Jiyai Shin - The Final Round Queen Wins Evian Masters

Just a few weeks after an emergency appendectomy, Jiyai Shin is once again living up to her nickname.

She grabbed her seventh LPGA victory at the Evian Masters today with a nine-foot putt on the last hole, finishing one shot ahead of Morgan Pressel, Choi Na Yeon and Alexis Thompson.



The win will likely place the the spirited South Korean back on top again in the rapidly changing Rolex Rankings.

Oh... and as if being a golf champion wasn't enough, Jiyai Shin also happens to be a gospel singer and released her first CD earlier this year. The video above is a fan tribute set to one of her songs. I don't understand Korean but it sounds pretty awesome to me.

"Only Two Things" - Post-Show Wrap Up - 6/10/10

First of all... and once again... mega-thanks to all who listened, followed (in the chat room) and called in. If you didn't catch the show you can listen to a recording here. Note: sound quality is still a work in progress but we're putting a couple of changes in place and next week's audio should be great.

The topic: Golf on Mars vs Golf on Venus - Sexual Stereotyping on the Golf Course is one many appear to have firsthand experience with and that's what we're looking for.

I'll be doing a post-show wrap up, every week from now on, mainly to post links to the stories I discuss in the first part of the show... the golf part. The following are this week's links:

MEDIA SOURCES
US Open Qualifying
Rickie, Rocco, Rose Out - Jim McCabe, Golf Week
Is U.S. Open qualifying an outdated process? - Jason Sobel, ESPN.com (2006)
Rio Olympics Golf Course
Nicklaus, Sorenstam Bring Star Power... - Jay Busbee, Devil Ball Golf
Monty's Meanderings
Why Hello Ladies - Sean Bacon, Dogs that Chase Cars
LPGA - Jiyai Shin
Shin Withdraws, Surgery Expected - Brent Kelly, About.com:Golf

EVENTS
The US Open
The State Farm Classic
The Travelers Championship
The Shop Rite Classic

German Golf, Ryder Cup 2018 & Sandra Gal's Win

I had to smile when I heard about Sandra Gal's win at the Kia Classic yesterday.

The first thing I thought of were the headlines it would produce. Any time a golfer has a last name that's also a word, things can get ...well... weird. Who'll ever forget the Jim Nantz reciting Bette Midler in honor of Justin Rose debacle, right? Needless to say, I was expecting the worst. -->

Of Surreal Winds, Cristie Kerr Eagles & Suspended Play

A devilish desert wind became a big part of the story yesterday, during the first round of the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International Presented by Mirassou Winery.

It started out strong... then only got stronger as the day progressed. It buffeted the players as they set up their shots and occasionally stung the eyes of the audience, with biting desert sand. It even got to where the scoreboards had to be put down, having become a hazard in their own right.

The tournament is taking place at Papago the historic, City of Phoenix course, that's just been totally restored.

When I was in Phoenix, just a couple weeks ago, there wasn't even a discernible breeze. Just a hot sun, cool dry air and a cobalt blue sky. Area resident Cristie Kerr, and a several other LPGA players, played a practice round in Scottsdale in those calm conditions before their trip to Mexico. Obviously they're needing to call upon a rather different skill set this week.

Cristie herself summoned those skills yesterday in a gritty up-and-down round that included eagles on both of the back nine par 5s, finishing with a 4-iron shot that landed 5 feet from the 18th hole. An eagle putt then moved her to within one shot of the lead with a 3-under 69. Inbee Park and Jiyai Shin share second with Cristie as does Suzann Petterson, who described the windy conditions as "surreal". In-Kyung Kim finished the turbulent day in the lead with a 3-under 69.

Ultimately, first-round play was suspended when darkness fell on the desert, with several players still on the course. It resumed this morning on a far calmer course.
The forecast is calling for winds to remain at 10-15 mph today which will certainly be a welcome relief to the ladies battling on the newly refurbished fairways of Papago.

Consistent Cristie Kerr Wins State Farm Classic

Weather is something professional golfers are used to dealing with.

In fact, the ability to handle various climatic conditions is one of the skills that defines a top player and contributes to the consistency every golfer strives for.

