Post by HappyFan on Sept 3, 2023 0:36:43 GMT
Day three: Portland Classic
When I went to this today, my thinking was I'd just enjoy following some players I like and rooting them on to have a good round. I had no expectation that they would get into contention for the title, it just seemed very out of the question based on how low the scores are and how far back they were.
I got there in time to meet Six on the third green, where she immediately missed a three-foot birdie try. I followed her until hole 9, then went back to my car to retrieve my phone which I had accidentally left there. I hoped I could get some pix. Of course, as soon as I got back to the course, my phone ran out of charge. Sigh. I then reconnected with Six on the 12th hole and watched her for a little longer before switching.
Tee to green, she was really solid. She hit almost every fairway and green and usually left herself a decent chance at birdie. She just wasn't making a lot of putts, made more annoying by the fact that Angela Stanford, her playing partner, was making everything. After missing the three footer, she missed a six footer on 4; then landed in the greenside bunker on 5 and could not get up and down. But after that she hit a great iron to four feet for birdie on 6, then got near the green and made an easy up and down for another one on 7.
She had about thirty people following her group, and a fair number shouting "Six!" when she made a good shot. I feel a lot better about the way her game is trending after watching her play.
I briefly saw Hyo Joon Jang on 6, making a fifteen feet birdie putt without issue. When I saw how she was climbing the leaderboard, I decided to switch to follow her. Two reasons I chose her over Mi Hyang Lee, who was also playing well: 1. Hyo Joon was playing with Hyo Joo Kim, so I got 2 for 1; and 2. I had never seen her play and wanted to see what her game was like.
What was interesting is that, though Hyo Joon tee-to-green was hit and miss (she made a few mistakes, though not big ones), her putting was on fire. She was making everything. And what was more impressive, she didn't spend a lot of time. She literally looked at the putt, stepped up and hit it. The first few times, I couldn't even believe she was already hitting the stroke. And despite that tiny bit of prep, she made it anyways. My guess is that most of the time, her less-than-perfect tee to green game impacted her to the point where her putting could not step in to save her, and that's why we haven't seen much of her until now.
I started watching her on 11. She hit her approach into deep rough near the green, chipped it out and into the cup for birdie. Wow, that was easy. See what I mean by 'making everything'? She made a winding birdie on 13. She was not so close on 15, but still made the 15 footer. On 16, she and Hyo Joo both hit irons to about three feet, but Hyo Joon made hers and Hyo Joo didn't. On 17, she went into the woods, hit out into the greenside bunker, but still got up and down with ease. She made her 11th birdie of the day on 18 after a fantastic approach to five feet. Her 62 was probably the best round of the year by a Korean. Who woulda expected that? There was a group of four white guys and two white women who followed her the whole time I was there and by 18 they were high fiving each other after each birdie. Looks like "Joon" (that was her name on her yardage book) has some new fans.
She even got a nice ovation from the players around the practice green as she walked off the course. It had to have been an amazing experience for her. I'm glad to have witnessed it! I later spotted her posing with some kids for photos with a big smile on her face.
I also saw Mi Hyang sitting at a table in the fan food area, talking on the phone with someone, her rescue club cradled in her arms, still fully clad in her work outfit. She looked upset. I'm wondering if she made a phone call to her sports psychologist after the shaky finish to her round? I saw her hit a drive into the woods on 17 and she was not happy about it.
Anyways, looking forward to tomorrow!
When I went to this today, my thinking was I'd just enjoy following some players I like and rooting them on to have a good round. I had no expectation that they would get into contention for the title, it just seemed very out of the question based on how low the scores are and how far back they were.
I got there in time to meet Six on the third green, where she immediately missed a three-foot birdie try. I followed her until hole 9, then went back to my car to retrieve my phone which I had accidentally left there. I hoped I could get some pix. Of course, as soon as I got back to the course, my phone ran out of charge. Sigh. I then reconnected with Six on the 12th hole and watched her for a little longer before switching.
Tee to green, she was really solid. She hit almost every fairway and green and usually left herself a decent chance at birdie. She just wasn't making a lot of putts, made more annoying by the fact that Angela Stanford, her playing partner, was making everything. After missing the three footer, she missed a six footer on 4; then landed in the greenside bunker on 5 and could not get up and down. But after that she hit a great iron to four feet for birdie on 6, then got near the green and made an easy up and down for another one on 7.
She had about thirty people following her group, and a fair number shouting "Six!" when she made a good shot. I feel a lot better about the way her game is trending after watching her play.
I briefly saw Hyo Joon Jang on 6, making a fifteen feet birdie putt without issue. When I saw how she was climbing the leaderboard, I decided to switch to follow her. Two reasons I chose her over Mi Hyang Lee, who was also playing well: 1. Hyo Joon was playing with Hyo Joo Kim, so I got 2 for 1; and 2. I had never seen her play and wanted to see what her game was like.
What was interesting is that, though Hyo Joon tee-to-green was hit and miss (she made a few mistakes, though not big ones), her putting was on fire. She was making everything. And what was more impressive, she didn't spend a lot of time. She literally looked at the putt, stepped up and hit it. The first few times, I couldn't even believe she was already hitting the stroke. And despite that tiny bit of prep, she made it anyways. My guess is that most of the time, her less-than-perfect tee to green game impacted her to the point where her putting could not step in to save her, and that's why we haven't seen much of her until now.
I started watching her on 11. She hit her approach into deep rough near the green, chipped it out and into the cup for birdie. Wow, that was easy. See what I mean by 'making everything'? She made a winding birdie on 13. She was not so close on 15, but still made the 15 footer. On 16, she and Hyo Joo both hit irons to about three feet, but Hyo Joon made hers and Hyo Joo didn't. On 17, she went into the woods, hit out into the greenside bunker, but still got up and down with ease. She made her 11th birdie of the day on 18 after a fantastic approach to five feet. Her 62 was probably the best round of the year by a Korean. Who woulda expected that? There was a group of four white guys and two white women who followed her the whole time I was there and by 18 they were high fiving each other after each birdie. Looks like "Joon" (that was her name on her yardage book) has some new fans.
She even got a nice ovation from the players around the practice green as she walked off the course. It had to have been an amazing experience for her. I'm glad to have witnessed it! I later spotted her posing with some kids for photos with a big smile on her face.
I also saw Mi Hyang sitting at a table in the fan food area, talking on the phone with someone, her rescue club cradled in her arms, still fully clad in her work outfit. She looked upset. I'm wondering if she made a phone call to her sports psychologist after the shaky finish to her round? I saw her hit a drive into the woods on 17 and she was not happy about it.
Anyways, looking forward to tomorrow!
