Texan Holds ‘Em: Stanford’s HSBC Champions Win Ends 14-year American LPGA drought

Angela Stanford ended a wait of fourteen years and four months for an American victory in a LPGA golf event in Asia when she won a four-player play-off at the HSBC Women’s Champions at Singapore’s Tanah Merah Country Club. Tim Maitland reports.

 Stanford won with a par on the third play-off hole, finally knocking Korean teenager Jenny Shin out of the reckoning after Korea’s world number two Na Yeon Choi and China’s Shanshan Feng had been eliminated in two previous trips up the tough 18^th hole. All four had finished on 10-under-par 278 for the tournament.

SINGAPORE - FEBRUARY 26:  Angela Stanford of the USA with the winners trophy after the final round of the HSBC Women's Champions at the Tanah Merah Country Club on February 26, 2012 in Singapore.  (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Amazingly, the last victory for a US player in the LPGA’s long history of staging tournaments in Asia was Juli Inkster’s win at the Samsung World Championship of Women’s Golf, from an invitational field of sixteen LPGA players, in Seoul, South Korea in October 1997. The 2012 HSBC Women’s Champions was the 39^th event in the region since then.

Of the six Asian events on the LPGA’s 2012 schedule, the last to boast an American champion was the Mizuno Classic in Japan which was won by Betsy King in 1993 when it was known as the Toray Japan Queens Cup. King’s win, at the Lions Country Club in Hyogo, was the last US victory against a larger field, over 18 years ago.

“I’m the first American to win in Singapore. That’s pretty cool!” said the thirty-four-year-old Texan, unaware at the time of how long her compatriots’ drought stretched back.

“It’s funny; sitting at the Pro-Am party (on the Wednesday before the tournament) I was thinking we haven’t had an American win this thing yet. Honestly, I thought, well, I’m an American. Might as well give it a go!”

Stanford, whose last win was in 2009, didn’t do it the easy way; only converting the fourth of the putts she had to win the tournament. The cruelest of those was in regulation play after a violent thunderstorm struck with the final group on the 18^th tee and all their rivals safely in the clubhouse. After a 90-minute delay, play resumed with nineteen-year-old Shin leading Stanford by one shot, but the young Korean found a water hazard off the tee and made double bogey, while Stanford’s first chance for victory went begging when she missed a par putt from around five feet.

Making pars throughout the play-off, Stanford adds her name to a roll of honour that consisted only of players to have been rated the best in the world game, from defending champion Karrie Webb through Ai Miyazato and Jiyai Shin to the winner of the inaugural event in 2008, Lorena Ochoa.

“I feel extremely honoured to be in that group of players and to be the first American to get a win is pretty special. Everybody knows this is one of the premier events on tour and always has the best players,” Stanford said.

For Shin, who won the US Girls Junior Championship as a thirteen-year old in 2006, there was the whole range of emotions.

“It’s a little bit of everything; I’m very excited but I’m very disappointed at the same time. The tee shot on the eighteenth was all from nervousness. In the play-off I wasn’t nervous at all. I was really comfortable in the play-off. I really feel like I can do this again. I’m very surprised about how well I did. I’m happy… kind of: happy-sad. I’m accepting it,” she revealed.

Shin’s wasn’t the only hard luck story. China’s Shanshan Feng fell a fraction short of becoming the first player from her country to win an LPGA event, the third time in her short career that she has had to settle for second place.

Current world number one Yani Tseng of Chinese Taipei, who was Jenny Shin’s main challenger for much of the day, finished one shot back in fifth place. She might have won had her approach shot to the 17^th hole gone in for eagle rather than catching the lip of the hole as it span back, leaving her a birdie putt that she missed.

“I do feel disappointed. I just needed a little more luck. I‘ve been very close for two years. Hopefully next year I won’t be disappointed,” said Tseng, who was aiming for back-to-back wins after her victory at the Honda LPGA Thailand the week before.

