Wie Watch Today

#2
#2
She is getting a ton of press, but at the same time, I don't think a lot of people realize what she would be pulling off if she qualifies for the U.S. Open. We're talking about a 16 year old girl having a real shot at qualifying for the most difficult men's golf tournament in the world.

If she does qualify, I wouldn't bet on her breaking 80 at the Open, but just being there would be amazing.
 
#4
#4
Even thru 4.

summary-

Hole 1 -- Par 4, Driver into left rough, pitch out to avoid water guarding left front of green, knock down wedge to 12 feet, makes par putt, gives fist pump. Hole normally plays as a Par 5.

Hole 2 -- Par 4, dogleg right, pipes drive down middle, though, 15 yards shorter than others. Hits app. To 10 ft left of flag. Pin high. About 1000 people following. Misses on the low side, taps in for par.

Hole 3 -- Par 4, dogleg left, tee shot over left bunker into center fairway, less than 100 to pin, pin tucked tightly behind left greenside bunker. Great shot 10 feet right of flag, misses on high side, taps in for par.

Hole 4 -- Par 3, tee shot 4 feet short of flag, misses birdie putt right, too much speed. Still even par.

 
#5
#5
Birdie on 6... 1under.

-summary of holes 5 and 6...

Hole 5 -- Par 4, dogleg right, 3 wood to the center of the fairway, approach from elevated position safely on green but some 40 feet from the hole. Putting uphill, nice lag to a foot, taps in for par. Even thru 5.

Hole 6 -- Par 5, Dogleg right, driver center cut, about 200 to green, uses iron, gets good bounce on green with pin behind bunker on the left. Ball rolls to back of the green into fringe, about 20 ft, putts downhill, short two feet, makes birdie, goes to 1 under.
 
#7
#7
I only know about from this sectional in New Jersey. There are I believe 150 players vying for just 18 invitations....

Side note:
David McKenzie of Hixson TN(a suburb of Chattanooga) is thru 9holes and has the lead at -5
 
#8
#8
First Nine in -1...

-summary of holes 7,8,9...

Hole 7 -- Par 3, tee shot safely on green, about 25 feet short and left of flag, must putt down a ridge and play putt well left of hole and let it feed down, tough read, decent putt, to about 2 feet, makes par putt. Still 1 under.

Hole 8 -- Par 5, drive center fairway, laying up with water protecting green, lays up in right rough, app shot misses green right into thick rough, great chip to 4 feet, makes par.

Hole 9 -- Dogleg right, 3 wood to fairway, approach to 25 feet long and right. Just misses birdie putt, slides by left. Makes par.
 
#10
#10


I have a buddy I play with a lot and he used to be on the forerunner to the golf channel down here in Florida. He used to say that, contrary to what you would think, its not the distance that is the real issue for women golfers. Golf is so much technique and, with the technology these days, someone like Wie can make it to Par 5-s in two shots (as we see she did today).

What has hurt them, he always said, is the short game. Professional women golfers just did not have the time in on the practice greens that the men had over the course of their lives to be as good at chipping and lob wedges from 40 yards out.

But I think that is changing. Obviousdly, Wie has gotten a lot of attention and she has devoted herself to this game. She gets instruction and practice on the short game just like a 16 year old boy. Combined with her talent and raw athletic ability, she can get this done. I hope she gets in and makes the cut.
 
#11
#11
(lawgator1 @ Jun 5 said:
...Combined with her talent and raw athletic ability, she can get this done. I hope she gets in and makes the cut.
Click to expand...

Me too, but she's gonna need more birdies. One or two under per 18 won't do it.

-1 thru 11holes... -1 is currently T28 on leaderboard

-summary of holes 10 and 11...

Hole 10 -- Par 3, pin on back of green, hits tee shot 10 feet short of hole. Just misses putt on the left side. Another missed birdie opportunity.

Hole 11 -- Par 5, drive to the right, runs through bunker into the rough, lays up back into fairway. The pin is on back of green, top tier, knock down approach, skips to back level, dad cheers loudly. Eight foot birdie putt misses left, dad let's out massive groan. Makes par.
 
#12
#12
pars on 12 and 13.
remains 1 under.... -1 is T28 on the leaderboard

-holes 12 and 13

Hole 12 -- Par 4, Dogleg left. Wie hits her tee shot into the right rough. Her approach comes up short of green in fairway grass. Pitches to a foot, taps in for par. Remains 1 under.

Hole 13 -- Par 4, Dogleg left. Drive right center of fairway, pin tucked behind left greenside bunker, attacks pin, comes up 15 ft left of hole, nice shot. Left to right putt, uphill, just misses on right side. Makes par.

*Not sure what crowd capacity is up there at Canoe Brook, but the web site says the course has reached capacity and is now closed to spectators. Wonder when that last happened at a sectional qualifier?
 
#13
#13
(lawgator1 @ Jun 5 said:
I hope she gets in and makes the cut.
Click to expand...

