Nataliya Guseva 2024 LOTTE Championship Final Round

Karen Stubbles watching some of the action in the final pair. It's the Russian rookie Natalia Guseva to tie the lead. Yeah, no sign of nerves on this first hole as she rolls in that birdie nicely. Is she playing with Elen Kim, the U.S. Open champ from 2020? Plenty of spin on it. That would lead to a birdie. Guseva trying to keep pace for birdie of her own. Has putted really well all week and continuing that same form. So both 15 under with Austin Kim at minus. Things get pretty tough. So if those leaders falter a little bit and she could make a move, you never know what could happen. Here is the player they called the goose, Natalia Guseva at the 7th. Pretty darn straight putt. Yeah, just wiggled right at the end. There was a little bit of grain pull to the right. How about Guseva this week? Again, very similar to Elen Kim. The pair of them driving the ball insanely well. Guseva, I think, has the advantage with her iron play. She seems to be certainly yesterday was really dialed in with those shots. And so it's all going to come down to who's going to make these putts coming down the stretch and who can hold their nerve. I mean, Elen is a winner. She's a major champion. She knows how to get the job done. And this is Guseva's first time in this situation. So depends if she can just stick to her game plan and find a little bit of magic. Had a couple out here that are particularly difficult. And this one, I would say, is one of the hardest. The water runs up the entire left-hand side. You can't help but look at it. And then there are a couple bunkers on the right. And I think if the wind were a little bit lighter, these two long hitters would hit three wood off this tee. Shot of 255 will get you into those bunkers. Yeah, Guseva hit a tee shot very similar yesterday. A low draw. Now Guseva. That was a six iron for Elen and just a few pieces ahead on the left-hand side of the fairway. Guseva also going with six iron. 143 yards, playing this more like 160. She likes to flight the ball down. Absolutely ripped a five iron into this hole yesterday and made birdie. Just four birdies made on eight yesterday. Yeah, that seemed like that was a lot of club for her. That thing just went right through any wind that was into her. Still works for her. We're back at the eighth for a long birdie attempt for Guseva. Yeah, just off the putting surface. And that was that was clearly a club too much. But I think that was a function of just misjudging both she and her caddie. Misjudging the intensity of the wind. It was actually well hit shot. Just didn't play as long as they thought it would. This will have a lot of left to right break to it. Trying to guide it down there close. If you had nerves, wouldn't you see it potentially in a pot like that? A delicate pot? You would, but I feel like she's a player that that all week long. She's looked very comfortable. She's hitting the ball. Well, she's making good putts. She hasn't been afraid of the next putt. In fact, it's almost as if she's not even thinking about the next putt. She's very much in that moment of playing quality golf. And you can tell it's almost like she she's excited at hitting the next shot because she knows it's going to be a good one. At the sense of the speed and she just really hit it way too firmly. But now you've she's facing an uck of a birdie with this hole location tucked left over the bunker and with this tee being moved back as Tom Abbott said a good 51 yards. Whole different personality to this hole today. The wind has increased again. Oh, this is a pull with a draw. There's a slope over there. This needs some luck. Oh boy. The penalty area comes in. Comes in tight and there's some some, you know, weeds and inconsistent grasses over there. Jonathan Katzman her caddy. Take a little pause at the back swing there. Just looks very nice. And now we're seeing what Guseva has here at the 9th K. Yeah, I think she was fairly relieved to see the ball on a relatively flat lie. Grass is a little inconsistent. And just got too much ball there. That was always going to be a tough shot down wind hitting up to an elevated green. Outstanding ball striker still trying to improve in the scrambling and sand safe stats. Like when you when you talk about process, you're taking yourself away from from the results, which means you can, you know, really stay in the moment and in that one shot at a time mentality that in order to be successful, you really have to have. Guseva for par. Yeah, she got a good read off of Kim knows this works a little right to left on the slower side at the end. And that was a rare. Wild shot. We haven't seen her hit too many offline shots. Maybe the distance has been a little bit shorter long, but that was pretty Aaron Tee shot. She said she felt like she was more present on the front nine yesterday and that on the back nine. She started thinking about what could be. It helps off the tee and blows right to left. It's very easy to end up in the left rough and that just makes spinning it and getting it close on the screen a little tougher, easier from the fairway. Guseva shouldn't have any problem carrying the bunkers. She went after that one. Well, they're emptying the chamber with all the all the calls, aren't they? Our final pair. Smashed it. Baba Booey and the mashed potato. Go right on it. Yeah, that was a good drive down the left hand side and with the left hand hole location looking right down the chute downwind at the flagstick. 