Welcome To Planet Shingo! Katayama smokes Japan PGA Championship field

…through three days, at least. Shingo the Great is currently outscoring bogies with birdies, 18-0…sounds like the Patriots. Any Giants on the first hole at Raysum Golf and Spa Resort?

Krazy Kazuhiko Hosokawa is the only chap within 8 strokes of the lead. He’ll need 8 birdies of his own added to an unforeseen collapse on Sheikh Shingo’s part. I don’t think it will happen.
The
Southern Africa PGA had a quick, three-round event this week on its Sunshine Tour. In their favor, they have great and unfamiliar names for their events. Where the USPGA tour goes banal with “open,” “classic” and “championship,” the diamond miners go au naturel with “challenge,” “origins” and “trophy.” Add to that player last names like “Aswegen” (pronunciation, please?) and it cannot be anything but fun. Back in February, Louis Oosthuizen went -28 and won by 14 sizeable strokes, on 30 birdies and an eagle for the week. Can you imagine averaging 7.5 birdies PER ROUND?

Vicky Hurst is nowhere to be found on the Futures nor LPGA tours this week. Must be graduating from high school or something. Nevertheless, there’s still good golf to be played this week with the women. With Sorenstam back in form and Lorena determined to preserve her spot as top doggette, I’m looking past them to the -3s (Kim and Kerr) to do something big on Saturday. On the Futures, M.J. Hur seems to have the game to keep up with Hurst this year. They should be two of the automatic-graduates by year’s end, although I think that Hurst will get her share of exemptions (mostly the ones previously reserved for Michelle Wie.)