Sybase Match Play Championship Preview & Pairings.

After a two week break, the LPGA tour resumes this week with the playing of the Sybase Match Play Championship. This is the only tournament of the year that is not decided by stroke play. This is a single elimination tournament, lose once and you are out. The only change this year is that the players are not picking from a hat to determine their opponents. The players will be seeded according to their Rolex Ranking at the start of the event. Here are some of the major details:

[url]http://mlyhlss.blogspot.com/2012/05/sybase-match-play-championship-preview.html[/url]

"oh yeah, I'll decide this by stroke play"... Carl Spackler, while operating a ball washer and watching Paula Creamer.

[QUOTE=tonyj5;271517]After a two week break, the LPGA tour resumes this week with the playing of the Sybase Match Play Championship. This is the only tournament of the year that is not decided by stroke play. This is a single elimination tournament, lose once and you are out. The only change this year is that the players are not picking from a hat to determine their opponents. [B]The players will be seeded[/B] according to their Rolex Ranking at the start of the event. Here are some of the major details:

[URL]http://mlyhlss.blogspot.com/2012/05/sybase-match-play-championship-preview.html[/URL][/QUOTE]

Check me if I'm wrong, but it was my understanding that many on the LPGA tour have no desire to be [I]seeded[/I].

Ob great, another who gives a fuk thread.

I've heard through the grapevine that Kevin Na has been given a special exemption to enter the Sybase Match Play tourney. He's considered a quick player by their standards and looks great in all white.

Watching Big Break should remind us just how good these LPGA broads are.

I'll watch the match play event if it's on TV.

[QUOTE=NiftyNiblick;271606]Watching Big Break should remind us just how good these LPGA broads are.

I'll watch the match play event if it's on TV.[/QUOTE]

Indeed. Watching those 15 handicaps on the Big Break makes those 5caps on the LPGA tour seem really good.

Here are the brackets for this week's Match Play:

[url]http://sybasematchplaychampionship.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Copy-of-2012-Sybase-Bracket.pdf[/url]

Here are the pairings, including tee times for round one.

[url]http://www.lpgascoring.com/public/Pairings.aspx?TournamentID=27863[/url]

Here are the first round results:

Round 1 Complete
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Anna Nordqvist (26) def. Beatriz Recari (39), 2 and 1

Jiyai Shin (7) def. Jennifer Song (58), 6 and 5

Natalie Gulbis (42) def. Mika Miyazato (23), 1 up

Amy Yang (10) def. Amy Hung (55), 3 and 2

Inbee Park (18) def. Hee-Won Han (47), 3 and 2

Morgan Pressel (15) def. Mindy Kim (50), 5 and 4

Jenny Shin (31) def. Jimin Kang (34), 4 and 2

Na Yeon Choi (2) def. Grace Park (63), 2 up

Jessica Korda (43) def. Hee Kyung Seo (22), 1 up

Sun Young Yoo (11) def. Amanda Blumenherst (54), 4 and 2

Sandra Gal (27) def. Pornanong Phatlum (38), 2 up

Stacy Lewis (6) def. Pat Hurst (59), 4 and 3

Azahara Munoz (19) def. Lindsey Wright (46), 4 and 3

Karrie Webb (14) def. Tiffany Joh (51), 4 and 3

Sophie Gustafson (30) def. Karen Stupples (35), 4 and 3

Jodi Ewart (62) def. Suzann Pettersen (3), 3 and 1

Haeji Kang (48) def. Caroline Hedwall (17), 3 and 2

Candie Kung (49) def. Catriona Matthew (16), 3 and 1

Katie Futcher (33) def. Chella Choi (32), 4 and 3

Yani Tseng (1) def. Jeong Jang (64), 1 up

Eun-Hee Ji (44) def. Maria Hjorth (21), 1 up

Angela Stanford (12) def. Wendy Ward (53), 2 and 1

Vicky Hurst (37) def. Meena Lee (28), 2 and 1

Cristie Kerr (5) def. Belen Mozo (60), 2 and 1

Karine Icher (40) def. Hee Young Park (25), 4 and 2

Jennifer Johnson (57) def. Paula Creamer (8) , 2 and 1

Julieta Granada (41) def. Brittany Lang (24), 2 and 1

Ryann O'Toole (56) def. Brittany Lincicome (9), 2 and 1

Mina Harigae (45) def. Michelle Wie (20), 3 and 2

So Yeon Ryu (13) def. Karin Sjodin (52), 2 and 1

Katherine Hull (36) def. Song-Hee Kim (29), 3 and 2

Mariajo Uribe (61) def. Ai Miyazato (4), 2 up

Michelle Wie gets booted after the first match. Man, remember all the hype about her ability when she was 16 and how she'd eventually play on the PGA Tour? I can't help but think all of the attention and playing in men's events really hurt her chances of dominating on the LPGA tour. If you think about it, missing any cut is a bad thing, regardless of what tour one is playing.

