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Tag: British Open

  • Stacy Lewis Defends Women’s British Open

    Stacy Lewis Defends Women’s British Open

    Stacy Lewis, the 29-year-old Texan who reclaimed her rank as number one in the Women’s World Golf Rankings in June, defends the Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale this week.

    Commenting on a field that had been dominated by South Koreans over the past few years, and on a friendly rivalry with Michelle Wie, Lewis said, “You look at the first half of this year and see how many Americans have won and there’s definitely been a switch.”

    Lewis added, “I think from the Solheim Cup [defeat] we have all been motivated and we’re finally answering the question ‘where are the Americans?’ It’s great to see and I think it’s a great thing for the LPGA Tour.”

    Wie agreed, saying, “We got our butts kicked at the Solheim but now we have some great momentum.” Wie beat Lewis at the Women’s U.S. Open by two shots last month. Lewis later revealed that Wie is “kind of a klutz,” adding that “a lot of people don’t understand what a dork she is. She’s awkward, and that’s part of her charm.”

    Despite her loss at the Women’s Open, Lewis was able to retain her world no. 1 ranking after her win at the LPGA NW Arkansas Championship. Lewis commented, “Coming off of last week where I was so close and to come here and to win, it’s really nice to just have that going into the British (Open) in two weeks. I don’t know what it is about these final rounds, I love getting in the heat of the battle the last day and making some birdies.”

    Here are some LPGA NW Arkansas Championship highlights:

    Commenting on Royal Birkdale, Lewis explained, “It is strange defending on a completely different course. Out here you can’t just rip it with the driver. You can get away with a lot more at St. Andrews.” Wie on the other hand is returning to the venue of her first British Open. She finished third at Birkdale as a 15-year-old in 2005.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Stacy Lewis Stays No. 1 With Win at NW Arkansas

    Stacy Lewis Stays No. 1 With Win at NW Arkansas

    Last week, LPGA No. 1 ranked golfer Stacy Lewis finished second to Michelle Wie at the US Open, losing by two shots. Despite the fact she was competing for a major golf championship last week, Lewis admitted that she was more nervous at this week’s LPGA NW Arkansas Championship. “It’s so hard to play here, it’s so much harder than people think. I can tell you I was more nervous today than I was at the U.S. Open last week, that’s just how much this place means to me,” stated Lewis.

    Why was Sunday’s final round at the NW Arkansas Championship so nerve-wracking for Lewis? Perhaps it was due to the fact that she was playing in front of her adopted home-crowd, having been a four-time All American at the University of Arkansas during her college years.

    Lewis, now age 29, fed off the adrenaline from her screaming fans to complete a come-from-behind victory on Sunday, shooting a 6-under 65 to claim her third LPGA victory of the year and retain her world No.1 ranking.

    Things were not looking so great heading into Sunday’s final round, however. Last week’s US Open winner, Michelle Wie, was ahead of the pack and looking confident once again. However, struggles on the first two holes and a three-putt bogey at the ninth left Wie with a 2-over 73 for the day, finishing tied for eighth place.

    “Coming off of last week where I was so close and to come here and to win, it’s really nice to just have that going into the British (Open in two weeks). I don’t know what it is about these final rounds, I love getting in the heat of the battle the last day and making some birdies,” Lewis remarked.

    Down the stretch, Lewis’s birdie-making abilities held true as she was able to birdied three of the last four holes, finally taking a one-stroke lead after a seven-foot birdie on the 18th.

    “This place just means so much to me. So, to win here, it’s just crazy how far I’ve come … It’s just really, really special to win here,” stated Lewis.

    Lewis hopes to keep her 2014 momentum as she heads to the British Open in two weeks.

    Image via Twitter

  • Golfer Smashes $80,000 ESPN Camera with Errant Shot at British Open

    I’m actually surprised that this doesn’t happen more often – especially considering the choppy conditions that a tournament like the British Open is known for. But anyway, it happened. A professional golfer shattered a super-expensive HD camera with a shot out of the tall grass at Muirfield.

    It was Thomas Bjorn, whose errant shot that cracked the lens of the $80,000 camera was only the first disaster to befall the golfer on hole #1. He ended the hole with a double bogey.

    Trey Wingo provides us with a close up of the damage:

    ESPN’s David Scott confirms that the camera is back up and running:

    Fore!

  • British Open Pairings, Tee Times Announced

    Tee times and pairings for the first two rounds of the 142nd British Open have been announced. 2013 U.S. Open winner Justin Rose has been placed in group 15 (tee time: 9:11 BST) alongside 2012 British Open winner Ernie Els, and Brandt Snedeker, who won the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am back in February. Perennial major contender and tabloid favorite Tiger Woods is in group 44 with Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen, and will tee off at 2:45 BST. Masters winner Adam Scott will tee off at 2:12 BST with Matt Kuchar and Luke Donald.

    The full list of tee times can be found on the Open’s website.

    Woods, who has won the Open three times, has not won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open. However, Woods has stated that he is feeling confident and that a recent elbow injury will not affect his performance in the Open.

    “It’s one of the best venues,” said Woods in a pre-tournament press conference. “I mean, you have to hit the ball well here. You have to be able to shape your shots. It’s no coincidence that so many hall of famers have won here. It’s a bit like Merion in that respect. You have to be a good ball striker. You have to be able to shape it both ways and really control your shots. It’s not like St Andrews or Troon where it’s straight out and straight back. You’re playing almost in a kind of circle. You’ve got so many different angles and so many different winds. You have to be able to maneuver it both ways.”