Baby on board at Women's Mid-Am
Pregnancy doesn't slow down Austin; Solheim Cup is back; Stray Shots
Pregnancy hasn’t slowed Alexandra Austin at U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
Alexandra Austin, who is six months pregnant with her first child, continued her inspiring performance on Tuesday in the 37th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, earning two victories and a berth in the quarterfinal round at historic Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton, Mass.
Austin — a 31-year-old Virginian who is competing in her fourth U.S. Women’s Mid-Am with her husband, Josh Grove, as her caddie — matched her previous best showing in the championship, having reached quarterfinals last year at Stonewall in Pennsylvania, where she lost to eventual champion Kimberly Dinh. She will seek a spot in the semifinals on Wednesday morning against Lindsay Gahm of Louisville, Ky., who rallied to defeat 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion Judith Kyrinis, of Canada, in 19 holes on Tuesday. Kyrinis, 60, a quarterfinalist last year, was seeking to become the oldest U.S. Women’s Mid-Am champion by eight years.
A relatively carefree attitude seems to be helping Austin this week. “I’m just having fun — I feel like that’s the key to golf, to just have fun and don’t put pressure on yourself,” she said. “My feet are definitely barking. They’re hurting, but I think everyone’s are.”
No. 1 seed Jacqueline Setas, of East Lansing, Mich., also advanced to the quarterfinals, thanks to a pair of 1-up victories, with the uphill 360-yard, par-4 18th hole deciding each match. Setas, who played at Michigan State and now resides in Nashville, Tenn., made a 12-foot par putt on No. 18 to defeat Krystal Quihuis, of Pinehurst, N.C., in the Round of 32, and made a 17-foot birdie in the afternoon to complete a come-from-behind win over 2023 quarterfinalist Taryn Walker, of Prospect, Ky. Setas was 3 down to Walker through 12 holes before winning four of the last six holes.
“In the second match, I was always behind and trying to chase,” said Setas, 28, who battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2017 and was declared cancer-free one year later, following chemotherapy and radiation treatments. “I told myself I just need to make it to 18. I just kept plugging along. To make it even to 15 and 16 after being 3 down, I was happy to keep going and keep chasing.”
Awaiting Setas is 2015 champion Lauren Greenlief, the No. 8 seed, won the title in her debut and has now reached the quarterfinals in five of the past six championships.
Also advancing to the final eight on Tuesday were two-time champion Julia Potter-Bobb (2013, 2016), of Indianapolis, Ind.; Alexandra Vilatte Farret, of France; Sherry Zhong, of the People’s Republic of China; and Hana Ryskova, of Czechia. The three international players reaching the quarterfinals is a championship record. Mary Ann Hayward (formerly Lapointe), of Canada, is the only international winner of this championship, in 2005.
The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds will take place on Wednesday, with the 18-hole championship match scheduled for Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
Nelly Korda and Team USA hope to stop Solheim losing streak (Ben Jared/PGA Tour/IGF)
Solheim Cup is back and stakes are high
GAINESVILLE, Va. (LPGA) — The 19th Solheim Cup begins this week at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Two teams of 12 players representing the United States and Europe will compete over three days of match play in the biennial team competition that was last contested only a year ago. The U.S. and Europe tied 14-14 at Finca Cortesin in Andalucía, Spain, ultimately leaving the Solheim Cup in the possession of the Europeans for a third straight playing. Europe will be looking to win a fourth straight this week in Virginia, while the U.S. works to earn its first victory since 2017 at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa.
