This blogger has never claimed to be anything but a die hard dedicated fan of the B but when she plays badly tells it like it is. Today’s round was almost extraordinary. Since December of last year she and Coach Carl have been working to get more length out of Jordan’s clubs. It has required her to change her release point thereby changing her swing. For those of you who are golf fanatics you will remember when Tiger decided to change his he could not hit the side of a barn for the better part of a year. Truly, he could not break 100. When he finally got it he won 5 majors in short order. Jordan needed to make a major change and it has been terribly painful for her but finally it is working. During her practice round on Monday she was consistently driving the ball 250-270. The average LPGA player drives it 260 to give you some perspective. It is not just her driver, it is every club in her bag. She is one to two clubs ahead of where she was. Her pitching wedge now goes as far as her 9 iron used to and maybe more. AS it is not yet totally baked, it can come and go and when it comes she hits the ball like it is coming out of a cannon. As a result, she airmailed the green on three separate holes….just totally blew by it landing the ball in very bad spots.
The best way to visualize is to think of a normal guy on one of these shows that is suddenly bestowed with a superpower. You know, the first few times he tries to fly he just falls out of the sky or flies cockeyed or crashes into the side of a building. Thats was what it was like watching Jordan play today. Moments of absolute brilliance interspersed with a total mess. She ended up shooting 6 over and is in 55th place out of the 72 contestants. The cut line is currently projected at +1 so she will have to shoot perfection tomorrow to advance but still, this was a very important tournament for her development regardless. She is getting comfortable with what will be the most important change in her game since she started and vital for her to get to the next level.
Hole one, a par 4 started with an unplayable ball on the drive. She was able to find it, but had to drop as it was out of bounds and under a bush. She ended the hole with a double. Hole two, a par 5 she parred. Hole 3 she saved par with a 5 foot putt. Hole 4, a par 3 she missed the green then 3 putted for a second double. She was +4 through 4. 5, a par 4 she was on the color on the second shot and hit it with her putter from 15 feet and sunk it for 🐥. +3 through 5. Six, a par three she missed the green and ended up with another bogey, back to plus 4 after 6…..
Then the magic started. 7 she missed the green on her second shot but chipped to 6 inches for a tap in par. 8, a par 4 she saved par with a 20 foot putt (a big thank you for the team at Bettinardi for her incredible new putter). 9, a par 5 would be her second 🐥. 10, a par 4 was another par, still +3 through 10. 11, a par 4 an incredible 2 putt from 40 feet. 12 was another par 3 that rolled 15 feet past the pin before a fantastic 2 putt to save par. 13 is a 565 yard par 5. She punished the ball on the drive followed by her magic 3 wood to 50 yards. Chip rolled to 6 feet, no chore for her putter, 🐥 #3 and down to +2.
14 is a 266 dog leg par 4. She slammed it to 2 feet from the green! Had to take a pic. See below.
She chipped to 3 feet and sunk the putt for a 4th 🐥 and +1 through 14. 15 a par 3 she drove into the green-side bunker. The bunkers here are brutal. See pic below..
She got out but it rolled 10 feet past the hole. She would 2 putt for bogey, back to plus 2. 16 is a long par 5. Ball rolled over the hole for what would have been a birdie but had to settle for a par. Still plus 2. Then came 17 where she metaphorically fell out of the sky….
Drive was 260 plus, second shot 132 into the wind and uphill. She hit a 9 iron with trepidation that she would come up short. Instead, she flew the green (a big fat one) lands on the other side of cart path under a bush 160 yards from takeoff. The superpower came full on at the worst possible time. There is no shot from under the bush. There was nowhere to move it laterally and take an unplayable because behind was nothing but more bush, dirt and cactus. She had to take the shot which popped out on to the cart path and rolled to a stop in another unplayable spot. She hit from there and it went two feet. Then she stubbed one that still did not reach the green. The sixth shot finally got on the green but went nowhere. Two putts later she finally sunk it for a quad. In one hole she went from being on the cut line to 4 strokes away. She parred 18 to end the round. Below are pics from where the bionic 9 iron blew up her day.
Well, there you have it. 50 texts from her fans that were following today asking the same question. “What Happened? Now you know.
We certainly have been cooking and eating well in this great spot we have rented:
Final Instructions before T off
B’s cart. The girl she was riding with was in the US Open last week. VERY talented field. Brutal course to walk. Extremely hilly and hot. Spectators were beaten. Players smiling.
B’s amazing new putter
The T markers
Tomorrow is another day. T time is 12:20
Today it was 74 degrees at 630 when B got to the course and 101 when the round ended at 12. Tomorrow it will be 102 when she tees off and rise to 108 by the time she is done. Really tough conditions for sure. She has a tough hill to climb to make the cut but she has come back from worse and is certainly capable. When she finally masters her new superpower it will be an entirely fresh chapter for her.
Thats all for now. Today all of the texts and emails reminded us that we have the most incredible support system. We are humbled by your interest and truly grateful for the love and the friendship. CU
Tyrannosaurus B 