U.S. Open - 3rd Round
by hound dog on Jul 11, 2009 4:53 PM PDT
4 comments
Cristie Kerr holds a two-shot lead going into the final round of the U.S. Women's Open. Eun-Hee Ji is in second place at even par, Teresa Lu and Jean Reynolds are tied for third at +2 four shots back while Candie Kung, Hee Young Park and In-Kyung Kim are tied for fifth at +3.
Kerr posted a 72 on Saturday, her first round over par this week, but extended her Friday-night lead by a shot because her closest competitors faltered - especially over the back nine. Cristie birdied only twice (at 4 and 15, thanks to brilliant iron shots within two feet) while bogeying three times. Paula Creamer struggled early, went out in 39, took triple-bogey at a nightmarish 10th and got home in 79. Reynolds hung in nicely almost all day, until she bogeyed three of her last four. Na Yeon Choi was in great shape at +1 - then she found the creek running down the left side of 13. She saved bogey there but took three more at 16, 17 and 18. Giulia Sergas was -1 through 3 but played her last 15 holes in +6. Hee Young Park was even par through 5 but faded to +3. You get the picture. In case you don't, check out the details in my Saturday live-blogging.
Ji was struggling early, going out in 38 and sitting at +3. Nine holes and only 32 strokes later, she was even par and only two out of the lead. Lu had a very steady day. After a bogey at 4, Teresa birdied 5 and 10 while parring all the rest. Inky was steady too - lots of pars (15 of ‘em to be exact) but no TV exposure en route to a 72. Kung posted the best round of the day (68) despite bogeying 17.
If I bring up Suzann Pettersen, Kyeong Bae and Brittany Lincicome being tied for eighth at +4, then I've mentioned all 10 players within six shots of the lead. With so few in front of them, we should consider the six players at +5 as having a reasonable chance of climbing the ladder. See how I worked Morgan Pressel, Sun Ju Ahn, Song-Hee Kim and Sun Young Yoo (joining Sergas and Choi at that number) into contention?
Doesn't matter though, does it? After Kerr took a three-shot lead at 8 today, Johnny Miller said she was likely to run away with it which tells me that at this moment he expects her to win. I was appalled that this guy would make that statement 15 minutes into the Saturday telecast. Did he forget what day it was? Acknowledging the probability that he pays exactly zero attention to this Tour the other 51 weeks of the year, could I have any more reason to lend less credence to his opinion? I'm not the greatest Cristie Kerr fan but even though I admit she's a great putter and often a very fine ball-striker and one of the five best players in the world, I'm not audacious enough to start telling you she's got this event in her back pocket. I've watched way too much golf to tell you that and so has he. Sorry Cristie - thanks to Johnny Miller, I'm rooting for the field against you tomorrow.
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The NBC coverage was attrocious
Like when the announcer said “Is there anyone on the course who needs a birdie more than creamer now?” and countless other idiocies.
Wasted energy to get annoyed at Johnny Miller
I see it all the time on golf message boards, an hysterical desperate paranoia to root against Johnny and point out supposedly flawed comments. Meanwhile, the guy is by far the sharpest TV golf announcer ever. As soon as I saw Paula sinking her wedge deep into the rough on #10 I was almost certain she would chunk it, and allow Johnny the perfect opportunity to point out what he always emphasizes on men’s events, that the biggest mistake pros make on a regular basis is soling the club on chip shots in heavy rough, hitting the dead top of the clubface in the process and chunking the shot. It’s incredible that it continues year after year despite Miller’s remarks.
And it’s a poor assertion that Miller doesn’t pay attention to women’s golf the remainder of the year. Here’s a section of his 2004 book, “I Call the Shots,” where he dominated the rest of the golf world by predicting Annika’s path, more than 4 years early:
“Where will Annika go from here? Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if she just walked away from golf entirely. She’s an intelligent person who has sacrificed more than almost anyone to become the best she can be. She has talked about having a family, and knowing her, I can’t imagine her giving parenthood less than her full attention when the day comes that she decides to have children. As a player, she’s conquered every mountain. I imagine her doing what Jim Brown and Rocky Marciano did, retiring at the top of her game with her health intact, her fortune made, her youth preserved, and a big wide world waiting at her feet.”
Also from Johnny Miller's book
On page 224 hard cover edition
"I also won the San Francisco City Championship, the biggest local amateur tournament there was."
He never did. Check out the list of former winners.
Miller is a liar among other things. Plus that book has over a dozen factual mistakes. Which I outlined here.
???
“hysterical desperate paranoia”? I guess using bolded text for two words means I was being hysterical.
“supposedly flawed comments”? Kerr led by three shots with 28 holes to play and Miller said she looked like she was going to run away with it. 10 holes later, her lead is two shots. The comment was audacious and it turned out to be flawed.
If I’m wrong about Miller not following women’s golf, I’ll accept that. But only calling one event per year (if that) opens himself to the possibility of that criticism. I certainly don’t question the man’s knowledge about playing the game – I question his common sense.
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