Who’s in the field this week at the Solheim Cup
2024 LPGA Tour Winners: Lauren Coughlin (CPKC Women’s Open, ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open), Nelly Korda (LPGA Drive On Championship, Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, Ford Championship, T-Mobile Match Play, Chevron Championship, Mizuho Americas Open), Lilia Vu (Meijer LPGA Classic), Rose Zhang (Cognizant Founders Cup)
2024 Ladies European Tour Winners: Lauren Coughlin, Linn Grant (Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed), Leona Maguire (Aramco Team Series London)
Rolex Ranking Top 10: No. 1 Nelly Korda, No. 2 Lilia Vu, No. 9 Rose Zhang, No. 10 Celine Boutier
Past Solheim Cup Participants:
Team USA: Allisen Corpuz (2023), Ally Ewing (2019, 2021, 2023), Megan Khang (2019, 2021, 2023), Nelly Korda (2019, 2021, 2023), Jennifer Kupcho (2021, 2023), Alison Lee (2015), Andrea Lee (2023), Lexi Thompson (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023), Lilia Vu (2023), Rose Zhang (2023)
Team Europe: Celine Boutier (2019, 2021,2023), Carlota Ciganda (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023), Linn Grant (2023), Georgia Hall (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023), Charley Hull (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023), Leona Maguire (2021, 2023), Anna Nordqvist (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023 (playing vice captain)), Emily Pedersen (2017, 2021, 2023), Madelene Sagstrom (2017, 2021, 2023), Maja Stark (2023)
2024 Solheim Cup Rookies: Lauren Coughlin (U.S.), Esther Henseleit (Europe), Sarah Schmelzel (U.S.), Albane Valenzuela (Europe)
2024 Paris Olympics Participants: Celine Boutier (France), Carlota Ciganda (Spain), Linn Grant (Sweden), Georgia Hall (Great Britain), Esther Henseleit (Germany, silver medalist), Charley Hull (Great Britain), Nelly Korda (USA), Leona Maguire (Ireland), Emily Pedersen (Denmark), Maja Stark (Sweden), Albane Valenzuela (Switzerland), Lilia Vu (USA), Rose Zhang (USA)
Solheim Cup schedule and TV
Thursday, Sept. 12
Solheim Cup Preview show: 4-6 p.m. Golf Channel
Opening Ceremonies: 4:30-5:15 p.m. NBC Digital
Friday, Sept. 13
7:05-7:41 a.m. — Foursomes (Four matches, 12-minute intervals)
12:05-12:50 p.m. — Four-ball (Four matches, 15-minute intervals)
7 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Golf Channel
Saturday, Sept. 14
7:05-7:41 a.m. – Foursomes (Four matches, 12-minute intervals)
12:05-12:50 p.m. – Four-ball (Four matches, 15-minute intervals)
7 a.m.–3 p.m. Golf Channel; 3–6 p.m. NBC/Peacock; 6–6:30 p.m. Golf Channel
Sunday, Sept. 15
8:50-10:40 a.m. — Singles (12 matches, 12-minute intervals)
8:45 a.m.–12 p.m. Golf Channel; 12–3 p.m. NBC/Peacock
Closing ceremony: 3–4 p.m. Golf Channel
Stray Shots: New idea and applied pressure
By Peter Kaufman
1. FedEx Cup redux. We are trying to be helpful, not critical, but the fact remains that the latest incarnation of the FedEx Cup is really quite unappealing.
There were 2.7 million viewers two weeks ago for the final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake. That’s a 13-percent decline from the 3.1 million viewers in 2023 when Viktor Hovland won.
There is a real problem here. Even 2024 winner Scottie Scheffler complains about the format. But perhaps there is a simple fix, a much better way to skin this particular cat. Assume, for illustrations sake, a $10 million starting pot. And just play a garden-variety format — no staggered starting strokes or anything out of the ordinary.
It’s the whacking up of the starting $10 million pot that is our new wrinkle. Depending on what a player’s total FedEx Cup points were through the BMW Championship, then a lodestar multiplier determines what money is earned at East Lake. The higher your point total going into East Lake, the relative higher multiplier you receive to determine how much you earn.
If the leader in points going into East Lake is awarded a 4 multiplier, second has a 3.5 multiplier and on down through the 30th qualifier. From the $10 million pot, say the winner earns $3 million for first place. If the winner was second in points and had a multiplier of 3.5, then he takes home $10.5 million total bonus.
It’s why the $10 million is only the starting pot. But with the money the PGA Tour is throwing around today, and presumably with FedEx appetite for a successful and popular venture, if this concept has legs the money will follow it.
This would also strongly encourage players not to skip the first two FedEx Cup tournaments so that they can max out their points. It really does put an emphasis on “the season-long race to the FedEx Cup.” And it allows viewers and fans to watch and enjoy a familiar and desired tournament format.
Because change needs to come. No one is really happy now.
2. The Odd Couple. Rory McIlroy and PGA tour commissioner Jay Monahan have really come full circle. A couple years ago they were the Anti-LIV Bros, vocally, visibly and righteously so. Now? Not only is Rory public with his desire for making a deal with PIF to unify with LIV, but in past few days he has gone farther — embracing and endorsing a made-for-TV event pitting Rory and Scottie vs Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.
It strains credulity to think that McIlroy has publicly embraced it ahead of the tour endorsing this match in order to pressure the commisioner to agree not to stand in the way. The Rory-Jay bromance feels beyond over and done.
I don’t generally love made-for-TV events, but this one looks delicious. LIV stars vs. PGA Tour stars. Brooks and Bryson as match teammates! And the wattage of Rory and Scottie. Who came up with this idea (under the circumstances it’s brilliant)? Who will sponsor it?
In a real sense, it’s a tease that underscores how much we miss seeing the LIV “villains” more times than four majors a year. But maybe this might both be fun and also help goose along the now interminable deal negotiations.