golfrewind.com

Michelle Wie's ball-striking stats in 2006:

• Fields Open in Hawaii - 5th in driving, 1st in GIR
• Kraft Nabisco - 2nd in distance, 1st in GIR
• US Women's Open - 1st driving, T18 GIR
• McDonald's LPGA Championship - 6th distance, 1st GIR
• 2006 Evian Masters - no stats available at GOLFONLINE yet

Seems pretty long and straight to me.

Rodney, I was joking on the reasoning, but not where I think everyone will finish. I am still picking Inkster. She has played well this year, and has played long enough to have seen it all.

Here's what stlcard said:

If you go back to post 28, I showed that she is indeed the longest hitter, and yes I did that with stats.
Here are the actual figures for the US Womens Open, which was a true measure of carry distance with wet fairways:
1 WIE, Michelle 269 253 286 219 294 255 281 262 264.9
2 SJODIN, Karin 272 257 273 236 270 262 259 235 258.0
3 GUSTAFSON, Sophie 262 242 232 235 278 248 298 243 254.8
3 OCHOA, Lorena 260 239 250 245 269 253 265 257 254.8
5 LINCICOME, Brittany 257 248 261 250 262 236 263 257 254.3

That shows the 8 drives that were recorded, as well as the average. Even with a 219 yard drive, which was obviously a mishit, Wie still managed to be the longest driver out there.


As regards irons, what stats could prove that? I could show that she was very high in GIR but to alot of those greens she was hitting in wedges anyway. I don't believe there are any stats that could show it, if you know of any, please tell.

What would you classify as short game?
She's putted quite well in recent tournaments, she was 3rd in putting at the US Open, for the Evian she had less putts than all the top 10 apart from Mi Hyun Kim. I think Wie is good at getting up and down from around the green, again what stats could prove that though?

Well, maybe because she IS the longest of all of the good players on the LPGA and, I disagree that she doesn't have a strong iron game, it's probably the best on the LPGA as well (except maybe her wedges). Just my opinion, but one backed up by quite a few golf analysts and observers.

Here's the latest Rolex World Rakings. Wie is gaining on Annika, it's getting fairly close. Wie is a well ahead of Webb who's in 3rd place. Webb didn't have the best year in 2005 otherwise she would probably rank higher than Wie based on this year's performance.

http://146.145.120.3/default.asp?c=t...-golf-rank.htm

Here's an interesting article about Wie. On the Evian thread I mentioned the role that luck plays in winning a tourney. Here's a quote from the article:

<<< "It just depends how lucky you are that week and how good you're playing." >>>

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.a...4&select=20266

Very interesting votes so far.

Sorrenstam 15, and Wie 12 getting the majority of the votes.
A bit surprised that Webb has only got 3 votes.

Of the Korean's, one voter chose Mi Hyun Kim. Nobody chose Se Ri Pak.
Maybe most surprisingly, nobody selected the option, any other Korean.

In a poll with 38 votes, only 1 has been registered predicting a Korean win. That's by Inconsistent, who backed Mi Hyun Kim.
Haven't the Koreans won about half the lpga tournaments this season so far.

Voted for Michelle...Not sure if I'm voting for who I think will win or who I hope will win, but there it is anyway. I really think she's close. If she gets a hot hand with the putter, I think she'll be unbeatable.

Wie has one of the earliest tee times tomorrow and wouldn't you know, the wind is supposed to be significant in the morning, but lower in the afternoon when Annika and others are playing. And, to boot, when Wie has a later time the next day, the wind is not supposed to be as much of a factor. There's her first bad break. But, I bet she's still right in the middle of the action by the time the 2nd round is complete.

8 of 35 majors since the start of 1998, 5 of them by Pak. Grace Park, Birdie Kim (the LPGA version of Jack Fleck?) and JJ at last year's Weetabix were the other 3.

Are we making excuses ALREADY?

Somebody has to. Sergio isn't playing this week.


Just teasing Dave.

Very interesting scores at the British Open.

- Michelle opened with a +2, 74. She started off with bogey, bogey, bogey.
- Morgan Pressel started off bogey, bogey, bogey also, and shot 75.
- Karrie Webb shot 76, which included a triple bogey.
- Laura Davies, level par 72.
- Leaders in the clubhouse at -2.
- Some players on course at -3, but those are early in their rounds.
- In my opinion none of the contenders are under par, but that's with Annika and Lorena just starting their rounds.

Alot depends on the afternoon rounds, but I doubt anyone will get much better than -2. Therefore even Webb could have a great 2nd round and get back in it.

Annika's -2 after 5.

Defending champion, Jeong Jang shot +6 in the first round.
Sophie Gustafson, who was 2nd in the 2005 British Open shot +4.
Not good first rounds for the 2005 contenders.

- Natalie Guilbis went around in even par.
- Paula Creamer -1 after 6 holes.
- Christie Kerr -1 after the 1st round. True to her form, she got a triple bogey, 3 bogeys, 5 birdies and an eagle. Interesting.
- Ai Miyazato also had a -1 round.
- Annika Sorenstam -3 after 7. If she continues like that, it may not be a very interesting tournament.
- Juli Inkster -5 after 8. Wow. Actually it might be an interesting tournament.