Inbee Park is the best putter – male or female – in the world.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Inbee Park is the best putter, male or female, in the world. Period!
Her display of putting over the last few years has put her in a class of her own when it comes to the flat stick. Bring on Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth or Jason Day. This girl will beat them all! Her recent display at the Rio Olympics has silenced even her harshest critics. Thanks to Golf Digest, you can now understand how she does it and incorporate it into your game.
(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Injuries and fine seasons from some of the LPGA’s other younger stars might have made you forget about Inbee Park, but her performance at the Olympics brought the 28-year-old’s talent back into focus.
Despite sitting out the previous two months because of a thumb injury, Park put on a ball-striking and putting display in Rio. She made almost 100 feet of birdie putts on Sunday on the way to shooting a 66–which put her five shots clear of silver medalist Lydia Ko.
You might not be able to conjure up tour-caliber ball-striking, but you can copy one of Park’s key putting fundamentals to get some of the seven-time major champions’ ball rolling magic.
“Inbee Park is one of the best putters in the world–on any tour–because of her body connection,” says top New Jersey teacher Bill Schmedes III, who is based at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in Bedminster. “It starts at address, and it continues through the stroke.”
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
To say that golf is in great hands is an understatement! And young hands at that! We have Spieth, Day, Fowler, and McIlroy and more exhibiting great sportsmanship along with their stellar play. But the women on the LPGA Tour are furthering their own brand of spectacular golf and winning with a joyful yet humble demeanor. Great examples include Lydia Ko, who applauded when opponent Brooke Henderson holed the winning put in the Women’s PGA Championship and Henderson herself. This young Canadian displays quiet confidence rather than self-congratulatory fist pumps. Brooke also never fails to acknowledge the caddies and volunteers. Thanks to John Haime of Golfwrx for this insightful article on the state of women’s golf!
Copy Brooke Henderson.
No, don’t copy her swing or her putting stroke (but that may not be a bad idea either); copy her attitude, because the wonderful self-expression and joy she brings to the game is worth celebrating and showcasing for young players … or any player.
Young golfers today look to Jason Day, Jordan Spieth or Rory McIlroy (for obvious reasons), but they may want to model their attitudes after the 18-year-old Canadian on the LPGA Tour. Brooke Henderson seems to have a great recipe for both enjoying the game, remaining humble and playing some pretty spectacular golf that is generating great results.
In a time where everything seems to be overstated, Brooke Henderson won the Women’s PGA Championship in an understated manner. No fist pumping, no running around, no over-the-top drama: just hitting shots like she is capable of, enjoying the experience, connecting with the audience and matter-of-factly finishing at the top of the leaderboard.
No Fear.
Fear is a major interference in golf. We can look forward and consider all of the “what ifs” that could potentially happen, and most of the what ifs you might consider don’t have a positive effect on your game. Then there’s bringing the past forward. The tendency is to bring those things that really didn’t work out to the present moment, and those thoughts and feelings don’t help.
Brooke Henderson plays without fear. As an example, while most players at the recent Women’s PGA Championship highlighted the narrowness of the Sahalee fairways and that drivers wouldn’t be the play, Henderson stated to the media early in the week that driver would be the play for her. It’s her strength, and narrow fairways would not be a problem, she said. In a very self-aware manner, similar to Dustin Johnson in the U.S. Open, she used her driving as a weapon at the PGA, played to all of her strengths, leveraged her advantages and fully expressed herself.
“I used to get a bit nervous but then thought, ‘What’s the point of that, really?’”
In a recent interview, Henderson was asked about nerves and anxiety and her response was: “I used to get a bit nervous but then thought, ‘What’s the point of that, really?’” Makes sense, doesn’t it?
What was most refreshing about Henderson and watching her win the PGA was the overall environment she creates within herself: a relaxed joy that produces great smiles after good shots, some disappointment after bad ones and a self-awareness that she understands her unique abilities and uses them. There was also a complete clarity following the winning putt in the playoff. She was determined to congratulate playing competitor Lydia Ko with a genuine embrace and acknowledge caddies and volunteers.
