if I could get the ball up there maybe in an easier spot, maybe I would have finished, but as I got the ball up near the green, I realized it would be easier to finish this morning. That’s what I decided to do.”

GolfWRX has reached out to Patrick Cantlay’s management team for a response to Woosnam’s comments.

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Find out more about GolfWRX and the GolfWRX forums.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans betting preview

Published

2 days ago

Apr 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.

TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.

Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.

However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.

Past Winners at TPC Louisiana

2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)

2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks

Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)

Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.

This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.

McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.

Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)

Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.

Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.

Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)

Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.

NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.

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