Post by HappyFan on Jun 24, 2024 2:05:05 GMT
For some reason it took longer to get to the course today, and as a result I didn't get to see too many other players before Jin Young's round started. Yeah, I wanted to watch her one more time, even if it meant handling huge Thompson crowds. I had a feeling it was going to be a good day for her.
I did have a chance to see Hae Ran Ryu play a few holes. Glad to see she got a top ten!
Jin Young was playing better than yesterday, but she still had trouble keeping her drives in the fairway. On the very first hole, she hit a nice drive that landed, took a bounce left and wound up in the rough. She seemed to be playing defensively again. But when she got to the green, she would work her magic and usually made easy pars. I kept waiting for that Jin Young superstar momentum to start, but by and large it was a defiant battle to stay the course.
On the dreaded 8th hole, for once she didn't end up in the bunker from Hades. Instead, she was in the rough on the right, which in some ways was worse, because there was no easy way to the green. Made bogey there.
But Jin Young was at least maintaining a decent score. Thompson was melting down. I had been waiting all week to see how she would handle adversity, and boy did she struggle. I recall her being like five over par almost immediately. Everything fell apart all at once. It's hard to believe she was doing everything right yesterday.
Anyways, given that Hae Ran was under par and Amy was cruising along, I finally got tired of watching Jin Young's efforts. I was broken on the 10th. She hit into a dicey lie under a tree, then hit a spectacular approach from there under some branches, past water and rolled up right to the flag. The two guys standing next to me were besides themselves gushing about it. Jin Young heard them and turned around and gave them a smile and wave, then sauntered off, having left them in pieces on the ground. It was really cute. But when she missed the short birdie there, I decided to check out someone else.
By the way, when I passed the 18th green on the way to 10, I heard the announcer identifying the three players reaching the green. "From Japan: Ayak-oh Four-WAH". He made it sound almost Spanish. Actually far worse than Furoo I think.
I stayed on ten until Amy arrived, where she promptly hit her drive under a tree and into a jam. Man, I have some good effect on the Sisters! She made bogey there, but drove the green in two on 11 and had a tap-in birdie.
I noticed that following Amy around were Jennifer Song and A Lim Kim, who had a little Korean flag stuck in her visor. We all recall that Amy helped Jennifer get through Q-School last year, and she now repaid her. Some Korean fans grabbed A Lim and took a selfie with her; she was happy to oblige.
I briefly stayed to watch Jin Young make a birdie on 16 and tee off on 17, then stayed until Amy caught up again. When she missed that short par save on 16, I don't know why, but I got panicky. By then she had like a 5 shot lead, so it seemed hard to believe that her win could be in danger. But I've seen the golf gods abuse the Koreans all year, so I was antsy. Imagine my thrill when Amy hit the ball in the drink on 17 moments later! In fact I couldn't see it, I just heard the crowd, after which the guy next to me explained what happened. I started doing the math in my head, but decided even a double bogey would not be too bad.
On 18 she pulverized her drive, and though she went a little left on her approach, it was clear she would be able to make par, which was more than she would need. So she won, and the Sisters came out in force to douse her. Again it was hard to see from where I was, but I definitely recognized A Lim and her flag cap. Boy, if A Lim ever wins again, are they ever going to douse her! She gets into this ritual more than anyone.
I also saw several Japanese players come to greet Yamashita as she walked off the green. I recognized Shibuno among them. Moments later I saw her surrounded by what I assume were Japanese press, peppering her with questions.
I sat in the bleachers during the awards, feeling a little misty. Some Korean American kids near me asked if they could get autographs and their dad said they would try.
That was my week in Sahalee. Next year they'll be in Frisco, TX, which, based on the photo at the event, looked like it was in the middle of some prairie out in the sticks. Well, maybe it's a great course, but I bet all the players will have fond memories of their time playing here!
I did have a chance to see Hae Ran Ryu play a few holes. Glad to see she got a top ten!
Jin Young was playing better than yesterday, but she still had trouble keeping her drives in the fairway. On the very first hole, she hit a nice drive that landed, took a bounce left and wound up in the rough. She seemed to be playing defensively again. But when she got to the green, she would work her magic and usually made easy pars. I kept waiting for that Jin Young superstar momentum to start, but by and large it was a defiant battle to stay the course.
On the dreaded 8th hole, for once she didn't end up in the bunker from Hades. Instead, she was in the rough on the right, which in some ways was worse, because there was no easy way to the green. Made bogey there.
But Jin Young was at least maintaining a decent score. Thompson was melting down. I had been waiting all week to see how she would handle adversity, and boy did she struggle. I recall her being like five over par almost immediately. Everything fell apart all at once. It's hard to believe she was doing everything right yesterday.
Anyways, given that Hae Ran was under par and Amy was cruising along, I finally got tired of watching Jin Young's efforts. I was broken on the 10th. She hit into a dicey lie under a tree, then hit a spectacular approach from there under some branches, past water and rolled up right to the flag. The two guys standing next to me were besides themselves gushing about it. Jin Young heard them and turned around and gave them a smile and wave, then sauntered off, having left them in pieces on the ground. It was really cute. But when she missed the short birdie there, I decided to check out someone else.
By the way, when I passed the 18th green on the way to 10, I heard the announcer identifying the three players reaching the green. "From Japan: Ayak-oh Four-WAH". He made it sound almost Spanish. Actually far worse than Furoo I think.
I stayed on ten until Amy arrived, where she promptly hit her drive under a tree and into a jam. Man, I have some good effect on the Sisters! She made bogey there, but drove the green in two on 11 and had a tap-in birdie.
I noticed that following Amy around were Jennifer Song and A Lim Kim, who had a little Korean flag stuck in her visor. We all recall that Amy helped Jennifer get through Q-School last year, and she now repaid her. Some Korean fans grabbed A Lim and took a selfie with her; she was happy to oblige.
I briefly stayed to watch Jin Young make a birdie on 16 and tee off on 17, then stayed until Amy caught up again. When she missed that short par save on 16, I don't know why, but I got panicky. By then she had like a 5 shot lead, so it seemed hard to believe that her win could be in danger. But I've seen the golf gods abuse the Koreans all year, so I was antsy. Imagine my thrill when Amy hit the ball in the drink on 17 moments later! In fact I couldn't see it, I just heard the crowd, after which the guy next to me explained what happened. I started doing the math in my head, but decided even a double bogey would not be too bad.
On 18 she pulverized her drive, and though she went a little left on her approach, it was clear she would be able to make par, which was more than she would need. So she won, and the Sisters came out in force to douse her. Again it was hard to see from where I was, but I definitely recognized A Lim and her flag cap. Boy, if A Lim ever wins again, are they ever going to douse her! She gets into this ritual more than anyone.
I also saw several Japanese players come to greet Yamashita as she walked off the green. I recognized Shibuno among them. Moments later I saw her surrounded by what I assume were Japanese press, peppering her with questions.
I sat in the bleachers during the awards, feeling a little misty. Some Korean American kids near me asked if they could get autographs and their dad said they would try.
That was my week in Sahalee. Next year they'll be in Frisco, TX, which, based on the photo at the event, looked like it was in the middle of some prairie out in the sticks. Well, maybe it's a great course, but I bet all the players will have fond memories of their time playing here!
