In this week’s Stats & Stuff, Ward Clayton wraps up Yani Tseng’s performance at the RICOH Women’s British Open.
Young blood
Yani Tseng continues to pile up the “youngest to…” records. She became the youngest player, man or woman, to reach five career major titles with the RICOH Women’s British Open title. She was tied with Tom Morris Jr. at four major titles; he was age 21 when he captured his fourth consecutive British Open in 1872. Tseng accomplished the five majors feat at age 22 years, 6 months. Tiger Woods reached five career majors in 2000 at 24 years, 7 months.
Tseng will have nearly four years to become the youngest woman to win six major championships. Mickey Wright, the current record holder for youngest to six majors, won the 1961 U.S. Women’s Open, her sixth of 13 career major championships, at age 26 years, 4 months and 17 days.
Major winners 2011
The 2011 major championship winners definitely showed that the women’s game has a great future. Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, the winner of the Wegmans LPGA Championship and RICOH Women’s British Open, is 22. South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu, the winner of the U.S. Women’s Open, is even younger at age 21. Stacy Lewis, 26, won the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Tseng’s low scoring, majors records
Yani Tseng’s 16-under 272 total last week was a record score for a British Open competition held at Carnoustie, shattering the 277 mark that Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia totaled at the 2007 British Open. However, Tseng’s total didn’t challenge the record 72-hole score for a LPGA Tour major championship. Those include:
Yani Tseng has won two majors in consecutive seasons on the LPGA Tour. That is the first time that has occurred since Karrie Webb won the 2000 Kraft Nabisco and U.S. Women’s Open and 2001 LPGA Championship and U.S. Women’s Open.
The previous player to defend a major championship was Annika Sorenstam at the 2001-2002 Kraft Nabisco Championship. The only previous players to successfully defend a RICOH Women’s British Open title were Debbie Massey (1980-81) and Sherri Steinhauer (1998-99).
Futcher goes low
American Katie Futcher tied the low round of the week at the RICOH Women’s British Open with an 8-under 64 (along with Se Ri Pak and Inbee Park) during the final round. That included a back-nine, 7-under 29 with an eagle on the 14th and birdies on 10th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th. She finished tied for 14th. The nine-hole score tied the low on the LPGA Tour this year.
The low nine-hole score in LPGA history is 27, scored by the following players:
27, Jimin Kang, Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa, Bay Course, Galloway Twp., N.J., 2005 ShopRite LPGA Classic, par 35; she shot 62
27, In-Kyung Kim, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, Ohio, 2007 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger, par 34; she shot 65
27, Paula Creamer, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, Ohio, first round, 2008 Jamie Farr Owens Corning
RICOH Women’s British Open Carnoustie Golf Links Carnoustie, Scotland July 31, 2011 Final-round notes and interviews
Yani Tseng -16, Rolex Rankings No. 1 Brittany Lang -12, Rolex Rankings No. 58 Catriona Matthew -9, Rolex Rankings No. 35
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng successfully defended her title at the RICOH Women’s British Open, shooting a final-round 69 at the storied Carnoustie Golf Links to take a four-stroke victory over Brittany Lang. At 22 years, 6 months, 8 days, Tseng becomes the youngest golfer in history to win five career major titles. Tiger Woods had previously held that distinction, having won his fifth major at 24 years, 7 months.
Tseng entered Sunday’s final round trailing LET rookie Caroline Masson of Germany by two strokes. After a bogey on the opening hole dropped her to three strokes back, Tseng made a birdie on No. 3 while Masson recorded her second straight bogey to put them tied atop the leadboard at 13-under-par. A birdie on the sixth gave Tseng the outright lead for the first time in the championship and from there, she managed to hang steady while Masson faltered on the back side. Tseng book ended back-to-back bogeys on No. 12 and 13 with birdies on 11 and 14. She headed to the 18th hole with a three-shot lead and capped off her impressive victory with a birdie on the famous closing hole at Carnoustie.
It’s the first time that Tseng, who won the 2010 RICOH Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale, has been able to successfully defend a tournament title.
Prior to becoming the youngest golfer to five majors, Tseng already had the distinction of being the youngest player in LPGA history to win four majors — capturing the 2008 LPGA Championship, 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship, the 2010 RICOH Women’s British Open and the 2011 Wegmans LPGA Championship. All that’s currently lacking from Tseng’s impressive resume in major championships is a U.S. Women’s Open victory.
