Eun-Hee Ji got her first win on the LPGA Tour with a come-from-behind, two-stroke victory over Suzann Pettersen at the Wegmans LPGA on Sunday. The South Korean shot a 5-under 67 to finish at 16-under 272 at the tricky Locust Hill course. A 22-year-old in her second year on the tour, Ji had a previous best finish of second to Pettersen in South Korea in October in the Kolon Championship. Pettersen shot a 72 and surrendered a three-stroke lead on a sunny, 75-degree day. Ji got in front for the first time with a 7-foot birdie putt on No. 15, where Pettersen missed a 5-footer for par.

Cristie Kerr (69), preparing for her title defense in the U.S. Women’s Open, finished fifth at 11 under, two ahead of top-ranked Lorena Ochoa (69), Christina Kim (68), Japan’s Ai Miyazato (72) and South Korean Inbee Park (74). Ochoa, a six-time winner this year, won in Rochester in 2005 and 2007. With $2 million in season earnings, she extended her lead over Annika Sorenstam (69) to more than a half-million dollars. The Swede, who finished at 2 under in a tie for 33rd, is stepping away from the tour at the end of the season. Michelle Wie closed with a 68 to tie for 24th at 4 under.

Ji already had ties for fourth and ninth this year and earned $300,000 in the $2 million tournament to surge from 42nd to 10th on the money list with $471,413. In just four events last year, she also earned a tie for fifth at the Women’s British Open. She took up golf at age 13 and won the Korea Women’s Amateur Championship in 2003.

Pettersen’s three-shot lead dissolved over the first three holes. Ji opened with a 12-foot birdie putt and Pettersen bogeyed No. 2, her approach shot obstructed by a tree. Ji deftly chipped in from the back fringe on No. 3 to draw level. Pettersen’s chip to 3 feet from thick rough in front of the par-5 eighth got her two ahead again. She restored her three-stroke cushion when she sank a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 11 and Ji missed from 5 feet on the next hole. The momentum swung back when Ji made a 30-foot birdie on No. 13 and Pettersen drove into the left rough and failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker. After Ji moved into the lead at No. 15, both players birdied the par-5 17th. Ji extended her lead to two with a tap-in on the final green after Pettersen missed from 5 feet for par.

Tags: WOMEN AND GOLF by Jenn
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In a round of golf, 70% of your shots are hit from 120 yards or closer. Every one who plays golf does not possess the physical ability to hit 250 yard drives, but does have the ability to hit the ball 120 yards. To be a good short game player you must practice. Unlike the full swing, the short game is more artistry than mechanics. The object is to get the ball in the hole in the least number of strokes, not to look pretty doing it. The short game includes pitching, chipping, bunker play and putting.

Chipping and Pitching: Many golfers confuse chipping and pitching as the same. They are not. Pitching has more air time than ground time; a chip has less air time than ground time. Many players use one or the other all the time.

When should you chip or pitch? A chip should be used when the ball is near the green but cannot be putted. The pitch is used when you have to loft a ball over a bunker, or the grass is too deep to chip it out. A mistake many players have is that they always chip with the same club. Vary your club selection depending on the distance of the chip.

Remember your wrist rite, you can use it to improve every part of your game. Visit us at Kikogolf

Tags: GENERAL GOLF TOPICS by Jenn
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The announcement that Tiger Woods would miss the remainder of the 2008 golf season sent shock waves around the golf world. Tournament officials, media analysts and sports pundits from around the globe spent all day Wednesday trying to assess the impact of the stunning news.

Woods was last seen in public late Monday afternoon walking with a pronounced limp across Torrey Pines toward the parking lot, the U.S. Open trophy in his arms.

Upcoming surgery makes his 14th major title even more staggering — despite the stress fractures, he managed to win a U.S. Open that required five days of flinching, grimacing and a long list of spectacular shots that have defined his career. He will miss a major for the first time in his career — the British Open next month at Royal Birkdale and the PGA Championship in August at Oakland Hills, where Woods is the two-time defending champion. Woods also will miss the Ryder Cup in September, meaning the ninth player on the U.S. standings will qualify for the team.

How will it affect interest in golf? For a short time it will hurt the viewership, listenership, and readership. But people came back to golf after Bobby Jones retired, boxing after Jack Dempsey, and baseball after Joe Dimaggio. There will always be new stars, but none of them may match the playing ability or charisma of Tiger Woods.

It is sad to see one of the worlds best players out but i think we all have to remember that golf has had quite the number of great players, although we will miss Tiger, golf goes on and it will give us a chance to see more of the less spoken names out there on the course.

Tags: GENERAL GOLF TOPICS by Jenn
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