Jiyai: 18 GIR En Route To Five Shot Lead

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There are a lot of great accomplishments in golf, but hitting all 18 greens in regulation has always been one of the more underappreciated feats to me. Especially doing it in a major and on a tough links, as Jiyai Shin did while firing 64 and, according to this unbylined AP story, opening up a 5-shot lead heading into Sunday's Ricoh Women's British Open final round.

The nine-time LPGA Tour winner hit all 18 greens in regulation and needed only 28 putts. The 64 is the lowest round in competition at Royal Liverpool, breaking the mark of 65 set by four players in the 2006 Open Championship.

"A bogey-free day and then bunker-free, too, so that was probably the best round I have ever played in a major," Shin said. "So that is a good thing, today's golf. I missed just one fairway. And on the back nine, it's blowing very strong wind, but I just stay focused on my tempo and my timing with my driver and shots."

South Korea's Inbee Park was second after a 68. She played alongside Shin.

The LPGA's second round notes. Inbee Park lurks at -4 and amateur sensation Lydia Ko is eight shots back.

Remember, ESPN2 added two hours of coverage so their telecast comes on at 9 am ET in the States. And Andy North is announcing, so you can't say you weren't warned.

ESPN2 Adds Coverage For Women's Open 36-Hole Finish

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For Immediate Release...

Due to the cancellation of today’s second round of the Ricoh Women’s British Open because of high winds, and the revised schedule that calls for 36 holes of golf on Sunday, two hours have been added to the telecast of the final day on Sunday on ESPN2, ESPN3 and WatchESPN.
 
Originally scheduled to air from 9 a.m. – noon ET, ESPN2 and ESPN3’s coverage will now air until 2 p.m. from the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, Liverpool, England. Coverage of Saturday’s play airs from 9 a.m. – noon, and one hour of final-round highlights will air on ABC at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

At This Rate, Davis Love May Need A Bigger Bulletin Board For The Ryder Cup Team Room

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Last bit of fun from the Golf Channel/NBC conference call to hype the Ryder Cup, were these comments related to captains and their decisions.

First, before the fun related to the U.S. team, David Feherty about the importance of the Ryder Cup to Euros and reminding us who Captain Faldo did not pick in 2008 and perhaps, why Captain Faldo did not make the pick.

DAVID FEHERTY:  They tend to put a lot more weight on a player's Ryder Cup for the record.  For instance, Colin Montgomerie is the greatest Ryder Cup player of all time.  Something really put the tilt in his kilt; you know, every time he put his Ryder Cup spikes on, he turned into just virtually an unbeatable player.  If Nick Faldo had picked him, you know, for his team, he probably would have gone past Nick Faldo's record of the most points ever won in Ryder Cup.

And Brandel Chamblee, talking about American captains and their lack of consistency which does make sense.

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE:  I think that in general, the captains for the U.S. side make mistakes.  They consistently switch up the pairings and the players.

For example, Tiger Woods played with three different partners in 2002.  I believe Jim Furyk played with three different partners in 2002, as well, and consistently the U.S. Team does that.  Whereas The Ryder Cup captains tend to find teams, and whether they have success early or they have failures early, they pretty much stick with those teams throughout The Ryder Cup, and it's worked for them.

And us switching, hasn't worked for us.  Paul Azinger I think gave the captaincy its proper due by studying the techniques of The Ryder Cup captains from Europe and employing those.  He played Mickelson with only two partners, Kim, until Mahan on Saturday.  He played Furyk with Perry.  He played Mahan with Leonard.  And I think that ‑‑ well, it obviously worked for him.
   
I think that that's the larger part of the problem, and it's not just a four‑ball that we are getting trapped in.  We also get trapped in the foursomes.  But we get trapped worse in the four‑ball.  I thought it was interesting that Paul Azinger made the decision to not open up with four‑balls for the first time since, I believe, going back to the 80s on U.S. soil.
   
So Davis Love has followed suit.  He's opening up with foursomes.  I think the U.S. side is getting let down by Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, certainly Jim Furyk.  Tiger Woods, I think it's for a different reason.  I think he just intimidates everybody that he plays with.
   
And I think he'll be different this time and I think Phil Mickelson will be different this time.  But I still wouldn't pair Phil Mickelson in the foursomes; I certainly would not pair him in the foursomes the first day because it hurts the morale.  And I would be very careful about pairing Jim Furyk and who I paired him with.

I think an assistant captain better plan on heading to Staples to pick up some pins and cork boards. We're still two weeks away and already we've got a nice stockpile of potential motivation material for the apparently hapless American squad.

Breaking: Poulter Taking Delivery On "Tailor Made"...Ferrari

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An unbylined report reveals the emotional news that Ian Poulter will finally be taking delivery on his Ferrari Tailor Made, part of "the ultimate automotive personalisation programme" and to help fill a hole in his garage that already includes, according to the story, a Ford GT, a Bentley Continental GT, and a Ferrari California.

The world's 25th-ranked golfer, who is renowned in the sport's circles for his unique personal dress sense and who has his own clothing company, IJP Design, chose a triple-layer paint for the exterior in ''Sabbia'', a pearlescent white.

And excessive hair gel absorbing head rests?

Inside, the Ferrari FF is trimmed in black Poltrona Frau Leather with highlights trimmed in the Tartan cloths that the golfer has made a personal trademark in his own fashion lines.

Red highlights are used on dashboard and instruments.

Why not blond highlights? Oh his are natural, I keep forgetting!