Hound Dog's LPGA Blog

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-312625922011-10-17T03:44:46.154-04:00Hound Dog's LPGA BlogWelcome! Are you a fan of the Ladies Professional Golf Association? If so, drop by often - I'll be posting daily during tournaments and occasionally inbetween. Comments are welcome!Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.comBlogger7081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-76958749663742246502008-09-08T11:59:00.003-04:002008-09-08T12:03:49.317-04:00Move It On Over

Hound Dog’s LPGA Blog has moved!Effective immediately I’m joining SB Nation, the longtime home of Waggle Room. The opportunity to join such fine company was too good to pass up. I would like to thank Mulligan Stu for getting the dialogue started which made this move possible. Just click on the bolded links above or below to see my new digs.The original site isn't going away just yet. I have a lot

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com105tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-82766064059092787302008-09-07T17:11:00.001-04:002008-09-07T17:12:46.077-04:00R.I.P.

Longtime caddy Jeff Jones was killed in a car accident the other day as he was making his way to Mobile for the Bell Micro LPGA Classic. “Shadow” looped for Michelle McGann, Dawn Coe-Jones and many, many others over the last 20+ years. Condolences to the entire LPGA touring family as well as any next of kin.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-44917302490473405352008-09-06T09:22:00.001-04:002008-09-06T09:22:58.478-04:00Advanced Rating System

At long last! I believe I first mentioned working on an “advanced” system over a year ago. After going through a half-dozen different versions of it, I couldn’t get completely comfortable with any of them. I was trying to work in other stats like GIR and putting and lost sight of what I really wanted the new version to accomplish – to more accurately rate players beyond the Top 30.One of my

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-70264095241879883352008-09-05T15:03:00.002-04:002008-09-05T15:06:53.402-04:00The PR nightmare is (hopefully) over

The LPGA backed down today from its stance on suspending players who are unable to speak English.Can we get back to the golf now?

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-58897659442722605412008-09-03T14:34:00.001-04:002008-09-03T14:34:53.944-04:00The Rise of Katherine Hull

During Inside The LPGA yesterday, Karen asked me if I had any explanation for why Katherine Hull had played so well at the Canadian Open and Safeway. Since I didn’t, I had to go find out.It certainly wasn’t her putting. Over the two events, Katherine used 28.86 putts per round, considerably higher than her seasonal average of 28.11. Hull has suddenly gotten super-accurate off the tee, hitting

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-52099064776906812072008-09-02T17:23:00.004-04:002008-09-02T22:20:53.247-04:00English Policy – This Week’s Model

Now that we’ve had a week to batter the new LPGA English policy about the head and shoulders and that the commissioner herself has issued an official statement, I’m going to tackle this subject for a second time. Karen and I talked at length about it on Inside The LPGA today – click here if you would like to hear our discussion (it starts about 15 minutes into the show).After sifting through the

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-57512801500309983192008-09-02T11:09:00.002-04:002008-09-02T11:12:22.634-04:00Policy statement on LPGA.com

Commissioner Bivens has released an official statement (the first one regarding this topic, I might add) on the LPGA's new English policy. My take to come on Inside The LPGA and here later today.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-57308587980030785512008-09-01T16:16:00.001-04:002008-09-01T16:18:36.706-04:00Lucky Break?

First let me say that it appears that Hurricane Gustav has not delivered the same amount of devastation to the Gulf Coast region that Katrina did three years ago. For that I am very thankful.Not to detract from this situation with any triviality, but it just occurred to me that the LPGA dodged a potential bullet with its schedule. Next week’s Bell Micro Classic in Mobile could just as easily

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-5722881677470061022008-09-01T14:32:00.003-04:002008-09-01T14:45:36.358-04:00A Nice Break...

I took an unscheduled break from the "grind" of LPGA blogging this weekend - sorry to disappoint but my current work schedule did a number on the old creative impulses. The college football was great, I must say! This week will see more bloggy output from me than last.Programming note - Inside The LPGA can be heard live tomorrow at 1pm EDT (and anytime thereafter) at Primesportsnetwork.com. Karen

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-11475646267821124032008-08-28T18:28:00.002-04:002008-08-28T18:30:18.552-04:00New LPGA Eligibility and Priority Standards

I’ve had a few days to mull over the new LPGA standards for tournament eligibility which go into effect in 2009. Since the memo I’ve linked to describes each category in detail, I’ll try to just concentrate on what those details mean and determine why they were defined that way.The current process only determined whether a player was “exempt”, “non-exempt” or “conditional”. Despite the fact that

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-64359310271502655982008-08-26T21:16:00.000-04:002008-08-26T21:17:12.583-04:00English as an LPGA requirement

This topic has gotten so much attention over the last two days, there is even a Deadspin item about it. I didn’t link to it on purpose – the item didn't have much to offer and if you want to read the misguided garbage in their comments, you can find it yourself. You would be better advised to read the original Beth Ann Baldry article and then savor the varied opinions of Ryan Ballengee’s GNN

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-52392716753850547222008-08-26T16:23:00.002-04:002008-08-26T16:27:49.252-04:00Top 30 – August 2008

The two-week break in the LPGA schedule makes this a great time to update the HD Top 30. Not much has changed at the top but the teens and twenties have shuffled a bit.#1 Lorena Ochoa (1)Has failed to win in her last seven starts. There are about 140 other exempt players for whom that statement is also true. Unlike Ochoa, not a single one of those other 140 has finished Top 10 in six of their

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-8761052102351153852008-08-26T11:54:00.002-04:002008-08-26T12:01:41.302-04:00No Inside The LPGA this week

Karen is out of town and I'm working nights this week so no show tonight. We'll be back next Tuesday to discuss the Safeway playoff and many other things. The blogging, however, will continue unabated.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-28639002330218050672008-08-25T17:50:00.003-04:002008-08-25T17:57:21.745-04:00Safeway Classic – Epilogue

Cristie Kerr’s 11th career victory garnered her 12th Hall of Fame point. Back at the end of April, I considered Kerr to be the most likely player to gain entrance into the Hall but now believe Paula Creamer to have assumed that position. I mentioned earlier that Cristie has now won in five consecutive seasons (dating back to 2004) and has won at least one event in six of the last seven

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-90520071103987096712008-08-25T08:09:00.000-04:002008-08-25T08:10:13.342-04:00Safeway Classic – Final Round

