Early scores at Newport look to be low.  Currently 20 of 78 players are under par with 5 golfers at -2.  Michelle Wie is one back at -1 through 6.  She started on the front, keep in mind they reversed the nines, which appears to be playing a bit tougher than the back.

Conditions are ideal.  As we are too well aware the course is very wet as more hard rain fell last night. No wind currently and believe it or not sunshine.  The wind typically picks up around 2 or so out of the southwest so scores in the afternoon are likely to be a bit higher.

How many have finished 18 yet to get an average score of 74.927?

It appears that they are having trouble with the longer par 4s which I guess is to be expected.  Which of the greens have the most severe contours and which green complexes will have the most challenging recovery shots?

Great leaderboard and statistics at espn.com

Easy to use and includes driving distance, course stats including cost-of-rough for each hole, putts per green, lots of good things.

Glenn's girlfriend birdied 18 (a long par 4 BTW) to finish 1-under.  She is amazingly consistent given how infrequently she plays.  Se Ri had a good round.  Does she still work with Leadbetter?

Please don't compare her to Jack Nicklaus.  We all know what a can of worms that is.

Matt,

Glad you like it.  It is directly from the USGA's Women's Open website.  I guess they can get some things right.

The USGA live scoring site is far and away the best I've seen.  Raft of interesting stats.  I thought the Masters site was surprisingly weak on player stats.

Even with all the water in the bunkers, the course looks sweet........Does your family have to be one of the first off the Mayflower to be a member there?

Quote from: Mark Arata on June 30, 2006, 05:25:09 PM

Does your family have to be one of the first off the Mayflower to be a member there?

No Mark, it's where they slept on the Mayflower that counts most!

Actually not true. Probably a third or so of the membership are townspeople/merchants from Newport area. I am pretty sure they lost some members when all the mansions got too expensive for families to maintain in the 60's or 70's. It is more of a mix than people think, at least from what I remember from my old caddy days there.

Anyone notice the driving distance stats?  They take the average of two holes, numbers 8 and 15.  Only three players are above 260.  The leader, Karin Sjodin, is averaging 264.5.  Wie is 3rd with 261.  Median of 156 players is around 224 yards, and two players averaged under 200, including last year's champ Birdie Kim.  (Who shot 79.  Chances for repeat don't look too good.)

I assume they are getting little or no roll.  Are some of the players also hitting irons or 3-woods?  For you guys who know those holes, do these numbers show how far most women pro's carry the ball, at least under current conditions at the open?

Pressel was 2 under after 8.  Played the last 10 holes 7 over.  Still, she is only 6 shots out of the lead, and when she is hot, can be a birdie machine.  
 

Wie is contending again.

Hopefully the haters will give her some respect now.

Hopefully the haters will give her some respect now.

I don't think there are any Wie haters on this board.

Not a single one.

There are those who disagree with her playing against men.

That's very different from "haters".

Wie gave her Korean opponent a nice little bow and hand shake on 18...nice. She had an excellent tournament.

My friend Dave summed it up today..."she's 16, you can't have any expectations with a 16 year old."