The Natural Way to grip the club – by Jessica Korda.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Jessica Korda is one of the most popular players on the LPGA Tour and one of the longest hitters. Her strong play has had her represent both the Czech Republic and the United States in international competitions. In this article, Jessica explains the way she grips the club in the most natural way possible. I think this will help you grip the club more naturally as well!
Use these tips from LPGA Pro Jessica Korda to rip your driver using your body’s natural positioning.
1. Stand behind the ball and grip the club with your left hand only. It’s simple: Just grab the handle without looking. This sets your left hand in its natural power position. Wrist angle varies from player to player—I like to keep my wrist slightly bent.
2. Depending on your anatomy, your left wrist will be either flat or flexed (like mine). What’s important is that you maintain your left wrist position as you swing. Changing it disrupts your hitting instinct. Take note of the flex and accept it.
3. Put your right hand on the club and take your address, maintaining the position of your left wrist. Take a last look at the target and start back. Have no fear—you’re one step away from catching the ball smack on the sweet spot!
4. As you swing to the top, hold the left wrist angle you established when you first gripped the club with your left hand. Don’t manipulate your left wrist or “flatten” it as many experts advise. Trust me: When it comes to big hits, your body knows best!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
I had the pleasure of meeting Natalie Gulbis in 2014 when she was a representative for a large group of Myrtle Beach, SC, area courses. Natalie visited Pawleys Plantation, which she called her ‘home away from home’ and hosted my golf school for the last 25 years.
After a full day of filming promos and sharing our favorite golf jokes, I decided that Natalie was a truly charming LPGA Professional. However…I did not take a nap in her presence!
Check out the way my sweet Natalie wakes up a napping golf fan in the bleachers!
Watch the beautiful pro golfer Natalie Gulbis hit some poor schmuck (me) sleeping in the stands during a practice round with a golf ball. Amazing shot!
The Top 10 Stories of the 2015 LPGA Season – #2 was epic!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
What a great season for the LPGA! In a year where two new stars emerged, the current #1 player upped her game, and some of the older players showed their grit, it was a standout year! Read on as Beth Ann Nichols writing for Golfweek, gives us her take on the last 12 months.
From left: Gerina Piller and Juli Inkster at the 2015 Solheim Cup ( Getty Images )
By Beth Ann Nichols
From Lydia Ko’s historic season to a memorable – and controversial – Solheim Cup, here are the top 10 moments on the LPGA in 2015, according to Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols:
10. Kris Tamulis won in her 186th start on the LPGA, in her 11th year on tour, at 34.
On a tour dominated by youthful storylines, Tamulis’ victory gave hope to the grinders. It proved especially heart-warming given that her caddie, Thomas Frank, aka “Motion,” lost his home in a fire earlier this year while he worked for Tamulis in Hawaii. They’re easy to root for.
By Associated Press
9. Amy Yang’s “perfect nine” on Sunday at LPGA Keb Hana Bank Championship.
She didn’t get the attention she deserved because of the time zone difference in South Korea. Yang birdied every hole on the back nine Sunday to shoot 9-under 27, the lowest nine-hole score in relation to par in LPGA history. Yang joined Hall of Famer Beth Daniel as the only LPGA player to post nine consecutive birdies.
(Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
8. For a second time, Brittany Lincicome eagled the 18th hole.
The hole location was the same in 2015 at the ANA Inspiration as it was in 2009 when she hit the hybrid of her life. This time, Lincicome’s eagle forced a playoff against pal Stacy Lewis, and she won on the third extra hole. Lincicome led the field that week in driving and total putts.