Cristie Kerr birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Helen Alfredsson and Sophie Gustafson and win the Safeway Classic. It is the first victory of 2008 for Kerr and the 11th of her career. Katherine Hull finished at -11 in fourth place two shots out of the playoff while Hee-Won Han finished fifth at -10.For most of the afternoon, the Free-for-all was on. Alfredsson and Gustafson both went out

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-79502463177549926232008-08-24T08:49:00.001-04:002008-08-24T08:50:18.392-04:00Safeway Classic – 2nd Round

Helen Alfredsson posted her second straight 67 to take the lead at the Safeway Classic. Sophie Gustafson is one shot behind at -9 while Paula Creamer and Kelli Kuehne are tied for third at -7.Alfredsson’s only bogey of the first two rounds came Saturday at the par-5 7th but she still went out in 33. Gustafson birdied four straight on the front nine and was -11 through 15 holes but took bogey at

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-33194217425387070222008-08-23T08:59:00.001-04:002008-08-23T08:59:46.183-04:00Safeway Classic – 1st Round

Angela Park fired a 66 to take the first-round lead at the Safeway Classic. Six players are tied for second after their rounds of 67 – Song-Hee Kim, Karen Stupples, Helen Alfredsson, Kelli Kuehne, Hee Young Park and Sophie Gustafson.Angela went out in 32 and completed her round without a bogey. The two Swedes, Alfredsson and Gustafson, also played bogey-free. Kuehne was +3 through five holes

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-47139671580397051932008-08-21T08:00:00.003-04:002008-08-22T07:52:16.481-04:00Futures Tour qualifiers expanded

The LPGA has announced that the top ten finishers on the Futures Tour money list will earn LPGA membership for 2009, up from the five that were previously awarded. Players 1 through 5 will have Category 9 status while Players 6 through 10 will have Category 17 status. This is great news for the players who have been battling for those precious five spots this year.The Tour is changing its status

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-3853129028801495942008-08-20T19:20:00.000-04:002008-08-20T19:21:05.131-04:00Safeway Classic Preview

Defending Champion – Lorena OchoaColumbia Edgewater Country ClubPortland, Oregon54 holes, begins FridayPar 72, 6397 yardsField Score – 86Scoring Averages – 73.74 (2007), 73.18 (2006), 72.86 (2005)2008 Scoring Average to date – 72.87U.S. TV coverage (times EDT):Fri 4p-6p ESPN2Sat 4p-6p ESPN2Sun 3:30p-5:30p ESPN2The Safeway Classic will tee it up for the final time at Columbia Edgewater this week.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-88455813465340471492008-08-20T08:12:00.004-04:002008-09-05T20:01:11.084-04:002009 LPGA Schedule

The schedule for next year hasn’t been officially released yet, but there are 13 events which have already posted 2009 dates on their websites or have issued press releases:Feb 12-14 SBS OpenApr 2-5 Kraft Nabisco ChampionshipApr 16-19 Ginn OpenMay 7-10 Michelob Ultra OpenMay 21-24 LPGA Corning ClassicMay 28-31 Tulsa (SemGroup?)Jun 11-14 LPGA ChampionshipJun 25-28 Wegmans LPGAJul 2-5 Jamie Farr

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-7096426982650442412008-08-18T15:40:00.000-04:002008-08-18T15:42:05.901-04:00Canadian Open Epilogue

Katherine Hull’s victory yesterday will probably not go onto my all-time Fluke Victories list, although it is a contender for Fluke Victory of 2008. In 109 career starts, the Aussie now has nine Top 10 finishes (1 second, 0 thirds) with 50 missed cuts. Her Top 10 percentage of .083 is better than any of the Top 20 Flukes but that MC rate of .458 is right in the middle of them. Even with the

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-29249957592402580042008-08-17T18:51:00.001-04:002008-08-17T18:53:11.662-04:00CN Canadian Women’s Open – Final Round

Katherine Hull proved me very wrong as she rallied from a six-shot overnight deficit to win the CN Canadian Women’s Open. Se Ri Pak finished in second place one shot behind at -10 while Yani Tseng was third at -9. Lorena Ochoa, Sun Young Yoo and Song-Hee Kim tied for fourth at -7.I said last night that it was Tseng’s tournament to lose and that’s exactly what she did. Yani started the day up by

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-41374992350079063182008-08-16T19:26:00.001-04:002008-08-16T19:26:47.354-04:00Canadian Open – 3rd Round

Yani Tseng (-14) carries a four-stroke lead into the final round at the Canadian Open. Se Ri Pak is in second place at -10, while Lorena Ochoa and Katherine Hull are tied for third at -8. No other players are within nine shots of the lead.Tseng overcame three bogeys to post a 68 and take command of the event. Ochoa shared the second-round lead but struggled mightily with a 74 that saw its only

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-91303525353938193942008-08-16T11:17:00.002-04:002008-08-16T11:19:32.842-04:00Canadian Open – 2nd Round

Lorena Ochoa and Yani Tseng share the lead through two rounds at the CN Canadian Women’s Open. Katherine Hull is in third place two shots behind at -8, Nicole Castrale is fourth at -7 while Hall of Famers Annika Sorenstam and Se Ri Pak are tied for fifth at -6.Tseng set a course record with her 64. Birdies at the last two holes this morning secured the mark for Yani. Ochoa offset her indifferent

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-5545957834631055842008-08-15T20:20:00.001-04:002008-08-15T20:20:35.632-04:00Canadian Open – Update

Play was suspended due to hail and lightning at 3:40pm EDT at the CN Canadian Women’s Open and will resume Saturday morning at 8am. Lorena Ochoa posted a 68 (-10 overall) and remains the leader by two shots over Katherine Hull (65 -8) and Yani Tseng (-8 through 10 holes). The entire afternoon wave will have to finish their second rounds tomorrow morning with some players having completed only

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-26857540648075580482008-08-15T07:41:00.001-04:002008-08-15T07:45:02.585-04:00Double The Fun

Between peeks at yesterday’s Canadian Open leaderboard, I was checking web links I don’t regularly visit and chanced upon the current Rolex Rankings (“oh no – here he goes again!”). For grins, I was looking at the players near the bottom of the page and noticed “Feng Shan Shan” of China at position #803 with only one event played over the last two years. Realizing that the Feng who recently

