The Women’s Open Championship returned to the Old Course at St. Andrews for the fourth time. It would be a stern test of survival for the best women players in the world as the gods of golf produced the worst playing conditions imaginable for four days. Conditions were horrendous with the combination of high winds, cold temperatures, rain, sleet all mixed together at various times of the day. I had a similar experience when I played the Old Course in June but I wasn’t playing for an Open Championship. The players were dressed as if they were headed for the ski slopes. The wind was blowing the ball everywhere so the R&A kept the greens at 9.5 on the stimp meter. Normally, they would be set at least 11. The best players in the world would have to demonstrate patience and persistence as there was bound to be bad breaks coming combined with the penal bunkers and rough that would impact scoring.
A great example of patience, focus and tremendous professional skill came in the second round of the tournament. The cut line would be +4 and Lexi Thompson strode to the Road Hole (No. 17) at three over par. The drive on 17 is intimidating to say the least as you have to carry the tee shot over the hotel into the fairway. Thompson is one of the best and longest drivers in the women’s game and smashed her tee shot out of bounds just missing a bunch of spectators having afternoon tea at the hotel bar. Most players would be downcast and call it the end of their tournament and an opportunity to play on the weekend. Undaunted, Lexi teed off again and caught the left side of the rough but she had a shot. She then vaulted what looked like a utility club high and true and absolutely nailed what I believe might be the most difficult second shot in all of golf within six feet of the hole. What seemed to be a certain double bogey became a bogey and Thompson would birdie the 18th hole to be able to play on the weekend. Despite all of her considerable skill, she had to fight through a terrible unforced error with the first tee shot and persevere to stay in the tournament.
Nelly Korda would maintain a high level of consistency and became the 36 hole leader, but this would be a tournament that would be decided by a singular event perhaps on the back nine of the Final Round. Course conditions would not allow any one player to take a significant lead. The cream rose to the top and a series of former Open Championship winners were all in contention including Lydia Ko, who had just won Olympic Gold the previous week. Korda ceded the lead in round 3 with a 75 including a couple of double bogeys as a past champion, Jiyai Shin, vaulted into the lead. Korda proceeded to make a huge mistake on 16 when she drove the ball out of bounds. The 16th hole hugs the road and the driving range so any tee shot 5 yards to the right will be out of bounds.
Korda got off to a great start on Sunday with four birdies on the front nine to grab a 2 shot lead on the field. All of the players were driving the green on the short par 4 ninth as the hole plays downwind, and yours truly also knocked it on the green as well, which accounts for the strength of a 35 mph. downwind tee shot. Korda was rolling along until she came to the 14th, where a couple of unforced errors and a missed 4 ft. bogey putt brought Ko and Lydia Vu back into the tournament. Ko was moving along nicely without making mistakes and the 3 shot swing on 14 (Ko birdied the hole) plus her wonderful par on the Road Hole put her into position to win. You had to assume that everyone was going to birdie 18. The wind and cold made it impossible to drive the 18th green on this day and Ko hit a brilliant wedge shot to six feet and drained a tricky right to left downhill putt for the birdie and the lead. Korda had a chance to catch her but her drive on the Road Hole was less than perfect and her approach shot landed in the hellish Road Hole bunker. She could not convert a par from that bunker and would have to make eagle on the 18th hole, which just wasn’t going to happen. Lydia Vu had the best chance to tie Ko as she made a great par putt on the Road Hole. A birdie on 18 would force a playoff but Vu’s 16 ft. downhiller was very short and she ended up with bogey.
Ko could hardly contain her happiness. It seemed that she “snuck” in to the winner’s circle by playing consistently and avoiding the mistakes that plagued the other contenders. It’s been quite a time for Ko winning the Olympic Gold Medal for New Zealand and now the Women’s Open under the most extreme conditions ever in this competition.
Lydia has been my favorite golfer since her back to back wins at Lake Merced in SF early in her career. It is great to see a pro win on a course you have played, and I was lucky enough to have a great team when we won the first SF Symphony Charity Golf Tournament at Lake Merced over a decade ago.
The only thing that outshines Lydia’s superb golf game is her generous and caring personality. You can see her disappointment when her playing partner/competitor misses a putt that almost went in. You cannot count all the autographs she signed after the Olympic Gold Medal win, even before she signed her own score card.
PS – Notice above I did not specify a gender. Lydia is my favorite golfer – no modification required.