85 yards and she's just going to go with a little gap wedge. Uses kind of thinks about 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock. Finish on her swing to control the distance. Karen, a lot of game and a lot of flair to write for Natalia. Well, I just I just really like the game. I mean, you talk about, you know, the quality t-shirts. She's had some quality odds. I know there's been the odd one that has going to drift but in general for a rookie seeing a lot of really good things out of her the putting the temperament the composure. She's got a at the 10th and Guseva to go first. Kim's isn't quite a tap in right? K. No, no, not a gimme. This part is downhill. Not a whole lot of movement to it might pull down to her left, but putting back into the wind which is kind of laid down for the moment. If you're in that final pair, would you be in a match play mindset or not? At this point, you can't really allow yourself to be. I mean, obviously, you know that you've got somebody ahead of you. If you want to win, you're going to have to to score better than they do. However, you can never allow yourself to push to try and to make up ground to try and make it happen. You kind of have to. And now Guseva. Natalia tends to hit a more penetrating tee shot with a little draw. Actually, that one was was had a little more height to it and down the right side. Ball speed or swing speed is going to. Or you take a little more of a direct line and you get five more. But if you're planning to lay it out, you know, we don't want to go too far left. Here's to that face. Natalia Guseva, rookie. Yeah, four iron finishing. Just in just a little left of the left edge. Trying to join this list. Yeah, so I mean numbers wise. I think it works out. But the targets pretty darn small. Yeah. So I mean, I like it from the. Yeah, that's true. That left side. Are you sure? I I can't imagine right now that it flies 176 into this wind because it's mostly straight in a little off the left. Okay, all right. And that's the voice of Jonathan Katzman who they came together towards the end of the Epson season and second week together. They won her solo Epson tour event and then carried on to the Q series where she earned her card. Yesterday, she gave a rip at the screen and ended up well left. I think this is smarter play today. We saw those first-time winners in our KPMG Insights. There were 12 of them last year. Just four this year and Guseva and Austin Kim would make it five. Tahata Oka is three groups in front of that final pair. And here's Guseva's third. They go in a lower route trying to bump it over that that hump and there's an effective use of the ground game. Clever. Well done. That's really that is good because you have to pick out a spot, which you are 17 under. We mentioned it 12 under and 11 under one of the first two years that tournament was played at Huakalei, but with the softer conditions, okay, we've seen this from really from day one the heavy rain early Tuesday morning the day before the tournament really all of the contenders have above average length and this being Guseva's first time here. She doesn't know how firm and fast the course played last year. She's she's seen this course for the first time and taking it as is, but this is a must make. She's got to stay pace. Good stuff. It really is. Yeah, they love it. Rookie at NASA chasing. And then Kim trying to win her second the energy and another rookie Guseva at 12. Yeah, this also an 8 iron starting on a better line. Yeah, a little bit of movement off those front bunkers, but final two ball. So a chance to post a number for NASA and put the pressure on these ones behind her. Here's Guseva to get within one. Yeah, she's just passed Hall. I loved kind of a tricky putt to read. It was a good effort. I mean, she's she's doing all the right things. She's putting good putts on it. I mean, I know it's run past a little bit, but she's got to feel like you're giving yourself an opportunity to make it without scaring yourself too much. Neither case. It's a much smoother not trying to jam it in the hole as much. You know, three putts for Austin today. Here's Guseva. No problem. These rookies don't look like it. No, they don't. Very impressive. Natalia from Moscow. First ever Russian. Let's take a look at our KPMG Insights. And you said it earlier, Karen. These are two great ball strikers, especially when it comes to the tee ball. No question. I mean, Kim just has a slight edge on Guseva, but driving distance very similar. Accuracy, Kim, just a little bit better, but both of them pretty impressive. Even their club configuration is very similar. Karen, they both just carry three woods and have a four iron in the bag with four wedges. Four irons always is a giveaway within a player's bag make up in how much of a ball strike. In the fairway at the 13th, Guseva. Took some extra time trying to figure out what club and how far this is going to play. Starting on a good line. And ending on a great one. Nearly holing out for the