51 year-old British golfer Laura Davies, winner of 79 tournaments worldwide, was on my fav list during the opening days of the 2015 US Women’s Open. I so wanted to get a photo of the richest female athlete in all of the UK. She came into full view on the 7th hole on the second practice day. That moment brought back memories of standing on the corner of the dogleg right 18th at the 1989 Lady Keystone Open. On that occasion, she drove the ball over our heads and went on to win the tournament. After this US Open in 2015 she boarded a plane and returned to the UK to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. A treasured moment indeed to spend on the LCC course with Dame Laura Davies. Camera settings were: D2-93 /Laura Davies /Canon 7D mk 2 /Canon 70-200mm 2.8.
Another of my target golfers for the US Open week was Lexi Thompson. This statuesque young woman was in the top three in driving distance statistics throughout the four rounds in this Open and had a huge following throughout her rounds. Her smooth but power-laden swing averaged 265 yards on the measured holes. That is saying a lot given the worldwide talent in this 2015 US Open. Camera settings were: D3-54 /Lexi Thompson/Canon 5D mk3 /same lens.
The third golfer was my surprise of the week. Liz Nagel is a pro from Dewitt, Michigan. Never heard of her before, but now I will never forget her and what she did. The first and most significant moment came on the final practice day as she finished hitting her drive off the 1st tee. Being “Kid’s Day” with youngsters sitting inside the ropes on numerous tees and greens, Liz Nagel turned to my grandson and he asked her to “please” sign his newly purchased US Open hat. She bent down and asked him a question or two before signing and returning the hat. What an accommodating human being! Little-known pro Liz Nagel went on to make the cut. She was among the top 60 and ties. Rounds 1 and 2 were 68 and 76 respectively. Saturday’s round, however, was a train wreck that NO pro would ever want with full media coverage and a huge crowd of 25,000+ surrounding the tees, fairways, and greens. She held up as she recorded a horrible 83. What must that have been like? However, many did not know at the time that Liz IS a cancer survivor and worked her way into the Open at a qualifying tournament site. As such, she knows the “I won’t give up” mantra. In her Sunday round, with few followers, Liz Nagel shot an even par 70! Few matched that result in the final round. When some sad moments come my grandson’s way in his future sport endeavors, I will remind him of the lady golf pro who overcame cancer to sign his hat on the first tee of the 2015 US Women’s Open and shot a 70 in the final round. A life lesson to be sure! Camera settings were: D3-63-2 /Liz Nagel /Canon 5D mk3 /same lens.
PS. - Photos and stories by Mike Shull. Click on the photos to enlarge to get a better view of each.
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