Golf with Shanks - Latest Comments on Crowd Favorites Natalie Gulbis and Darren Clarke Can't Finish

Shanks [Member] in response to: Crowd Favorites Natalie Gulbis and Darren Clarke Can't Finish

Shanks [Member] — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 14:32:30 +0000

In your hypothetical case, there would be a little cause for concern about the finish, depending on how the hypothetical bogies were made. But I would still have to give a lot of credit for the good overall play.

Ronnie [Visitor] in response to: Crowd Favorites Natalie Gulbis and Darren Clarke Can't Finish

Ronnie [Visitor] — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 02:35:19 +0000

What you are saying is fine, but suppose she had 2 more birdies on the front 9 and had bogeyed the last 2 holes, she still would have tied the best score of the tournament.

Shanks [Member] in response to: Crowd Favorites Natalie Gulbis and Darren Clarke Can't Finish

Shanks [Member] — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 17:15:59 +0000

As I have said previously, I cannot find ANY fault in a player who starts the final round tied for the lead, plays in the final pairing and shoots the lowest round of the tournament. That means no one in the entire field bettered her Sunday 18 hole score on any of the 4 days. Also, there was no evidence of choking where it woulkd show up the most - no weak putts, no putts hit way too hard, no 3-putts. It's one thing to make ugly bogeys, it's quite another to play very solid golf and just not be able to make one more birdie.

If anybody has a problem with that, I think their criteria for success is ridiculous.

Ronnie [Visitor] in response to: Crowd Favorites Natalie Gulbis and Darren Clarke Can't Finish

Ronnie [Visitor] — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 16:59:42 +0000

Shanks,
That same excuse is used for Michelle Wie. Burning the edges.
In a couple of recent events Michelle did miss some close putts, but she didn't miss any at the US Open, and there were other events where she didn't miss any short putts, but she just burned the edges with some of her mid length putts.

Those putts have to be made to win. Neither Natalie or Michelle has made those putts.

Paula's form hasn't been great lately but she has proved that she can handle the pressure and make those putts when they count. Paula can close the deal.

Natalie and Michelle don't get any extra points for lipping out, they just get an extra stroke added to their scores.

Also, if they hit it in the middle of the hole, it wouldn't be lipping out, would it.

Shanks [Member] in response to: Crowd Favorites Natalie Gulbis and Darren Clarke Can't Finish

Shanks [Member] — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 19:06:54 +0000

Creamer played very well as did Kim. I disagree whole-heartedly that Gulbis didn't cope with the lead very well. She played very solid golf on the back nine but just couldn't make one extra birdie putt. Her birdie misses were all edge-burners or lip-outs. She made all of her testy 3-5 footers for pars right in the middle.

Ronnie [Visitor] in response to: Crowd Favorites Natalie Gulbis and Darren Clarke Can't Finish

Ronnie [Visitor] — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 18:54:50 +0000

Paula Creamers round was the best because she had the best finish to the round.

Also, Shanks is on about Natalie tieing the best round of the tournamnet, but didn't Mi Hyun Kim and Paula Creamer both do the exact same thing.

They all shot 65s. The difference is that Mi and Paula finished strong.

Paula was -4 in the last 5 holes, whereas Natalie was level par.

Paula was doing the job, and Natalie was just trying to hang on.
Credit to Natalie for building the lead, but she didn't cope with the lead very well.

Shanks [Member] in response to: Crowd Favorites Natalie Gulbis and Darren Clarke Can't Finish

Shanks [Member] — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 14:44:15 +0000

If you go back and look at my blogs, you'll see that I noted Annika's slip in performance.

The no-bogey final round that Gulbis shot tied the low score for the entire 4 rounds. That means that nobody in the field played a better round. And she did it under the most pressure possible. If anybody does that on Sunday, I'm sorry, but it just can't be criticized, not by me.

Jim COULTHARD [Visitor] in response to: Crowd Favorites Natalie Gulbis and Darren Clarke Can't Finish

Jim COULTHARD [Visitor] — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 23:35:08 +0000

What if Phil Mickleson had started the last day at the US Open tied for the lead in the final group? Suppose he tied the low round of the day with 4 other players, but lost a 2 stroke lead in the last three holes--and then lost in a playoff, missing a 9 foot putt after his opponent sank an 18 footer.

Do you really think there would be no criticism directed Phil's way?