Cristie Kerr has been more successful than most in achieving it. So much so that State Journal-Register writer Dave Kane suggested she might be crown "the new queen of LPGA consistency" in Springfield, IL.

Springfield is the site of the LPGA State Farm Classic where Cristie captured her 13th LPGA tour victory this morning after myriad weather delays pushed play into a fifth day. ~ With six top-10 finishes in eight years of playing this tournament... including a win in 2004 and two runner-up finishes right after that... Cristie is clearly worthy of the crown.

A month ago New York Times writer Karen Crouse pointed out that at No. 5 in the world rankings, Cristie Kerr had been in the top 10 for 317 consecutive weeks. Today's win moves her to No. 4 and within one point of overtaking the world's No. 1, Jiyai Shin who had to withdraw for appendix surgery.

Ms. Crouse also noted Cristie's 71 consecutive made cuts and pointed out that the last time she didn't play on the weekend at a major the 2001 Women’s British Open. There's some consistency for you.

I'll have more on Cristie Kerr later this week, more about her win at State Farm and more about her thoughts on the importance of building LPGA girl's golf programs in the USA.

The ShopRite Classic begins on Friday at the Seaview Dolce Resort in Galloway NJ. And if I know Cristie she's already there... at work

Pick Your 2011 Top 30 - LPGA Prognostication Derby

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The season starts in a couple of weeks... February 17th to be exact, in Chonburi, Thailand at the Honda LPGA Thailand... so now's the time to prognosticate.

The challenge is overseen by Mostly Harmless and Hound Dog LPGA, two of the best blogs on the planet when it comes to the women's professional golf.

You simply pick a pre-season top 30, and rank them by your take on each player's odds of winning Player of the Year in 2011.

With the depth of talent on the LPGA Tour these days, I think we can be pretty sure POY will be a fight to the finish in 2011 like it was in 2010 when Yani Tseng, Ai Miyazato, Na Yeon Choi, Christie Kerr and Jiyai Shin all had a chance to win up till their final event.

All the details can be found right here at Mostly Harmless. And for a bit of inspiration, see below.

Cristie Kerr - 3 strokes ahead at LPGA Navistar Classic

If you were following the third round of the Navistar Classic today you probably found yourself thinking of the 2010 LPGA Championship, and the Sunday a few months ago in in Pittsford, NY, when Cristie Kerr won her second major ...by an unprecedented 12-shot margin.

That victory broke a number of records and allowed Cristie to achieve one of her life's goals: to become the number one female golfer in the world.

It's a position she's held on four different occasions this summer. She’s currently third behind second-place Jiyai Shin and Ai Miyazato and... one can be certain... more than ready to take back the top spot.

Remarkably, at one point today, Cristie got to 20-under and held a five-shot lead, but a couple of issues towards the end of the back nine shaved that lead down to 3 prompting her to remark that “Having the lead is great, but extending it is better,” a clear reference to the LPGA Championship. 

Na Yeon Choi and Katherine Hull (T2) lead an impressive group of chasers, including Se Ri Pak, Haeji Kang, Hee Young Park and Mika Miyazato (T4). The stage is set for an exciting Sunday at the LPGANavistar Classic. 

(October 7, 2010 - Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images North America)

宮里 藍 - Another Ai Win at HSBC Women's Open

Decidedly, Ai Miyazato is off to a stellar start in 2010.

With her ten-under-par 278 victory this week at the HSBC Women's Champions, she became the first LPGA player in over four decades to start the the season with back-to-back wins. Her ultra-impressive, come-from-behind victory last week in Thailand started the sweep.

Meanwhile Cristie Kerr reaffirmed her place as the USA's top golfer, and offered the tournament a thrilling finish, as she battled Ms. Miyazato down the stretch in the final round. Her first fourteen holes featured five birdies and no bogeys before she took the lead with a birdie on the sixteenth. ~ However, an inauspicious encounter with fire ants, and back-to-back bogies followed, resulting in a 280 second place finish for the tournament. One back in a tie for third were Jiyai Shin, Suzann Pettersen, Yani Tseng and Song-Hee Kim.

