9/11 Tribute at Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Includes Free Admission

Yani Tseng

TO MARK THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY of 9/11, all active and retired service personnel (along with family members) and all fire, police and emergency employees will be admitted free to the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship during the entire week of the LPGA tournament. The event is held at the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas.

On Sunday, September 11, the tournament’s final day, American flags will serve as pin flags on all 18 greens. Representatives from the four military branches and fire and police personnel in full uniform will serve as pin flag bearers. Hosted by U.S. Representative and military veteran Steve Womack, a brief 9/11 program will be conducted on the 18th green at the conclusion of play.

This year’s championship will have its best-ever field, with 47 of the top 50 players in the Rolex Rankings and the top 10 players on the LPGA money list competing in the event. Since the tournament’s inception in 2007, the purse has risen from $1.25 million to $2 million, and is now the highest non-major U.S. purse on the LPGA Tour.

World No. 1 Yani Tseng will defend her title. Last year Tseng fired 13 under (67-68-65) to beat Michelle Wie by a shot. Tseng has four wins this season, including two majors.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo: Courtesy of Keith Allison, Flickr, Creative Commons License)

NPR: ‘The Best Player You Probably Never Heard Of’

ON FRIDAY NPR’S MORNING EDITION spent three minutes and 57 seconds telling its large audience about a “little-known” golf phenom named Yani Tseng, the world No. 1 player who is dominating the LPGA Tour and crashing the record books.

Reported Tom Goldman:

Tseng has been powering and smiling her way around golf courses—and making history. She has already done something that no one who has swung a golf club has done before: At the relatively tender age of 22, Tseng has won five major championships.

Tiger Woods was 24 when he won his fifth major. The legendary Patty Berg, who holds the LPGA record with 15 Grand Slam titles, was 25. Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam was 32.

Goldman went on to call Tseng a triple threat, possessing accuracy, touch and power. The tour’s longest hitter, she averages nearly 270 yards off the tee. He also explained that while popular in Asia, where she is stopped on the street, Tseng goes largely unrecognized here as a non-American on the U.S-based LPGA Tour.

“Come on, people,” Goldman said. “Five majors.”

Such is ladies’ golf, especially if you’re from Taiwan and still learning English. Tseng seems to take it all in stride. Currently the most dominant player in the game, she deserves all the attention she can get.

Listen to NPR’s report on Yani Tseng

The next tournament on the LPGA Tour schedule is the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on September 9-11. The defending champion is Yani Tseng.

−The Armchair Golfer

The Ladies Return to Action in Portland

IT HAS BEEN A WHILE since the LPGA Tour has teed it up in the United States. It was nearly six weeks ago the U.S. Women’s Open wrapped up at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. The Evian Masters, Women’s British Open and two lengthy breaks have filled the weeks since.

On Friday the ladies will begin play in the Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola at Pumpkin Ridge near Portland, Oregon. The event, which began at the outset of Watergate, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

The long-running tournament will have a stellar field, with 48 of the LPGA’s top 50 money winners and the top seven players in the Rolex Rankings. The top seven are world No. 1 Yani Tseng, Cristie Kerr, Suzann Pettersen, Jiyai Shin, Na Yeon Choi, I.K. Kim and Ai Miyazato. Another win for Tseng would be her fifth LPGA title and eighth worldwide victory this year.

Safeway advertises low prices, but will the Safeway Classic have low scores? Perhaps. But the 6,552-yard par-72 Ghost Creek Golf Course at Pumpkin Ridge isn’t necessarily a pushover. Last year’s winning 54-hole total was 11 under by Ai Miyazato.

Golf Channel has the TV coverage (in the evening), 6:30 – 9:30 ET on Friday and Saturday and 7 – 9:30 ET on Sunday.

−The Armchair Golfer

Ghosts of Jean Van de Velde Spook Yani Tseng

THE TOURNAMENT WAS SEEMINGLY OVER. Yani Tseng stood on the 18th tee at Carnoustie Golf Links with a three-shot lead over Brittany Lang. In a matter of minutes Tseng could claim her second consecutive Women’s British Open and fifth major title at the age of 22 years, six months and eight days. No one had won five majors so soon, not even Tiger Woods.

That’s when she was visited by ghosts of the past, if just for a moment.

In 1999 French golfer Jean Van de Velde walked to the 72nd hole of The Open Championship with a comfortable three-stroke lead. Then he strolled into history, but not at all like he or the aghast onlookers expected. Van de Velde splashed into the Barry Burn with his approach shot. All he needed was a double-bogey six and his name would be etched on the Claret Jug. He made a seven and lost the four-hole playoff to Paul Lawrie.

