• The KillerFrogs

TCU Golf 2021-2022

Don't look now, but the only player with a realistic chance to catch #1 world am Rose Zhang for the NCAA individual title is former Frog Jennie Park. Park began the day down 10 shots but has closed to within 3 with 8 holes to play.

When Park transferred, and I saw that A&M had also poached C-USA player of the year Zoe Slaughter (Houston) and UT All-American Hailee Cooper, I posted that I wasn't sure if Park would be able to crack the lineup in College Station, based on her spotty second year at TCU. I was way wrong.

I wasn't a fan of coach Gerrod Chadwell's recruiting approach, but the guy can coach. He's about to take a team that missed the NCAA tournament last year and qualify for match play as one of the top 3 seeds.

Edit: Jennie Park finishes T3 at nationals. She shares the podium with the players nationally ranked #1 (Zhang, winner), #4 (Oon, 2nd) and #3 (Lindblad, T3). Park was ranked 83rd going in. A&M gets the 3rd seed for match play.
You’re probably the only one on here who would be interested, but if you have the chance, check out the Fire Pit Collective’s documentary on this year’s Stanford women’s team on YouTube.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
You’re probably the only one on here who would be interested, but if you have the chance, check out the Fire Pit Collective’s documentary on this year’s Stanford women’s team on YouTube.
Is that different from the week-in-the-life piece by the No Laying Up guys? A few thoughts on that, with limited spoilers:

1. Have never seen a putting exhibition like the one captured in round one of that event (54:00-59:00). Looked like a video game. Astounding.
2. Wish they'd have picked a week when San Jose State was in the field. I suspect Stanford greenlighted the project for that week based on the field.
3. Rachel Heck is the second coming of Paula Creamer, but with a commitment to military service. Unbelievable sense for the camera. She will set records for endorsement money.
4. Rose Zhang's ceiling is somewhere between Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam. Not a question of whether she'll be world #1, but how long. Just a total commitment to excellence and a perfect golf temperament.
5. NLU also made a Tourist Sauce stop at Stanford. Think the C-Suite guys are angling to get their kids admission. Don't blame them.
 
Is that different from the week-in-the-life piece by the No Laying Up guys? A few thoughts on that, with limited spoilers:

1. Have never seen a putting exhibition like the one captured in round one of that event (54:00-59:00). Looked like a video game. Astounding.
2. Wish they'd have picked a week when San Jose State was in the field. I suspect Stanford greenlighted the project for that week based on the field.
3. Rachel Heck is the second coming of Paula Creamer, but with a commitment to military service. Unbelievable sense for the camera. She will set records for endorsement money.
4. Rose Zhang's ceiling is somewhere between Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam. Not a question of whether she'll be world #1, but how long. Just a total commitment to excellence and a perfect golf temperament.
5. NLU also made a Tourist Sauce stop at Stanford. Think the C-Suite guys are angling to get their kids admission. Don't blame them.
Yes. No Laying Up. I get those two confused sometimes.

And Rachel Heck is a superstar, even if she never hits a shot on the LPGA tour. Zhang is a silent assassin.

50 under as a team? I don’t care if it was at Z-Boaz. That’s unreal.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
A couple of other close calls in qualifying to play in national opens--this time on the women's side, where the qualifiers are 36-holes. Sanna Nuutinen made it into a playoff in Pittsburgh but had to settle for 1st alternate. Sabrina Iqbal shot -6 in Richardson to finish T5 in a field of 75+, but she missed by 2 shots (only two players qualified).
 
A couple of other close calls in qualifying to play in national opens--this time on the women's side, where the qualifiers are 36-holes. Sanna Nuutinen made it into a playoff in Pittsburgh but had to settle for 1st alternate. Sabrina Iqbal shot -6 in Richardson to finish T5 in a field of 75+, but she missed by 2 shots (only two players qualified).
More than half the field withdrew after the first round in Pittsburgh -- some who shot as low as 71. I can't imagine traveling all that way and then bailing out. Maybe they are just counting a lot of "No Cards" as WDs.