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-74371678713422565292008-08-14T19:23:00.000-04:002008-08-14T19:24:38.425-04:00Canadian Open – 1st Round

Lorena Ochoa opened with a 66 to take the early lead at the CN Canadian Women’s Open. Annika Sorenstam is in second place one shot behind while Hee-Won Han, Se Ri Pak, Nicole Castrale and Meena Lee are tied for third after their rounds of 68.Ochoa, the defending champion, birdied three times on each nine without taking any bogeys. Sorenstam carded eight birdies along with three bogeys to post

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-39844784672756103072008-08-14T10:46:00.002-04:002008-08-14T10:59:13.770-04:00Annika "happy to be here in Canada"

From yesterday's interviews at lpga.com:ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Absolutely. Yeah, first of all, I'm happy to be here in Canada. It's been a while since I played in this competition. It's always been the same week as the tournament that I host in Sweden, so unfortunately I haven't been able to come. But this year they were back to back, so I'm very happy to be here.They were also back-to-back last year.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-65296451484671103942008-08-13T18:18:00.002-04:002008-08-13T19:12:05.992-04:00Olympic Golf?

The Beijing Olympics are in full swing and so is the debate over whether golf should be contested at future Olympiads. My promo for last night’s Inside The LPGA attracted a few comments and The Constructivist touched on the subject this morning so it’s probably best that I put my thoughts down in writing. Not that I’m losing any sleep over the pros and cons.As I said during the show, I don’t have

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-4559517808493366442008-08-13T07:09:00.002-04:002008-08-13T07:12:39.524-04:00Canadian Open TV

IceCat points out in the comments of my tournament preview that Golf Channel is required to show the Canadian Open on tape-delay because they are available in Canada and Rogers Sportsnet has the live TV rights there. Thanks for the info.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-91871755425390602912008-08-12T09:37:00.002-04:002008-08-12T09:43:23.372-04:00Inside The LPGA tonight

Inside The LPGA can be heard tonight at 7pm EDT at PrimeSportsNetwork.com. Karen and I will be previewing the CN Canadian Women's Open and discussing Olympic golf, among other things. If you miss the live show, you can listen to the archive of it anytime over the next seven days.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-52030956263784679732008-08-11T17:23:00.003-04:002008-08-13T07:07:54.680-04:00CN Canadian Women’s Open Preview

Defending Champion – Lorena OchoaOttawa Hunt and Golf ClubOttawa, Ontario72 holes, begins ThursdayPar 72, 6433 yardsField Score – 86Scoring Averages – 72.12 (2007 Royal Mayfair, Edmonton), 74.14 (2006 London H&CC, London, Ontario), 73.77 (2005 Glen Arbour, Halifax)2008 Scoring Average to date – 72.81U.S. TV coverage (times EDT):Sat 9p-11:30p GCSun 9p-11:30p GCIf you asked me to name the five

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-5790673313848979052008-08-11T12:52:00.002-04:002008-08-11T13:09:23.400-04:00Blumenherst wins U.S. Women's Amateur

Amanda Blumenherst, the All-American from Duke University, won her first U.S. Women's Amateur title 2&1 over Azahara Munoz on Sunday.Blumenherst took the lead for the first time in the 36-hole final match when she parred 13 (match hole #31). A birdie at 16 by Amanda put Munoz dormie and when Munoz missed a short birdie try at 17, Blumenherst made a five-footer for par to end the match.More on

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-47847107653663699802008-08-09T15:32:00.001-04:002008-08-09T15:34:07.947-04:00American Dreams

I’ve written and spoken many words lately on the successes of Asian players and how those successes don’t mean that the demise of the LPGA or American women’s golf is eminent. Even though there is only one American currently ranked in my top 14, there are several reasons why my U.S.-based readers should hold out hope for the future.Paula CreamerWith the imminent retirement of Annika Sorenstam,

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-60892529191885532502008-08-08T19:27:00.003-04:002008-08-08T19:32:42.977-04:00Ginn Tribute Officially Dead

According to the Associated Press (via ESPN and Ryan Ballengee), the Ginn Tribute will be off the LPGA schedule next year. That's two 2008 tournaments that officially won't be back, along with the Fields Open.Thanks a lot, Bobby. And thank you too, Carolyn. Could ShopRite possibly forgive and forget?

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-17271952413277940252008-08-06T18:31:00.000-04:002008-08-06T18:32:13.547-04:00Reviewing The Preview – My Pre-Season Predictions

The Constructivist has been running a great series of mid-season updates at Mostly Harmless. One of them was a review of his pre-season predictions. While I was planning on waiting until the end of 2008 to look back at my picks (I’ll still probably do that), it sounded like a good idea to check things out now. To make it interesting, for each player listed I’ll judge how accurate I was by

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-63515325709058517952008-08-05T13:02:00.001-04:002008-08-05T13:04:22.190-04:00Troubled Tourney Update

The recent spate of bad news regarding certain LPGA tournaments has raised concerns about the Tour’s well-being, especially in regards to its domestic status. There are now four U.S.-based events in various stages of doubt for 2009. Just this morning comes word that the Fields Corporation will not renew its sponsorship for the Hawaii event that bears its name. The Fields Open is now officially

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-43847185889642426272008-08-04T14:57:00.002-04:002008-08-04T15:01:49.603-04:00Go Karen!

I just wanted to point out that Karen Palacios-Jansen, my co-host on Inside The LPGA, is playing in the SkyCaddie LPGA Teaching & Club Professional National Championship, which began today and continues through Wednesday in Pinehurst, NC. Lisa DePaulo is the defending champion. Go get 'em Karen!

