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  • 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

  • Michelle Wie is Now a Women’s Open Champion

    Michelle Wie is the biggest name in golf right now, as Michelle just won the Women’s Open, her first major US tournament, earlier last month. “Oh my God, I can’t even think straight,” Wie said after her two-shot victory over champion Stacy Lewis.

    Wie has been a prominent name in golf since she was only thirteen years old and played as a major. Her popularity grew when she competed with the men in the PGA tour while still in high school. Now Wie is a Stanford graduate and Women’s Open champion. She won her first two minor tournaments while maintaining a 3.0 GPA at Stanford. In 2012, Michelle graduated and became a full-fledged professional, award-winning golfer.

    But it wasn’t without its ups and downs, as Michelle missed out on much of her teenage years. “I think the fact that I struggled so much, the fact that I kind of went through a hard period of my life, the fact that this trophy is right next to me, it means so much more to me than it ever would have when I was 15. I feel extremely lucky.”

    “Whatever it is, Michelle has it,” says Meg Mallon, Wie’s mentor and two-time U.S. Women’s Open champ. “People can’t take their eyes off her. Every sport needs that, and Michelle is it for women’s golf.”

    Michelle also has a fun, goofy personality, that makes her instantly likable, to fans and fellow golfers as well. “She’s kind of a klutz,” says Stacy Lewis, Michelle’s fiercest competitor yet best friend. “A lot of people don’t understand what a dork she is. She’s awkward, and that’s part of her charm.”

    Congratulations to Michelle on her ground-breaking success and her bright golfing future ahead!

    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

  • Michelle Wie Wins U.S. Women’s Open

    Michelle Wie Wins U.S. Women’s Open

    Michelle Wie proves herself once again as one of the world’s best players in the LPGA. Sunday’s win at the U.S. Women’s Open was her fourth on the LPGA tour and her second of the year.

    Wie, 24, rose to fame a decade ago when she almost made the cut against the men in a PGA Tour event. She drew criticism for trying to challenge in men’s events. That was before she had even proven that she could be a winner against the world’s top women.

    Now, she has solidified that proof, and Michelle Wie couldn’t be happier about her victory over world number one Stacy Lewis. When she sunk a magnificent 18-foot birdie putt (which she described as the putt of her life), parring the last to secure victory at two-under 278, she raised her hand to her mouth in a gesture of disbelief before breaking into a radiant smile.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nF0u9OBrBQ

    “I’m just unbelievably happy,” she told reporters after her win. “I’m so honored to have my name on the trophy, just so grateful for everything.”

    Her victory was almost not meant to be, however. In a tense few minutes on the 16th hole where she double-bogeyed after a poor second shot and almost lost her ball in the grass. Those two minutes looking for her ball turned her stomach.

    “I definitely gave myself a heart attack when I couldn’t find that ball,” she said.

    “I was stressing out for sure. I also left myself a hefty double bogey putt. All you can do at that point is laugh. I joked with my caddie we really like to make things difficult for ourselves.”

    But in the end, Wie pulled it out to win the U.S. Women’s Open and solidify herself as a true golf heroine in the eyes of herself and her fans.

    “Obviously there are moments of doubt in there but I had so many people surrounding me… That’s what pushed me forward,” she said.

    Congratulations to Michelle Wie!

    Image via YouTube

  • Michelle Wie Worked Hard To Win U.S. Women’s Open

    Michelle Wie, 24, won the 69th U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday, but the win came with challenges, as any professional golf player would know.

    Wie overcame a double-bogey 6 on the 70th hole but was able to hold on, finishing with a two-stroke victory over No. 1 ranked Stacey Lewis. Wie almost lost her ball on the 16th hole, but was back in the game with a birdie on the 17th hole.

    “Oh my God, I can’t even think straight. I’m just unbelievably happy. I’m so honored to have my name on the trophy,” Wie said.

    Wie has been using a unique table-top putting stance since last year and her technique worked well this year, as she never did a three-putt in the entire tournament. She had 25 one-putts.

     

    Wie became a professional golfer before her 16th birthday. She became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship at age 10. Sunday’s win was one that she had been waiting for ever since she turned pro.

    “Life is just so ironic,” Wie said after her win. She said that going through hardships made her appreciate her win even more. “I think the fact that I struggled so much, the fact that I kind of went through a hard period in my life, the fact that this trophy is right next to me, it means so much more to me than it ever would have when I was 15,” she said.

    Lewis said that she is happy for Wie. She said that Wie put a lot of effort into the game and she wasn’t surprised that Wie was able to win.

    Wie’s parents were present on Sunday, and she is grateful that they have always been there to support her.

    Wie’s coach David Leadbetter said that she is smiling again, as she loves the game. “She likes where she’s at on and off the golf course. She works so hard. Through everything, she continued to work hard.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Lucy Li: 11-Year-Old Golfer Competes in U.S. Open

    How young is too young to compete on a professional level? Many people have asked themselves that question over the past couple of days. Lucy Li, just 11-years-old, looks to make the weekend cut at the U.S. Women’s Open Pinehurst No. 2. She is the youngest qualifier in U.S. Open history.

    And yes she will be competing with adult golfers, not kids.

    Li finished the first round at the biggest event in women’s golf with an 8-over 78. She will need a good score on Friday in order to become the youngest player to make the cut.

