IceCat on the prowl at Papago

[IceCat]

Whew! As I sit here now munching on delivery pizza and Coke Zero I have a chance to digest my first day in Phoenix. Even with all the preparations there were a couple of minor snags, but it was a worthwhile day.
Before I left home this morning at 4am EDT I had printed out the 2nd round pairings and overnight leaderboard to peruse during my travels. SeatGuru.com was somewhat helpful in determining which seat on Southwest's 737s to try to snag with my "A" boarding pass. 12F is in the wing exit row with no 11F in front so there's lots of legroom, but you're still wedged in against the side wall of the plane. Not so bad from MHT-PHL when there were only 40 or so of us on board and no one was sitting next to me, but not surprisingly PHL-PHX was packed, so my attempt at getting some much needed ZZZs instead got me a sore back and a stiff neck. What was more insufferable, though was the fact that even though we touched down early we spent more than 20 minutes on the tarmac waiting for our assigned gate to clear, so I was in fact 20 minutes late getting off the plane. I got the hotel shuttle driver to drop me off at the light rail station and bring my bags ahead of me to the front desk so that I could make my way to the shuttle lot, although from the light rail station I would have been better off taking the #3 bus instead as it lets off right by where the shuttle drops people off.
It was about 2:40pm MST when I finally walked through the gate, which brings you to the 4th tee and the opposite end of the grounds from the opening and closing holes and the temporary facilities they've set up for the event. I crossed the 4th fairway and started walking back up 3 looking for the first group I could find to at least get my bearings, and by dumb luck that first group I found in the 3rd fairway was one of the ones I was studying on the plane: Ji Yai Shin (then at -4), Angela Park (-4) and Eun Hee Ji (-3). They were on their back nine having already made the reverse turn so I decided to see them play out.
Angela put her approach from the right rough on the par 4 3rd 6 feet left of the pin which she then converted for birdie. Both Shin and Ji were 12 feet behind the pin from where they each made par.
On the par 4 4th Angela just missed her birdie try from 7 feet below the pin, but Ji Yai and Eun Hee made theirs from within 4 feet.
Ji was the only one to find the green with her approach on the par 4 5th and was rewarded with her second straight bird from 4 feet away. Angela and Ji Yai both saw their approaches chase past the green, but while Shin converted for par after chipping to 4 feet Angela 2 putted from 2.5 feet after her recovery and dropped a shot.
On the par 5 6th Eun Hee was the only one to find the fairway with her drive and was closest to the pin with her 3rd, allowing her to convert from 2 feet for another birdie. Angela saw her third from below the front of the green clang off the lower half of the flagstick and skitter 12 feet past the hole from where she two-putted for par. This is the first time I have ever seen Ji Yai Shin in person, BTW, but I would have to think it would be uncharacteristic of her to 3-putt from 4 feet for bogey.
If you thought Ji Yai would feel a little down from that, well Angela would be downright nauseated (with apologies to Paula Creamer and Michelle Ellis, who WD because they were ACTUALLY nauseous) from her spell at the par 4 7th. Even though she was closest to the front hole location at 25 feet she made 4 putts, 3 of them from with 2 feet, and left with a double-bogey 6. Ji Yai and Eun Hee were on the back collar but both got it up and down to save par.
As I was walking ahead to the green at the par 3 8th I came across the group ahead of them on the green, consisting of Beth Bader, Irene Cho and a blank spot where Jin Young Pak's name was; I would later learn that she had DQed after signing an incorrect scorecard from yesterday. After this group cleared the green Angela got a shot back when she converted from 2 feet. Neither of her partners managed to get to the front of the green, but while Shin was able to cozy a putt to within a foot Ji had to chip from her spot 8 feet below the front and then 2 putted from 4 feet for bogey.
On to their closing hole of the day, the par 4 9th. Angela was closest with her approach but saw her birdie try lip out. Shin was 2 feet below the green but got up and down for her par, while Ji 2 putted for par from 18 feet below the pin.
And so at about 4:30 MST when they finished up Eun Hee Ji was at -5 after a 2nd round 70, Ji Yai Shin carded a 71 to stand at -4 while Angela Park also made 71 to finish at -3. After that I made my way over to the adjacent 18th green where I found cougar2 and saw In Kyung Kim and Karrie Webb's groups play out before I left for the day around 5pm to make my way to the hotel via a somewhat circuitous route based on an incorrect assumption of the bus routes. It was pleasant and just slightly breezy today but it will be a little warmer this weekend. I have time to rest up as the contending groups don't tee off until around midday, after which I'll be going into town to watch some minor league hockey.