second time this week from the fairway. Did it in round two on the 7th. You've been with a Lim Kim. She's just fun to play with. You know, after she made birdie at 11, she was off the side of the green and waited around and when she saw against the person that she's playing with. I know we say this all the time, Karen, but here you've got a 21 year old from Russia. Player from Korea who can't write so that door is a jar for Guseva this to get within one with five to go. Yeah, and that was the the magical gap wedge that she's hit multiple times. To good effect. It was the club. She holed out with on the 7th that really kind of ignited her round and got her in this tournament a couple days ago. Didn't know that it lipped out. She couldn't see the surface of the green. That was a sneaky one. But it's in now and she's just one back to the gap when the day began. Is again one right now within one again to Guseva on the tee at the 14th. This is another one of the more challenging driving holes. Five ferry bunkers. You have to avoid. Oh goodness. This is low and left a pull hook. Oh and it got out of the really thick stuff. It's going to be tough to make par from there, but at least her ball is in play. That was very close to being really nasty. It's unplayable really from over there. I think been over there and it's that's that. Yeah, it's small patch. But Kay Cockrell and the team and this is what Kay was talking about. Look how close you think like to having nothing from Natalia Guseva. Yeah. Yeah, because I mean it's pretty soft up there, you know, a little bit of wind in it. Yeah. No, I like it. He choking up on it a little bit. She's very lucky in a couple of ways. Number one that she's not dealing with an unplayable lie if she were a foot to the left and number two, she actually has a chance of getting this on to the green. She needs to hit a low runner but has to carry a fairway bunker. That's about 75 yards carry and make sure she doesn't take any tree limbs. Handy having that boron in the bag, Kay. Absolutely. Well, she punched it nicely but leaked it out to the right. That's not going to be an easy up and down from there. Meanwhile, up ahead, Jin Young Ko did not make her par putt and so Jin Young falls back as you see to minus 12. Meanwhile, Ailin Kim in the fairway leading by one. From dead center in the fairway. Have not had a win this year. Here's the third at the par for 14th for Guseva. See if she has a little razzle-dazzle. She can show us here 30-yard shot back into the wind. It's been taking multiple practice swings. Just really trying to feel the fluidity, the size of the swing. Understand how the club's going through the rough. Kind of understandable, Karen, that she hit it a little too hard just to ensure it gets on the green because there's a raised slope in front of the green. There is and she tried to compensate a little bit for that by opening the club face just a little bit to try and judge how that was going to work out for her, but so difficult. I mean really that the tee shot was the, has been the problem on the on this hole. And even though she had a shot, I mean, it was always going to be difficult. Yeah. She's got that for par. Kim is going to have a putt for birdie. Nasa up ahead of the 17th. Last week in Japan, weather shortened event, but struggled in the final round. Now Guseva for par. She would have learned a lot about the putt based on what Kim just did. Knows this has a fair bit of left to right break and it's going to be on the speedy side. This would be quite a working par. Oh, that was massive, Karen. Well, it is particularly now Ailyn's got a really awkward putt now. My word, things are just getting really interesting. I mean again, just inches away from having to take an unplayable lie, most likely. Carrying that. Very soon, I'm sure. Here's now Guseva at 15. See if she can hit one of those laser-like wedges that we've seen quite a few times throughout the week. Yeah, that looked pretty good from the tee. Yep. Popular spot beyond the flag. A tough putt to read, but a chance. Kim will putt first. Guseva thinking birdie and a chance to tie the lead at 15. She has shown us that she can handle left to right breaking putts. This looks like it'll just want to wander to the right. That's the read. Did she hit it? That's a couple putts. She's left just shy. The ones that happen when you leave them a little shy like that, when you're a little short because you're trying so hard to get the line, right? You're trying so hard to make it as opposed to being more free and just sending it down there. But this just feels right now like a lot easier to hit your targets because when that wind dies down, you can swing more freely and the wind's not going to affect your ball. Last tee shot went well left. See how Guseva handles the 16th here. Last driver, I should say. That was ideal. Couldn't have struck it any better. That that's a quick study in how to how to fix something. Just an aggressive swing like there was no fear. There was no hold back. Just giving it a go. Love it. All right, the 16, two really nice drives. Guseva to go first. Yeah, it's going to be a wedge contest between these two players. 