7. Brooke Henderson didn’t just win the Cambia Portland Classic.
She owned it. The 18-year-old ended her quest for an LPGA card in a dramatic finish, setting a tournament scoring record of 21-under 267. Her eight-stroke margin of victory also smashed the previous record of six set in 1999 and 1986. AND Henderson Monday-qualified for the event. She wasn’t yet a member of any tour but rose to No. 18 in the world.
By Associated Press
6. Inbee Park’s brilliant final-round 65 at the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Trump Turnberry.
Put her seventh on the LPGA’s list of all-time major winners with seven. Whether or not it gave Park the career grand slam is up for debate, but she has now won four different majors. The 27-year-old ended the season by becoming the youngest player in tour history to earn enough points to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame.
To see the rest of the top 10 stories of the 2015 LPGA season, go here!
Lydia Ko – Teenage Queen of Golf Continues Her Reign!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
18-year-old Lydia Ko won the LPGA Taiwan Championship this weekend and regained her No. 1 world golf ranking.
In my book, she is now the Queen of golf! She certainly has a “Royal” demeanor. I look forward to 2016 to see what she is going to do in the Major Championships. I think she could win them all!
Along with many fans, I have been watching this youngster since she won her first professional event at age 14, at the Women’s New South Wales Open in Australia. Her first LPGA Tour win was the Canadian Women’s Open in 2012 when Ko was 15 years old.
Lydia is now aged 18 years and 6 months and is the youngest player ever to win 10 events on any major tour. She also holds the record for being ranked the youngest World No. 1 player of either sex. (17 years of age in February 2015) I’m not sure that people understand that this means Ko has surpassed Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, etc. Let’s pay more attention to this golfing phenom and appreciate what she’s doing for our sport!
South Korea’s Inbee Park, former No. 1 ranked player, has been Ko’s closest competitor in the last 2 years, altho Park did not contend in this Taiwan Championship.
My best reasons to root for Ko:
her record-breaking successes at a ridiculously young age.
her global profile… Ko’s victories have come in Canada, France, Korea, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan.
her personality… “She’s not only a good player, but she’s a really good person. If she was not a good person, I might be jealous, but I totally respect her” says LPGA competitor So Yeon Ryu. Ryu is one of many golfers and industry leaders who speak well of Ko.
Dottie Pepper – a great choice to replace Feherty on CBS.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Former LPGA Player Dottie Pepper was the most prominent female golf analyst at NBC Sports from 2004 until 2012. She had also done spots for ESPN.
Pepper was recently hired to replace David Feherty as an on-course reporter for CBS for the 2015-2016 PGA Tour season.
This is a great move, in my opinion. As CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus says “… Dottie is one of the most respected and insightful analysts in golf. She has played and covered the sport at its highest levels and her reputation, contacts, and relationships are outstanding.”
Pepper won 17 tournaments on the LPGA Tour, including 2 majors. One of my favorite memories of Dottie was seeing her play on the Solheim Cup team. I don’t believe there’s ever been a more emotional player in golf. She was an absolute lightening rod who amped up the American players every day!
Dottie Pepper has had a long, great career as a player and broadcaster. (Getty Images)
Dottie Pepper has been hired to replace David Feherty as an on-course reporter for CBS for the 2015-16 PGA Tour season. It’s a good get by CBS and, as someone who watches an absurd amount of golf, one I’m looking forward to.
Pepper is straight pro and loads of fun to listen to.
CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus agrees with me.
“Dottie is one of the most respected and insightful analysts in golf,” said McManus. “She has played and covered the sport at its highest levels and her reputation, contacts and relationships within the game are outstanding. We have the strongest ensemble of voices in golf, and the addition of Dottie to our team makes us even stronger and deeper.”
I did a Q&A with Pepper recently to discuss her new job.
What are you most excited about?
“First and foremost is getting back into the live golf arena on a regular basis. It’s mostly live golf and the events CBS covers. You’re talking about two major championships, they’re events that matter. They matter a lot. That was the biggest thing for me.”