Kevin
_________________
Citizen of Red Sox Nation
Loyal member of Team PJE
Unofficial East Coast writer for SeoulSisters.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WImLU31G2o8

[Verdant Garden]

Thanks for the report, IceCat. Look forward to more.
_________________
It is golf. Gotta problem with that?

[Go-Kimmie-Go]

Thanks for the update Kevin

[The Constructivist]

linked to it at MH!

[IceCat]

Saturday

A long day for me as I had to make my way into the city right after the last putt from Karrie Webb for the Phoenix RoadRunners hockey game, a fight-marred affair that they lost in the third period to the Alaska Aces 3-1. I took a ciruitous route through the city to get to the course this morning because the weekend bus connections aren't as frequent, but I did arrive through the gate at 11:15am. As I was making my way across to the 1st tee I caught glimpses of Se Ri, Lorena and Ms Wie. Armed with a free bottle of water and some walnuts from the fan village I set out on this pleasantly warm day with the 11:56am pairing of Ai Miyazato and Angela Park, both starting their day at -3.
It was a pretty ho-hum front nine from this duo, what with only three scoring changes, all from Ms Park. She opened with a birdie on the par 5 1st despite not finding the fairway with her drive or layup, because her approach from the left rough settled 2 feet above the pin. Ai two-putted from 7 feet for par. On the par 3 2nd Miyazato chased her tee ball up onto a short slope behind the green but saw it roll back on to 3 feet; nevertheless she two-putted from there for a 3. Park two-putted for par from 6 feet.
On #3 Angela landed her approach in the right bunker and blasted out to 5 feet from the pin, yet couldn't save her par and gave back the shot she won on the 1st. Ai two-putted from 4 feet for yet another par. Ai and Angela two-putted for par on #4 from 6 and 4 feet respectively, as well as on #5 from 3 and 5.
On the front side's other par 5, #6, Ai found the left bunker with her drive while Angela was in the right rough, dashing any realistic thoughts of reaching the green in 2. From 10 feet below the green Miyazato landed her 3rd shot 3 feet below the pin, yet again she two-putted for par. Park was a little more unlucky when after landing her 3rd from the right rough to 15 feet behind the pin saw her birdie try skip over the cup.
Miyazato didn't quite make it to the front of the green with her approach on #7, but got up and down from 2 feet below the green for - you guessed it - another par. Park was 12-15 feet below the pin from where she two-putted for par. She did drain a birdie from 15 feet below the pin on the par 3 8th, which Ai could only par (yawn) after her tee ball landed on the front of the green some 30 feet below the back right pin.
A little more drama from the Miyazato as her drive on the 9th hit a tree on the right and ricocheted farther away from the short grass onto dirt similar to what still coats my footwear even now. She made a dramatic recovery from that by landing 30 feet below the pin, nearly hitting a patron sitting greenside in the process, for another two-putt par to close out her front nine at even par 36 to remain at -3. Park landed her approach on the back collar and lagged down to 6 inches to close with par and a 35 to turn one stroke better than where she started the day. As I was glancing at the leaderboard along 9 I decided to back up one group from this pair who were effectively standing still and pick up Ji Yai Shin and Sophie Gustafson playing the back nine, which I have yet to see this week. A quick return trip along the way to the spectator village for more walnuts, but sadly no water, and then I took up station along the 10th fairway to await Ji Yai and Sophie's drives on this par 5.
Ji Yai didn't quite have the distance to reach in two, but with the pin on the front left she putted from just off the green and 10 feet below the cup, missing just left and 2 feet past from where she saved par. Sophie was also just below the green with her approach from the left rough. She also took out the flat stick and two-putted from 15 feet for par.
Ms Shin ran into some bad luck on #11 when she hit an overhanging tree limb left of the fairway and landed in the rough. She clipped a limb of that same tree with her 2nd, which subsequently landed 20 feet shy of the green. Ji Yai chipped to 2 feet past the pin but missed her par save just to the left. Ms Gustafson had much better luck, landing her approach 3 feet behind the pin and converting for birdie.
While waiting for them to play onto the 12th green I briefly introduced myself to Ty Votaw, the ex-commissioner now working for the PGA Tour who was on this day walking alongside wife Sophie. He probably didn't like what he would see here as Mrs Votaw landed her approach in the right bunker, blasted out to 6 feet and two-putted for bogey. Ji Yai, meanwhile, got back the shot she lost on 11 by draining a 12 footer.
Both were just short of the green hitting into the breeze on the par 3 13th. Ji Yai chipped from 6 feet off to within a foot of the pin to save par. Sophie was half as far off the green but her chip landed slightly farther away (3 feet) from where she two-putted for bogey. She would drop another shot on 14 when she found the right bunker, blasted to 8 feet past the pin and two-putted. Shin came up just short on her 10 foot birdie attempt.
Both scrambled for par on 15 from the right rough. Ji Yai landed her approach 45 feet below the pin and putted over a ridge to two feet. Sophie didn't reach the green with her 2nd, but from 4 feet off the left front edge chipped to 3 feet from the hole. When I came up to 16 I noticed on the leaderboard that with the fluctuations of the other players Shin was now tied for the lead, a lead she would assume by herself when landed her approach 7 feet behind the pin and converted for birdie! Sophie, on the other hand, went well left with her tee ball, landed her approach on the front of the green 20 feet below the pin and ran her birdie putt 2.5 feet past from where she saved par. Both two-putted for par on the par 3 17th from within 12 feet.
Both landed just to the left of the green with their second shots into the par 5 closing hole, but while Ji Yai popped her 3rd out to within inches for a kick in birdie Sophie chipped her third to 3 feet. She took 3 putts, including a lip out, to find the cup from there for a 6 and a forgettable round of 75 to drop to level par. Ji Yai Shin, on the other hand, fashioned the best round of the week so far, a 66, to storm into the lead at -10. I took the opportunity to get an autographed ball and pairing sheet from Ji Yai while congratulating her on a fine day and then saw the last few groups finish out before heading into town for some hockey. Definitely looking forward to Sunday!

