Amy Yang may have been the first person to play a perfect nine holes of golf last Sunday at the LPGA KEB-Hana Bank Championship in her home country of South Korea.
Yang made nine birdies on the back nine to establish a new LPGA mark for nine holes in relation to par and tied the LPGA mark for most consecutive birdies in a round (She shot 62). Beth Daniel set the nine-consecutive birdies mark in 1999 and Mark Calcavecchia matched that for the PGA Tour record in 2009, but both streaks carried over from one nine to the next.
Numerous players on various tours have shot 27 for nine holes – and in one case lower, Corey Pavin’s PGA Tour record 26 (8-under) – but a quick dive into the record books revealed that Yang may have been the first to make an under-par score on every hole in an established nine holes. Other players who have finished 9-under over nine holes have interspersed eagles and pars in their surges. Still more have shot 27 on nine holes with pars of less than 36.
“Oh, my gosh, I just told them, I never thought about it,” Yang said. “Never thought about it. I don’t know what just happened. I mean, if it can be a history, so honored.”
A quick look at the 9-under for 9 club:
| Player | Tour | Tournament | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Maria Canizares | European Tour | 1978 Swiss Open | 1 eagle, 7 birdies |
| Joakim Haeggman | European Tour | 1997 Alfred Dunhill | 1 eagle, 7 birdies |
| Notah Begay III | Web.com Tour | 1998 Dominion Open | 2 eagles, 5 birdies |
| Billy Mayfair | PGA Tour | 2001 Buick Open | 1 eagle, 7 birdies |
| Robert Gamez | PGA Tour | 2004 Bob Hope | 1 eagle, 7 birdies |
| Simon Khan | European Tour | 2004 Wales Open | 1 eagle, 7 birdies |
| Brandt Snedeker | PGA Tour | 2007 Buick Invitational | 1 eagle, 7 birdies |
| Chris Riley | PGA Tour | 2009 Reno-Tahoe | 2 eagles, 5 birdies |
| Stephen Gallacher | European Tour | 2014 Dubai Desert Classic | 1 eagle, 7 birdies* |
| Ryan Palmer | PGA Tour | 2015 Humana Challenge | 2 eagles, 5 birdies |
| Amy Yang | LPGA | 2015 KEB-Hana Bank | 9 birdies |
| *-Shot 28 on par 37. Others par 36. | |||
| Note: Only Begay, Khan and Gallacher won the tournaments. | |||
The mental side
Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson offered a glimpse into how mental golf can be last week in South Korea. Look at their comments:
- Ko on leading the Race to the CME Globe competition: “Yeah, I mean, the closer we get or if there is a switch, the media is going to talk about it. But, you know, I’m sorry, but I'm going to try and ignore you guys. I think that's the best way. Because when I’m out there, I’m just trying to hit a good shot and put myself in good position. If I thought about the rankings, the awards, it's just way too much. It’s hard enough just trying to hit the ball straight out there.”
- Thompson on her improved mental outlook: “I think really just working on the mental side of the game. I’ve worked with John Denney in South Florida in January, February and took me a while to kick into my game and get used to being positive out on the golf course. It’s a huge part of it. Golf is like so mental, and I needed to realize that. He’s helped me out a lot and I think that has helped me out on the golf course in just trusting myself.”
Tseng’s resurgence
The last time Yani Tseng won a LPGA event was on March 25, 2012 at the Kia Classic, her 15th career victory. She was age 23.
Now, the 26-year-old Tseng is headed home to Taiwan for the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship, riding the momentum of recent outstanding play. She finished T2 at the Yokohama Tire Classic on Aug. 30, missed the cut at the Evian Championship and has started the Asian Swing of the LPGA schedule with a fifth at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia and a T2 at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship.
Tseng has a win (2011), a third (2012), a T40 (2013) and a T20 (2014) in this tournament.
Two ways to win
Lexi Thompson has won twice this season in very different fashions.
At the Meijer LPGA Classic in late July, she averaged 282 yards off the tee, including 297 in the final round.
At last week’s LPGA KEB-Hana Bank Championship, she averaged 255 yards off the tee but played the par 5s in 9-under par.
Etc.
After winning just two events through mid-July, American golfers have risen up lately. Kris Tamulus, the U.S. Solheim Cup team, Jessica Korda and Lexi Thompson have won four of the last five tournaments on the LPGA schedule. …. Besides Tamulus, age 34, the other recent LPGA winners have been age 17 (Brooke Henderson), 18 (Lydia Ko twice), 22 (Korda) and 20 (Thompson). … This week’s TV (EDT): Thursday, noon-4 p.m., taped first round; Friday, midnight-4 a.m., second round; Saturday, midnight-4 a.m., third round; Sunday, midnight-4 a.m., final round.
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