126 yards. Just trying to get a beat on the wind. I mean still. Yeah, because you're you find it, right? That's perfect. Yeah, you can be aggressive with this. Yeah, I like that last word because up where the holes located. It's like on a top right back shelf and it's pretty flat around the whole location, but she needs to hit this at least 120 to get it up over there a small Ridge. Gorgeous is definitely becomes a birdie hole when you hit a couple of drives like these two have those two swings Karen off the tee and that one. I mean that's stepping up when you had to you know, and I think it when you look back at the putt that she made to save power and previous home in that was mass. I think I mean, like I said, I can't fault her one bit for giving it a go because she's trying to win. Yeah, she's a winner. She doesn't want to come second. She's not playing for second place third place fourth place. She wants that trophy and so does Natalia Guseva the 21 year old from Moscow in her first season on the LPGA tour played the Epson tour last year finished high enough to get into the Q series where she earned her LPGA card and here she is with a chance to tie the lead with two to go. She talked about trying to play shots like it's a practice round. See if she can keep that mentality here. Leaked it right. She just might have pushed it a tad and it just stayed out there. Wow. Those are two big birdie misses for both players. So I'm short after giving it every effort Guseva at 17. She is bogeyed this whole every day. This left again like at 14. Well, that's the anti right has gone left here at 17, but she's okay. It looks like a she's fortunate to have missed the bunker, but she's in the rough and doesn't have a good lie. This this roughness is rather thick. It's not particularly long. It's so good. Sitting down to take the bunker out of play 132 or 132 and then the hole is 140. Yeah, so one of those things where honestly, I think short is worse than the best. Yeah, because it's you. If you are like at the right half of the scoreboard, you pitch an uphill to it and you've got 15. You're natural naturally. Yeah, okay. So you're looking more like for some talent, correct? Oh, yeah. I was thinking like having something just chipping the or either way. So that's the thing. Like you could get them to go short left to the front left corner of the green right and say, okay, I'm fine shipping it. Tell me if you're going up to it or you can play something that's going to maybe get. Exactly. So 35 down. I mean, yeah, I think you still. It's almost like a flight. It's seven to make sure it actually gets out, right? Yeah, perfect. Yeah, because you got wind hurt, right? Reminder. Yeah, it's it's very grubby. So I'm just going to go to the left more side. Well, yeah, but that wouldn't take it, right? Reminder that they work in meters. So they're talking about a 130 140 meter shot. She actually has 151 yards. This is not a very good lie at all. She's going to take a seminar and see if she can hit the straight. Yeah, that's it. That's a nice play right there. If it curves to the right, there's a false edge to the left and yeah, the ball is going to catch that part of the green. But that was that was what she wanted to do. Just that drive put her in a tough position. Trailing by one third shot here from Natalia Guseva at 17. She's in the closely mown area. Uphill lie needs to carry it to the top of the green. And it flattens out. She's got a pretty good run. This is a big moment here. And then Kim's going to have a birdie putt. Played well at the Chevron championship. Couple of times there. I do think with a limb though that it's just in there just bubbling under the surface waiting for the great golf to come out. And it's been great this week. And now Guseva huge save at 14. She's trying to do it again here at 17 to stay one back heading to the par 5 18th. And exercise the demons that have a hold of her on this whole three straight bogeys. She needed it exercised. Just curls it in and she stays one back heading to the 18th. I am so impressed with Natalia Guseva. I mean she is playing like a seasoned veteran not the 21 year old rookie that she is. It's very gutsy Kay what she's doing making those putts when she has to. Yeah, she took this one high down the right hand side with a little draw. Gorgeous. She's parred this all three days. This good as Guseva's was. Alyn Kim got a great bounce and she will be 25 yards ahead of Guseva. Yeah. Yes. So so I would what I'll tell you is where you were yesterday is a really good look at it up and down. Alternatively anything on this left side bunker. So like online with that palm tree just left with the grass there or even if you're a touch left of that. So this thing here is 192. I think it's for iron 100% and if you're a little left, you're a little left. Awesome. It's straight down right now. Not too different from the front yardage. She had yesterday. She had a 204 yards hit for iron and ended up in the front right bunker. Today. She has 208 to the front 230 to the hole. So trying to land this this foreign somewhere in the front middle part of the green. Would you be thinking three or four here? If you're Guseva? I think just go think think birdie. But I do think you want to give yourself an opportunity to potentially make that Eagle. There's no way of knowing