Youngest golfers to win five majors:
Yani Tseng ’11 Women’s British Open 22 years, 6 months
Tiger Woods ’00 PGA Championship 24 years, 7 months
Patty Berg ’43 Women’s Western Open 25 years, 4 months,
Louise Suggs ’49 U.S. Women’s Open 26 years, 18 days
Jack Nicklaus ’66 Masters 26 years, 2 months
Karrie Webb ’01 U.S. Women’s Open 26 years, 6 months
Mickey Wright ’61 LPGA Championship 26 years, 8 months
Bobby Jones ’29 U.S. Open &
Second-round leader Caroline Masson of Germany holds a two-stroke lead over Rolex Rankings No. 1 and defending champion Yani Tseng entering the final round of the 2011 RICOH Women’s British Open. Masson’s 15-under-par total of 201 is the lowest 54-hole score at the Women’s British Open since the event became a major in 2001.
Masson shot a 4-under 68 in Saturday’s third round but admitted to having a few butterflies at the beginning of her round, which was showcased by a wayward drive on No. 1 where she three-putted for bogey. Following her bogey on the opening hole, Masson displayed nerves of steel while playing in the final pairing. She had six birdies and got her score to 16-under-par before a bogey on the 18th hole cut her lead to two over Tseng heading into Sunday’s final round.
“I was quite nervous at the beginning, but I calmed down,” Masson said of her round Saturday. “It’s really, really good, of course, [to be leading] but I can’t really believe it. I’m just trying to enjoy every moment and just realize what’s happening. Yeah, it’s a strange feeling right now.”
Masson, who is a member of the Ladies European Tour (LET), played one year on the women’s golf team at Oklahoma State University and was a teammate of fellow LET member Caroline Hedwall. She has played in 10 events on the LET this season with her best finish coming at the Lalla Meryem Cup where she recorded her first career runner-up finish. Masson was 26th on the LET’s Order of Merit during her rookie season in 2010.
The 22-year-old is a native of Gladbeck, Germany, which is not far from Dusseldorf. Her father, Stefan, is a tennis coach in Germany and Masson grew up playing that sport as well as golf. Masson has worked with swing coach, Guenter Kessler, for around 10 or 11 years. Kessler is also the swing coach for fellow German golf professional Martin Kaymer.
Masson met with Kessler two weeks before the RICOH Women’s British Open and they worked on prepping her for links golf. Kessler shared some of the information with Masson that Kaymer had told him about playing in the British Open.
“He said that you really have to like links golf and accept whatever comes, whatever conditions you have, and I think that helped me quite a lot,” Masson said after Friday’s second round.
Masson is trying to become the third player since the RICOH Women’s British Open became a major in 2001 to make the event her first win. The others were Jeong Jang (2005, Royal Birkdale) and Jiyai Shin (2008, Sunningdale). Masson would also join Shin as a player who won the event as a non-member of the LPGA Tour.
Newfound territory: Masson has never led entering the final round of an LET event, let alone a major championship, and her name was unfamiliar to many of the golfers in the field before this week.
“I just asked my caddie, ‘Who’s that?’ said Tseng. “I’ve never seen her play before. I’ve never played with her. But I’m very excited for tomorrow to go out in the last group.”
Masson, who plays at the same home course in Germany as LPGA Tour member Sandra Gal, is excited about the opportunity to be paired with Tseng for the final round – especially since her goal at the b
RICOH Women’s British Open Carnoustie Golf Links Carnoustie, Scotland July 29, 2011 Second-round notes and interviews
Caroline Masson -11, Rolex Rankings No. 141 Inbee Park -10, Rolex Rankings No. 13 Meena Lee -10, Rolex Rankings No. 54 Se Ri Pak -8, Rolex Rankings No. 33 Dewi Claire Schreefel -8, Rolex Rankings No. 294 Yani Tseng -7, Rolex Rankings No. 1 Brittany Lincicome -6, Rolex Rankings No. 15 Paula Creamer -5, Rolex Rankings No. 9 Catriona Matthew -5, Rolex Rankings No. 35 Angela Stanford -4, Rolex Rankings No. 18 Michelle Wie -2, Rolex Rankings No. 14
Caroline Masson of Germany leads after two rounds of the 2011 RICOH Women’s British Open, shooting a second-round 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Rolex Rankings No. 13 Inbee Park and first-round leader Meena Lee. Masson’s 11-under-par total of 133 is the lowest 36-hole score in Women’s British Open history. Masson tallied seven birdies during her bogey-free round on the Carnoustie Golf Link’s Championship course, including one on the par-5 17th that gave her sole possession of the lead heading into the weekend.
Masson, who is a member of the Ladies European Tour (LET), played one year on the women’s golf team at Oklahoma State University and was a teammate of fellow LET member Caroline Hedwall. She has played in 10 events on the LET this season with her best finish coming at the Lalla Meryem Cup where she recorded her first career runner-up finish. Masson was 27th on the LET’s Order of Merit during her rookie season in 2010.
