LPGA US Women's Open leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/uswomensopenconductedbytheusga/leaderboard
Much is being made of the appearance of Donald Trump this week at this Old Course, at Trump National, the course he owns, and where he lives in Bedminster NJ. As he travels the globe introducing himself and his game plan to world leaders, he returns home to a "problem" even a guy with his immense ego can't solve.
While the stars and stripes fly's over his golf course, the flags of China, and South Korea, and Spain, and New Zealand, and England and Sweden and yes Canada fly over the leaderboard.
Shanshan Feng from China shot a -1 71 to reach -9 207 while South Korean amateur Hye-Jin Choi and Amy Yang are T2 tied for second at -8 in this American national championship where the South Koreans are overwhelmingly dominant.
The top six players chasing Feng are all from South Korea, the only American is in eighth place. Cristie Kerr, who is at -4. Of the top 26 players, only 6 are American and only Kerr has an outside chance. Stacy Lewis used to be #1, but she has not won since 2014, made a mess of her back nine yesterday, finishing with a 10 at the last in front of her President, leaving her at +2 and out of it.
A whopping 13 of the 26 are from South Korea. "Yes, quite a few Korean players on the top leaderboard,” said Sung Hyun Park who shot 67 to get to -6, "the course is similar to some in South Korea. I think most of them, if not all, have strong capability to play really well"
World #1, So Yeon Ryu (71), Mirim Lee (67) and Jeongeun Lee (73) are -5
Kerr, who has won the US Open is at shot 70, -4 total with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (72).
Brooke Henderson had a bogey and a birdie, out in 36, then 2 bogey's and a birdie coming home in 37, 73 and starts today at -2 under when she tees off at 1.08pm. She hit 10/14 fairways, but needed 32 putts .
Because of my Scottish heritage, I have always had an international view of what it is like to immigrate to Canada, and therefore to the USA. From abroad the USA is always viewed as the land of milk and honey. Better weather, opportunity, houses, cars, clothes,,, just everything, than you left at home.
South Koreans view it the same way, and schooled by their parents they will do whatever it takes to succeed and grab their share of the riches that abound here, and in the world of women's golf they are.
In general American born girls are just not cut from the same cloth. They weren't born with the same DNA, they don't come from the same desperation, therefore they are not as driven.
Golf has become a world wide game, the LPGA spends 6 straight week's in Asia at the end of every season. However if the game is to flourish in America where the LPGA Tour is, they need American champions to promote.
With absolutely no disrespect intended, not enough sports fans in mainstream American care about the LPGA, and certainly don't know or care if a young woman from China or South Korea or anywhere else takes their national championship, and more importantly the LPGA cannot use their win to promote their tour, especially if there is a language barrier.
Bryan Angus
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