2023 CPKC Women's Open

Round 4

Great week for the Sisters overall, with In Gee and Sei Young having easily their best events of the year and many of them contending or playing well most of the week. For the first time in months, they had a legit chance to get a win without some other player putting the tournament out of reach before Sunday morning. I think this event shows that if the LPGA sets up a course to be challenging and not meant for mainly long hitters, the Koreans can still contend en masse. It's not entirely down to old age that we see them less often on leaderboards.

Congrats to Megan on her win, but let's face it, this is one that got away from the Koreans. Khang hung in there and made a few clutch shots, so she deserved the win, but she also won by shooting a 74 on Sunday and making par in the playoff. I was never really expecting Sei Young to get this; she is just too inconsistent, especially off the tee, and boy, she hit her share of stinkers Sunday. Give her credit, she hung in there far longer than I thought she would, but it seemed inevitable she would make too many errors to win.

But Jin Young had this one in her hands repeatedly and each time made crucial and uncharacteristic mistakes. Remember that the last time she won here, she did not make a single bogey. All week. That's the high standard we judge her by, fairly or not. Particularly painful was the par 5 11th. She was tied for the lead, having dusted Khang's five-stroke advantage, and had hit a perfect drive. Perfect chance to tighten the vise, right? She went for the green in two and hit perhaps the worst approach I have ever seen from her: into the woods, where the ball wound up lying under a log (it looked like). Literally any other result and she walks away with a par or birdie and the title. Moments later, both Khang and Sei Young easily reached in two. Two shot swing there, with JYK quickly falling three behind, but she fought back.

She had bad breaks, too; I have no idea how that putt on 17 didn't fall. It tracked all the way, then wiggled out at the last minute. But on 18 she again stumbled, forcing herself to make a clutch 8-foot par save to maintain her one-stroke lead. So she still finished with a 69, not bad. She had made five shots up on Khang, who was playing much worse. But JYK had squandered multiple opportunities, and when there was a playoff they would come back to haunt her.

Because she handed Khang yet another gift, hitting a terrible drive and basically losing the event right there. Khang won with a par. HappyFan's First Time Winner rule: if you are in a playoff with a player who has never won before, force them to make a birdie to win. Never let them get the win with a par. This was also Ko's first ever playoff loss, another annoyance to add to the pile.

I don't want to get too much down on Jin Young. She played solidly all week. She had several legit chances to put this one away. Certainly none of the other Sisters did that. But I doubt she's too happy right now. This wasn't a Major, but it would have been a nice consolation prize for the Koreans after such a tough season. But hopefully she still has some great stuff in her going forward.

Want to give a nod to In Gee for her first top ten of the year, and Mi Hyang Lee for one of her better weeks in a long time. Lee5 even nearly had a top ten. Lee6 alas had her worst round of the week, but a t-22nd is still pretty good considering where her game was two months ago.

I hope the Sisters get a few more chances as golden as this one was, and next time convert. Hwaiting!

Each to their own view. Obviously I'm a newbie so still finding me feet in regards to the history of the Seoul sisters. Have come across to LPGA after the LIV fall out on the main PGA tour means many of my faves have gone to the dark side (I hate Saudi sports washing). It's just about to ruin football in a big way.

As for women's golf I'd best describe most players as streaky. One minute they shoot a 66, the next a 74. Watched many players close up at the British Open for the first time, tee to green was pretty good but overall the standard of putting was average. Everything was left short - this was England with record July rainfall so the greens weren't going to be quick.

Anyway In Gee's my fave and she finally has a top ten finish this year so I'm happy.