Friday, July 10, 2015
Sisters Missing In Action

Was hoping Cheyenne Woods and Sadena Parks would’ve been on hand, but nether one qualified.  Really want to see them in action on the big stage, but I’m sure they will get their moment to shine.  With a little prayer and patience it’ll happen sooner or later.

Opening Round

After Thursday’s opening round rain suspension got completed early

Friday morning and round 2 wrapped-up late this afternoon the star studded field at the 70th U S Women’s Open was tightly jammed at the top.  That is, with the exception of Amy Yang of Korea who out distanced the rest of t field with a -7 and a 3 shot lead.

Stacy Lewis  of Texas, former major winner and Shiho Oyama of Japan, both are locked at -4.  After Marina Alex of Wayne, N.J. (right in my backyard of Union, N.J.) secured a solo third at -3.

Those first 4 will certainly be looking over their shoulders at those in close pursuit, such as former major winners Inbee Park, Morgan Pressel, Karrie Webb, all in striking distance at -2.  Michele Wie had gotten it to -2 but stumbled coming home and finished at even, while the young sensational Lydia Ko closed with +2.  Old time veteran Laura Davies made the cut while steady veterans Cristie Kerr and Suzann Petterson missed the cut with +8’s.  This weekend’s rounds should provide plenty of fireworks and drama and I’m sure that’s exactly what Fox Network is hoping for.

Stacy Lewis & Lydia Ko coming off the 10th hole.

Friday, July 10th, 2015 
Taking in the action at their dry first major golfing event were Antrone and Sierra Winkey.  Antrone is a Forestville, Maryland, resident and a plumbing designer, employed in that capacity for 15-years now. His lovely and charismatic daughter Sierra is, age 5 is an only child.  Antrone favors Lexis Thompson and Lydia Ko as his favorite female players.  He plans to get Sierra involved in the game of golf very soon. 

Marriage and golf go together like bread and butter–some would say.  And one would get that impression after you meet Leroy and Valarie Dock of Mitchelleville, MD.  “Roy,” as he prefers to be called, and Valarie are two avid golfers who travel extensively.  They have played a lot of golf, in some very exotic destinations.

Roy has played the prestigious TPC Sawgrass, Congressional Country Club, Pinehurst No. 2 and Whistling Straits, in Kohler, WI (the home of this year’s PGA Championship), Harbourtown in Hilton Head, SC, plus Trump National in Fairfax, VA.

The couple is self-employed.  They own a Contract Cleaners family business.  They’ve attended multiple major golf tournaments and have 4 grown sons—all during well and independently motivated.  Roy and Valarie have been at the Women’s U S Open the entire week and will be here at the U.S. Open until Sunday’s final round.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Coming straight from soccer practice, 45-minutes away, was Muoka Musau, a teacher.  Muoka is an Education Major from Leesburg, VA, who’s been teaching for 3-years now.  He graduated from Eastern Mennonite University in South Central Virginia in 2012.  This was his first ever Major golfing event; says he’s always been curious about the game.

Of African decent, says he wasn’t privileged to much exposure early in his career.  He goes on record as having Tiger as his favorite golfer—  He’s definitely not alone in that category.  Muoka was only at the U.S. Open for Friday’s second round.  He says he looks forward to attending more golf tournaments in the future.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Final pairing of leader Amy Wang and Stacy Lewis on number 6 tee box.  Amy had just bogeyed number 5 and Stacy double bogeyed.  Amy bounced back strong on holes 6 and 7 with back-to-back birdies to grab a comfortable 3 shot lead.  Co-Leaders Gee Chun and Shiho Oyama, playing in the

next to the last group, are tied for second at -6.  Stacy Lewis doesn’t seem to have her “A” game today, but we know there’s no quitting in her.  The back ee should be full of drama.-y

Ingee Chun and Shiho Oyama on number 6 tee box

The Smith’s are very active in sports and deeply proud of their cultural ancestry.  They’re as deeply connected, and knowledgable, of their ethnic background and  cultural “roots” as the tall tree they’re standing beside.

The Smith’s are from Kennett Square, PA, a suburb of Philly.

Left-to-right you have Mom, Kashima Smith, backbone and spiritual leader of the family.  Even though Kashima is the only non-golfer in the family, she’s extremely proud of her husband and children’s accomplishments in the game of golf, and life in general.  She’s their biggest supporter.

Next, you have Nimah Smith, 12-yrs old.  Nimah is currently the 2015 Delaware State Golf Association Junior Champion.  The Championship was held on July 1st and 2nd at the Chesapeake Bay Rising Sun Golf Club in Rising Sun, MD.  Nimah and her brother are also enrolled in Martial Arts classes and are good chess players.  Nimah has a Brown Belt and her brother Kasim has a Green Belt.  Nimah is already thinking about going to Hampton University, an HBCU, when she graduates.  And that’s a great choice for her because the Hampton Pirates have a pretty good Women’s Golf Team.

Third from the left is nine-year-old Kasim Smith.  Kasim came in 2nd in the boy’s division at the Delaware State Golf Association’s Junior Championship.  He was the youngest player in the field.  Kasim and Nimah are also pretty decent baseball and basketball players.

Last, but not least, is Dr. Greg Smith, leader and director of the clan.  Greg is a Professor at Cheney University, one of the oldest HBCUs in the country.  He’s been teaching Sports Management there for 17 years.  He graduated from Tennessee State in 1987 and earned his Master’s Degree in 1989, and Ph.D. in 1991 from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.  Greg has been a member of Radley Run Country Club in Westchester, PA  for four years.  He was a member of Branlywine Country Club for 14 years.  Greg is an outstanding ball striker and a single digit handicapper.  He was Player of the Year for the Delaware State Golf Association and, the current winner and leading point-getter on the Play Golf Delaware Tour (PGD).  He’s won the event three years in a row.  He’s also been featured in the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) magazine’s winter series.  The magazine publishes quarterly.  Dr. Smith has a pretty impressive golfing resume to say the least.  His favorite saying is: “It’s a teachable moment”.  —Makes good sense to me.

—John Perry, reporting for AAGD.

John Perry is a freelance writer, poet and active golfer with a passion for calling shots like he sees them and, then, telling it like it is. He resides in Vauxhall, NJ.