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SINGAPORE - FEBRUARY 22:  (L to R) In Kyung Kim of Korea, Michelle Wie of the USA, Morgan Pressel of the USA, Yani Tseng of Taiwan, Beatriz Recari of Spain, Melissa Reid of England, Suzann Pettersen of Norway, Se Ri Pak of Korea, Paula Creamer of the USA and Natalie Gulbis of the USA during a Welcome Reception Photo Call at the Raffles Hotel prior to the start of the HSBC Women's Champions at the Tanah Merah Country Club on February 22, 2012 in Singapore, Singapore  (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

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Can Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis find happiness outside the ropes of the U.S. Women's Open? Also weight shift drill

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After watching the struggles of both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson (among the other great golfers) at the 109th US Open, it can be said that this was the year of the initiate, not the veteran. Lucas Glover, who had only won once in his career on the PGA Tour astounded and amazed the crowd with his steely gaze, focus and lack of emotion while both Woods and Mickelson fell short of the basic skills needed to get the job done.

One can almost compare Glover to the lovely Natalie Gulbis who has also had a single victory but who, along with Michelle Wie, failed to qualify for this year's U.S. Women's Open and may be watching from the sidelines. Will either be offering Twitter commentary? Not likely!

What separates golfers who qualify from those who don't?

When John Daly missed qualifying for the U.S. Open, he remarked that his feet were tired and the greens over in Europe were much slower than those in the States adding, "talk about not even sniffing a putt!" Solid putting, therefore, is the single most important part of any player's golf game.

Glover, who had missed the cut in three previous Opens acknowledged that his lead "can be attributed to putting and patience" and is currently "ranked seventh in putts made from between 15-20 feet."

Now, considering why Michelle Wie, for example, did not qualify for the Women's U.S. Open, she revealed that she was swinging really well but "just couldn’t get anything going, and some of the putts didn’t drop."

Should the USGA bend the regulations to assist the LPGA (and NBC) retain a slipping fan base or are the rules the rules? Originally, the policies stated that the top thirty golfers would be admitted to the U.S. Women's Open but now only the top ten automatically qualify. Well, the USGA says that it is for the good of the game...

You certainly wouldn't need to bend the rules at the U.S. Open to accomodate Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson because of the excitement factor of the entire field but, for the U.S. Women's Open, it could be the difference between increased ratings and hearing crickets chirping in the distance.

Would it have mattered if Gulbis and Wie played in the U.S. Women's Open? Not likely as both missed the cut last year. Michelle's quintuple bogey on the ninth hole at Interlachen said it all.

Golf for Beginners also discusses a weight shift drill which will allow you to stop that 'reverse C' and point your club more directly at the target.




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Can Superhero Natalie Gulbis come to the rescue of her LPGA career?

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Natalie Gulbis seeks stardom but when in the spotlight rarely puts on more than a mediocre performance. Between her lackluster appearance on Celebrity Apprentice and her recent slip in Rolex Rankings, it doesn't look like Gulbis is more than a passing fancy in the eyes of the camera. In other words, just because you don a superhero costume doesn't necessarily mean you are imbued with extraordinary abilities!

Although Gulbis initially accepted Donald Trump's challenge, she has stayed incognito, waiting for Joan Rivers to thrust her into the spotlight and urge her to wear a superhero costume which Natalie mentioned looked like a cross between "Halloween and a stripper" (Rivers must have seen the Calendar). Perhaps it's better for Natalie to lurk because when she spoke to both Trump and the CEO of Zappos.com, she nearly blew the win for her team!

As far as her appearances on the LPGA Tour, Gulbis makes for a pretty picture but, to date, has not become much of a standout performer. She has only one LPGA win to her credit (2007 Evian Masters) and, in her first three events this year, Natalie has dropped to 37th place in the Rolex Rankings. Her coach, Butch Harmon, has been quoted as saying that Gulbis is longer and stronger than ever but, coming off of a back injury, only time will tell if this will be her breakout year.

Does the LPGA need another above-average golfer or should they promote the package "Gulbis", who can deliver the sex appeal needed to take the LPGA to the next level? Ty Votaw once used Gulbis' appeal for his "Five Points of Celebrity" campaign but that idea was scrapped as soon as Bivens took the helm. Michelle Wie is now the hope of the LPGA Tour and has been dangled like a carrot on the end of a stick to attract partners like the Golf Channel who will be using Wie's picture to highlight the Tour.

Perhaps Natalie will show this year, both on the Apprentice and on the golf course, that there is more than meets the eye and claim her rightful place in the spotlight.