The Golf Drought is Ending in MI – Thanks to the LPGA!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
The State of Michigan has not had a Professional golf event since 2009.
That’s a pretty long drought for a State that has a very strong history of great golf. One of my favorite golf courses is Black Forest, a few hours drive north of Detroit, and I have fond memories of playing golf in that area. Thanks to the LPGA, that drought is coming to an end, and let’s hope that the PGA Tour is not far behind. Thanks to Crains Detroit Business for this article about a tournament that will certainly impact the economy of Michigan!
Last week’s announcement that the Ladies Professional Golf Association would stage a new tournament in Ann Arbor next May has some wondering when the men’s pro tour will end its six-year absence from Michigan.
The PGA Tour hasn’t played an event in the state since the Buick Open in Grand Blanc ended in 2009.
And there hasn’t been a major men’s rotating event since the 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township.
Golf insiders say Michigan’s economy has improved, and if the new LPGA Volvik Championship, scheduled for May 26-29 at Travis Pointe Country Club in Ann Arbor, is especially successful financially, it could turn some heads at the PGA Tour’s Florida headquarters.
“I definitely think this market is ripe for more professional golf,” said Keith Karbo, CEO of Ann Arbor-based sports marketing firm Red Arrow Partnerships who is the originator and tournament director of the LPGA Volvik Championship. “I think what this is going to do is going to revive interest in professional golf tournaments in Southeast Michigan.”
How the LPGA Volvik Championship plays out on the business side will be something the men’s tour keeps its eye on, said Dave Richards, owner of Bloomfield Hills-based Resort & Golf Marketing.
“The PGA Tour always is looking for new sites and new sponsors,” he said.
“Say there’s a 30 percent increase (in corporate hospitality sales), that might be something that shakes up or speeds up somebody’s thought process.”
The cash outlay for a men’s tour event is significantly more than the cost of an LPGA event, making it a tougher sell in Michigan’s still-recovering economic climate. Also, the PGA Tour can’t come here unless there’s an opening on its tournament calendar.
Richards estimated an LPGA event costs its main sponsor about $500,000 to $750,000, while a midlevel event on the PGA Tour, such as the now-defunct Buick Open in Grand Blanc, is $5 million to $6 million.
Once a tournament is on the calendar, the challenge is selling corporate sponsorships for things such as hospitality tents and chalets on the golf course and tables in the clubhouse.
The Golf Drought is Ending in MI – Thanks to the LPGA!
“How many corporate tents can you sell? That’s what really drives the entire event,” Richards said.
Hospitality packages for the 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills began at $37,500 for a 10-person table and increased to $500,000 for larger, more sophisticated offerings.
More recently, the 75-person suites along the 12th green at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta were selling for $95,000 for the Tour Championship last month.
Richards estimated that a PGA Tour event is eight to 10 times the cost of an LPGA Tour stop, but Michigan’s improving economy means more companies are gradually becoming interested again in such spending.
“I think we’re in a better climate now, but we’re coming back a lot slower than we crashed,” he said. “In the old days, we sold out corporate tents as fast as anyone in the country.”
Buyers usually were car companies, their suppliers, and banks, he said.
“A lot of the golf industry in this state was mostly dependent on the auto industry. When it crashed in the late 2000s, it affected a lot of the industry in the state,” said Kevin Frisch, CEO of Gaylord-based Fusion Media Strategies, a golf and travel marketing firm. “Since 2010, I’ve seen the golf industry improving, in rounds played and travel.”
Frisch predicted that the men’s tour will return within five to 10 years because Michigan companies are increasingly willing to spend marketing dollars on events such as golf tournaments.
Kevin Frisch: “For Detroit to not have (a PGA Tour stop) is still shocking to me.”
“I think there’s going to be money to bring back a tournament,” Frisch said. “People are looking to getting back into spending money on golf.”
If and when the PGA Tour returns, the Detroit area is the natural landing spot, he said.
