SUPER STROKING

Cheyenne Woods described her recent stretch of golf as “a tough few months” and knew she had to make some changes to see some type of improvement. Woods’ best finish in her rookie season this year is T24 at the JTBC Founders Cup in Phoenix back in March and is coming off a streak of five-consecutive missed cuts. Last week in New Jersey, Woods’ swapped her putter grip for a Super Stroke model and said she immediately felt a difference.

“Last week at ShopRite I changed my putter grip to the Super Stroke so it’s a little bit thicker and that kind of gave me a better feel,” said Woods. “Last week I didn’t play well but I putted better so I carried that into this week and I’m putting better this week also. But I think that gives me more confidence from the fairway, too, for my approach shots.”

She currently ranks 128th in putts per GIR (1.9) and 116th in putting average (30.7) on Tour but needed only 26 putts in her round of 63 on Thursday.

Woods said her comfort level on the big greens this week at Whistle Bear carried over to the rest of her game. She said she didn’t change anything mentally and approached this week in the same care-free manner she always had.

“I think that was a big change for me that helped me,” said Woods. “But overall nothing else besides that, just the same mindset coming into the week with a fresh mind and coming to play my best golf.”

WATERLOO REGION REMINDS LANG OF HOME

Brittany Lang’s lone LPGA victory came at the Manulife LPGA Classic in 2012 and while the venue may have changed she can’t help but feel the good vibes when she returns to the Waterloo Region.

“Seeing the pictures of me holding the trophy just reminds me of things I was doing then and kind of gives you some confidence, absolutely,” Lang said. “I like it. It reminds me of home, you know, just open space and nice people, nice course. It reminds me very much of Texas so I feel very comfortable here.”

The Texan used those good vibes to put together a 7-under round of 65 at Whistle Bear.

“I like this course a lot,” Lang said. “I didn’t think the scores would be quite as low as they are, but again, the course is in perfect shape and there wasn’t a whole lot of breeze. I didn’t miss many shots and I rolled it really good, so it was a really fun day.”

NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS

Laetitia Beck has experienced the typical rookie season struggles early in the year and a stretch of three-straight miss cuts left the 23-year old a bit discouraged. Her best finish of the year came in her first start at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, a tie for 27th.

“It was a struggle. I started decent and then I thought it’s easy,” said Beck. “Then I didn’t make a few cuts so I was disappointed. I mean, I don’t put too much pressure on myself so it’s not like I expected to win every event.”

But a first-round 8-under 64 seems to be exactly what the Israel native needed. The round bested her previous low round by six shots which she shot on two occasions. Beck made her LPGA Tour debut in Canada four years ago in 2011 at the CP Women’s Open where she qualified.

“But coming here I always had a good I enjoy Canada,” said Beck. “I go and practice in Montreal part of the year and my first LPGA event was in Montreal, the Canadian Open, so I do have good experience here in Canada.”

Beck, who became the first Israeli to make the LPGA Tour when she tied for 18th at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, does not carry the distinction lightly. She hopes her career on the Tour can help change the perception of the game back in her home country. If any young players in Israel need a role model to emulate, look no further than Beck. She left Israel at the age of 14 to attend the IMG Academy then played four years at Duke University while earning degree in psychology. She then qualified for the Tour on her first attempt last winter.

“So we have one golf course, one 18 and one nine, so we don’t have that many golfers but I’m hoping that I will help golf in Israel,” said Beck. “I know it will not change the game there, but slowly if we can have people like me and others help the game and help not only younger people but also older people in Israel understand that golf is not just a sport for I think we have people in Israel that don’t know the sport think that it’s not a sport. So I hope it will change the Israeli mentality and what they think of golf.”

OLYMPIC HOPES FOR BECK

Seeing the Israeli flag fly at LPGA events gives Laetitia Beck a huge sense of pride, especially knowing it is solely flying because of her as the lone Israeli on Tour. The rookie hopes to turn things around this season after a tough start but has her sights on bigger things. She wants to be in the same conversation as the other elite athletes from her home country.

“I’m proud of it,” said Beck. “And obviously the Olympics is a huge goal so I hope to get a chance to meet all of them and be part of the team.”

Beck currently ranks 614th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings which are used for the Olympics Golf Rankings criteria. Her goal of making it to Rio is not out of reach but she will have work to do. The last player ranked in the Olympic Rankings is Melanie Maetzler of Switzerland who is currently 480th in the Rolex Rankings, 134 spots ahead of Beck. If she finishes top-10 or better, Beck could jump at least 307 spots in the Rolex Rankings.

GAL GETS IT TOGETHER

Sandra Gal sits in a tie for fourth after a opening round 64 at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.

“It kind of crossed my mind this morning that I haven’t had a really low one in a while, kind of ironic sometimes how that works,” Gal admitted.

The 64, which tied the low round of Gal’s career, came after Gal reached out to her coach for some help at the beginning of the week.

“Actually my coach Andrew Park, I sent him my swing earlier in the week and we worked a little bit on something that wasn’t going that well the last couple weeks so I think that helped my ball striking,” Gal said. “Basically, because I’m a tall player, trying to be a little bit more compact. So I put something under my right elbow or under my right upper arm so that way my hands stay closer to my body coming down and I just feel like everything’s a little more connected.”

In an era where players send coaches videos during most events, it is a rarity for Gal.

“This year I don’t think I’ve sent him a swing yet,” Gal admitted. “He comes out a few times per year. I’ve just been hitting it well this year, just now something was off so I just sent it to him.”

NUMBERS TO KNOW

3 - Three players - Cheyenne Woods, Cristie Kerr and P.K. Kongkraphan - tied the competitive course record at Whistle Bear of 63. The record is also held by PGA Tour pros Matt Bettencourt and Jon Mills

0 - Number of cuts that Lydia Ko has missed in 52 career events, Ko currently sits T86 at 1-under

105 - Number of players who shot under par on day one

29 - Cristie Kerr shot an opening round 29, the lowest nine of her career

QUOTE OF THE DAY

““The course record. Sorry, Drake.”

-Cheyenne Woods on what was bigger, meeting Drake backstage or setting the course record

TV Times Golf Channel

June 5 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

June 6 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

June 7 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

All times listed are Eastern

News and Notes: Round One Manulife LPGA Classic

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