The final group at the Women’s PGA Championship Sunday, raced around Congressional in — are you ready? FIVE HOURS AND 45 MINUTES!!
Talk about beyond painfully slow.
Makes you wonder why officials even bothered to put that group that included eventual winner In Gee Chun and two-foot-putt-missing Lexi Thompson.
To make matters even worse, after Lexi imploded over the final holes once again, she was fined $2,000 for slow play — not that Lexi gives a rat’s behind about a 2k fine — drop in the proverbial Lexi cash bucket.
For the record, Chun banked the winner’s check of $1,350,000 while Lexi tied for second and won $718,827. She won’t even notice the 2k fine.
But she will have to deal with the scar tissue of a brutally poor short game under pressure.
So whoever decided to fine Lexi, well, they’re not even welcome in our Dog House. You see, our dogs are the masters of relaxation — they don’t do anything quickly except perk up when the treats are there.
7 Comments
baxter cepeda
What’s wrong with a $2000 fine?
5:45 is ridiculous.
You can literally play 36 in that time.
Good thing they didn’t give her penalty strokes. I still see a woman professionally depressed from those penalty she took at the ANA. Almost like she has let that day derail her in so many ways to this day.
I remember watching her in person after that controversy and saying she looked unhappy. People said not Lexi. Of course we later learned she has gone through a lot of issues with happiness, identity, etc.
Still it’s not golf officials job to not do their job because it may affect players psychology.
Playing slow, especially those final groups, is just as bad for golf as placing your ball closer then it was.
This fine is a good compromise
Punishment. It Doesn’t affect the tournament results and it doesn’t over charge the players …but something has to give for making the sport look bad with slow play.
I remember when Chun came out of the gates hot on the lpga tour. And then seemed to go into her own dark side —during that short hair period. But the old Ingee seems to be back.
Lexi is still always in contention —a testament to her talent— but imho still needs to find some more joy in order to get into the winners circle in the biggest events again. Happiness issues can be tougher to correct than putting or any other technical aspect of the game.
I believe playing faster shows a certain joy as a players plays. As players slow down, it’s clear they are working instead of playing. Golf is a sport that is meant to be played. The offices are doing players a favor by charging them for working to hard instead of enjoying the game.
Tom Edrington
If I were in Lexi’s inner circle, first thing I’d have her do is spend three days with Brad Faxon……he really helped Rory a BUNCH and Brad is in Lexi’s neck-of-the-woods. Second, I’d have her spend an entire week with Dave Pelz, she is unable to hit simply pitch shots around the green — that’s not rocket science, there’s something going on in her head, that pitch attempt at 16 when she was pin-high on the par five in two, was one of the ugliest moves at a golf ball I’ve ever seen from a professional, I screamed out loud when I saw it live……I sure hope the people around Lexi are not simply telling her what she wants to hear…..too much talent to be that inept in a part of the game that doesn’t require a huge amount of athletic talent…..and Lexi, go see Brad Faxon, asap……those are my thoughts, as to the slow play, they didn’t wait until the final three or four holes to put them on the clock??? Seriously?
baxter cepeda
The curse of being ultra powerful and talented is a lack of short game. It goes back to childhood. Lexi reaching holes other girls simply couldn’t. While they were developing short games to earn pars and birdies she was 2 putting for birdies. That seems to catch up, especially in the women’s game.
Tom Edrington
I can’t count the times someone tells me: “You won’t believe how far this kid hits the ball…..” and my immediate response to those: “Tell me they make everything inside 10 feet and I’ll be impressed”
baxter cepeda
My question is usually “but can they chip!?”
There was one young lady who towered over everyone at this ajga event we are leaving now who was recorded at 295 on trackman in the practice round. And she can chip and putt. After hearing that number my girls chose not to partake in that distance challenge. But in the end the one of my girls that finished bested that girl (my older one sick as a dog after trying her hardest had to finally WD which is a bad word for us).
Tom Edrington
As I’ve aged, I find myself watching the ladies more closely as there are some that hit it the same distance I do. One of my best friends (he’s been one of our areas best for 30 years) and I totally related to Lizette Salas at the PGA last year….we hit it exactly the same distance she does and we were laughing that Nelly would be 30 past us. Glad to hear your girls are progressing; to do well in this game you have to love the game and I’m guessing they do!!
baxter cepeda
They do. There’s ups and downs. But we are seasoned enough to be used to all that. Even when the schedule gets hectic, last thing they want is to miss something.
Speaking of Lizette and distance We could use a bit of Josh’s feedback and inspiration with the older one of the girls. Lol. I know there’s more power in that engine that could be unlocked today.
Anyways I really have seen you come a long way in your appreciation of the women’s game. I admittedly began to appreciate it more because of the girls. But I’ve always thought women’s golf is one of the best sports views there is.