I said this earlier . . . I'm pulling for her, but if she gets in, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she never breaks the low 80s at the US Open. I'm afraid that hay they call rough along with the fast conditions the USGA likes to set up will be way too much for her.
 
#14
#14
(GAVol @ Jun 5 said:
I said this earlier . . . I'm pulling for her, but if she gets in, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she never breaks the low 80s at the US Open. I'm afraid that hay they call rough along with the fast conditions the USGA likes to set up will be way too much for her.
Click to expand...

If she gets in (big if right now) the weight of the media would likely be a bigger crush on her game than the rough. No way she makes the cut.
But then she wouldn't really have to. The history would have already been made....
 
#15
#15
Pars on 14 and 15 keep her at -1


14 and 15

Hole 14 -- Par 3. Tee shot 25 feet short of hole, putt goes uphill and then flattens out near the hole, 3 ft short, makes par putt. Still 1 under.

Hole 15 -- Par 4, tee shot goes right and barely stays in fairway. Wie asks for relief from casual water but is denied. Using fairway wood, she hits a rocket onto the green, fantastic shot from a nearly plugged lie 30 ft short of hole. Misses birdie putt left, taps in for par. Still 1 under.
 
#16
#16


Sounds like her putting is really letting her down.

I remember a tournament she was in maybe a month ago. She needed up and down on this one hole near the end to cause a playoff with the leader. She was about 8 feet off the green, probably another 15 to the hole, slightly up hill with nothing but fringe rough to the green. For some still unknown reason, she inssisted on chipping instead of putting. This violates one of the first guidelines of short game, which is that in most cases you want the ball on the ground as soon as possible. she had nothing between her and the hole except a little fringe and plenty of green after that. And of course she sailed it by for a ten footer and missed the putt. Even the commentators were kind of scrathing their heads at that one.

Short game.

 
#17
#17
Pars on 16,17,18
First 18 in -1... T30 for the moment


16, 17 and 18 holes

Hole 16 -- Par 4, tee shot down right side of fairway, approach to about 30 feet left of the pin. Wie misses birdie putt way right, makes 3 footer for par. Still 1 under.

Hole 17 -- Par 3, tee shot over flag, about 20 feet long. Wie's birdie putt misses left and she taps in for another par.

Hole 18 -- Par 5, tee shot into right rough. Second shot misses green. Third shot flies bunker but comes up short. Her birdie chip falls from 40 yards. Shoots 68. Wie hit 9 of 13 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in her opening 18 holes.
 
#18
#18
Sounds like she's going to need to put up a 66 or 67 to make the Open.
 
#19
#19
(GAVol @ Jun 5 said:
Sounds like she's going to need to put up a 66 or 67 to make the Open.
Click to expand...

At least, and she'll next play the North Course which is about 400 yards longer and par 72.

Honestly, it doesn't look good. But then so far 4under is the best score out there. She's T30, but only 3 strokes off the lead....
 
#20
#20


ESPN says she birdied 18, so she is -2.

I note that there are two courses and she plays the second, much longer one (by about 400 yards), later today.
 
#21
#21
(lawgator1 @ Jun 5 said:
Sounds like her putting is really letting her down.

I remember a tournament she was in maybe a month ago. She needed up and down on this one hole near the end to cause a playoff with the leader. She was about 8 feet off the green, probably another 15 to the hole, slightly up hill with nothing but fringe rough to the green. For some still unknown reason, she inssisted on chipping instead of putting. This violates one of the first guidelines of short game, which is that in most cases you want the ball on the ground as soon as possible. she had nothing between her and the hole except a little fringe and plenty of green after that. And of course she sailed it by for a ten footer and missed the putt. Even the commentators were kind of scrathing their heads at that one.

Short game.
Click to expand...

That was this year's Kraft Nabisco. Her first tourney as a pro. Finihed tied for 3rd. Pretty remarkable, even with the goofiness you mentioned on 18.

*My link to her scorecard on the golfchannel has shut down from so many hits.Crazy
 
#22
#22
(lawgator1 @ Jun 5 said:
ESPN says she birdied 18, so she is -2.

I note that there are two courses and she plays the second, much longer one (by about 400 yards), later today.
Click to expand...

You and ESPN are correct Wie gets birdie on 18 for a 2under68 round.

18summary

Hole 18 -- Par 5, tee shot into right rough. Second shot misses green. Third shot flies bunker but comes up short. Her birdie chip falls from 40 yards. Shoots 68. Wie hit 9 of 13 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in her opening 18 holes
 
#23
#23
She's in 12th place after the first round, and the top 18 win a spot in the U.S. Open. I think she has a really good chance. If she could putt she would be running away with this event right now. She supposedly missed 6 puts within 10 feet in the opening round, and she's still 2 under par.
 
#25
#25
Par on par3 11th...-1 thru 20holes

summary of hole 20

Hole No. 20, 173 yards

Spectators are now standing 4 and 5 deep around every tree and green. Wie is closest to the hole as Hartmann goes hole high left and Gossett lands in the first third of the green. Wie has a downhill 16 footer she tries to will into the hole but it remains well right.
 
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