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-51487192717022957052008-08-04T11:12:00.003-04:002008-08-04T11:17:33.667-04:00Women’s British Open – Epilogue

Ji-Yai Shin’s first LPGA victory is her 22nd career win and her first outside of Asia. While being interviewed over the weekend, Shin revealed that she had planned on playing in Japan next year since she had already earned a full exemption on the JLPGA. Fortunately (for us fans who don’t have access to watch Korean or Japanese golf tournaments) she will have to rethink that choice and it would

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-54613603634815350532008-08-03T17:31:00.002-04:002008-08-03T17:32:54.251-04:00Ricoh Women’s British Open – Final Round

KLPGA star Ji-Yai Shin fired a 66 to win the Ricoh Women’s British Open for her first major championship as well as her first LPGA victory. Yani Tseng also got home in 66 to finish in second place at -15, three shots behind. Eun-Hee Ji and JLPGA great Yuri Fudoh tied for third at -14 while Ai Miyazato claimed fifth at -13.Shin and Fudoh, two non-members of the LPGA, started the day in the final

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-73823830564494272862008-07-29T16:29:00.002-04:002008-07-29T16:35:22.644-04:00Ricoh Women’s British Open Preview

Defending Champion – Lorena OchoaSunningdale Golf Club, Old CourseBerkshire, England72 holes, begins ThursdayPar 72, 6408 yardsField Score – 98Scoring Averages – 76.01 (2007 St. Andrews), 75.30 (2006 Royal Lytham), 73.43 (2005 Royal Birkdale), 73.01 (2004 Sunningdale)2008 Scoring Average to date – 72.84U.S. TV coverage (times EDT):Thu 10a-noon TNTFri 10a-noon TNTSat 1:30p-3p ABCSun 1p-3p ABCThe

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-22581189691858512612008-07-28T13:10:00.000-04:002008-07-28T13:11:31.058-04:00Player Rating System

I noticed the other day that my original post on this subject was written in September 2006. My rating system has been tweaked a time or two since then and I’ve gotten much more comfortable with its results, so I felt like an update was necessary – especially for you folks who haven’t been reading my stuff that long.The system takes five statistical categories that are all available from

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-91973231560523116482008-07-28T08:13:00.002-04:002008-07-29T18:05:07.337-04:00Evian Masters – Epilogue

With her victory on Sunday, Helen Alfredsson became the first player to win an LPGA event after captaining a Solheim Cup team. Her last win came in the 2003 Longs Drugs Challenge. Helen had endured a five-year drought prior to that win too – she hadn’t won since the 1998 Welch’s/Circle K Championship. Hopefully she won’t have to wait five years to win her next tournament. Oh yeah – now that

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-9534976373188917742008-07-27T16:37:00.003-04:002008-07-27T16:42:59.432-04:00Evian Masters – Final Round

Helen Alfredsson birdied 17 and 18 to get into a playoff and three holes later, dropped a four-footer for birdie to defeat Na Yeon Choi and Angela Park and win the Evian Masters. It is Alfredsson’s first win since 2003 and the sixth of her 17-year LPGA career. Jin Joo Hong finished fourth at -13, two shots out of the playoff while Lorena Ochoa rallied late to finish fifth at -12.Park and Candie

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-60211982660551058502008-07-27T09:29:00.003-04:002008-07-27T09:40:45.564-04:00Ginn Tribute bites the dust

Golf World is reporting the Ginn Tribute will not return to the 2009 schedule. Thanks to Bill Jempty for the link. In recent days SemGroup went into bankrupcy proceedings, putting the Tulsa event in jeopardy.The HD On-Course Curse is now two-fer-two - the 2006 Florida's Natural and the 2008 Ginn Tribute. Which will be my next victim? Navistar or Bell Micro? How about the ADT Championship?

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-65798726606093624902008-07-26T13:40:00.000-04:002008-07-26T13:41:01.437-04:00Evian Masters -3rd Round

Angela Park maintained her one-shot lead through the third round of the Evian Masters. Candie Kung is in second place at -13, Juli Inkster is third at -11 and Helen Alfredsson is fourth at -10.For the second day in a row, a closing stretch of birdies moved Park into the overnight lead. Today, she birdied the last three to reach -14. Kung bogeyed 16 but birdied the last two to get in at -13.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-27095679999261403362008-07-25T17:15:00.002-04:002008-07-25T17:15:38.606-04:00Evian Masters – 2nd Round

Angela Park posted 68 to take the second-round lead at the Evian Masters. Helen Alfredsson is one shot behind at -9 after her course-record 63. Cristie Kerr, Juli Inkster, Candie Kung, In-Kyung Kim and Meena Lee are tied for third at -8, two shots back.Park made her way around the Evian Masters Golf Club without a bogey for the second straight day. Alfredsson broke the record of 64 (done five

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-83648201570265737952008-07-24T14:00:00.003-04:002008-07-24T20:17:03.150-04:00Evian Masters – 1st Round

Lorena Ochoa birdied six times over the back nine to post a 65 and take a one-shot lead at the Evian Masters. Angela Park, Candie Kung and Sun-Ju Ahn are tied for second after their rounds of 66, while five others are tied for fifth with 67s.Ochoa returned from her three-week layoff in fine fashion at a course where she has never finished out of the Top 5. Park also closed out strong – collecting

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-22782458549583609112008-07-22T19:30:00.000-04:002008-07-22T19:31:07.861-04:00Evian Masters Preview

Defending Champion – Natalie GulbisEvian Masters Golf ClubEvian-les-Bains, France72 holes, begins ThursdayPar 72, 6286 yardsField Score – 91Scoring Averages – 73.82 (2007), 72.58 (2006), 73.45 (2005)2008 Scoring Average to date – 72.88U.S. TV coverage (times EDT):Thu 6:30p-8:30p GCFri 6:30p-8:30p GCSat 1p-4p GCSun 1p-4p GCThe LPGA and LET join forces for the next two weeks as both Evian and the

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-3708240011732497752008-07-22T07:25:00.002-04:002008-07-22T07:33:14.607-04:00Programming change

It's only our second week and we're already moving to another time slot! Due to outside influences, Inside The LPGA at primesportsnetwork.com will be broadcast Wednesdays at 7pm EDT for the next three weeks. Karen has a prior commitment tonight and I will be traveling the next two Tuesdays. We plan on going back to our original Tuesday night schedule afterwards.Thank you for your kind

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-62929415987719609882008-07-21T17:45:00.001-04:002008-07-21T17:47:49.094-04:00Top 30 – July 2008

Last year is old news. These rankings are now entirely based on 2008 statistics, as well as my own subjective opinion. About half of the 30 didn’t move much over the last five weeks but the others showed some big swings. A victory – especially a major – will always jump a player over lots of others if they don’t also have a victory.#1 Lorena Ochoa (1)Her T31 finish at the U.S. Open snapped a

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-48643098021029045382008-07-21T08:48:00.003-04:002008-07-21T08:53:00.014-04:00State Farm Classic – Epilogue