Kevin
_________________
Citizen of Red Sox Nation
Loyal member of Team PJE
Unofficial East Coast writer for SeoulSisters.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WImLU31G2o8

[IceCat]

Sunday

I did see the winner emerge from the final group today, just not the one I was hoping for is all. Still an impressive performance by Hall of Fame member Karrie Webb today.

I walked through the gate at 10:20am on another pleasant day, although the sun played peek-a-boo with the clouds for a time and the breeze did pick up a little. Before setting out to chronicle the final group of the day I said hello to Mr Votaw again as well as TJ, Se Ri and the two Daves (Brooker and Poitevent). During my time beside the practice green I saw Ji Yai working through her putting routine while wearing an i-pod, alone in her own little world on the verge of another championship Sunday. I also saw some of the later groups hit away before taking up my position by the landing area of #1 for the main event.
The opening par 5 saw Karrie hit her 2nd into the left fairway bunker below the green, blast out to 18 feet and just miss her birdie try to the right and walk away with par. Ji Yai's journey to the green was less adventurous but with a similar result, missing her birdie try from 12 feet. No change in the score after the par 3 2nd either as Ji Yai and Karrie landed 9 and 6 feet respectively behind the flag and had tricky lag putts coming back which came up just short.
At this point I knew that In Kyung Kim had birdied #1 as well to tie Shin for the lead at this juncture, but it would become a 3-way tie on #3 as Karrie hit her approach from the right rough to within a foot of the cup for a kick in birdie. Ji Yai saw her 2nd shot roll just off the edge of the green 8 feet behind the pin, from where she took out the flat stick and missed just left and 2 feet past to settle for par. Karrie dropped out of a share of the lead on #4 thanks to a wayward drive that settled beneath a tree to the right of the fairway, from where she had to hit a low chaser that buzzed the front of the fairway and settled into the left front greenside bunker. Although she blasted from there to 10 feet she just missed her par save. While all this was going on Shin landed her approach to 8 feet behind the pin and two-putted for par.
Ji Yai hadn't gotten it going yet to this point, and it would be these next two holes that would turn the momentum against her even though she hadn't yet dropped a shot either. Her approach on 5 settled 2 feet left of the green and 20 feet left and behind the pin, from where her third shot with the putter missed by two feet. Webb's approach was more accurate, allowing her to convert for birdie from 6 feet. The real dramatic moment came next on the par 5 6th, during which Inky took the lead by herself at -11. With a helping breeze both attempted to reach in two, but Shin came up 15 feet shy of the putting surface. Her chip from there clipped the edge of the green and came up 18 feet below the hole, from where she two-putted for par. Karrie drained her bid for eagle from 12 feet below the pin and just like that was your new leader at -12.
Shin would finally pick up a stroke on 7 by draining a long distance birdie from 25-30 feet below the pin. Webb, who fell into a tie for the lead and then one back after Inky birdied 7 and 8, chased her approach off the back of the green into the 2nd cut, although she was able to get up and down for par.
Shin put her tee ball on the par 3 8th into the back left bunker, although she did blast to two feet and save par. Webb was on the back right of the green about 45 feet from the left side pin location, from where she cozied a putt to 5 feet and then saved par as well. At #9 Ji Yai two-putted for par from 4 feet while Karrie took two strokes of the putter to cover about 12 feet for her par. At the turn Shin had a 35 which left her at -11 while Webb carded a 33 and -12 overall, which at this junction left her 1 shot behind In Kyung Kim.
