WPGA: 2024 Vic Open

Arrrg I was just finishing up a long post when my tablet died.

I skipped a couple of things and went by my lonesome to watch the back nine of R4. I even took a couple very bad photos on my very old phone which I'll try to work out how to share in the morning. Very bad photos.

Jiyai so close! As said, she needed birdie on the par5 18th to force a playoff but she made the big error of driving it into the only deep fwy bunker off the tee, forcing her to hit a 30m pitch out. She was up to the moment and hit the 190m approach to around 25ft. She lined it up, the crowd had gathered and were wishing it in.. dirty big lipout. Noooooo. There were a bunch of japanese and korean players following her final hole so I'm sure they're keeping her company now so she cant sink into the what might have beens.

I fluked it and caught the Yoon Ina group near the clubhouse on the 10th tee. I wanted to see how she walked compared to Thursday. Much smoother, more comfortable looking. Her right ankle was strapped up, I guess she may have been in some discomfort ealier in the week. She bombed a drive on a line the others couldn't take, almost holed the 30m pitch and tapped in for bird. Regulation pars then after another long drive and a good wedge shot her 7ft putt dropped for birdie on the 13th. I left them after her approach went to 12ft on the 15th, she bogied that wow, but after they finished the 18th I spoke with her caddy and he said he was on her bag fulll time. The won will flow in no time for Ina, so why not have your "real" partner doing the reps with you I guess. Nice

Next I got on the Yoon Min A group on the 10th. Min A had dropped off (her putts were doing everything but drop) but with her was Jeongmin Cecilia? Cho, who was -10 and tied for the lead. Their scorer told me she had a hot putter and had already sunk 3 long ones. Turns out it was her mum pushing the buggy and was mostly leaving her girl to do her thing. She birdied 10 and 11 to go to -6 for the day and to be honest I was rooting for them. The website had her with an aussie flag, the time sheet had her as KOR and her mum was lovely so I couldnt help it. I left them for a while but rejoined on 15 when at one point she had a 2 shot lead. Maybe it was nerves but she started missing greens in the wrong spots and it cost her two bogies. She had to eagle the last to join Lau who sunk a clutch putt on 18 to get to -12.. it was not to be.

Ashley Lau was -11 when I caught them on 13. With her was japanese pro Shina Kanazawa who I think was part of the Shinster possie and Peiying Tsai who'd I spoke with at R1. She was having a rough day but still gave the small crowd as good as she got after a nice shot. Ashley went thru the fwy on 13 and had to chip out, her wedge was quality tho and she saved her par with a 10ft putt. She did the same off the tee on 14 but this time it cost a shot. Two miss-judged tee shots in a row and it was looking like very hard work, I wasn't confident for her. However she didnt miss out on the almost drive-able 15 and then set the number at -12 on 18. In her winners interview she said that she had finished high school here in Aus and it felt like a 2nd home. Very good, she must have been anxious as Jiyai also birdied 15 to draw within one with a par 5 remaining. Congrats to Ashley, out Sunday'd the Sunday Queen.

I missed the last bus to get back to my car, but I'm glad I went. Jiyai Nooooooooo, come back!!!