The 22-year-old is a native of Gladbeck, Germany, which is not far from Dusseldorf. Her father, Stefan, is a tennis coach in Germany and Masson grew up playing that sport as well as golf. Masson has worked with swing coach, Guenter Kessler, for around 10 or 11 years. Kessler is also the swing coach for fellow German golf professional Martin Kaymer.
Masson said that she couldn’t remember a time when she had led an LET event and she admitted that there will be a few butterflies when she tees off in the final group for Saturday’s third round.
“I think when you’re leading the British Open and playing in the last group you have to be nervous,” Masson said. “That’s just part of everything. But I’m confident in my game, and I just hope to play like I’ve played the last two days. I’ll just try to enjoy it and really enjoy this moment in my career. I think just go out there and have fun is the most important thing for me tomorrow.”
Record tying kind of day: Inbee Park tied her career low round by shooting an 8-under 64 on Friday. It wasn’t the only record that Park tied on Friday as she matched LPGA World Golf Halls of Fame member Se Ri Pak for the low round of the championship as both shot 64 on Friday. Their rounds of 64 also tied for the lowest second-round score since the Women’s British Open became an LPGA major in 2001. Suzann Pettersen shot an 8-under 64 in the second round of the 2001 Weetabix Women&
In this week’s Stats & Stuff, Ward Clayton talks about all things relating to the RICOH Women’s British Open.
Carnoustie for the first time
Carnoustie Golf Links will be the site of the RICOH Women’s British Open this year for the first time in the 35-year history of the tournament. Carnoustie, located on the east coast of Scotland in the town of Angus, has been the site of seven British Opens and one Senior British Open on the men’s side. Bernhard Langer won the first Senior British Open played at Carnoustie in 2010.
The best 72-hole score recorded was 277 when Padraig Harrington defeated Sergio Garcia in a playoff in 2007. Fans will remember the course as the site of Ben Hogan’s third consecutive major championship victory in 1953, Tom Watson’s first of five British Open titles in 1975 and Paul Lawrie’s playoff victory in 1999 after Jean Van de Velde made a triple-bogey seven on the par-4 finishing hole in regulation.
The RICOH Women’s British Open began in 1976, joined the LPGA Tour schedule in 1994 and became a major championship in 2001. Winners have come from the United States, England, South Africa, Spain, Japan, Australia, Sweden, South Korea, Mexico, Scotland and Taiwan. The U.S. leads with nine champions.
Future RICOH Women’s British Opens will be held as follows: 2012, Royal Liverpool (for the first time); and 2013, The Old Course at St. Andrews (for the second time). The 2012 tournament will be played in September in order not to conflict with the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.
Key Holes
Carnoustie’s par 5s may be the key holes in this week’s RICOH Women’s British Open. There are only three, none measure more than 490 yards and there will be two par 5s in the last five holes (Nos. 14 at 467 yards and 17 at 433).
Carnoustie’s names
Golf history is revealed in the nicknames given to holes at Carnoustie. Names such as Jockie’s Burn, Hogan’s Alley, South America, Southward Ho!, Spectacles, Barry Burn and Home are both descriptive and historic.
Jockie’s Burn is a water hazard on the third hole and Barry Burn is the water that snakes around the final three holes, the most famous portion which captured Jean Van de Velde on the "Home" hole, the par-4 18th, at the 1999 British Open. Hogan’s Alley is the name for the sixth hole, a par 5 where Hogan drove down the tight alleyway between bunkers and out of bounds every day in 1953 on the way to victory. It was Hogan’s only British Open appearance. "Spectacles" are the two large fairway bunkers 50 yards short of the par-5 14th green.
Yani Tseng’s record
At age 22, Yani Tseng has established a major championship record with four victories, quicker than anyone in golf’s modern era. Young Tom Morris set the all-time mark at age 21 when he captured his fourth consecutive British Open in 1872.
Tseng was 22 years, 5 months, 3 days when she won the Wegmans LPGA Championship in late June. She had already won the 2008 LPGA Championship, 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship and the 2010 RICOH Women’s British Open.
A look at some historic players and their major championship records at age 22:
Player…………….Number…………..Majors
Yani Tseng………………4……………..2008 LPGA, 2010 Kraft Nabisco, 20
Young blood
Futcher goes low
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng successfully defended her title at the RICOH Women’s British Open, shooting a final-round 69 at the storied Carnoustie Golf Links to take a four-stroke victory over Brittany Lang. At 22 years, 6 months, 8 days, Tseng becomes the youngest golfer in history to win five career major titles. Tiger Woods had previously held that distinction, having won his fifth major at 24 years, 7 months.
Carnoustie for the first time 
Yani Tseng’s record