“For Detroit to not have (a PGA Tour stop) is still shocking to me. The quality of golf courses in Detroit is certainly capable of hosting a PGA Tour event or a major golf championship,” Frisch said.
A message seeking comment about the men’s tour’s potential interest in returning to Michigan was left for Ty Votaw, the PGA Tour’s executive vice president and chief global communications officer.
Detroit certainly has potential PGA Tour event sponsors.
Quicken Loans Inc. Chairman Dan Gilbert has invested in golf, such as being the title sponsor of the annual Quicken Loans National tournament in Virginia, and of 2015 Players Championship winner Rickie Fowler.
“Quicken Loans and our family of companies are constantly looking to attract exciting events to Detroit to help fuel and promote the city’s revitalization,” Aaron Emerson, Quicken Loans vice president of communications, said via email.
Quicken also is the tour’s official mortgage sponsor, while Kalamazoo-based Stryker Corp. is the PGA Tour’s official joint replacement sponsor.
General Motors Co.
Which dropped sponsorship of the Buick Open, in 2010, signed a six-year deal to be the title sponsor of the one of the four World Golf Championship events, known as the WGC-Cadillac Championship, beginning in 2011.
Who is the Greatest Teenage Golfer of All Time – Male or Female?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
If you answered Lydia Ko, congratulations.
But I’m afraid many people would quickly name Tiger Woods or maybe Jack Nicklaus. Because the media gives much more coverage to the men’s golf, a phenomenal, history-making golfer is “falling through the cracks in this conversation” as Shane Bacon says for Fox Sports.
Lydia Ko became the youngest winner of a major championship on the same weekend in September where the men were playing the next-to-last FedEx Cup event, the women’s Solheim cup was being played out in Europe, and it was the start of the NFL season. So, yes, there was a lot of activity vying for the golfer’s attention. However, you’d think that Ko’s accomplishment would have been discussed on TV shows the next day and that she would be at the top of Golf Internet news, etc.
Besides winning the Evian Championship with a final round of 63(!) to become the youngest Major winner ever, Ko ranked No. 1 woman golfer in the world at 17 years of age. At that point, she had racked up numerous wins as a professional and also as an Amateur, since age 14.
Shane Bacon of Fox Sports has an interesting take on the lack of attention to Lydia Ko and lets us know why this is a big mistake.
The story is everything you would think the mainstream media would want.
A teenage superstar winning a major in record-setting fashion, the face of women’s golf emerging as not only a threat to win each week but now adding a major to her trophy case. So why don’t people seem to care?
Not many people noticed when Lydia Ko won her first major last weekend — and that’s a shame. Jean-Pierre Clatot / Getty Images
We are in the closing stretches of the 2015 PGA Tour season, one for the ages when you think about the majors and the names who broke out, and one we will look back on as the year when things in men’s golf changed. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were far from the headlines, as Jordan Spieth,Jason Day and Rickie Fowler had breakout years and were part of a group of 20-somethings who are taking over golf.
But one name who will fall through the cracks in this conversation, as it always seems to happen in sports, is the one who was the most impressive. Lydia Ko, who is still just 18, won her first major championship on Sunday, becoming the youngest to do so in the modern era of golf and finishing it off with a jaw-dropping 63.
So why don’t people seem to care? Why isn’t it a talking point on sports shows?
Who is the Greatest Teenage Golfer of All Time – Male or Female?
Why are people ignoring this incredible accomplishment in an era where youth is everything in our world?
I asked people on Twitter this question Monday. They mentioned the start of the NFL season (OK, fine), the fact that the event was played overseas (still not totally buying that, but I get the time difference), and even gave predictably disappointing answers like she’s not American or the fact that it’s “women’s golf.”