Sometimes I wonder if it's a good thing for the US Amateur champion and runner up to play at The Masters. With some exceptions, it seems like most of those guys miss the cut with a score that's not even close. Is that a learning experience or something that sticks with the player, conditioning them to think they're not good enough.

I don't think that there's anything physically wrong with Michelle Wie.

She's got to play out of her funk, and if she can, we may still see some good things from her.

I don't think that there's any question that her career was mis-managed, but whether the damage is permanent can't be known while she's still so young.

She's still big and strong, she's smart, and she still has time to turn things around. But even at 22 or whatever she is, she doesn't have forever.

Here are the second round results:

Jodi Ewart (62) def. Sophie Gustafson (30), 3 and 1

Azahara Munoz (19) de. Karrie Webb (14), 2 and 1

Stacy Lewis (6) def. Sandra Gal (27), 4 and 3

Sun Young Yoo (11) def. Jessica Korda (43), 2 up

Yani Tseng (1) def. Katie Futcher (33), 3 and 1

Candie Kung (49) def. Haeji Kang (48), 1 up

Karine Icher (40) def. Jennifer Johnson (57), 2 and 1

Julieta Granada (41) def. Ryann O'Toole (56), 6 and 5

Katherine Hull (36) def. Mariajo Uribe (61), 1 up

So Yeon Ryu (13) def. Mina Harigae (45), 3 and 2

Vicky Hurst (37) def Cristie Kerr (5), 19 holes

Angela Stanford (12) def. Eun-Hee Ji (44), 4 and 3

Na Yeon Choi (2) def. Jenny Shin (31), 3 and 2

Morgan Pressel (15) def. Inbee Park (18), 3 and 2

Anna Nordqvist (26) def Jiyai Shin (7), 2 and 1

Amy Yang (10) def. Natalie Gulbis (42), 5 and 4

Here are Saturday's results:

Round 4 Complete
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Morgan Pressel (15) def. Anna Nordqvist (26) 5 and 4

Vicky Hurst (37) def. So Yeon Ryu (13) 2 up

Candie Kung (49) def. Julieta Granada (41) 2 and 1

Azahara Munoz (19) def. Stacy Lewis (6) 5 and 4



Round 3 Complete
-------

Morgan Pressel (15) def. Na Yeon Choi (2), 19 holes

Anna Nordqvist (26) def. Amy Yang (10), 3 and 1

So Yeon Ryu (13) def. Katherine Hull (36), 5 and 4

Vicky Hurst (37) def. Angela Stanford (12), 2 and 1

Candie Kung (49) def. Yani Tseng (1), 3 and 2

Julieta Granada (41) def. Karine Icher (40), 1 up

Azahara Munoz (19) def. Jodi Ewart (62), 2 and 1

Stacy Lewis (6) def. Sun Young Yoo (11), 2 up

OK. I watched some of the last holes of Saturday's matches last night and have to say I am mightily impressed. With that golf course. Absolutely beautiful. Isn't that a Trump course?

Now right before I fell asleep there was a commentator that put up a list of the top driving distances on the LPGA and the leader was over 280 with the next five or six girls in the 270's. Anyone remember two decades ago or so when the guy who won two consecutive U.S. Opens averaged about 259?

Golf is no longer about competition to me, but one thing I loved about match play is how hard I could hit the putts that I had to make when hitting them coming back was not a concern.

Match play makes you a bolder putter in stroke play for a while but it wears off.

Round 6
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Final
Azahara Munoz (19) def. Candie Kung (49), 2 and 1

Consolation
Morgan Pressel (15) def. Vicky Hurst (37), 2 and 1


Round 5 Complete
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Candie Kung (49) def. Vicky Hurst (37), 2 and 1

Azahara Munoz (19) def. Morgan Pressel (15), 2 and 1