It’s the last major of the year, the U.S. Women’s Open. It has been an awful year but at least all but one of the women’s majors has survived, the Evian Championships being the one casualty. It will be a brave man or woman who will bet against the winner coming from South Korea.
Birthday girl, Ally McDonald grabbed her first LPGA Tour victory at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Reynolds Lake Oconee. The 28-year-old shot a final round three-under 69 to finish on sixteen-under-par and win by a single shot from world number five Danielle Kang. Mina Harigae of America and Spain's Carlota Ciganda shared the fourth spot after rounds of 67 and 69 respectively.
Saudi Arabia has today announced a world-first initiative that will offer free golf to women across the Kingdom. All players signed-up to the scheme will be designated as a Ladies First Member at either Riyadh Golf Club, Dirab Golf Club or King Abdullah Economic City’s (KAEC) Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, depending on their location.
Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player will receive the highest honour a civilian can receive from President Trump at a ceremony on 23rd March. Sorenstam learned of the honour last year after a game of golf where she and Senator Lindsey Graham took on Gary Player and President Trump.
For those of a certain age and most likely from this side of the pond will see parallels between the move by the proposed Premier Golf League and the World Series Cricket (WSC) competition of the late 1970s. Both ventures share two fundamental drivers, the chance for players to earn more money and access to broadcast rights for the organisers.
It’s Manic Monday, so here is a very quick round up of all the results and stories from the weekend on the, PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA and Women’s European Tour.
Stop Press: Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam is set to become the first female professional to compete in the PNC Father Son Challenge. We’ve just picked the Brigadier up off the floor spluttering something about it never happening at West Hill or something. Yes, it is called a father son event but this is 2019 and actually the fairer sex has competed before.
There has been much debate about parity for women golfers and there have been attempts to move in the right direction, for example the Jordan Mixed Open and the ISPS Handa World Invitational promoted by Niall Horran’s Modest media. With all respect to these other events, finally, there is a big one with some serious money attached.
World number ten Nelly Korda lived up to her favourite billing shooting a second round seven-under-par 64 to take a six-stroke lead into the weekend on 10-under-par at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France at Golf du Medoc, near Bordeaux.
You couldn’t write the script. It all came down to the last putt on the last green and standing over that putt was none other than, controversial captain’s pick, the superb Suzann Pettersen. With nerves of absolute steel Pettersen stroked the putt right into the centre of the cup and the crowd went wild. Your writer’s children wondered what was going on with their father shouting at the television – “Unbelieveable, totally unbelievable”.
It’s Manic Monday, so here is a very quick round up of all the results and stories from the weekend on the PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA and Women’s European Tour.
Local favourite Stephanie Meadow will take a four shot lead into the final round of the ISPS HANDA World Invitational. The 27-year-old from Jordanstown, Northern Ireland shot a six under par 67 to sit on ten under for the event, four clear of England’s Eleanor Givens. In the men’s event, Damien Perrier of France and Todd Clement of England lead the field by a single shot following another long day with rain delays at Galgorm Castle.