In this week's Golf for Beginners show, it's all about the women! We wonder if fat-bottoms are solely for the ladies, consider why more women don't play the game, have a heated man/woman debate about Golf Datatech's women's market survey and offer a golf tip from Butch Harmon on how to balance when hitting a chip shot.

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Natalie Gulbis cooks on Celebrity Apprentice

Could Natalie Gulbis, LPGA super-golfer, become the next Celebrity Apprentice?

Donald Trump's latest attempt at capturing viewers includes a cook-off with Gulbis and the possibility of catfights with Deal or No Deal's Claudia Jordan, filling the show with more surprises than the recent bankruptcy deal which Trump Casino filed and, in a huff, the Donald walked away from. No bailouts here!

Expect other players in the mix like Dennis Rodman, Herschel Walker and double-threat Melissa and Joan Rivers to add to the mayhem! Andrew Dice Clay looked like he was even sassing "the Donald" in a recent advertisement which means that this show is really digging deep to come up with greater commercial success. Trump tried once in 2007 to rally publicity with a Rosie O'Donnell feud but ratings slumped to an all-time low which showered the television reality show premiere of Grease with more viewers, and that turned out to be a prime-time bomb!

Has Donald Trump assembled the most creative cast of characters yet or is he just searching for ratings? If this show survives, perhaps he should seek out Michelle Wie for a tryout? She may need the job if her new career in the LPGA doesn't come to fruition!

How to Choke like Anthony Kim. Tiger Woods, Natalie Gulbis in the news and you can lose but you're not a loser

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Since Anthony Kim is now being heralded as one of the rising young stars of the PGA Tour (and this weekend with a third place finish at the Korea Open), it seems befitting that we spend some time examining the reasons behind his choked down golf grip. The obvious intent is to improve upon basic contact but it's also a way to establish better control over all of your shots.

Kim's grip even caught the eye of announcer Johnny Miller who made this assessment. "If you grip down, you don't get the club stuck behind you. Your body can move much faster." Miller went on to say, "It's probably something that could help Tiger, who tends to have that problem. But if you don't have that kind of arm and body speed, you're not going to hit it so far gripping down like that."

Whereas some golfers prefer to use this grip at all times and sacrifice a bit of distance, Butch Harmon, for example, mentions that it would behoove most amateurs to follow suit with all golf shots from 130 yards and in!

Even though you might feel your shots are going to be shorter, crisp contact between the golf club and the ball will often nullify the effects of a shorter shot. Just remember to never change the tempo of your swing but, instead, follow this "choke-chart" to determine how to best utilize this golf tip, taking it to the range before using it on the golf course!

This week, Golf for Beginners podcast discusses the benefit of the choke shot and how you can get the most out of it. We also talk about my participation in the Paper Cup, an EWGA annual best-ball team match play event. While Paula Creamer was busy making waves at the Samsung Tournament, I was struggling with my partner to strategize, losing our match with four holes to play! Not very good golf for either of us!

Although the event coordinator purchased "winner" and "loser" shirts, I questioned the idea between being a "loser" and losing a match. Naturally, I refused to wear the shirt.

Finally, we dig deep into the internet and find some interesting news on both Tiger Woods and Natalie Gulbis.


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U.S. Open Pressure-Tiger Woods persevered, Phil Mickelson collapsed and Rocco Mediate had fun with it. Adidas, "golf equipment for your eyes" and Stac

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Poor Tiger Woods! Yes, he has won his fourth U.S. Open but was it at the expense of his knee? Is winning a trophy more important that your health? The answer? Season-ending knee surgery!

Tiger's message to his adoring fans let on that his injury is more aggravated than he made it look this week.




"I think I need to shut it down for a little bit. I pushed it pretty hard this week and I just want to enjoy it. And we're going to reevaluate after this event and see what happens," claimed a tightlipped Woods who may have been grimacing from the inside but, with his elevated mental focus, it was anyone's guess as to what was really going on after twisting his knee on several occasions this past week.

That focus and determination to not allow any distractions was best related by Tiger's dad, Earl, during a Nike commercial that aired for Father's Day weekend in which dad related to both his son and the audience, "I promise you that you will never meet another person as mentally tough as you your entire life. And he hasn't, and he never will."

