Player Profiles - Part 9

This is the final installment of my 2009 Player Profiles.  If there are any other players you would like for me to profile, list them in the comments and I'll oblige after the holidays.

57.  Eunjung Yi  (70-NR-49)

Yi is the winner of the 2009 Hound Dog Fluke Victory of the Year Award.  She won the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, defeating Morgan Pressel on the first playoff hole.  It was an amazing week for Eunjung - on Friday she eagled three times (only the fifth player in LPGA history to do that in one round) en route to a 69 and on Saturday she fired a 61 to carry a four-shot lead into the final round.

Eunjung wins the Fluke Award because during her two LPGA seasons covering 35 starts, the Farr victory is her only Top 10 finish.  She has two other Top 20 finishes and has missed 12 cuts (34%).  Her best 2009 finish other than the victory was T18 at the State Farm.  She missed the cut the week prior to the victory and missed the cut in the two tournaments following it.

59.  Inbee Park  (11-NR-19)

Several times already, I've documented Inbee's struggles since winning the 2008 U.S. Open so I won't do that here.  I just wanted to point out that she snapped her Top 10-less streak in Korea by finishing T7 and followed that with a T5 at Mizuno.  Don't be surprised if she finds her way back into the HD Top 20 sometime during 2010.

67.  Nicole Castrale  (41-NR-31)

After winning the Ginn Tribute in 2007, Nicole was one of those second-echelon American players like Laura Diaz and Pat Hurst - good enough for Solheim consideration but not a week-in-week-out contender.  She started 2009 in that same vein but over the second half, she just collapsed with six straight missed cuts and no finishes inside the Top 30.

Castrale putted better in ‘09 than in '08 (up from #66 to #47) but not as well as she had in '07.  The big problem was her GIR ranking fell from #22 to #72, which was set up by being less effective off the tee (down from #54 to #85).  Not a long player, Nicole needs to be in the fairway a lot and she missed the mark too much this year.

NR.  Laura Diaz  (24-NR-33)

In August 2008, Diaz was #19 on the HD Chart.  She played rather well over the next three months, ending the year at #24 despite third-place finishes at Kapalua and China.  Who would have guessed that the three T26 finishes she started the 2009 season with would be her best of the year?  She made 21 starts and missed 12 cuts, with no other finishes better than T42.

What went wrong?  Everything.  Her driving, which had taken a tumble during ‘08 in falling to #78, dropped to #142.  Imagine Paula Creamer hitting fairways like Michelle Wie - that's what Laura Diaz was doing this year.  Starting from such a horrible foundation, Laura could only hit about 61% of the greens in regulation - #124 in that category after being #62 in 2008 and eighth in 2007.  Putting has often been a trouble-maker for Diaz, and in 2009 it was just gas on the fire - she ranked #133, down from #37 a year ago.  I'm not aware of any physical problems she might have been having - there are no WDs or extended absences on her record - but you almost wish it was something physical, just to have some explanation for such a terrible and rapid decline.

NR.  Angela Park  (25-19-14)

In July, Caddy Larry was told that Angela was quitting the game.  He soon heard different and posted a retraction but at least one of us bloggy folks took that news and ran with it.  The 2007 Rookie of the Year returned to action in September at the Canadian Open and I'd like to report that she was her old self but this isn't Hollywood.  In her five starts after the hiatus she missed two cuts, withdrew at Navistar (after an opening 69, oddly enough) and played poorly in both Asian events.  Despite her rough stretch, Angela finished 53^rd on the money list so she retained her Category 1 status for 2010.  Here's hoping she gets back on track sooner rather than later.

55.  Mi Hyun Kim

68.  Jane Park

69.  Jeong Jang

NR. Karen Stupples

These four players had physical conditions which severely reduced their playing time and/or effectiveness during 2009.  I'm sure there were more players who fit that description but these four were the most high-profile.  Kim played 10 events before going on maternity leave at the end of June.  Her baby boy was born November 4^th.  Park battled back problems most of the season, forcing her to DNS or WD five times.  JJ had surgery on her wrist during the winter and did not return until summer.  Stupples had an emergency appendectomy in Phoenix which kept her out for five weeks.  She collected only one Top 20 finish in 16 starts after the surgery.