To me, none of these answers is acceptable. Who cares if Ko isn’t American?! Rory McIlroy isn’t American, and when he wins we put him on the cover of our sports magazines and compare his stats to those of Tiger and Jack. When Jason Day won at Whistling Straits, we anointed him one of the new Big Three and discussed whether he might sneak off with Player of the Year honors ahead of Spieth, especially if he closes things out well in the playoffs.
To me, not being an American shouldn’t be an issue in 2015. We love athletes who can do amazing things. Usain Bolt catches our attention. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic capture the national media in a U.S. Open final, and Ko is winning major championships at age 18.
She’s already the greatest teenage golfer, male or female, in the history of golf.
And now she’s winning the biggest of the big with final rounds that match what Johnny Miller did at Oakmont back in 1973.
We as golf fans, and sports fans, need to do better on this front. Ko is making history. It’s our responsibility to start paying attention.
Which Young Golfer Will Win More Majors – Lydia Ko or Spieth?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
PGA Tour Player Jordan Spieth is surely on track to win many more majors, following his incredible Masters and US Open wins in 2015 at 21 years of age
LPGA Tour Player Lydia Ko is the youngest major champion in women’s golf history at 18 years of age and is also the youngest ever number 1 player in the world.
With those facts in mind, I found this conversation between ESPN.com staff to be of great interest.
Golf Analyst Michael Collins and writer Jason Sobel go with Jordan Spieth. One reason they cite is that Spieth will have a much longer career. Ko recently said that she plans to retire at 30, limiting her chances to win majors.
ESPN writer Bob Harig and anchorman Jonathan Coachman declare that Lydia Ko will win more majors than Spieth for 2 very compelling reasons.
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko poses with her trophy after winning the Evian Championship on September 13, 2015, in the French Alps town of Evian-Les-Bains. AFP PHOTO / JEAN PIERRE CLATOT (Photo credit should read JEAN-PIERRE CLATOT/AFP/Getty Images)
Lydia Ko’s victory at the Evian Championship made the 18-year-old the youngest major champion in women’s golf history. Not a bad way to cap off a year in which she also demolished the mark as the youngest golfer to reach No. 1 in the world, male or female.
So why isn’t she getting more accolades for her accomplishments?
And what about Phil Mickelson, at 30th on the Presidents Cup points list, getting the nod as one of Jay Haas‘ captain’s picks?
Our scribes weigh in on those topics and more in this week’s edition of Monday Four-Ball.
1. Why isn’t Lydia Ko’s amazing ascendancy receiving more attention?
SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman:
Lydia Ko is simply a low-key person who is an amazing champion. The reason she is not getting more attention is because of how she goes about her business. She is not an intense, win-at-all-costs competitor. But I think that she has something inside of her that allows her to play well every single week. But she is not a me-me-me person. And if you don’t draw attention to yourself, you normally don’t get it.
ESPN.com senior golf analyst Michael Collins:
A few reasons. This so-called major was contrived just two years ago and didn’t come about over the test of time like other majors. It was played in France with a very small American audience. Most importantly, this win happened on the opening weekend of the NFL and second weekend of college football.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig:
Why hasn’t Jordan Spieth gotten more attention? It’s golf, a niche sport that at times has trouble gaining traction. Obviously Spieth’s Grand Slam run got its share of notice this summer, but women’s golf has it even harder than the men’s game. Some of the tournaments are not on live TV. Many are played internationally. It’s simply a sad reality that remains difficult to overcome.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel:
There’s one reason — and it’s a simple one: We’ve become desensitized to dominance in women’s golf, even if it didn’t come at such a young age for Ko’s predecessors. From Annika Sorenstam to Lorena Ochoa to Yani Tseng to Inbee Park, the past two decades of LPGA golf have often offered us a single top player who’s clearly better than the competition. It’s not Ko’s fault she doesn’t get more attention. She deserves it. But the only reason she doesn’t is because we too often feel like this is the fourth sequel to a story we’ve already read.
To read what the top sports writes say about the subject of which young golfer will win more majors — Ko or Spieth?
