A few thoughts--about the course and the players--after a glorious day yesterday at Westchester Country Club:
1. What a golf course. It's so good, so architecturally compelling, I--like Keith--am shocked it doesn't get more play here on GCA. It has, among other things, scale, grandeur, multi-tiered fast greens, steep falloffs on and around greens, blind tee shots and approach shots, uphill and downhill approach shots, long and short par-3s, long and short par-4s, bold bunkering, rock outcroppings, dramatic and subtle elevation changes, right and left doglegs, and just a wonderful feel. If you have time to get out there today (yes, sadly, tickets are still available), go. If not, watch on NBC from 3-6pm.
2. Disappointed though we were that Lydia Ko missed her first cut ever, thereby denying us our first, and perhaps only, opportunity to watch her live, the other players made up for her absence. The LPGA is chock full of personalities, and they deserve the attention they're now, at long last, getting.
3. Speaking of Lydia, an amusing backstory regarding her missed cut. From last summer on, my girlfriend and I have become huge fans of "Lyds," who has become one of the best stories, and delightful figures, in all of sport. She is a delight to watch on TV--I pulled an all-nighter on my birthday in February to watch her win the Women's Australian Open at Royal Melbourne (okay, the course and my having played it had something to do with the decision, but still)--and, as noted, yesterday was going to be our first day watching her live in person. We had our "Let's Ko, Lydia!" poster all ready to go. Although I of course recognized that she would at some point miss a cut, this one was especially heartbreaking for us. Worse, when I emerged from the subway yesterday afternoon for a routine MRI, I saw that she had dropped from -2 to E. I immediately texted my girlfriend that Lyds could not afford another mistake, otherwise she would risk missing her first cut ever. An hour later, the MRI over, I checked the LPGA Now app again and saw that she had fallen two strokes further back. By the time I arrived at dinner, I saw that she had birdied 8 to get to +1, inside the cut line, with a par-5 ahead. Although she would par her last hole (she really doesn't take advantage of par-5s in general), the app listed her at +1, T61, safely inside the cut line. When my girlfriend arrived, I told her that Lyds's poor play ended up being a blessing, because we would be able to watch her entire round in the morning--with very few spectators, I imagined--and still get to watch the leaders in the afternoon. We then had a nice appetizer, and after the waiter cleared our plates, I checked the scores again. Somehow, Lyds had fallen to +2, T74, one over the cut line. I checked her scorecard, and her bogey on the second hole (her 11th) had been switched to a double. The next hour at dinner was noticeably more quiet. But, upon returning home, we decided to draw up a new sign: "Come on, Aussie! (miss you, kiwi.)"--a shout out to both the timeless Karrie Webb and Lyds. At the sixth green yesterday afternoon, we met up with fellow GCAer Matt Frey. When we made our way to the shade beside the seventh green minutes later, we decided to unfurl our poster as "Webby" approached the green for her birdie putt. The timing was right: She was in the final group, and she was putting shortly after 3pm, when the NBC coverage had begun. Sure enough, we turned on the DVR'ed third round when we got home and saw the NBC camera zoom in on us and our sign, with Dan Hicks adding, "Come on, Aussie, indeed."
4. Of all the players we saw and said "good luck" to, Inbee Park--on her way to the driving range--gave off by far the most confident acknowledgment. When she turned, smiled, and thanked us, we looked at each other and simultaneously said she was going to win. Amazing how transparent true confidence can be, even with the most stoic and expressionless of players.
5. In the past, I've described Michelle Wie's and Lexi Thompson's putting as "sad." Seeing it in person, as opposed to only on TV, made clear that I've undersold the sadness of it. If either of them could putt, they would win all the time. Their ballstriking is of a totally different quality than that of the other women. But when they get on the greens, you almost don't want to watch. After her round, Wie headed straight for the practice putting green, where her mother and father--yes, they're still very much in the picture--were taking iPhone-on-the-ground close-up pictures and videos of her contact position. The pictures and videos didn't help, as she missed five straight five-foot putts. I hope they both can turn it around on the greens--though I doubt they will, as putters are born, not made. If they don't, their careers will be among the most disappointing of all time.
6. Speaking of Michelle Wie, while I recognize that injuries are hampering her this week (as they have before), she looked unhappy playing golf.
7. Suzann Pettersen, who won last week for her first victory under Butch Harmon's tutelage, is a serious athlete. Her body is unlike any of the other women's. So is her temper, which I appreciate.
8. Speaking of tempers, Christie Kerr, who plays golf right-handed, writes left-handed. Phil Mickelson, who plays golf left-handed, writes right-handed.
9. Even though I don't love it, I can understand why male fans scream "bababooey" or "mashed potatoes" during tournaments. Golf tournaments are so quiet it's uncomfortable. This is especially true at women's events. Almost each time my girlfriend or I said, audibly, "great shot" or "good luck" to a player (or "allez" or "bon courage," in the case of Michelle Wie's playing partner Perrine Delacour), they looked at us as though amazed that fans actually knew their names. They like the attention--they smiled at us--and they are entertainers (and quite good ones), so fans should really get out of their shells and let the players hear and feel their enthusiasm (within limits, of course). Fans love Tiger and Jordan because they are animated and let out their emotions--and remind fans that golf tournaments are, in fact, sporting events. It's okay to root for the players, too.
10. Finally, although I heeded the tournament's rules and left my camera at home, I did manage to snap a few pictures with my girlfriend's iPhone (once a volunteer broke the no-cameras-even-on-iPhones rule by taking a picture of us, I felt liberated).
The green at the par-3 1st hole. (The nines are flipped for tournament play, presumably because the typical back nine runs around the perimeter of the typical front nine, making it harder to get to for spectators.)
Looking back down the 4th, with the 15th off on the right.
The stunning downhill tee shot on the par-5 5th.
The perched green on the short par-4 7th, with a brutal pin position tucked front left over a cavernous bunker.
Not until we got home and watched the round on DVR did I realize that Karrie Webb had hit her second shot, which had rolled all the way through the fairway, from the rough immediately next to the front-left corner of this lateral creek on the brutal par-4 11.
Looking back up the fairway to the tee at the 11th, with the ubiquitous hotel/clubhouse in the distance on the left.
Looking down the fairway toward the green at the par-5 12th.
The stunning short par-4 13th, with, like the 7th, but moreso, a blind uphill second shot.
The dropoffs behind some of the greens at Westchester, here at the par-3 14th, are among the steepest I've seen. Here, from above...
...and below.
The par-5 closing hole, with the hotel/clubhouse in the background.
