Kia Classic - Epilogue

Sandra Gal's win yesterday reminded me of Beatriz Recari's win at CVS last October in several ways - a European in her mid-20s (Gal is 25, Recari was and still is 23) with many years of experience at other levels (Gal as an amateur champion and All-American at the University of Florida, Recari with a victory on the LET) playing in chilly/rainy weather, and much better known for her looks than for her talent.  Sandra was ranked higher in both my system (#94 to #157) and Rolex (#100 to #172) just prior to the win and while Beatriz was a Tour rookie last year, Gal is in her fourth full LPGA season.  Golf Channel pointed out that Sandra, not being an LET member, is not eligible for the European Solheim Cup team.

Taken with her T10 finish last week at the Founders Cup, does this mean that Gal has made a quantum leap forward?  While it hasn't seemed to for Recari, this doesn't doom Sandra necessarily.  As an amateur, she was probably the most highly-regarded player in Europe during the first half of the last decade.  Her LPGA record over the first three seasons has been fairly even - 22-23 starts per year, 5 to 7 missed cuts, only two Top 10s but 14 total Top 20 finishes.  2009 was the best of the three with both of her Top 10s, half of her Top 20s and a #43 ranking on my end-of-the-year list.  The GC commentators were raving about her putting stroke over the weekend.  That has been the most consistent area of her game, never finishing worse than #57 in Total Putting (#20 last year).  She rated very well tee-to-green in her rookie year (37^th and 21^st in Total Driving and GIR) but had fallen below the median in both the last two years.  It's taken Gal several years to put it together - the question now becomes, can she keep it there?

Gal becomes only the second German to win an LPGA event.  The first was one of my Fluke Victory stalwarts, Tina Fischer, at the 2001 Asahi International.  Gal's career total of four Top 10s surpasses Fischer's three and her career missed cuts is nowhere near Tina's total of 68.  I guess I'm trying to say that Sandra is NOT going on the Fluke list.

Jiyai Shin didn't live up to her nickname yesterday but it wasn't because of any poor shots.  The putter let her down terribly, as she missed multiple times from less than ten feet.  She did make a six-footer at 13 to tie for the lead (coupled with Gal's bogey) and rammed one home from at least 20 feet to take the lead at 15.  But it abandoned her in a big way at 16 and 18.  I guess Jiyai will be the next outstanding putter to get singled out by the commentators that "she would win a lot more if her putting were more consistent".  I make that statement because A) Shin has ranked in the Top 5 the last two years in Total Putting, and B) Judy Rankin told us more than once this weekend that In-Kyung Kim's putting is all that's holding her back, even though Inky has ranked in the Top 15 of Total Putting the last three years running.  Of all the players I've heard Judy say that about, the only one I remember agreeing with was Wendy Ward.

Sandra Gal has to be this week's Big Surprise but I must give honorable mention to Marcy Hart.  On a day when her beloved Tar Heels went down to defeat in the NCAA Tournament, Marcy fired a 65 to grab her fifth Top 10 in eleven LPGA seasons (and her first since 2006).  For once, the Big Disappointment is a player who did not miss the cut - Karrie Webb, coming off two straight victories, shot 76-77 in the middle two rounds and finished T62.  71 putts over those two days tell the tale.

Golf Channel one-upped me this week - they kept you informed on which ladies played their way into the Kraft Nabisco Championship while I only now give you this list of the happy 11:  Marcy Hart, Mindy Kim, Paige Mackenzie, Reilley Rankin, Christel Boeljon, Pornanong Phatlum (what a run she is on!), Jane Park, Kris Tamulis, Becky Morgan, Pernilla Lindberg and Stephanie Sherlock.