I had to wait for quite a while at the 2nd fairway crossover on the par 5 10th in front of the tee shots of the final group as there was a delay up on the green, which was blocked from my view by trees and elevation, but I did see a rules official come down away from the green so something dramatic must have taken place. I do not know if it was Kim, but it was here that she made double bogey to hand the lead back to Karrie, who once the green finally cleared landed her 2nd shot 3 feet below the green from where she got up and down for birdie. Ji Yai found the left greenside bunker with her 2nd and after blasting out to 4 feet drained her birdie try to remain a stroke behind the Hall of Famer.
Webb lengthened that lead to two when she drained a five footer for birdie on #11 while Shin two-putted from 6 feet for par. At #12 Ji Yai 2 putted for par from 6-8 feet below the pin, but at least she got a GIR: Karrie had to chip from 2 feet in front of the putting surface with her 2nd to leave a kick in par. Ji Yai and Karrie two-putted for pars on the par 3 13th (from 18 and 6 feet respectively) as well as #14 (5 and 8 here).
It was quickly becoming apparent that something dramatic would have to happen over the remaining 4 holes for Shin to have a chance. The best chance of that happening was on #15 when Karrie's drive found the left fairway bunker, her second landed in the left rough well below the green and her third skipped off the back of the putting surface into the 2nd cut. Ji Yai was in the right rough off the tee and the right greenside bunker with her second, but she blasted out to 6 feet for a reasonable par save, which sadly she missed just to the left. Karrie chipped back onto the green and made a 3 foot bogey save which may have given Inky a glimmer of hope (as she and Shin were now tied for 2nd) had she known what to do with it.
Both players found the right rough with their tee balls at 16 and both two-putted for par; Shin from 6 feet and Webb from 18. Both also made par 3 on 17: Ji Yai missing her birdie bid from 15-18 feet and Karrie stopping on the edge of the cup from 12 feet behind on hers. On the closing par 5 18th Shin found the left rough with her drive and the right greenside bunker with her 2nd as she was hoping against hope for a dramatic swing. She did make birdie from 4 feet after blasting out of the bunker but the last putt(s) belonged to Karrie Webb, who landed her 2nd 6 feet below the pin. She needed 2 strokes to jar it but that was still good for a birdie and a two-shot victory over Ji Yai Shin at -14, her first on Tour since the 2006 Mizuno Classic in Japan.
My feet were truly hurting at this point as after Dave (cougar2) and I witnessed the presentation I made the long trek back to the hotel. I wish to publicly thank him for his assistance this week and hope to see him (and many of you, faithful readers) in Maryland this June. Hopefully I'll see Grace there as well, but even with Ji Yai not winning it was still a worthwhile week.

Kevin
_________________
Citizen of Red Sox Nation
Loyal member of Team PJE
Unofficial East Coast writer for SeoulSisters.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WImLU31G2o8

[greentee]

.
Thanks to both Icecat, (and Cougar on myLPGA), you cats really know how to prowl.

I didn't need TV to see the event, you where my eyes and brought the fairways and greens closer then any camera could. Again thanks for your time, that you gave to us, appreciated.
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(I am not a tree, I am a tee, hit me... ah... wait a minute...)

[The Constructivist]

I'm sure he'd be excited if you did a guest post at HDLPGA--if not, there's always Mostly Harmless!

[JJ fan]

Thank you for your great reports Kevin.

Hope to see you again at Bulle Rock this year.
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You'll only lip a blue fish once