what a limbs going to do. Again, it comes down to not forcing it for you in this in her position here. That sounded kind of clunky. Came out low. Into the front bunker first cut short of it. Sure. It's going to leave an awkward pitch over those bunkers. A limb cam guys to and Guseva still a chance started playing the game at age 7 went with an aunt and uncle to a golf course in Czechia. And I kind of fell in love with it. Russia is not as you know, a hotbed of golf. Just 30 some odd courses there, but one opened near her home when she kind of caught that bug got onto the Russian national team at age 11 began playing in Europe came to the US at the age of 16 went to University of Miami at 17 her coach at Miami former LPGA winner. Patty Rizzo said I've never seen a player with this much raw talent. She said I think Patty Rizzo said I think she'll be number one in the world by the time. She's 23 years old. She said that last year. She's just 21 in her first coaching something very rewarding about coaching. Okay that I think appeals to a lot of players that are out here, you know after years of just thinking about yourself and your own game to actually get back to others is very good. Well, here we go. Third shot at the par 5 a little bit of upslope trailing by one and Kim is up there pretty straight and then just off the back tries to work a little right. Correct. Love 40s. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, and it's it's teed up a little bit. Isn't it? Yeah, exactly down off your right. Touch a knockdown to it. These two have a really comfortable relationship 50-yard shot trying to land this, you know, like 3035 as she said somewhat short and let it release back. She's got way too hard. That's kind of like that extra shot of espresso just kicked in just the intimidation factor of playing up over the bunkers. I mean, it was an awkward angle for her and you know, crazy thoughts creep into your head just at the last minute as you're standing over it and just gave it just a little bit of extra hit through the impact zone there and that's what you that's what you got just didn't trust at the last minute. Well, the green here and then it would still give him a chance to win by getting down in two. I don't think there's anything that Natalia could really look back on and and want to do over maybe that chip shot, but she's just been so solid from start to finish and really a promising player. Yeah, this is a little downhill lie out of the rough back into the wind. Plenty of green to work with. I'm going to chip in for birdie. What a try. Well, it's a good one. She can definitely hold her head up high. Okay, I think she's yeah, she's had a good effort this week and we'll be seeing a lot more of her in the top of our leaderboards. You're going to see her in a couple of weeks. Yeah, you won't be seeing her next week because she is taking the week off it deserve it week off after a lot of golf five weeks in a row. She's going to go support her boyfriend Igor Ershinko, who might be qualified for the PGA Tour event next week and and enjoy Bermuda. And then we'll see you at the CME Group Tour Championship. So this is going to be her not. Jay. There's no telling what we're going to see. She's got a couple of putts from there. At least Guseva with this for par. Let's go back to that base camp idea that you were talking about Karen for Natalia Guseva. It's I mean, she's getting used to to what it feels like to be right at the top of the leaderboards and not everybody gets used to that altitude and overcomes it first time, but they certainly the more you're there the more comfortable you get with that situation. And I think this is what we're seeing from Natalia. It cannot be long before she's there. I mean, she's handled herself. Well, you think about all those clutch putts that she's made. It's just been when she's needed to that. I mean, that's normally the part of the game that goes missing when you're under pressure when you're trying to make something happen, but but she hung tough with that and she's got the long game putting's been good. Christine Bouchard. Yes, indeed. She had some really good weeks this year in your rookie season Natalia. What do you take from today? You know, I take only the best feelings I could get. I'm obviously, you know, congrats to Aileen for a great game. You know, I really did my best out there. I never gave up. I I every hole like I gave just my hundred percent and more than that. So, you know, it's just keep fighting. I know I still get the win out there. We still have two more events. I'm skipping Pelican, but hopefully, you know, see me. I can also good show a good result, but I enjoyed it out there. I enjoying playing golf. I enjoying, you know, the crowds and just, you know, basically making for them some show. So yeah, how much are you looking forward to next week now? I mean, I honestly looking forward to just to just relax next week. It's been a long stretch five weeks in a row. So I really, you know, need that type of relaxation time and especially cheering for my boyfriend in the PGA Tour event. So yeah, super excited. We look forward to seeing you at the CME Group Tour Championship well played this week. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.