Post by philknj on Jun 7, 2017 12:46:19 GMT
I reached the 1st tee around 10:15 AM and saw the Ping threesome of Aza Munoz, Pernilla Lindberg, and Marissa Steen. However, Munoz and Lindberg told Steen that they planned to play as a twosome and most of the players were doing that. They let Steen tee off first and said they’d send her a single if one came by.
The day was overcast, but I carried a mini umbrella to handle an occasional spritz.
I crossed Route 9 to check out the main practice green. Moriya Jutanugarn was completely captivated by the sight Karine Icher’s little girl and gave her a hug. The woman caddy for Kim Kaufman was near the ropes speaking with Mi Hyang Lee’s new looper, Cheeseburger Chad Payne. She didn’t know that Chad was with MHL until now...he said this was the second week of a two-week tryout. Wow, with his experience he only gets a two-week look-see...tough boss! The subject changed to “Suzanne”, who might be in the market for a looper. Chad said there’s nothing wrong with working for her, “except for the crap she’ll give you, but you have to give it back to her, or else she’ll run over you like a freight train.”
MHL’s bag was there and my earlier guess about her using Mizuno MP-H5 irons at the Lotte in Hawaii was probably wrong. She has Mizuno MP-66 irons, which are not marketed in the U.S. Her Volvik bag also had a Callaway Chrome Soft shoulder strap, which is totally inexplicable since she’s still using a Volvik ball.
I dropped by the range to watch a few swings. On the way, I passed only one OEM van, a smaller one with several brand logos.
Although Alison Walshe won the limited Sunday qualifier, I was not impressed by the mushy re-routing of the swing...but I’m not expert enough to say that it explains her precarious position on the LPGA tour.
Katherine Hull stood near the ropes and worked out with a swing stick (a gripped shaft with a small cylindrical weight on the end). She had a pocket radio-sized gadget on the ground to measure the speed. It measured at least “120”, although she says she hit “130” last week.
For those who say Brittany Lincicome doesn’t work hard, maybe that’s on the full swing only. But, for pitches, chips, and sand shots, she hit a ton of balls at all three practice greens behind the range.
Sharmila Nicollet was there...hit low draws with the driver.
Callaway is the “house” brand at the Seaview and one of their reps gave a couple of drivers to Hee Young Park to try out on the range (she currently uses TaylorMade woods).
I returned to the Bay Course for general wandering...watched the tee shots at #8 for Mirim Lee, Amy Yang, and a blonde I didn’t recognize...figured out it was Bronte Law.
A ludicrous scene took place at the par-5 3rd green. Michelle Wie was playing as a single and practice putting on the back of the green to four different spots. BJ was there and would take a few pics with a smart phone while standing directly across from her putting stance. A bearded dude was her caddy and momma stood off the green with her usual backpack.
I was behind the green when a single player appeared on the fairway waiting to hit (too far away to recognize). Wie waved her up, but continued practicing with her team. The waiting player did nothing so Wie waved her up again, but continued practicing. The player did not hit. This scene was repeated about ten times. It never occurred to Wie to clear the green for a maximum of ten seconds before resuming her precious putting practice. The player finally hit and yelled fore...we all ducked but were not in danger...the ball landed about a yard short of the green and rolled on to the front.
As the player got closer, I could see it was Nelly Korda. It was all laughs between the two...Nelly saying, “I was afraid I was going to hit you!” Hmm, I wonder if Wie would have acted differently if Cristie Kerr was behind her. The Wie Circus continues to be the most pathetic act on the LPGA tour.
A Korean foursome assembled at the first tee, Hee Young Park, Eun Hee Ji, Jennifer Song, and S.H. Park, but they went out in pairs...HY Park and Ji would go first. After Park teed off, Sandra Gal showed up, so The Rocket ran over and gave her a big hug. Then they began a two-minute in-close gossip session...I couldn’t hear what it was about, but at the end Sandra said, “wow, you have a lot going on with you these days.” In high spirits, Park ran down the fairway with her driver...after about 100 yards, she passed Ji and the caddies and kept running all the way to her ball.
Park now has a Yonex bag, but I couldn’t see her irons...today’s oversized headcovers make it hard to see anything inside a bag. I did get a glimpse of Fourteen wedges, the RM22 model (I think), along with Adams hybrids. She hit a TM driver at #1, but she also used a Callaway at #2.
Becky Morgan and Xi Yu Lin hit close approach shots to the par-4 5th hole. I followed them over to the par-4 6th hole tee box. Lin tees her ball low...the crown of her driver was slightly higher than the top of the ball.
It was past lunch time and I had to start thinking of leaving for my 2:20 PM tee time at Mays Landing CC. From long distance, I could see Mi Hyang Lee teeing off at the 2nd hole. She was with a guy who had the look of a coach, but she told me later in the week that it was the Volvik tour rep. Her daddy was not around, which surprised me. There wasn’t time to track her down, so I left the course.