Ji Young Oh’s first career victory was a little surprising but she’s been in contention before. She led going into the final round at this year’s MasterCard Classic but struggled to a 79 and finished T8, allowing Louise Friberg to come from ten shots back to win. Last year as a rookie, she finished sixth at the Safeway Classic. Oh had two Top 10s and was 45th on the money list in 2008 prior to

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-84830540641681466322008-07-20T19:25:00.004-04:002008-07-20T19:29:03.395-04:00State Farm Classic – Final Round

Ji Young Oh defeated Yani Tseng on the first playoff hole to win the LPGA State Farm Classic. It is the first career victory for the second-year player from Korea. Na Yeon Choi finished third at -17, one shot out of the playoff. Hee-Won Han, Stacy Prammanasudh and rookie Shanshan Feng finished tied for fourth at -16.Tseng started the day with a two-shot lead but struggled on the front nine. She

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-63338563916682465052008-07-19T19:33:00.002-04:002008-07-19T19:35:25.072-04:00Un-Freaking-Believable

By now you’ve probably heard that Michelle Wie was disqualified from the State Farm Classic. She violated rule 6-6b of the USGA Rules of Golf at the end of her round Friday by not signing her scorecard before leaving the scoring area just off the 18th green. This violation came to the attention of the LPGA after Wie teed off to start Round Three so no action was taken until after she finished

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-1100980710081870832008-07-19T15:45:00.002-04:002008-07-19T15:48:05.290-04:00State Farm Classic – 3rd Round

Yani Tseng has the lead at -18 going into the final round of the State Farm Classic. Michelle Wie is in second place at -17 while Katie Futcher is in third place, two shots behind at -16. Hee-Won Han and Ji Young Oh are tied for fourth at -15 while Na Yeon Choi and Stacy Prammanasudh are tied for sixth at -13.Tseng carded a 66 on Moving Day to move all the way to the top. Wie birdied four holes

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-66055052950273882542008-07-18T19:52:00.004-04:002008-07-18T20:44:59.400-04:00State Farm Classic – 2nd Round

Christina Kim got around in 68 Friday (-13 overall) to remain one shot in front at the State Farm Classic. Sherri Turner, Yani Tseng, Michelle Wie and Ji Young Oh are tied for second at -12. Sun Young Yoo is alone in sixth place at -11.X-Tina birdied the last two holes to catch and then pass the leaders in the house. Turner dropped her second eagle in as many days and bogeyed nary a one. Wie

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-90258441158022667552008-07-18T13:13:00.001-04:002008-07-18T13:16:49.504-04:00Sherri Turner Facts

As of 1pm EDT today, Sherri Turner held a one-shot lead at the State Farm Classic through 15 holes. Thus inspired, I began my research:Sherri Turner turns 52 this October and last won on Tour in February 1989. If she wins this weekend at the State Farm, she will break the LPGA records for oldest winner by over five years and longest amount of time between victories by more than four

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-15175977651288649392008-07-17T20:08:00.000-04:002008-07-17T20:09:30.446-04:00State Farm Classic – 1st Round

Christina Kim fired a 63 to lead by one shot at the LPGA State Farm Classic. Sun Young Yoo is in second place after her round of 64, Jee Young Lee and Kristy McPherson are tied for third after 65s, and five players including Yani Tseng are tied for fifth after rounds of 66.Kim’s back-nine 30, which included an eagle at the par-5 16th, propelled her to the lead. Yoo tied an LPGA nine-hole record

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-72857447425928434742008-07-17T15:48:00.003-04:002008-07-17T15:52:01.037-04:00Another Thursday, another scoring binge

Not to jinx it or anything, but Sun Young Yoo is -9 through 10 holes today. Which means she could shoot 59 with four birdies in the last eight. Stay tuned...

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-79409500576128266662008-07-16T07:03:00.000-04:002008-07-16T07:04:30.657-04:00What Up, Dog?

Dear Readers,Tomorrow, Hound Dog’s LPGA Blog will celebrate its second anniversary. Little did I know in July 2006 what I was getting into. The vast majority of it has been great – a fulfilled ambition of writing (and actually being read), studying a field that few others seem inclined to delve into, and making acquaintances with folks online around the world.At times, keeping up with it has

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-46371807283600474102008-07-15T18:31:00.001-04:002008-07-16T15:35:11.757-04:00State Farm Classic Preview

Defending Champion – Sherri SteinhauerPanther Creek Country ClubSpringfield, Illinois72 holes, begins ThursdayPar 72, 6608 yardsField Score – 31Scoring Averages – 71.97 (2007), 71.56 (2006 The Rail), 71.55 (2005 The Rail)2008 Scoring Average to date – 72.99U.S. TV coverage (times EDT):Fri 2p-4p ESPN2Sat 1p-3p ESPN2Sun 3p-5p ESPN2One of 2007’s best finishes came at this event when Sherri

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-6442665079530729182008-07-14T08:12:00.002-04:002008-07-14T08:57:07.978-04:00Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic – Final Round

Paula Creamer held on to win the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic by two strokes. It is the third victory for Creamer this year and the seventh of her career. Nicole Castrale rallied with a 64 to finish in second place at -14, Eun-Hee Ji finished third at -13 while rookie Shanshan Feng was fourth at -12.Early on, it appeared that Paula’s Sunday challenger was going to be Feng. The rookie whose

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-59564633937299978392008-07-12T15:32:00.004-04:002008-07-12T15:36:51.396-04:00Jamie Farr Classic – 3rd Round

Paula Creamer wasn’t able to completely put the tournament away on Saturday but she still holds a four-shot lead at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. Eun-Hee Ji remains in second place at -14 while Rachel Hetherington is third at -11. Karrie Webb and rookie Shanshan Feng are tied for fourth at -10.With Ji the only player closer than seven shots, Creamer still controls her own destiny but she

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-91815250609952622082008-07-11T18:42:00.000-04:002008-07-11T18:43:04.470-04:00Jamie Farr Classic – 2nd Round

Paula Creamer extended her already sizeable lead with a 65 (-17 overall) at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. Eun-Hee Ji (-11) trails her by six shots while Rachel Hetherington and H.J. Choi are ten behind at -7. You read that right – after 36 holes, Ji is the only player within ten strokes of Creamer.Matching Giulia Sergas for Round-of-the-Day honors, Paula prevented everybody from making

