We've launched the new forums! Read more here

2009 LPGA Safeway Classic

JB said:
I think your thoughts on ESPN are the same as mine on Christie Kerr. While they do some good (very little), they just annoy too much to get over it.
Click to expand...

And can I just thank them for announcing the winner of the U.S. Am. on their ticker. Cause, ya' know. I wasn't interested in watching it or anything. :angry:

(I try not to watch the ticker, but sometimes it just happens. I hate that farking ticker.)

And they just did it for the Mariners game too!!!! I HATE ESPN.
 
For some reason that does not bother me. The TV people will never cater to the time shift audience. I was on the opposite end of the spectrum. I was waiting for it to go across so that I could see the results.
 
Great Sunday of golf, it was really fun to see Michelle, Christina and Suzanne all taking a run at winning the tournament. I agree with Judy that we are seeing a new Michelle Wie. She just looked like she was having a lot more fun out on the course. You could see it in her reactions to her great shots, like her chip in! Tough finish for Christina on 17 and 18. :disapointed:
 
JB said:
Redman. She is... slow as all hell.
Click to expand...

You got that right. I walked the front 9 with the last group - A. Miyazato, SH Lee and Nordquist. Saw some fine golf, but nothing really spectacular. Then I realized that in certain areas, I could walk ahead a hole and watch Pettersen (whom I think is very exciting), Gulbis and Redman. I only did this for 1 or 2 holes, because Redmand is no fun to watch - she looks and behaves keyed up - kind of agitated. On the green she'd stride around the surface, then walk back and forth to and from the hole as if she was stalking it. Ugh - no fun.

On the other hand, it was a fun event (well run IMHO), a neat new course to see, and a real priviledge to be there today. This morning we had the feeling that anyone could win this and with the playoff - that's just what happened. After a quick bite and stroll through the Safeway food tent :act-up:, I met up with Spouse (following Ochoa). We sat at 18 (plenty of room to sit or stand) and watched the groups finishing, the updates on the manual scoreboard, and the TV coverage on a big screen. The lead seemed to constantly change, and folks hung in there to see the finish. We knew that 17 was a birdie hole, so there was a great likelihood that the win would occur there. Good for MJ Hur - I don't know her, but hope to speak to her at another event down the road.

Good times, folks - signing off for now. Spouse found a restaurant for dinner - Ochoa's!
 
Ricearoni said:
You got that right. I walked the front 9 with the last group - A. Miyazato, SH Lee and Nordquist. Saw some fine golf, but nothing really spectacular. Then I realized that in certain areas, I could walk ahead a hole and watch Pettersen (whom I think is very exciting), Gulbis and Redman. I only did this for 1 or 2 holes, because Redmand is no fun to watch - she looks and behaves keyed up - kind of agitated. On the green she'd stride around the surface, then walk back and forth to and from the hole as if she was stalking it. Ugh - no fun.

On the other hand, it was a fun event (well run IMHO), a neat new course to see, and a real priviledge to be there today. This morning we had the feeling that anyone could win this and with the playoff - that's just what happened. After a quick bite and stroll through the Safeway food tent :act-up:, I met up with Spouse (following Ochoa). We sat at 18 (plenty of room to sit or stand) and watched the groups finishing, the updates on the manual scoreboard, and the TV coverage on a big screen. The lead seemed to constantly change, and folks hung in there to see the finish. We knew that 17 was a birdie hole, so there was a great likelihood that the win would occur there. Good for MJ Hur - I don't know her, but hope to speak to her at another event down the road.

Good times, folks - signing off for now. Spouse found a restaurant for dinner - Ochoa's!
Click to expand...

As usual, great stuff Ricey. You bring it each time with every post.
 
Thanks Ricey, fantastic as always!
 
Gracias. I do my best. I may not provide enough numbers and stats for some folks - hmm...think I'll work on that for the next event.
 
I prefer your stuff to the stats. We can always look up stats.
 
By the way, did anyone else notice the commercial for tickets to the Solheim Cup at Rich Harvest Farms?
 
JB said:
Can somebody please explain why they have a par 4 that is 220 yards?
Click to expand...

Fascinating strategy and permutations. Those are the greatest holes in golf, short par 4s. As long as there is decision-making trouble greenside, preferably water and rough with a narrow access green, those holes are particularly great for match play and playoff situations. Judy Rankin said yesterday that if it went to 17 there likely would be a result.

In this case they moved it up to 220 for Sunday purposes. IMO, the women should have many more holes shortened to drivable, not 220 but in the 240-280 range when it fits.

Johnny Miller typically got it right earlier this year, when praising the short par 4s. "The hard holes should be harder and the easy holes easier."

The question should be this: Why do men have 500 yard par 4s? Incomparably boring, almost without exception. It screams that course architects basically can't think of anything new or creative, so they brain-dead default to walking backwards 50 yards and digging a tee box. Those designers should be dropped onto a field of well angled rakes.

Regardless, nice win for M.J. Hur. Looks like I was one of the few rooting for her in the playoff. Generally I think it's best for the tour if the American prevails, but like others I was turned off by Redman. Imagine a Playing Lessons with her. One hole and there's your half hour.

I remembered Hur from the Futures Tour last season. She failed to finish off the events many times so it was great clutch play to find a win in her first major contention on the big tour. Frankly, it helped that she came from so far back with a 65. On Duramed she had trouble in the final group on Sunday.
 
While I like the holes in the 240-280 range due to decisions and being better players gets you closer, the 220 yard hole with a bail out to the left was simply not good for a Sunday. Make it 245 at a minimum. These girls can play and yet they still keep oversimplifying the courses and not letting the cream rise to the top.
 
I just realized that the Safeway was the first of six consecutive weeks (seven if you count the Solheim) of televised LPGA coverage. Yay!

The Canadian Open is getting very limited coverage in the U.S. unfortunately. . .
CN Canadian Women's Open
Sep 03 : CBC Bold 5:00-8:00 PM ET
Sep 04 : CBC Bold 5:00-8:00 PM ET
Sep 05 : CBC 2:00-6:00 PM ET
Sep 05 : GC 11:30-2:00 AM ET
Sep 06 : CBC 3:00-6:00 PM ET
Sep 06 : GC 9:30-11:59 PM ET
​
. . . but at least there are tournaments and TV coverage.
 
Harry Longshanks said:
I just realized that the Safeway was the first of six consecutive weeks (seven if you count the Solheim) of televised LPGA coverage. Yay!

The Canadian Open is getting very limited coverage in the U.S. unfortunately. . .
CN Canadian Women's Open
Sep 03 : CBC Bold 5:00-8:00 PM ET
Sep 04 : CBC Bold 5:00-8:00 PM ET
Sep 05 : CBC 2:00-6:00 PM ET
Sep 05 : GC 11:30-2:00 AM ET
Sep 06 : CBC 3:00-6:00 PM ET
Sep 06 : GC 9:30-11:59 PM ET
​
. . . but at least there are tournaments and TV coverage.
Click to expand...

And at least the TV coverage isn't ESPN!
 
Some interesting stats from the LPGA for last week:

Throughout the weekend, LPGA.com experienced a sharp rise in traffic as it had the week prior, during the record-breaking Solheim Cup. Page views to the site overall were up 91%, while weekly unique visitors were up 149%. Page views for the leaderboard were up 84% - likely spurred by Sunday’s sudden-death situation. TV viewership also rose considerably compared with last year. The highest spike came during Sunday’s round with viewership up 65%.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top