This week's Golf for Beginners podcast wonders how Tiger Woods can remain so steadfast in his determination to win a golf tournament while Phil Mickelson, who mentally and physically prepared for this event, fell apart. Other players such as Rocco Mediate and Lee Westwood didn't feel the pressure as much believing that they were "long shots" in the event.

This week's show also reviews the latest advances in golf-specific eyewear from Adidas. The new Adivista sunglasses for men and Adilibria Shield for women should be viewed as necessary golf equipment rather than just fashion-forward apparel, although the fact that Natalie Gulbis had input into the design of the women's glasses truly make them hotter than the average eyewear!




Both Adivista and Adilibria Shield are super-comfortable to wear and protect your eyes from the sun's damaging rays with UV protection, offering scratch and fog-resistant polycarbonate lenses. Listen to this week's show to hear why we recommend these new Adidas sunglasses and why you should try them too!

Finally, while testing my new Adilibria Shield sunglasses in the sand trap (where it did a fabulous job of protecting my eyes against particles of sand), alas, it couldn't help me to get out of the sand. I wonder if Adidas can help find a cure for my sand trap woes?


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Natalie Gulbis outmaneuvered by Michelle Wie, the importance of the impact zone and the divot

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Michelle Wie has finally slipped below the top-fifty golfers on the official Rolex Rankings.

Obviously, Samsung World Championship officials have not had the opportunity to view the latest rankings because, if they had done their homework, I'm sure they might have discussed an alternate approach to the teenager who was given this special exemption.

Does Michelle Wie deserve an accolade designed for an elite field consisting of the defending champ, the LET money leader, the four major championship winners and the balance of the top-twenty on the money list?

But, then again, put yourself in her position. Would you give up your spot in a tournament so that Natalie Gulbis can have a shot at $250k? Not likely.

Gulbis would have been the twentieth entrant, if not for Michelle Wie's special exemption. Annika Sorenstam recently turned down a special invitation given to an active World Golf Hall of Fame member (and five-time winner of this event) because she didn't want to take a spot from a deserving golfer.

Hopefully, Michelle Wie will not disappoint, but, as Barry mentions when asked about his thoughts on the teenager, his answer is always the same. "Want to see Michelle Wie's name on top of the leaderboard? Just flip it upside down!"

Other features in this week's Golf for Beginners podcast include golf tips from the latest Golf Digest magazine. We talk about Bobby Clampett's basics which include achieving proper impact and taking a divot. Barry also discusses his round and how tips from last week's podcast helped reduce the amount lost in his weekly Nassau.

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Wie flops again: new excuses needed for British Open, links golf tips and correct grip pressure

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A lower back injury two months ago forced Natalie Gulbis to reassess her golf swing. She had to take a month off and change her posture to compensate for the strain. Michelle Wie's wrist accident has forced her into a rehabilitative state which has, unfortunately, cost her more than a few cuts at inopportune times. This trauma has also changed the public's perception of the girl once considered to be the LPGA's answer to Tiger Woods.

Natalie Gulbis stepped up and was ressurrected at the Evian Masters this weekend, becoming a first-time Rolex winner. Michelle Wie is still struggling to compete aptly although finally making a cut after a year's worth of trials and tribulations. Two injuries with two separate and distinct outcomes. One golfer became a winner due to her injury, the other becomes more frustrated over time.

This week Golf for Beginners discusses Michelle Wie's uneasy level of comfort. How can she play well for two days with an injured wrist and then falter during the final two days? We don't believe her problems are totally related to her injury anymore but rather becoming a psychological issue, the battle to win rather than just compete.

Next stop for the LPGA (and Michelle Wie) is St. Andrews G.C. for the Ricoh Women's British Open. The Old Course is considered by some to be the "home of golf" and a links-style course, completely different than the parklike grounds of the Evian Masters Golf Club in France. This challenge will certainly prove the mettle of all the women on tour.

As Tiger Woods has stated before, "To win at St. Andrews is the ultimate."

We also give you a golf tip on how to keep your grip comfortable on the club during a trying round of golf. Grip is probably the one aspect of "G.A.S.P" that can save, or ruin, a round of golf!

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