Tseng thought of Van de Velde as she walked to the final hole on Sunday. Maybe that was a good thing. She still had to take care of business. It was no time to get sloppy.

“When you come on this golf course, you’re going think about him,” Tseng said. “But I did think about it a little bit.

“I had a three-shot lead so I’d better hit a good drive here to win the tournament. I thought, okay, let’s hit a good drive, finish here.”

And she did, leaving herself about 135 yards to the hole. Still, the ghosts beckoned.

“I hit a 9-iron, and I was thinking about Jean Van de Velde.”

But Tseng isn’t Van de Velde. The Taiwanese star flew that “juiced” 9-iron straight at the flagstick and sank the short birdie putt for a four-shot victory.

Tseng is the new dominant force, not just in women’s golf, but all of golf. With the LPGA Tour adding a major to put five on the annual calendar, Tseng is looking like a serious threat to catch Tiger Woods and even Jack Nicklaus. She is already on a record pace.

−The Armchair Golfer

Who Are Those Guys? Keegan Bradley Edition

IN “BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE Sundance Kid,” Butch (Paul Newman) and Sundance (Robert Redford) kept saying, “Who are those guys?” That line reminds me of the PGA Tour some weeks. Like last week, for instance.

Keegan Bradley beat Ryan Palmer in a sudden-death playoff to win the HP Byron Nelson Championship, his first PGA Tour victory. I didn’t see it, so I missed my chance to be filled in on Bradley’s bio by the CBS golf crew. I’m in total darkness. I know less about Bradley than I did about Gary Woodland, who won the Transitions Championship. I had at least heard of Woodland.

First of all, Bradley is to be congratulated. To win on the PGA Tour is a huge accomplishment under any circumstances. The 24-year-old Vermont native held it together down the stretch on a difficult golf course and beat a tour winner in a playoff. That says a lot. It has become a trend, too. Bradley is the sixth first-time winner on tour this year.

But, besides being young and from The Green Mountain State, who the heck is he? Well, he’s the nephew of LPGA Tour great Pat Bradley. I know that Bradley.

Keegan Bradley played golf at St. Johns University, not exactly a collegiate golf powerhouse. Apparently, he won his share of college tournaments. Last year he played on the Nationwide Tour, where he had a second and two thirds en route to a 14-place finish on the money list.

In his first full year on the PGA Tour, Bradley has three top tens in 16 starts. He drives it long. He’s a Boston Red Sox fan. He listed their World Series victory as his biggest thrill outside of golf. Ben Hogan and his father are in his dream foursome. And he accepts his phantom status. “Going under the radar is kind of my thing,” he said.

Bradley had done a great job of staying under the radar until yesterday’s big win on national television. Now it will be much tougher to sneak up on anyone, especially if he can keep mustering the game to close out wins on Sunday.

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
Who Are Those Guys? Gary Woodland Edition

LPGA Tour: ‘Ladies Who Will Eat Your Lunch’

“Ladies who will eat your lunch,” as Paul Creamer refers to the women’s tour in the above clip, are drawing larger numbers. LPGA.com reports an increase in TV ratings, attendance and website traffic through the first five events of the 2011 season.

Total television viewership is 20 percent higher than like events on cable in 2010. Like events televised on Golf Channel have seen a 32 percent bump in viewership. The Kraft Nabisco Championship drew the most viewers for rounds 1 and 2 since 18 and 17 years ago, respectively. Overall website traffic during the year’s first major was up 52 percent. In addition, attendance has increased by eight percent through the first four events.

“We know it’s early,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan, “but we feel that the Tour’s popularity is on the rise and we will do all we can to maintain this momentum throughout the season.”

The ladies are back in action next week at the Avnet LPGA Classic in Mobile, Alabama. Se Ri Pak is the defending champion.

−The Armchair Golfer

The Ladies Tee Off in Thailand

HERE COME THE LADIES. Finally. The 2011 LPGA season gets underway on Thursday at the Honda LPGA Thailand. A field of 60, including new World No. 1 Yani Tseng, will tee it up at the Pattaya Old Course at Siam Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand. The 22-year-old Tseng was last season’s Rolex Player of the Year. She has superstar potential.

World No. 6 Ai Miyazato is the defending champion. A year ago Miyazato chipped in for birdie on the final hole to beat Suzann Pettersen by a shot. She went on to win the following week on her way to five 2010 victories. Her favorite pizza topping is pepperoni. And she doesn’t like cilantro. (It’s true. I read it at LPGA.com.)