    If she’s nervous, she doesn’t act it. Li said after her first round, while enjoying some ice cream, “It was a lot of fun. I mean, it’s 8 over. It’s not bad. But I was 7 over in three holes, so that’s 1 over in 15 holes.”

    Obviously most of the attention at the tournament in North Carolina has been on Li, and she’s impressed her fellow golfers. Catherine O’Donnell who played in the same group as Li said, “She’s way better than I was expecting. I was really looking forward to it. I was interested to see how she was going to play. It was like playing with another pro. She’s a joy to play with too.”

    Li seems to have a healthy attitude towards competition. She says it was her idea to play in the tournament. “I didn’t care if I qualified or not. I just wanted the experience.”

    Some of the LPGA mainstays don’t think that it’s a big deal for Li to compete in the tournament, while others definitely don’t feel that it’s appropriate. Stacy Lewis, who is currently the number one ranked player in the world, didn’t turn pro until she was 22-years-old. “I’m not a big fan of it,” Lewis said of Li participating in the tournament. “She qualified, so we can’t say anything about that. You qualify for an Open, it’s a great thing. I just like to see kids be successful at every level before they come out here. I would like to maybe see her play some U.S. Ams, play the Pub Links and get into match play, where you have some experience. I just like to see kids learn how to win before they come get beat up out here.”

    Stacy Lewis led all golfers after one round of play. However, Michelle Wie currently sits on top of the leader board.

    What do you think? Is 11-years-old too young to play at the U.S. Open?

    Image via YouTube Screenshot

  • Stacy Lewis Cruises To Easy LPGA Victory on Sunday

    It wasn’t even close. Stacy Lewis cruised to an easy victory on Sunday by shooting seven-under par 64 at the North Texas Shootout. The six-shot win over runner-up Meena Lee from South Korea gave Lewis her ninth LPGA tour title. Lewis finished the tournament with a score of 268, 16 under par.

    It was close going into Sunday’s final day, Lee and Lewis were actually tied for the lead. However, Lewis had a birdie at 12, made par at 15, and then hit subsequent back to back birdies at 17 and 18. The clutch shots were enough to put Lewis in a comfortable lead. She said of her play, “Making par on 15 was huge. After hitting what I thought was a good tee shot and then, you know, going in the water, but still making par, I mean that just kind of summarized the day.”

    It was the largest margin of victory at an LPGA Tournament since Shin Jiyah of South Korea won the 2012 Women’s British Open by nine strokes. The victory on Sunday combined with six second place finishes in the her past 16 tourneys should move Lewis over Lydia Ko from number three in the world rankings up a spot to number two. Inbee Park, the tournament’s defending champ, finished the day tied for 14th place. The score will be good enough for the South Korean to maintain her top spot in the world rankings.

    “It’s awesome. It’s relief more than anything. I’ve been so close the last few months, you know, maybe if I win one of those, I don’t get it done here,” Lewis said. “So I think it was all meant to be. Just to be here with my family.”

    The Texas native was happy to win a hometown tournament and prove once again why she is one of the best golfers in the world, “Just to do it here at home, in front of all these fans was pretty cool.”

    American Michelle Wie finished the tournament in third place. Na Yeon Choi (69) and Kim Kauffman (70) tied for fourth at 8 under, Lexi Thompson (69), Cristie Kerr (71) and Suzann Pettersen (72) finished tied at 7 under.

    Image via Stacy Lewis, Twitter

  • Michelle Wie Shares Baby Photo: Bad Hair Day!

    Gorgeous pro-golfer Michelle Wie has not always been picture perfect, although her mama might disagree.

    The six-foot golfing beauty, who was recently named an official ambassador of the Youth Olympic Games for golf’s debut in Nanjing in 2014, posted an adorable photo of herself as a baby with some pretty wild hair going on.

    Alongside the photo was the caption, “My hair refused to come down for years…I was a baby troll #babywie #fbf”

    The 24-year-old Korean-American golfer, who started playing at the age of four, was the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship, the youngest winner of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and the youngest to qualify for a LPGA Tour event.

    The extraodinarily talented golfer credits her parents for her success and has a slew of other interests including art, writing, backing and social media. She loves shopping, exploring different types of music, hanging out with friends, enjoying college life, watching movies and finding funny clips on YouTube.

    Wie graduated from Stanford in 2012 where she received a degree in communications.

    Wie is not above picking a little fun at herself. Known for trying a variety of different putting stances to improve her stroke, she recently tweeted a photo of a very unique putting stance.

    Image via Wikimedia

  • Natalie Gulbis in 3-Way Tie at LGPA Tournament

    “It seems like a very, very long time ago. I think about it all day long, every time I go to the course…It motivates me.” – Natalie Gulbis on not winning a tournament since 2007

    The professional golf player with a penchant for also posing (and looking great) in a bikini, is currently in a three-way tie with Stacy Lewis and Michelle Wie after the third round of the LGPA Titleholders.

    According to USA TODAY, Gulbis made up for a rough start with a 7-under-65 to place her neck-to-neck with two exceptional competitors. This is exemplary considering that she has not won a tournament in over five years, and was ill with malaria and unable to practice throughout the entire first half of this year.

    Although the LGPA Titleholders prize of $700,000 is the largest in women’s golf, I’m sure that Natalie Gulbis will value taking that trophy for reasons far greater than monetary. We’ll all find out tomorrow if that victory will be hers.

    Image: Twitter