Before providing GolfWeek’s official recap link, here’s my very own “5 Things” from the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
1. I.K. Kim’s Choke Job on the 18th
Hey, it was a choke. What more can you say? A foot from the hole, a foot away from winning her first major championship. That doesn’t stop me from having some sympathy for her, however. Those of us who’ve played competitively for any length of time – we know how easily it can happen. She didn’t get a major, but I’ll give her major props for maintaining her composure afterward in her interview. She will not sleep well Sunday night, but hopefully she can put this behind her.
2. Yani’s Human Afterall…
As if Kim’s missed 1-footer doesn’t reinforce just how crazy this game can be much of the time. I tell ya – I’d already given Tseng her 6th major championship Saturday evening in my own mind. But she came out very tight on Sunday with the 3-over 39 totally negating her usual confidence, and she just couldn’t recover. A lot of people were shocked with her 1-over 73 in the final round, myself included. She won’t feel as bad as I.K. Kim, but she’s gotta be very disappointed with how she no-showed on Sunday. Very un-Yani like.
3. “This Wasn’t How the LPGA Wanted This to Finish.”
That was Tim Rosaforte’s take on the unseemly finish on Sunday, and I agree. There’s a huge difference between a player birdieing the final hole (or holes) to get into a playoff and come away the winner and what we witnessed on Sunday. It won’t matter to Sun Young Yoo, who did make a 15-footer for birdie to win in the ensuing playoff, but her accomplishment will forever be overshadowed by Kim’s botched 1-footer. That’s most unfortunate, but it’s the way these type wins always pan out in the end. Ask Paul Lawrie.
4. Good Hair Day for Gulbis?
That couldn’t have been the real Natalie Gulbis on Sunday, could it? Her 7-under 65 in the final round was only her 2nd round in the 60’s this season, and only her 8th since the State Farm Classic back in June. It was also her first top-10 since the Michelob Ultra back in May of 2009.
5. It’s Good to Have Judy Rankin back in the Booth.
For those who aren’t aware, Judy’s husband passed away last month after a lengthy illness and there were some doubts that she’d be coming back to work. THIS STORY will offer you a little background. I readily admit that I’m quite finicky when it comes to on-air golf personalities, but Judy certainly enjoys residence on my personal short list of those who I enjoy listening to. She just has a way of providing quality insight that seems lost in that vocation these days, and she delivered on Friday per usual. As Michelle Wie struggled terribly with her putting both Thursday and Friday, most particularly on Friday as she missed a couple of short ones that never scared the hole, Rankin made the following keen observation. “I don’t know why she doesn’t try taking off those sunglasses,” she said. “I’ve never cared for that. It’s a distraction. It can distort what you see and that impacts your feel with the putter.” Wie has struggled with her putting for quite some time now, but Rankin’s the only analyst who’s brought up that point. It’s good to have her back in the booth. She made the final round of today’s massacre at the Kraft Nabisco a little more tolerable.
And with that, the GolfWeek official recap of Sunday’s action at the Kraft Nabisco can be found HERE.
Congrats to Sun Young Yoo, the winner of the LPGA’s first major in 2012.
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