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-12148780930939860002008-07-10T19:33:00.002-04:002008-07-11T06:53:30.095-04:00Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic – 1st Round

Paula Creamer shot a 60 and leads by five shots at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. Eun-Hee Ji and Gloria Park are tied for second place after firing 65s. Eva Dahllof and Young Kim posted 66 and are tied for fourth.Creamer’s round just missed matching Annika Sorenstam’s 59 in 2001 and tied Meg Mallon, Jung Yeon Lee and Anna Acker-Macosko for the second-best raw score for 18 holes in LPGA

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-70729798039873737342008-07-08T18:48:00.003-04:002008-07-08T19:01:40.544-04:00Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Preview

Defending Champion – Se Ri PakHighland Meadows Golf ClubSylvania, Ohio72 holes, begins ThursdayPar 71 (34-37), 6428 yardsField Score – 34Scoring Averages – 72.0 (2007), 71.6 (2006), 72.0 (2005)2008 Scoring Average to date – 73.09U.S. TV Coverage (times EDT):Fri 2p-4p ESPN2Sat 4p-6p ESPN2Sun 6p-8p ESPN2The Farr has been dubbed the “Se Ri Pak Classic” and a nearby street has been renamed in honor

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-1744189256720185432008-07-07T09:22:00.001-04:002008-07-09T06:50:17.441-04:00Arkansas Epilogue

I’m glad Procter & Gamble signed on with the LPGA, but that tournament title is way too long – especially when you start tacking on the “Presented by John Q. Hammons” part.Seon Hwa Lee now trails only Se Ri Pak, Mi Hyun Kim, Grace Park and Hee-Won Han among Koreans on the LPGA career victory list. Her four victories are only two fewer than Park and Han and she has already doubled-up Jeong Jang (2

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-52636964225487986612008-07-07T08:02:00.002-04:002008-07-07T08:11:57.812-04:00P&G NW Arkansas final round highlights

Since CBS only covered the front nine of the final groups, I don't have any clips of the finish. Still, there was good stuff to put up.Like Ai Miyazato's chip-in at 2.And her birdie at 6.Meena Lee birdies the 5th.Shot of the Day - Seon Hwa Lee pitches in from the fairway for an eagle at 7. Didn't she do this on Sunday in her win at the Ginn Tribute?Kristy McPherson birdies 7 and Jane Park drops

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-58365595170740067512008-07-06T19:43:00.005-04:002008-07-06T19:52:43.894-04:00P&G NW Arkansas Championship – Final Round

Seon Hwa Lee birdied the last hole to take the lead and held on to win the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship. Lee becomes the fourth multiple winner of 2008 with the fourth victory of her career. Meena Lee and Jane Park tied for second at -14, one shot behind. Karen Stupples, Ai Miyazato, Kristy McPherson and Angela Park tied for fourth at -13.The Sunday Free-for-all was free for the taking,

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-80404265697049187352008-07-05T21:45:00.001-04:002008-07-06T10:20:50.562-04:00P&G NW Arkansas Championship – 2nd Round

Meena Lee fired a 65 to reach -12 and is tied for the lead with Eun-Hee Ji (who only completed 16 holes) going into Sunday’s action at the P&G NW Arkansas Championship. Kristy McPherson, Angela Park and Seon Hwa Lee are tied for third at -11 while Jeong Jang, Jee Young Lee and Ai Miyazato are tied for sixth at -9.Second round play was suspended due to darkness at 9:20pm EDT with 70 players (all

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-72661081144136311062008-07-05T16:03:00.002-04:002008-07-05T16:08:42.995-04:00P&G NW Arkansas 2nd round highlights

From today's 2nd round coverage:Louise Friberg puts her tee shot close at 11.Helen Alfredsson hits the pin at 4.Laura Davies chips in at 16.Kristy McPherson took the lead with a birdie at 8 following this great approach.Meena Lee birdies 15.Nicole Castrale comes very close at 18.I just couldn't resist - Natalie Gulbis and Anna Rawson walked the runway at a pre-tourney fashion show and CBS'

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-81984818056708454432008-07-05T10:36:00.000-04:002008-07-05T10:37:18.300-04:00P&G NW Arkansas Championship – 1st Round

Seon Hwa Lee and Kristy McPherson posted 64 to share the lead at the rain-delayed P&G NW Arkansas Championship. Helen Alfredsson is in third place one shot behind while Jeong Jang, Jee Young Lee and H.J. Choi are tied for fourth, two shots back.The calendar change for this tournament couldn’t avoid the dreaded rain delays – Friday’s start was delayed five hours by torrential rains and the

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-1095014465634775132008-07-02T15:05:00.000-04:002008-07-02T15:06:21.718-04:00P&G NW Arkansas Championship Preview

Defending Champion – officially none, but Stacy Lewis got a trophyPinnacle Country ClubRogers, Arkansas54 holes, begins FridayPar 72, 6238 yardsField Score – 63Scoring Averages – none2008 Scoring Average to date – 73.18TV Coverage:Sat 1:30p-3p CBSSun 1p-3p CBSThis event was first attempted last September but rain prevented the first round from being completed until Sunday morning. As I said at

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-26866274763297654662008-06-30T08:23:00.002-04:002008-06-30T08:28:49.822-04:00U.S. Open – Final Round

Inbee Park withstood the tougher conditions at Interlachen Sunday to win the U.S. Women’s Open. The four-shot victory is the first of her LPGA career, which began only last year. Helen Alfredsson finished in second place at -5 while Angela Park, In-Kyung Kim and Stacy Lewis were tied for third at -4.Higher winds turned the scores into ones more identified with an Open championship. Amateur

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-28707731952916434192008-06-29T05:53:00.002-04:002008-06-29T06:10:30.814-04:00U.S. Open – 3rd Round

Stacy Lewis, playing in her first tournament as a professional, has a one-shot lead going into the final round of the U.S. Open. Paula Creamer is in second place at -8, Helen Alfredsson and Inbee Park are tied for third at -7 while In-Kyung Kim is fifth at -6.Lewis birdied 14, 15 and 18 to post 67 (low round of the day) and claim the overnight lead. Creamer reached -8 with a birdie at 10 to tie

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-79922655308787841142008-06-28T05:06:00.002-04:002008-06-28T05:18:13.652-04:00U.S. Open update