That course they played is terrible, by the way. It was probably in excellent condition, but it's extremely hilly and has some just godawful holes. It's embarrassing that they had to play a US Open qualifier there when there are many, many better choices in the area.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
All this talk of stanford…former TCU golfer Cole Buck is mens assistant coach there now. Not a bad gig.
Interesting career path--became assistant at Trinity Valley High School as a senior at TCU; then head coach at Wagner (Staten Island), where he picked up a masters in educational leadership. Then to Lipscomb (Nashville) as an assistant coach. Then to Stanford.

I don't think we've had a full discussion about Frogs in the college coaching ranks. Those mentioned have included:
Google also turned up:
@First Tee Frog @AllFrog or others--are there other Frogs coaching college golf?
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
For those heading to Colonial today...

08:58a - Hole 1 - Paul Barjon (with Brandon Wu & U.S. Am Champ James Piot)
12:45p - Hole 1 - Tom Hoge (with Viktor Hovland & Mito Pereira)

I think Hoge expects to contend this week (wouldn't be surprised). Barjon really needs points, so hope he has a good week too.
 
For those heading to Colonial today...

08:58a - Hole 1 - Paul Barjon (with Brandon Wu & U.S. Am Champ James Piot)
12:45p - Hole 1 - Tom Hoge (with Viktor Hovland & Mito Pereira)

I think Hoge expects to contend this week (wouldn't be surprised). Barjon really needs points, so hope he has a good week too.
Everything sets up well for Hoge. Length not a factor at Colonial, his strength is iron play (6th in SG Approach to Green), and he obviously has more course knowledge than anyone else in the field (with Barjon).

Which means he'll miss the cut. ;)
 

Paul in uhh

Active Member
For those heading to Colonial today...

08:58a - Hole 1 - Paul Barjon (with Brandon Wu & U.S. Am Champ James Piot)
12:45p - Hole 1 - Tom Hoge (with Viktor Hovland & Mito Pereira)

I think Hoge expects to contend this week (wouldn't be surprised). Barjon really needs points, so hope he has a good week too.
TCU players seem to really struggle here which boggles the mind
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
Sandy Scott from Tech was once the 5th ranked amateur in the world. He hurt is wrist last year, and has dropped to 2,311th. Former second team All-America finished t37th out of 46. Tough break for this kid.
Saw where Sandy just missed qualifying for Brookline this week in Dallas. Bogeyed the short par-5 17th at Lakewood to fall into a 6-for-2 playoff with a bunch of tour pros. At least it looks like he may be getting his game back. UT's Travis Vick the only am to advance at that sectional.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
As burns nailed the long birdie putt at 18 to beat UT’s Scheffler today you can see a guy in the background throw the horns down. LOL
That was an amazing putt, especially since the guy had been cooling his heels for two hours.

No Horns down at the NCAAs today; after two ho-hum days, UT found its groove. Unlike OU, which wants to go Cobra Kai on everybody all the time, the UT men seem content to pace themselves, confident that they will find another gear when needed. They and the other three top Big 12 teams made the 54-hole cut in Scottsdale. Kansas, which got beat by 74th-ranked TCU in the conference tournament, almost made it a 5th.

But there may well have been a thumbs-down sighting. Last year at this point, Georgia Tech clipped the Frogs for the last slot inside the cut. Today, the Yellowjackets knocked out the Aggies after being tied going to the last hole.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
All chalk at nationals, with teams ranked 1-8 making match play. Half of the field is Big 12, and for most of the afternoon it looked as if all 4 of those teams would be on the same side of the bracket. At the end, Oklahoma dropped just enough shots on the last hole to fall into a tie for first, losing the tie-breaker and leaving the Sooners on the other side of the bracket.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
Gotta figure that Jennie Park and Mateo F de O are feeling good about their decision to transfer after each of them finishes in the top 10 at nationals in the first season at their new schools.

Am I bitter? No, no, no--yes. A bit. Wishing every player could achieve his/her full potential as a Frog.
 
Top