Angela Stanford on Thursday on the 18th gap at Hoakalei Nation Membership.
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Bumpy.
That’s the phrase Angela Stanford used to characterize her three-bogey-over-five-hole stretch, and if anybody is aware of ups and downs, twists and turns, it’s unquestionably Stanford, who’s clocked in for 23 years as an expert; received seven occasions, together with a serious; and made a whopping 98-straight main begins, a mark no different LPGA professional has achieved. This 12 months, although, was to be the 46-year-old’s final, and this week’s event, the Lotte Championship, could possibly be her finale.
However issues couldn’t presumably finish like this, proper? It couldn’t finish with a missed minimize that was now very a lot in play.
It couldn’t finish bumpy.
“I simply need to play,” she mentioned. “Like that’s my total profession I simply need to play.
“I hate lacking cuts. I’ve simply all the time hated lacking cuts. I acquired form of annoyed on the again as a result of I’m like, no, I need to play.”
So she did, extremely so.
Throughout Thursday’s second spherical at Hoakalei Nation Membership, she birdied 14. “I simply informed myself, simply get again to fundamentals,” Stanford mentioned. “Do what you’re presupposed to do together with your placing stroke and simply roll the ball. That was truly a extremely good putt.”
She parred 15, narrowly. “Fifteen was a great putt,” she mentioned. “Lipped out.” However she birdied 16 — “nice shot in, made an excellent putt” — and was now one stroke off the projected minimize.
She parred 17. On to the par-5 18th.
What was she considering?
“I’m like I simply acquired to provide myself an opportunity,” Stanford mentioned. “Thought of Mike Wright, one among my former instructors, on the tee. Simply launch it off 18.
“And thought of my present teacher, Todd Kolb, on that chip shot.”
Yeah, that chip shot. After two pictures, Stanford discovered herself with one, from about 25 yards off the inexperienced. She swung, it bounced 4 occasions, it rolled in. Eagle.
Weekend.
“Effectively, I mentioned to my caddie strolling up, I mentioned, effectively, it’s in all probability good it’s within the grass and never a bunker since you’ve seen my bunker recreation,” Stanford joked.
“However then I believe it was like 20 yards to get it on the inexperienced. I simply informed myself, I’ve hit this shot a lot of occasions. Simply keep — my factor there’s, simply keep left. Hold your weight left and simply hit a great shot. I’m shocked it went in. Simply I believe that was simply gratitude that I get to play two extra days. Like that’s all I actually need to do. That’s the place my ardour is. I’m excited to get to play two extra.”
After the chip-in, she raised her arms. She high-fived her caddie. She regarded upward. In March, her mother, Nan Stanford, died, and on a video posted to Instagram later Thursday, she credited her. “I assumed I needed to birdie, and, uh, the nice Lord gave me an eagle,” she mentioned. “Thanks, mother.”
There’s extra right here. On Friday, through the third spherical, Stanford shot a three-under 69, and Beth Ann Nichols, the esteemed golf author from Golfweek, estimated forward of the week {that a} tie for twelfth after Saturday’s closing spherical may get her into subsequent week’s event, the Annika.
Easy.
Very unbumpy.
“Yeah, you’ll be able to’t end within the prime 10 should you don’t play the weekend, so I needed to get that half first,” Stanford mentioned.
“So something can occur out right here. The chief, I believe, is at nine-under. I imply, that’s rather a lot. You realize, I’ll simply chip away at it the following two days and see what occurs.”
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