The second round will resume at 8am EDT with 35 players finishing up. After making the cut (still looks like +4 thanks to the 10-shot rule), the players will start the 3rd round around 11am in threesomes off of both 1 and 10.You should always check out the interview page at lpga.com, especially during a major. Here are a couple of Friday's gems from Minea Blomqvist:Q. This is a crazy question,

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-33425589410312467662008-06-27T21:30:00.004-04:002008-06-27T21:38:38.704-04:00U.S. Open – 2nd Round plus highlights

As of 9:30pm EDT, about 50 players are still out on the course thanks to a weather delay of about two hours. At this point, Angela Park leads by one shot over Minea Blomqvist, Inbee Park, Cristie Kerr and Helen Alfredsson. Kerr and Alfredsson each have one hole remaining. Paula Creamer, Jeong Jang and Candie Kung are tied for sixth, two shots behind. Kung has one hole left to play. There will

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-59304427630304470712008-06-27T14:34:00.000-04:002008-06-27T14:35:23.565-04:00U.S. Open - Friday afternoon update

Whereas yesterday’s resurgent player was Pat Hurst, today’s is Angela Park. The reigning LPGA Rookie of the Year has only two Top 10s and three missed cuts in 2008 but she momentarily took sole possession of the lead at -7 when she birdied #5 (her 14th of the day). Angela finished with a round of 67 and is currently tied for the lead with Ji Young Oh, who hasn’t teed off yet. Hurst fell flat

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-41480447729534881852008-06-27T08:02:00.002-04:002008-06-27T08:14:06.340-04:00U.S. Open 1st round highlights

So many to choose from... I uploaded 15 to YouTube, so go to my page there for more if you like.Amateur Victoria Tanco plays the slope at 9 perfectly.Heather Daly-Donofrio's bunker shot at 8 can't get any better.Young Kim rolls in a long birdie putt.This is where Maria Uribe plays that "266-yard" second shot at 18 that CourtGolf and I don't believe was quite so long. Cristie Kerr made it home

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-43456884047373716312008-06-26T20:41:00.003-04:002008-06-27T13:01:12.208-04:00U.S. Open – 1st Round

Pat Hurst and Ji Young Oh share the lead after Round One of the U.S. Open. Both players opened with -6 rounds of 67. Song-Hee Kim is in third place after her round of 68 while Louise Friberg, Ji-Yai Shin and amateur Maria Jose Uribe are tied for fourth after starting with 69s.Conditions today were absolutely perfect – temps in the 80s, no wind until later in the afternoon, humidity high enough to

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-44916823864655539152008-06-26T14:37:00.003-04:002008-06-26T14:42:13.527-04:00U.S. Open - Thursday afternoon update

The morning groups have for the most part completed their rounds, and the two pros at the top of the board just happen to rank in the top 14 of Total Driving! As of 2:35pm EDT, those who have finished stand like this:-6 Ji Young Oh-4 Louise Friberg, Maria Jose Uribe-3 Catriona Matthew, Laura Davies, Helen Alfredsson-2 Yani Tseng, Teresa Lu, Sydnee Michaels, Rachel Hetherington-2 Jee Young Lee, Ai

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-75049653187863958152008-06-25T07:09:00.001-04:002008-06-25T07:11:43.000-04:00Total Driving Update

When I first talked about Total Driving two months ago, one thing I liked about it was that it only took me a couple of hours to plug in the numbers for the 150+ LPGA players so updating it becomes easy whenever the urge strikes. On the eve of the U.S. Open – the event which above all others requires one to keep the ball in the fairway as well as hit it long – I present the current Top 30 in

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-5822686512273490022008-06-24T07:34:00.003-04:002008-06-24T07:37:37.480-04:00U.S. Women’s Open Preview

Defending Champion – Cristie KerrInterlachen Country ClubEdina, MinnesotaPar 73, 6789 yardsField Score – 100 Scoring Averages – 74.5 (2007 Pine Needles), 75.8 (2006 Newport CC)2008 Scoring Average to date – 73.0TV Coverage:Wed 5p-6p Preview show on ESPN2Thur 12p-4p ESPNFri 3p-7p ESPNSat 3p-6p NBCSun 3p-6p NBCSince I have a tendency to approach my weekly previews from the same angles, I decided to

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-22421611501296081022008-06-23T20:12:00.002-04:002008-06-23T20:16:02.941-04:00TC Goes To Wegmans

I may be a little biased, but this piece by The Constructivist on his Saturday trip to the Wegmans LPGA with family in tow is one of the most entertaining (as well as informative) that I've read in a while. Be warned - make sure you've got at least 15 free minutes to take it all in properly.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-85937541742892126592008-06-23T08:21:00.002-04:002008-06-23T12:28:12.586-04:00Wegmans LPGA Epilogue

Yesterday’s win by Eun-Hee Ji was her third Top 10 of 2008. She finished T4 at the Safeway International and T9 at the Stanford International. Ji has also missed three cuts so if she does make the Top 30 next month, she’ll only be in the 25-30 range.During the champagne celebration (Jeong Jang and In-Kyung Kim did the honors), it sounded like Ji’s caddy said that the win made “our f---ing year”.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-86968154561534364262008-06-22T17:36:00.002-04:002008-06-22T17:46:12.315-04:00Wegmans final round highlights

Eun-Hee Ji birdies 13 to draw within two of the lead.Lorena Ochoa nearly slam dunks her tee shot at 15.Eun-Hee birdies 15 to tie for the lead.Ji and Suzann Pettersen both birdie 17, leaving the lead at one going to 18.The final tap-in, and the celebration begins.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-22405952679470400902008-06-22T16:18:00.005-04:002008-06-22T16:23:30.086-04:00Wegmans LPGA – Final Round

Eun-Hee Ji, a second-year player from Korea, fired a 67 to overtake Suzann Pettersen and win the Wegmans LPGA. Pettersen finished two shots back, alone in second place at -14 while Jeong Jang and Hee-Won Han tied for third at -12 and Cristie Kerr finished fifth at -11.Beginning the day down by three, Ji birdied three of the first four to erase Pettersen’s lead but then gave one shot back with a

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-86698926984717035872008-06-22T08:49:00.001-04:002008-06-22T08:50:52.335-04:00Tiffany Joh wins 2008 WAPL Championship

