Angel Yin: Chasing the ‘Solheim Effect’ at the CP Women’s Open
Angel Yin is enjoying a new level of celebrity – can her game keep pace?
Angel Yin wasn’t getting a lot of media requests for post-round interviews – until she showed the golf world her best stuff last week at the Solheim Cup. Playing in the CP Women’s Open this week, the LPGA rookie with the big smile and the long tee shot, is fnding her voice.
What was it about Angel Yin that caught Captain Juli Inkster’s eye and held it long enough for Inkster to pass over her friend and Solheim Cup veteran, Paula Creamer, and tap Yin for one of her two wild card Team USA spots?
Maybe it was Yin’s long drive – she’s ranked 7th on the Tour in distance off the tee – but it wasn’t her shot-making accuracy. For Angel Yin, long doesn’t necessarily mean straight. Maybe it was Yin’s work with her flatstick – she’s ranked 15th in putting average (29.11 putts per round).
Inkster’s more an intuitive than a rational decision-maker so I’m thinking it was simply a matter of recognizing Angel Yin’s emerging potential to deliver a championship-level game. It was a good call on Inkster’s part.
With the Solheim Cup party wrapped up in a very nice package, at least for Team USA, Angel Yin’s back at work, and with a big smile on her face.
"I love the course it's pretty straight forward. I think my speed is pretty good today because of last week" @angelyinlol 2 shots back #CPWO pic.twitter.com/fLP1f4Di3K
— LPGA (@LPGA) August 24, 2017
To be sure, Yin stepped up and delivered 1½ points to the Team USA effort at the 2017 Solheim Cup. She and Lizette Salas put a point on the board for Team USA when they defeated Carlota Ciganda and Emily Pedersen in their Friday fourball match and she halved her singles match against Karine Icher on Sunday.
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Playing this week in her first post-Solheim Cup event, Yin is continuing to play that game we saw in Iowa. She’s joined teammates Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, and Austin Ernst. All made the cut and will play the weekend at the CP Women’s Open.
Although Yin’s struggling a bit with her game, she’s managed to keep enough of the pieces in line to sign for a first round 68 and a second round 72. She’s not in a position to challenge In Gee Chun’s 8-under lead but if Yin can settle down she can make a 3rd round move that would position her for a top-10 finish. Perhaps a chat with her Solheim Cup podmates – Wie and Ernst – would help?
Next: Golf Waggles from Ben Hogan to Michelle Wie
Third round play at the CP Women’s Open begins at 8am local time, Saturday, August 26. Follow this link for pairings and tee times. Golf Channel begins broadcast coverage at 3pm ET.