TRINITY, TEXAS - Through two rounds at The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship the American women’s team was the sleeping giant. On the third day they woke up.
NCAA All-Americans Tiffany Joh and Amanda Blumenherst turned in an 8-under 64 to spur the United States to a 13-under third round, a tournament best. That puts them alone in third entering tomorrow’s final round at 19-under-par for the championship. Team England leads the Americans by six shots and Korea by three. The Spirit is held at Whispering Pines Golf Club.
“We only had one practice round,” Joh said. “We should’ve had four or five.”
Coming into the tournament, Blumenherst and Joh were expected to be one of the most potent combinations at The Spirit. Blumenherst was runner-up at the U.S. Amateur this summer while Joh won the 2006 U.S. Public Links Championship. But instead they had been a bust, shooting 74-70 on the first two days, even par. Not what you’d expect from two USGA finalists. In comparison, Team Korea was leading the women’s competition at 10-under.
Then the dam broke. The girls birdied four out of their first five holes in their third round, including a chip-in by Joh on the par 3 third.
“We paged Dr. Chipinsky,” Joh said.
Meanwhile, the American men were having a tough time getting any birdie putts to fall, with Cory Whitsett missing makeable chances inside of six feet on the par 4 4th and the par 5 5th. No. 1-ranked junior Peter Uihlein ignited a rally with an 8-foot birdie on the dogleg right par 4 6th. Whitsett answered by bombing in a 20-footer on No. 7. After the front nine, the Americans had made up seven shots on the field and climbed to 13-under for the championship.
The Americans made four more birdies in first four holes of their back nine and news of their run percolated around the golf course.
“We heard they were 11-under on the day and thought, ‘Oh dear,’” said England’s Gary Boyd.
Then the Americans cooled off. Uihlein missed a three-footer on 14, and Whitsett was forced to make a clutch sand save on the island par 3 15th after Whitsett hit his tee shot into Lake Livingston. But Joh birdied two of her last three holes, sticking it inside of four feet on 16 and making a 10-foot putt on the last.
“It’s about time,” Whitsett said of the girls’ performance. “They’re two of the best college players in the country.”
At one point the Americans were only one shot out of the lead after starting 12 shots back of third-round leader South Korea. But both the Koreans and the English teed off after the Americans, and made birdies of their own coming in.
At the start of the round, it looked like Korea would soon put the tournament out of reach, as the men birdied four of their first six holes. But then the duo of Bi-O Kim and Woo-Hyun Kim did something they hadn’t done all tournament: back up. They made three bogies in their next six holes and England seized the lead. England’s Daniel Willet played Holes 11-14 in 4-under, and holed out for eagle from a greenside bunker on the par 5 12th.
Willett and partner Gary Boyd have played the best golf of anyone in the field. Boyd leads the field with 13 birdies, and Willett is a close second at 12.
“We’re both aggressive players,” Willett said. “My guess is that tomorrow the pin positions will be kind of fun. If people start having to come after us it could be tough.”
Spirit gold, silver, and bronze medals are given out to the men and women with the most birdies, as well as lowest men’s team, women’s team, and combined international team. Canada’s Sue Kim and Chinese Taipei Yu-Ling Hsieh lead the women with 12 birdies. England leads the men’s team at 21-under, and Chinese Taipei and Korea leads the women’s team at 10-under.
NCAA All-Americans Tiffany Joh and Amanda Blumenherst turned in an 8-under 64 to spur the United States to a 13-under third round, a tournament best. That puts them alone in third entering tomorrow’s final round at 19-under-par for the championship. Team England leads the Americans by six shots and Korea by three. The Spirit is held at Whispering Pines Golf Club.
“We only had one practice round,” Joh said. “We should’ve had four or five.”
Coming into the tournament, Blumenherst and Joh were expected to be one of the most potent combinations at The Spirit. Blumenherst was runner-up at the U.S. Amateur this summer while Joh won the 2006 U.S. Public Links Championship. But instead they had been a bust, shooting 74-70 on the first two days, even par. Not what you’d expect from two USGA finalists. In comparison, Team Korea was leading the women’s competition at 10-under.
Then the dam broke. The girls birdied four out of their first five holes in their third round, including a chip-in by Joh on the par 3 third.
“We paged Dr. Chipinsky,” Joh said.
Meanwhile, the American men were having a tough time getting any birdie putts to fall, with Cory Whitsett missing makeable chances inside of six feet on the par 4 4th and the par 5 5th. No. 1-ranked junior Peter Uihlein ignited a rally with an 8-foot birdie on the dogleg right par 4 6th. Whitsett answered by bombing in a 20-footer on No. 7. After the front nine, the Americans had made up seven shots on the field and climbed to 13-under for the championship.
The Americans made four more birdies in first four holes of their back nine and news of their run percolated around the golf course.
“We heard they were 11-under on the day and thought, ‘Oh dear,’” said England’s Gary Boyd.
Then the Americans cooled off. Uihlein missed a three-footer on 14, and Whitsett was forced to make a clutch sand save on the island par 3 15th after Whitsett hit his tee shot into Lake Livingston. But Joh birdied two of her last three holes, sticking it inside of four feet on 16 and making a 10-foot putt on the last.
“It’s about time,” Whitsett said of the girls’ performance. “They’re two of the best college players in the country.”
At one point the Americans were only one shot out of the lead after starting 12 shots back of third-round leader South Korea. But both the Koreans and the English teed off after the Americans, and made birdies of their own coming in.
At the start of the round, it looked like Korea would soon put the tournament out of reach, as the men birdied four of their first six holes. But then the duo of Bi-O Kim and Woo-Hyun Kim did something they hadn’t done all tournament: back up. They made three bogies in their next six holes and England seized the lead. England’s Daniel Willet played Holes 11-14 in 4-under, and holed out for eagle from a greenside bunker on the par 5 12th.
Willett and partner Gary Boyd have played the best golf of anyone in the field. Boyd leads the field with 13 birdies, and Willett is a close second at 12.
“We’re both aggressive players,” Willett said. “My guess is that tomorrow the pin positions will be kind of fun. If people start having to come after us it could be tough.”
Spirit gold, silver, and bronze medals are given out to the men and women with the most birdies, as well as lowest men’s team, women’s team, and combined international team. Canada’s Sue Kim and Chinese Taipei Yu-Ling Hsieh lead the women with 12 birdies. England leads the men’s team at 21-under, and Chinese Taipei and Korea leads the women’s team at 10-under.
1 comment:
Keep it coming Alex.
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