If you are a regular reader at the Waggle Room, you already know about Tiffany Joh. The featured blogger at WR is a rising senior at UCLA who played on the recent victorious U.S. Curtis Cup team, placed second in the NCAA Tournament, and yesterday won the Women's Amateur Public Links Championship for the second time in three years. Golf Central featured her victory last night and I got JUST

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-20489340984829523042008-06-21T20:17:00.002-04:002008-06-21T20:26:13.993-04:00Wegmans 3rd round highlights

Early highlights from Suzann Pettersen, Morgan Pressel and Ai Miyazato.Eun-Hee Ji birdies 15 on her way to posting a 64.Michelle Wie's putt at 18 takes an interesting path while Pettersen birdies 11.You would be hard pressed to find two elite players with a larger difference in their games than Pettersen and Pressel. ESPN compares their swings anyway.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-65846818599737751452008-06-21T19:09:00.002-04:002008-06-21T19:10:53.473-04:00Wegmans LPGA – 3rd Round

Suzann Pettersen carries a three-shot lead into the final round of the Wegmans LPGA. Morgan Pressel, Inbee Park and Eun-Hee Ji are tied for second at -11 while Hee-Won Han and Ai Miyazato are tied for fifth at -9, five shots out of the lead.The round was delayed by a thunderstorm for about an hour and forty-five minutes at the worst possible time, giving ESPN2 only about 25 minutes of live action

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-57145882732354892442008-06-20T22:15:00.003-04:002008-06-21T06:21:19.721-04:00Wegmans 2nd round highlights

Only three clips tonight (it's getting late), maybe a couple more in the morning.Morgan Pressel plays a great fairway wood shot at 14 to set up birdie.Lorena Ochoa plays from the rough at 12 and comes up big.Cristie Kerr chips one close at 17. Three more.... Natalie Gulbis puts her approach at 17 very close.Pressel birdies 18 to complete her round of 65.Michelle Wie birdies #11.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-48967358627615529762008-06-20T19:33:00.002-04:002008-06-20T20:08:06.752-04:00Wegmans LPGA – 2nd Round

Morgan Pressel equaled the low round of the day with a 65 to reach -10 and lead the Wegmans LPGA by one shot over Suzann Pettersen. Pettersen, who also fired a 65, is alone in second place with Inbee Park and Ai Miyazato tied for third at -8.After starting her round with six pars, Pressel birdied six of the next eight holes. Pettersen opened with bogey at 1 then birdied seven out of ten including

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-1538129829816266092008-06-19T19:11:00.001-04:002008-06-19T19:13:56.308-04:00Wegmans LPGA – 1st Round

Seven players are tied for the first-round lead at -4 at the Wegmans LPGA. Jeong Jang, Cristie Kerr, Song-Hee Kim, Inbee Park, Ai Miyazato, Soo-Yun Kang and rookie Jimin Jeong all opened with 68s. Seven other players began with rounds of 69.Aside from Miyazato and Park, all of the leaders played in the afternoon groups. Several stars who went off this morning (Lorena Ochoa, Annika Sorenstam and

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-33813474798124211132008-06-19T13:20:00.001-04:002008-06-19T13:21:27.156-04:00Field Scores

During the Wegmans Preview, I quickly threw together a way to measure the strength of a tournament field. I wish Total Driving had come to me that easily! Using the player rankings that I update after each event (I only post the Top 30 here every 4-5 weeks), I look for the top 40 players in the final field. For each player in the top 10, the score increases by four points. Players ranked from

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-8238967517271153162008-06-18T08:39:00.001-04:002008-06-18T08:41:59.163-04:00Announcers

This isn’t a ranking of the best announcers of women’s golf. I wanted to put some of my thoughts down about what I like and don’t like about the folks who supply the soundtrack to our weekends. Feel free to comment – your opinion on this is just as valid as mine.Dottie Pepper (GC and NBC)For my money, Dottie IS the voice of women’s golf. She has just the right mix of technical knowledge, LPGA

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-7452748434135558902008-06-17T11:09:00.002-04:002008-06-17T12:45:01.172-04:00Wegmans LPGA Preview

The ladies return to action near Rochester, New York this week for the Wegmans LPGA. Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford has hosted this event every year since its inception in 1977. Lorena Ochoa defeated In-Kyung Kim in a two-hole playoff last year. The tournament begins Thursday with TV coverage starting Friday on ESPN2. Once again, Wegmans provides a webcast with player interviews and

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-51574439413386452562008-06-17T08:37:00.000-04:002008-06-17T08:38:16.414-04:00Who Has A Chance?

A couple of weeks ago, Svenson asked in the comments just how many players truly have a realistic chance at winning an LPGA tournament each week. The Constructivist and I have opined that the number is around 25 and could easily be higher. Is there a way to prove or disprove that theory?I started working on one way, but the research required for that is going to take a while so I thought I

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-56085258598791103052008-06-13T13:28:00.002-04:002008-06-13T13:37:46.402-04:00No LET rankings...for now

During this LPGA off-week, it was my intention to release my new Top 30 as well as rankings for the Futures Tour, the KLPGA and the LET. The first three I accomplished, even though the KLPGA stats hadn't been updated in over three weeks. Well, they've got the LET beat by a mile. Aside from the list of tournament winners and the Order of Merit (money list), the LET stats haven't been updated

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-44730207044581621152008-06-12T09:54:00.011-04:002008-06-12T10:24:42.083-04:002008 Favorite Women Golfers

If you haven’t noticed, there’s a small icon at the bottom of the page that reads “sitemeter”. This free app tracks interesting stuff like how many hits the HDLPGA site gets and where those hits come from (Big Brother is always watching!). So far the most I’ve had in a single day has been 220, which was on Friday May 30. I was live-blogging Round Two of the Ginn Tribute from the course that day.

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31262592.post-75852557693298164642008-06-11T10:45:00.001-04:002008-06-11T10:47:33.331-04:00Supply and Demand

I’ve said more than once that the KLPGA is the second strongest women’s golf association in the world and even though I don’t believe wholeheartedly in the Rolex process, the rankings of that tour’s top players blew my opinion out of the water. The top players in the JLPGA are ranked much higher and at first glance it would appear that even the LET could beat out the KLPGA.How could such a

Hound Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14551723761253381230noreply@blogger.com7