Miki Saiki from Japan leads the way at -9 in the 2011 Evian Masters but what a tremendous day of golf for the Americans. Angela Stanford makes 8 birdies and would be leading outright but had an unfortunate double bogey on the 14th hole. Stacy Lewis made 7 birdies but had a couple bogeys as well, they both go into the weekend 1 behind the lead. Paula Creamer had an impeccable bogey free round with 5 birdies and is in excellent position going into the weekend currently at -7, 2 shots behind the lead. Cristie Kerr is not far behind but seems to be struggling with the putter. Luckily everyone left a few out there today. She is also in the mix going into the weekend, 2 behind the lead as well. I’d say all four of these girls have a chance on Sunday. 16 year-old, Alexis Thompson makes the cut once again! Unfortunately, only one will win and If I were to place a bet or lean towards one more than the other it would have to be Cristie Kerr, simply because she’s the most experienced and quite the fighter of the bunch. She hits off the mark quite often and is not shy to show her passion for the game when she does so, wether it be a grunt, stomp on the ground or a few muffled words but some way some how, she always manages to pull it together and give herself an opportunity to win. I hope this is a taste of what we can expect at the, Ricoh Women’s British Open!
I don’t know who’s swing is more smooth between Ai Miyazato and Shin-Ae Ahn but they are both playing very effectively. Yes, Shin-Ae Ahn, not to be confused with Jiyai Shin. I didn’t mean to give, Jiyai a nickname. You might not know this girl because she is not an LPGA player. She is currently playing on the KLPGA (Korean women’s tour) but mark my words. Get familiar. I’m sure you’re familiar with the Korean flavor on the LPGA, as it only seems to get stronger every year. A younger Korean star rising each year! So-Yeon Ryu is only 21 years old and already a major champion. Ryu won the 2011 U.S Open last week and while most would take a vacation after such a test, she seems not to want to stop just yet. She is currently ranked 90th in world but after watching her play, it’s guaranteed she won’t be in the back of the pack for long. Shin-Ae Ahn is another young Korean to look out for, she not only has a picture perfect swing but is an extremely accurate driver off the tee. Some might even call her, “Ms. Consistent.” Did I mention her smoothness? This girl has got quite a tempo as well. Shin-ae Ahn is one behind the lead and might just win this weekend. For those at home trying to learn how to swing a golf club. This is a swing to watch!
Don’t count the defending champ, Jiyai Shin out either. She is just 3 off the lead. Last year she shot 70, 69 in her opening first two rounds. This year she has started out with two 69′s, so I would suggest we wait until someone in the lead shoots 15 under before we start counting her out of a repeat. Although it’s been a win less 2011 for Jiyai, she is still an elite player on the LPGA, currently 4th in the Rolex World Rankings. Let’s not forget she is only 23 years old and already has 34 professional wins all over the world, 8 of those being on the LPGA and one of those is a major. The toughest one of the year, Ricoh Women’s British Open ’08! I’m sure she would’ve liked the, Evian Masters to already be a major stop on tour. This might just become the venue that helps her catch up to Yani Tseng’s 4 majors.
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sarah says:
July 23, 2011 at 7:57 pm (UTC -7)
The Evian Masters is one of the shortest course on the LPGA! This definitely help the shorter players. As you can see, most of the players who are leading right now are not long hitters. When most tournaments these days promote Long hitters, short hitters can struggle some times because of that. Although this course is one of the shortest! It’s definitely one of the prettiest course on tour!
It’s also famous for its hospitality and this is definitely a tournament that everyone want to be a part of! Looks like Ai Miyazato is going to walk away with this one!