I arrived at MLCC around 2 PM and they let me go out early...was done in about three hours, just before a huge downpour swept the area. From the whites, I made one par and eight bogeys...the rest were worse or “x-outs” to save time! Need more practice! Mid-way thru my round, I tried Lin’s method of teeing the ball low and I hit my best drive of the day. Of course, it didn’t work the next two times I tried it.
The day was overcast, but I carried a mini umbrella to handle an occasional spritz.
I crossed Route 9 to check out the main practice green. Moriya Jutanugarn was completely captivated by the sight Karine Icher’s little girl and gave her a hug. The woman caddy for Kim Kaufman was near the ropes speaking with Mi Hyang Lee’s new looper, Cheeseburger Chad Payne. She didn’t know that Chad was with MHL until now...he said this was the second week of a two-week tryout. Wow, with his experience he only gets a two-week look-see...tough boss! The subject changed to “Suzanne”, who might be in the market for a looper. Chad said there’s nothing wrong with working for her, “except for the crap she’ll give you, but you have to give it back to her, or else she’ll run over you like a freight train.”
MHL’s bag was there and my earlier guess about her using Mizuno MP-H5 irons at the Lotte in Hawaii was probably wrong. She has Mizuno MP-66 irons, which are not marketed in the U.S. Her Volvik bag also had a Callaway Chrome Soft shoulder strap, which is totally inexplicable since she’s still using a Volvik ball.
I dropped by the range to watch a few swings. On the way, I passed only one OEM van, a smaller one with several brand logos.
Although Alison Walshe won the limited Sunday qualifier, I was not impressed by the mushy re-routing of the swing...but I’m not expert enough to say that it explains her precarious position on the LPGA tour.
Katherine Hull stood near the ropes and worked out with a swing stick (a gripped shaft with a small cylindrical weight on the end). She had a pocket radio-sized gadget on the ground to measure the speed. It measured at least “120”, although she says she hit “130” last week.
For those who say Brittany Lincicome doesn’t work hard, maybe that’s on the full swing only. But, for pitches, chips, and sand shots, she hit a ton of balls at all three practice greens behind the range.
Sharmila Nicollet was there...hit low draws with the driver.
Callaway is the “house” brand at the Seaview and one of their reps gave a couple of drivers to Hee Young Park to try out on the range (she currently uses TaylorMade woods).
I returned to the Bay Course for general wandering...watched the tee shots at #8 for Mirim Lee, Amy Yang, and a blonde I didn’t recognize...figured out it was Bronte Law.
A ludicrous scene took place at the par-5 3rd green. Michelle Wie was playing as a single and practice putting on the back of the green to four different spots. BJ was there and would take a few pics with a smart phone while standing directly across from her putting stance. A bearded dude was her caddy and momma stood off the green with her usual backpack.
I was behind the green when a single player appeared on the fairway waiting to hit (too far away to recognize). Wie waved her up, but continued practicing with her team. The waiting player did nothing so Wie waved her up again, but continued practicing. The player did not hit. This scene was repeated about ten times. It never occurred to Wie to clear the green for a maximum of ten seconds before resuming her precious putting practice. The player finally hit and yelled fore...we all ducked but were not in danger...the ball landed about a yard short of the green and rolled on to the front.
As the player got closer, I could see it was Nelly Korda. It was all laughs between the two...Nelly saying, “I was afraid I was going to hit you!” Hmm, I wonder if Wie would have acted differently if Cristie Kerr was behind her. The Wie Circus continues to be the most pathetic act on the LPGA tour.
A Korean foursome assembled at the first tee, Hee Young Park, Eun Hee Ji, Jennifer Song, and S.H. Park, but they went out in pairs...HY Park and Ji would go first. After Park teed off, Sandra Gal showed up, so The Rocket ran over and gave her a big hug. Then they began a two-minute in-close gossip session...I couldn’t hear what it was about, but at the end Sandra said, “wow, you have a lot going on with you these days.” In high spirits, Park ran down the fairway with her driver...after about 100 yards, she passed Ji and the caddies and kept running all the way to her ball.
Park now has a Yonex bag, but I couldn’t see her irons...today’s oversized headcovers make it hard to see anything inside a bag. I did get a glimpse of Fourteen wedges, the RM22 model (I think), along with Adams hybrids. She hit a TM driver at #1, but she also used a Callaway at #2.
Becky Morgan and Xi Yu Lin hit close approach shots to the par-4 5th hole. I followed them over to the par-4 6th hole tee box. Lin tees her ball low...the crown of her driver was slightly higher than the top of the ball.
It was past lunch time and I had to start thinking of leaving for my 2:20 PM tee time at Mays Landing CC. From long distance, I could see Mi Hyang Lee teeing off at the 2nd hole. She was with a guy who had the look of a coach, but she told me later in the week that it was the Volvik tour rep. Her daddy was not around, which surprised me. There wasn’t time to track her down, so I left the course.
I arrived at MLCC around 2 PM and they let me go out early...was done in about three hours, just before a huge downpour swept the area. From the whites, I made one par and eight bogeys...the rest were worse or “x-outs” to save time! Need more practice! Mid-way thru my round, I tried Lin’s method of teeing the ball low and I hit my best drive of the day. Of course, it didn’t work the next two times I tried it.
