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Post by HappyFan on Jun 14, 2021 17:15:07 GMT
I've been bitching a bit about the slump the Koreans have been in, but in a larger sense, it seems like almost all the big names on the LPGA have been struggling of late.
Seriously, look at the trend. The last three non-Major events have been won by somewhat to extremely obscure players. Even Ally Ewing is hardly a big name, while Wei Ling Hsu and Castren have never/barely even contended before. Is there seriously any chance that any one of those three is a star in the making? I doubt it.
The Majors have seen exactly one big name, Sei Young, win a Major in the past two seasons, and even she was a first-time winner. The last three Majors were won by almost completely unknown (in the West) Asians, two of whom were not even members of the tour. The last Major saw one of the LPGA's biggest stars collapse in a heap to hand the Major to Saso.
Before that, we had Lydia win her first win in many years, Hyo Joo win her first win in five years, and Ariya win for the first time in a while, too. So even when stars win, they are stars who were in long winless slumps.
The last genuine current star who won on tour was Henderson in late April. Weirdly, before that there were a fair number of current stars winning events (Inbee, Kordas, even Jin Young at the CME last year).
Are we seeing the fruits of setups that make things more even for all players? Or is this just a weird coincidence? Is there any more any LPGA star where, when you see her on a leaderboard, you think she's going to clean house? Or are you just waiting for the unknown third-tier player to shoot a 65 and win with ease no matter who is on the leaderboard?
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Post by SoYeonFan on Jun 14, 2021 17:50:44 GMT
It would help if all the Stars would play more Tournaments together.
Not just the Majors.
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Post by legitimategolf on Jun 14, 2021 18:27:22 GMT
Maybe playing in front of fewer people is taking some pressure out of the atmosphere.
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Post by don on Jun 14, 2021 20:12:35 GMT
That's why the Dimond Resorts celebrity event is so great.
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Post by philknj on Jun 15, 2021 7:50:26 GMT
Maybe playing in front of fewer people is taking some pressure out of the atmosphere.
As that recent Oscar winner used to say on the K-Dramas: BING-GO! Fewer people? How about NO people?!!! But, that overlay of b.s. won't be in place during the remaining U.S. tournaments.
It's quite possible that this thread will look a tad silly in a few months or a lot sooner ... who knows, maybe HF was holding his iPhone upside down when he was looking at the Rolex Rankings.   |
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Post by rlspore on Jun 15, 2021 8:02:51 GMT
I guess I kind of agree....although many big stars have won this year - Kordas, Imbee, Lydia, Brooke, Ariya. Sure, Jin Young has not won (yet), but she is 5 for 8 in top tens. Sei-young seems to be in a bit of a rut, but she's hanging in at #3 in the Rolex rankings (the top of which has not changed much this year). SHP's injury seems to have screwed up her game, so she's disappeared. The top 10 of the top 10 list is mostly big stars, as is the top 10 (top 15 even) in the Race for the CME Globe. Scoring average leaders are all big names down to Patty T at 11, then for most of the top 20.
First time winners seem like a lot so far (4) this season, but if you look back, there are usually quite a few: 2020 (3), 2019 (6), 2018 (10), 2017 (2), 2016 (9), 2015 (5), 2014 (7), 2013 (4), 2012 (6), 2011 (4), 2010 (2), 2009 (7), 2008 (8), 2007 (8), 2006 (5).
I think more than the setups, the absence of crowds might be a factor in so many unknowns winning. I would think that lots of people watching and making noise might affect a young player more than a veteran star. I guess we'll see if anything changes soon - now that it seems like some tournaments will allow fans. But maybe its just technology is so much better now, and players are training much harder than in the past?
Many of the Koreans are having pretty good years so far - Ingee and Soyeon are showing signs of playing better than in the recent past. Ko, of course. Imbee is definitely motivated again, same with Hyo Joo after her big year on the KLPGA, it seems. Lee6 and A Lim keep showing signs... Now how about IK Kim, haha - can the zen master mount a comeback?
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Post by HappyFan on Jun 15, 2021 17:05:58 GMT
Hmmm... I bet that the lack of crowds helps, but there were no crowds last year, and it felt like there weren't so many unlikely winners (other than the Majors). It really feels like this started some time around March and has not been happening long enough to seriously affect the rankings. And because each of the unknowns only makes an impact in one or two events, the "stars" remain atop the rankings due to consistency if nothing more. At least for now.
But even though Inbee, Jin Young et al get a lot of top tens, they haven't really contended. I call it contending if you are within four shots of the lead on the back nine on Sunday. They don't usually win that often, but they do usually put themselves in the hunt, and even that isn't occurring.
But here's an exercise. At the next event, give me the name of a player that, if you see her on the leaderboard, you feel like everyone else will be playing for second. I can't think of one at the moment. These days when Inbee shows up near the top it feels like just a short while before she's going to drop back down again...
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Post by rlspore on Jun 19, 2021 7:44:37 GMT
Quite right about the fact that its hard to have confidence in anyone with a lead this year. Also that Imbee and Jin Young slip into top 10s via the back door, so to speak.
This week seems to be proving you right....do I think Nelly (most reliable? of the leaders) will make a move tomorrow and then put this away? No... Both Kordas have proven quite human after their early season heroics. Ingee has such a good chance this week - hope she continues to go low. But then would love to see Su Oh get her first win. Maguire, meh.
KLPGA is where you go for consistent stars lately, haha.
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Post by legitimategolf on Jun 19, 2021 12:40:03 GMT
Ha Na Jang is the best player in the world right now IMO.
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Post by rlspore on Jun 19, 2021 14:06:43 GMT
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Post by legitimategolf on Jun 19, 2021 15:29:27 GMT
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Post by HappyFan on Jun 19, 2021 16:42:27 GMT
Min Ji Park is playing unreal golf right now: 4 wins in 8 starts, and she just shot a 64 in the third round at the K-Open. If it weren't for Hyun Kyung, she would be annihilating the entire field by 7 shots. She's starting to make me a believer!
I turn on the third round of the Meijer this morning and the first words I hear: 'three players in the final group who have never won before'. There's something weird going on for sure.
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Post by rlspore on Jun 21, 2021 0:30:07 GMT
haha, well, we've got at least one star back in form now! On to KPMG to wait for another.
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