Catching Up with the Q-Series — Winter golf tips — The best moments of the 2021 Season — Must-click women’s golf links
By Addie Parker
The IX: Golf Thursday with Addie Parker, December 9, 2021
Just because the days are getting shorter and the temperature is dropping, doesn’t mean that golf is over! Things are heating up for the LPGA Q-Series as players are battling it out to earn their membership for the 2022 season.
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For those of you who are unfamiliar with Q-school versus Q-series, I am here to help! LPGA Q-school (qualifying school) is a three-stage process to determine LPGA and Symetra Tour membership for the following year. The Q-series is the final stage of the Q-School process which will determine which 45 players will receive their playing cards.
The 2021 Q-series is happening right now in Alabama, where a total of eight rounds will be played. The first half of the series was held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Alabama, and the second half will be held at Highland Oaks Golf Club in Dothan, Alabama. The players eligible for the Q-series are players ranked 101-150 on the LPGA money list, Symetra Tour players ranked 11-30 on their money list, any player ranked in the top 75 in the world that is not a LPGA tour member, and qualifiers from stage II–making up a field of 110 players this year.
This past Sunday marked the halfway point of the ongoing two-week process, and some notable names are making their mark! Let’s take a look at some highlights from the first four rounds:
Round five starts today, be sure to follow along! A look ahead into who to watch…
I know I said there’s still golf to be played (and going to watch Tiger’s comeback next week EEEEEP) — but I’m a bit of a hypocrite. The last time I swung a golf club was exactly a month ago. Part of me is itching to get back on the course but I am also perfectly fine with being snuggled up in my favorite blanket, drinking green tea every day.
Growing up I loved using the “off season” to work on things even when I was stuck in the house!
I have two tips/drills for my winter-time grinders. An easy putting drill to practice (year round if I’m honest) is to place a penny or ball mark on the back of your putter head as you try to prevent it from falling off. In this drill, you should be able to make sure that your acceleration profile stays the same (think symmetry). Most amateurs change their acceleration on the downstroke, which causes issues, you should have the same speed at your takeaway to the ball, do not get faster as you putt.
The second drill is even easier, I even do it when I’m watching Netflix. How you hold the club is the single most important piece to any good swing. It’s the only part of your body that is actually attached to the club! So, to work on your grip, grab any club and place that same penny or ball mark in between your thumb and pointer finger and SQUEEZE. Hold that coin for at least 20 minutes…and it will feel weird. This drill helps you learn how to attach your fingers to the club properly, thus helping with the release pattern in your swing.
For more on winter golf tips, read this article from former LPGA tour player Cindy Miller!
See you next week golf fans.
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” ― Albert Camus
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This week in women’s golf
If you have any links, sources for golf news, or want to talk about anything email me at addieparker25@gmail.com!
Q-Series News:
LPGA Q-Series: Breaking down the final week of golf’s biggest grind
Q Series Midway Mark Recap and What Lies Ahead
Bouchard a Knockout at Q Series
Anita Uwadia Letting the Golf Speak for Itself in Final Push at Q-Series
Other Golf News:
2021 Newsmakers of the Year | Golf News and Tour Information | GolfDigest.com
New Equipment:
PXG announces 0311 X Gen4 driving iron
Tips:
Adjusting Your Bunker Shots For Sand Texture
How much shorter does a golf ball travel in cold weather?
Five at the IX: My Favorite Moments from the LPGA Season
After a year on pause, this golf season was one to remember. I want to share with you all my five favorite moments from the 2021 season.
This list is in no particular order (it’s too hard to decide on one favorite moment).
Nelly Korda winning olympic gold
I’ve been obsessed with the Summer Olympics for as long as I can remember. In 2016, I was stoked to see golf being added back (it had a brief stint in the early 20th century) to the games. Nelly Korda’s gold medal performance was remarkable to watch and it was cool to see the States on top of the podium.
Jin Young Ko winning POTY
Ko has emerged this year as one of my favorites. She’s personable, a fierce competitor, and after losing her grandmother she showed that grief can power you through anything! She’s so deserving of each and every one of her accomplishments and I hope she’s enjoying her Netflix and potato chips.
Megha Ganne at the US Women’s Open
I mean I really could talk about this girl forever! She’s an absolute STAR and we got to see her shine at the Women’s Open. I can’t wait to watch her at Stanford.
An Electrifying Solheim Cup
This one is self-explanatory. The environment of the Solheim Cup is like any other. I’m glued to my TV for the entire weekend and this year was no different. One day I will be in the stands with a cold bev in hand dressed to the nines in red, white, and blue.
Annika Sorenstam’s Comeback
Anika was one of my heroes growing up. I met her at Kingsmill when I was in elementary school and it was one of my favorite childhood memories. She had a career that, once upon a time, I wanted. Seeing her back in the winner’s circle took me back to a sentimental place and it was cool to watch.
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