The next LPGA event, Kia Classic presented by J Golf, will begin on March 22, at La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, CA. It'll be a chance for Ai Miyazato to go for three-in-a-row... and a first win on US soil. I'm guessing that might be the next golf goal for this petite, powerful champion.

Photos: Andy Lyons/Getty Images AsiaPac

So Hot, So Pretty - HSBC Women's Champions

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While the PGA Tour is in Phoenix getting ready for the annual boisterous bacchanalia golf tournament known as the Phoenix Open, another tour on the other side of the planet is... collectively painting orchids on silk?

I know. That comparison sounds totally Mars/Venus doesn't it? But peinture sur soie is just one of many activities top LPGA golfers are taking part in leading up the HSBC Women's Champions later this week.

There'll be VIP galas and evening events with sponsors. Plus, Singapore has some of the best shopping and dining in the world, and they just opened The Resorts World Sentosa, a huge entertainment and resort complex.

Fifty-four of the top fifty-five players from the 2009 LPGA Official Money List will be in Singapore for the event. Defending champion Jiyai Shin, World Number One Lorena Ochoa, US Number One Cristie Kerr and Sunday's winner Ai Miyazato all took up paint brushes in lieu of putters yesterday, along with avid artist Michelle Wie. They each put their own personal touch on a single orchid in the batik painting that will commemorate this year's tournament.

HSBC is a great supporter of golf and runs quite a number of programs to develop young golfers. You can read about them on the tournament website. Oh, and there's an HSBC Women's Championship Facebook page. too.

Weekend Golf Stories - The Girls at Sunningdale

With British Women's Open well underway, the girls of the LPGA will be center stage all weekend at windy Sunningdale.

The action is on the Old Course, where Cristie Kerr had the low round of the day yesterday, an amazing 65, bringing her to -8. She's now in a tie for fourth.

Fellow American Julie Inkster has been hovering towards the top of the leader board since the tournament began and is currently third behind a Ji-Yai Shin / Yuri Fudoh tie, while defending champion Lorena Ochoa, along with Japanese star, Ai Miyazato and the iconic Natalie Gulbis are in a three way tie just behind Cristie and Bo Bae Song. There's lots of golf yet to be played in this, the last, major of the LPGA season, and it looks from here, like it'll be quite exciting.

On this side on the Atlantic we saw Michelle Wie miss yet another cut, that after a hopeful round on Thursday. She was playing with the guys, as she's want to do, and, as always, seemed pretty immune to the ample criticism she received for her efforts. So, Michelle is out of the running at the Reno-Tahoe Open and that brings me right back across the ocean to Sunningdale. Yes, it's the Girls I'm following this weekend.

Cristie Kerr ★ Michelle Wie - Share Lead into Sunday

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"There are now 11 golfers within 5 shots of the lead. All of a sudden, it's looking like pretty equal odds that we could have a career 1st-time winner (Wie, SH Kim, Lang, McPherson), a seasonal 1st-time winner (Creamer, Pressel), or a repeat winner (Shin, Kerr, Tseng, IK Kim, Pettersen) at the '09 LOI when all is said and done."

That's how the Constructivist summed up the possibilities at the end of third round of the 2009 Lorena Ochoa Invitational yesterday. His blog, Mostly Harmless, is a must-read blog for LPGA fans, particularly those who care to look at the bigger picture.

There's no shortage of storylines at Guadalajara Country Club this weekend with compelling possibilities spread across the impressive leaderboard and the Rolex Player of the Year award tantalizingly within reach for several players. A win here would have its own special significance for each of the players, and whoever does come out on top will have a late season victory... and the accompanying confidence boost... to take into 2010.

For a fun read... and the ungarnished perspective of a student who arrived in Guadalajara for the first round via a seven hour bus ride from Mexico City... check out Drew Haciendo Trabajo a slice-of-life blog by an adventurous American studying in Mexico.

The players tee off for what promises to be an exciting final round in just a few hours. For pairings and tee times I once again direct you to Mostly Harmless.

Photo: Getty Images, Sports Illustrated Collection/Darren Carroll ✿