Sunday 6 August 2017
Kim pulls away in bid for first Major title
Contributors Matt Hooper (on site at Kingsbarns)
Photo Credits Matt Hooper/St Andrews Magazine
Design and production Matt Hooper
Publisher Matt Hooper
Director Matt Hooper
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KOREAN KIM ON THE PRECIPICE OF MAJOR GLORY AFTER SATURDAY 66 EXTENDS LEAD TO 6 Kingsbarns, Scotland: It doesn’t seem to matter how hard the rain comes down, In Kyung Kim is floating serenely towards a maiden Major title at a rather soggy Kingsbarns Golf Links. The course has, unfortunately, played rather more like a parkland track than a fearsome links due to the volume of water which has fallen from the skies since Monday evening. Nevertheless, what Kim is doing is quite extraordinary, she is already just 2 away from the record in relation to par in the history of women’s major golf, and she has only played 54 holes. A round of 68 will give her the record, male or female, since the first Open played in 1860. On Saturday, she played arguably her best golf of the week, going bogey-free in perhaps the hardest conditions. The wind changed direction from previous days and at certain points was switching directions, making clubbing exceedingly difficult, but she continued to demonstrate incredible accuracy and control. She hit 17 out of 18 greens and 13 out of 14 fairways, whilst only driving the ball an average of 262 yards off the tee, it was a masterful display of precision over power. Birdies at the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 11th and 12th gave her a cushion so even should she have stumbled coming back into the teeth of the rain and wind, then she would still have had the lead. However, she continued to plot her way from tee to green and made pars at each of the last six holes, whilst her playing partner, Georgia Hall was leaking oil as fast as a tanker which had run aground. Despite playing arguably the best golf of her life on the biggest stage of all, Kim is keeping remarkably calm and focused on the task in hand, as she attempts to banish the memories of her 14-inch miss at the 2012 ANA Inspiration, which cost her the title. “I can’t really control other people, I just have to control my game. So it really doesn’t matter how many shots ahead I am” she said. The winner of two titles on the LPGA Tour in 2017 is relaxed but focused on her game for Sunday, “I
know the expectation, and I will make bogeys, yeah, and things like that. But I feel like I think I should give myself a little bit of credit for it and enjoy tonight and then whatever happens tomorrow, I’ll take it tomorrow.”
USA’s Lexi Thompson saw her hopes of a maiden Women’s British Open title fade with a third round of 74 to fall 10 shots back
FORMER CHAMPION PARK SERVES NOTICE TO THE LEADERS WITH A 64 Kingsbarns, Scotland:
They do say form is temporary and class is permanent, and Inbee Park emphasised that on Saturday with a quite magnificent round of 64 to put herself into the leading groups, and in the rearview mirror of the runaway leader In Kyung Kim. Starting the day just one shot inside the cut mark and 10 behind the lead, Park knew a low round would be needed if she was to stand any chance of repeating her triumph of 2 years ago Trump Turnberry. She got off to the hot start she desired, with birdies at the first and second holes, and she proceeded to go bogey free for the rest of the round. The sun was shining on Saturday morning and so was Inbee’s game, with further birdies at the 5th, 8th and 9th to go out in 31, and she kept up her torrid pace on the back nine, birdieing the 11th, 13th and 17th to reach 10-under-par for the championship and lurk menacingly on the leaderboard before the leading pair began their third rounds. Park was happy with her efforts: “I’m very happy with the round today. I barely made
the cut yesterday and today, this morning, it was perfect conditions for scoring. There wasn’t much wind, it was warmer and the greens were quicker than the first two days” said the 7-time major winner. After Kim’s 66 it is likely going to be too much of a gap for Park to bridge on the final day, but if she could get off to a hot start like Saturday then it could be a very interesting afternoon.
ROLLERCOASTER ROUND SEES HALL RUE LATE ERRORS AS SHE FALLS 6 BACK; REID, EWART-SHADOFF AND HULL IN CONTENTION FOR MINOR PLACES AFTER SATURDAY Kingsbarns, Scotland:
As third rounds go Georgia Hall’s had pretty much everything, an awesome display of power at the fifth where she drove the green and holed the putt for eagle; a string of brilliant birdies on the back nine to keep Kim within sight, and then the ugly bogey-double bogey at 16 and 17, including a four-putt on the penultimate hole. Hall had fallen six adrift of Kim by the end of the third round, despite shooting a round of 70, she felt it could have been better. “I played a lot of good golf, I hit the ball really well. I made a silly mistake on 17, but apart from that hole I actually played solid. So, I’m happy; disappointed with my finish, but that’s golf” said the prodigious young Englishwoman.
There is no denying the talent Hall possesses and there is little doubt she will win on the biggest stage, but when you are trying to catch someone who makes so few mistakes, you cannot afford to make mistakes yourself, and Hall may have made one too many on Saturday. The English challenge stalled somewhat on Saturday, with Mel Reid (-8), Jodi Ewart-Shadoff (-8) and Charley Hull (-6) all shooting under par for their third rounds, but still adrift of being in contention.
WATSON HAS THE CHANCE TO BOW OUT IN STYLE WITH FINAL PROFESSIONAL ROUND ON SUNDAY Kingsbarns, Scotland:
Elie’s Sally Watson will call time on her professional golf career on Sunday with her final round at Kingsbarns, the 25-year-old is set to start a MBA at the University of Chicago after deciding to take a different direction. After qualifying at the Castle Course on Monday she became the only Scot to make the cut on Friday and began the day at 3-under-par. She parred the first but was unfortunate at the second hole when her approach clattered against the pin and rebounded into the greenside bunker, costing her a bogey. A three-putt bogey ensued at the fourth, and despite making birdie at the short par four fifth, she would go on to drop further shots at the 7 th and 17th to post a round of 75. Following her round Sally spoke with me about her round, qualifying and the future: You must have been proud to be the only Scot to make it to the final 36?
Yeah, it would have been nice if there was more of us, but in general I think Scottish women’s golf is in good health. Hopefully in the years to come there will be more and more of us. Were you nervous coming into today?
Not really, I just wanted to have fun, I only hit a few bad shots which was unfortunate. What’s the goal for the final day?
Just to have fun and play my own game.
2017 RICOH WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN – LEADERBOARD Third Round 1
In-Kyung Kim
KOR
-17
65
68
66
199
2
Moriya Jutanugarn
THA
-11
70
68
67
205
Georgia Hall
ENG
-11
68
67
70
205
Inbee Park
KOR
-10
72
70
64
206
Ally McDonald
USA
-10
68
68
70
206
6
Stacy Lewis
USA
-9
70
72
65
207
7
Mi Hyang Lee
KOR
-8
70
71
67
208
Jaye Marie Green
USA
-8
68
73
67
208
Caroline Masson
GER
-8
69
72
67
208
Melissa Reid
ENG
-8
67
72
69
208
Angel Yin
USA
-8
72
67
69
208
Jodi Ewart Shadoff
ENG
-8
67
70
71
208
4
THE WEATHER
Partly sunny and cool with rain possible by the evening