But the USGA did the removing.
Pinehurst #2 become a bit longer on Friday -- one of the par-5s become 100 yards longer -- and it performed a good deal harder. That appeared to workout just high-quality for Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson... But perhaps Stacy Lewis shouldn't have said her Thursday spherical changed into easy.
The USGA never likes that.
In Thursday's spherical Stacy had 3 birdies. She did that once more Friday, which turned into top notch. It was the 6 bogeys that wrecked her spherical.
Meanwhile, Michelle Wie published a 2nd 2-underneath sixty eight. It wasn't the returned-to-back 65s Martin Kaymer controlled remaining week, but Michelle seemed glad just the same:
?I can?T bitch. End of the day yesterday I turned into wondering if I just did this again, that could be satisfactory. But always completing with birdies is continually incredible. It?S a grind available. It?S now not clean. Really thankful for the par putts that I made and a number of the birdie putts that I made. I can?T bitch, I?Ll take it.?And when asked about Saturday's round she said:
?I?M just going to go out there and feature amusing. I?M really thankful for the possibility that I even have. Being in contention, having the clubhouse lead for now, I?M just simply excited for the weekend. I?M surely excited that I have a risk and I?M going to have a whole lot of a laugh this weekend.?Stacy, please take note: Michelle bowed and scraped like a good little victim. She specifically said "It's a grind obtainable, it's now not smooth." Nothing about how great she played, although she did say she and her caddie managed their way around the course pretty well -- and noted that she ended up with 50-foot birdie putts as a result.
That's how you make an offering to the golf gods and their agents of vengeance, the USGA, Ms. Lewis. You don't have the best of records in the US Women's Open, so you can't afford to tick them off. Please, please make note of this for next year!
I took a short observe the leaderboard and didn't see any scores higher than sixty eight; Michelle, Lexi, and Sakura Yokomine (T7) had those. Amy Yang (T3), Catriona Matthew (T14), and Se Ri Pak (T22) published 69s, and some of players posted par 70s... But it got nasty after that.
And if the guys's Open is any indication, it'll worsen.
As you may keep in mind, the USGA declared war in the 1/3 round last week. Players claimed they had by no means seen such a lot of hard pins in a single spherical before. The survivors then located a "getable" route setup on Sunday...
At least, it might were getable if it mattered by way of then. With Martin Kaymer so far beforehand, no one ought to get enough to catch him.
But this week may be a distinctive tale. Michelle is only three strokes in advance instead of the 6 or 7 Martin enjoyed, and that could effortlessly fall away if she shoots 71 today. This foremost is a ways from over.
Unless, that is, somebody forgets to appease the golf gods -- and especially the USGA -- again. Just remember the three magic words, ladies... it's not easy.
Or if you prefer, bow and scrape. I suspect those will do as well.
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