My opinion is you have to play to the situation. Given that Ella had already given up strokes 2 holes prior going out of bounds on a drive that had no business even being near of bounds, my thought would be to go for a higher percentage shot. If anything, I was surprised Kristin didn't go for it. It seems either: 1) her arm wasn't feeling up to it, or 2) She was daring Ella to go for it.
Of course hind sight is 20/20 and typically I agree with you that it is best to play to your strengths. Live by the sword, die by the sword I guess.
I get it. Everyone has an opinion. And yes 20/20, how you say, "Hindsight is perfect." I just think you HAVE to do what you've practiced when the scores are close or do what you do best. Ella only had a one-throw lead at that time. You can just as easily mess up a layup as she did the throw across (see below). And how many of us would feel OK with our feelings if we LOSE doing a shot we hadn't practiced or had barely practiced but wasn't in the game plan? I do think you have to live and die by it, the old "dance with the one who brung ya," as we say in Texas. You have to be the player you are. Ricky isn't gonna win trying to be Paul and Ella isn't gonna win trying to be Kristin.
With 3 holes to go Ella should not be able to loose this. . .but the same as with Hokom vs Paige a few years back. . those last holes must mess with your mind.
Just play them for par and they dont look THAT hard. . sure the birdy is hard, but then you don NEED the birdy why go for it?
But that 2nd throw on 17 was really bad, and so was the drive on 16. . .Ella has a "have never won wall" to break
In 2018, Sarah Hokom had a two-throw lead on Paige Pierce going into the final hole at WACO. (FYI, I think 18's basket was further back more in the middle of the peninsula than close to the water across like it is now, but not sure). She did as Foxdawg implied; tried to throw a "safe shot," and her backhand layup left attempt caught a skip then a bad bounce at the sidewalk and stayed OB left. She was so far back she couldn't even go across the water on her then 3rd throw, and had to layup short of the water again, now throwing 4 across the water. Paige goes for it across the water off the tee and clears, though deep in C2. After both approaches (Paige actually went for the W and drew metal) Sarah misses her putt, ends up taking a 6, and Paige can drop in for 3 and the win.
Now on my philosophy, you do what you do best. I get that Sarah was trying for the backhand layup to avoid skipping toward the OB water. But with a two-throw lead, I felt she should have stayed with her forehand, her best shot, on the layup short side of the water. Just try to make a good shot and the WORST that happens is that your sidearm does skip into the water -- but even so, you're throwing 3 across from way closer and if you can get up & down for 4, you'll force Paige to make that deep C2 putt just to force a playoff -- and in most cases still win. She may not have been thinking that, but that's why I say go with what you do best -- anytime you're in a pressure situation, certainly go with your original game plan if at all feasible.
23:28 if it doesn't start there.
Kirsten did not go Birdy-Birdy-Birdy but close
But that must have been her wierdest finnish of all time. .even more so than the strange one last year.
She missed her C1x putt on 12,13,14,15 and 17. . and still won?!? being far behind with a few holes to go. and still shot a 990 round
A -- maybe HER weirdest finish, but not the most so. That 2018 FPO final two holes had Paige up by 2 going into 17. Paige makes a quad, while Sarah pars, giving Sarah the 2-throw lead going to 18. Then that ^^^ happened.
B -- ftfy