(Photo: “I’m pretty sure this is my driver.” It’s been a long layoff for Ai Miyazato and all the ladies.)

Miyazato told USA Today’s Steve DiMeglio that she hasn’t played a competitive round of golf in two and a half months. Nonetheless, Ai said she’s ready to go after spending much of her offseason in Phoenix. She worked on getting the clubhead more square at the top of her backswing.

A long offseason is probably nice. But the rust can set in quickly. World No. 4 Cristie Kerr spent her break working on fitness—and relaxing. Kerr took five weeks off from playing golf, starting up again in mid-January. Her goals for 2011 are to bag another major and have a multiple win season.

Other LPGA players who are expected to contend for top honors such as player of the year and the money title include Jiyai Shin, Suzann Pettersen, Na Yeon Choi, I.K. Kim, Sun Ju Ahn, Song-Hee Kim, Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie.

The season opener is the first of 25 LPGA events on the 2011 calendar. The ladies tour has lost nine events since the economy tanked in late 2008. The Solheim Cup will be played in late September in Ireland.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: Keith Allison, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

The Common Retirement Path of Lorena Ochoa and Bob Jones

LORENA OCHOA HAS A COUPLE of things in common with golf great Bob Jones. Like Jones, Ochoa walked away from competitive golf at the age of 28. Lorena also left while she was world No. 1, just as Jones did after winning the Grand Slam in 1930.

Ochoa picked up the 2011 Bob Jones Award at the USGA’s annual meeting in Phoenix last weekend. Lorena said she was “speechless” when first informed about being the recipient. After weeks to prepare her acceptance speech, an emotional Ochoa said the words still didn’t come easy.

“It would have been easier in Spanish,” she confessed. That got a hearty laugh.

The Bob Jones Award has been around since 1955. The USGA honor is given to players who emulate the lifelong amateur and 13-time major winner. Ochoa is a great selection.

Maybe Lorena will return to tournament golf someday. But for now she’s happily pursuing her foundation work that she said drove her to be the world’s best female golfer. The strong desire to help youth in her native Mexico motivated her to excel at the game she took up at the age of five. The Lorena Ochoa Foundation benefits underprivileged children in her hometown of Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Ochoa was a two-time NCAA Player of the Year at University of Arizona before embarking on an eight-year career on the LPGA Tour. She retired in 2010 with 27 wins, including the 2007 Women’s British Open and the 2008 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Lorena Ochoa tribute video shown at USGA annual meeting

−The Armchair Golfer

(Photo credit: memoflores, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

Creamer Rises to the Top

2010 U.S. Women’s Open Recap
Winner: Paula Creamer
Score: 3 under, 281 (72, 70, 70, 69)
Quote: “I believed I could do this.”
Fact: She didn’t watch leaderboards.
Thought: Mental toughness wins majors.

PAULA CREAMER IS A major champion. What so many have long expected since the talented California native turned professional five years ago finally came to pass today under blue skies at Oakmont Country Club in western Pennsylvania. She is only 23, but doesn’t it seem that Paula has been grinding for that first major victory for quite a while?

Count me among those who were thoroughly impressed by Creamer’s performance. I know Oakmont was playing soft after the heavy rain on Friday. It’s still Oakmont, though. Playing through pain in the aftermath of surgery to her left thumb, Paula was the only player in red numbers for 72 holes, shooting 3-under par to win by four strokes over Na Yeon Choi and Suzanne Pettersen. She saved her best round for last, a 2-under 69.

Few players have a four-shot cushion when they play the final hole of a U.S. Open (a dream scenario and then you wake up), but apparently Creamer didn’t know it. Paula said afterwards that she didn’t look at a leaderboard until the 18th green.

“That was a goal of mine,” she said, “to just go and play the golf course, and if somebody played awesome, then somebody did. I didn’t want to change my game plan.”

How do you explain a first major after so much adversity and such a long layoff? Paula was obviously not at anywhere near her best physically—she could only hit 40 balls in warm up, winced in pain on the course, and told the press she was about 60 percent. She had only played four events coming into the national championship, missing the cut last week at the Jamie Farr Classic.

“It just shows,” Paula said, “how much the mental side of golf can really take over.”

There’s also the experience and maturity Creamer gained from disappointments at the last two U.S. Women’s Opens at Interlachen and Saucon Valley. And there’s the putting, which this time was superb on Oakmont’s crazy fast and undulating greens.

Because of Paula’s extreme popularity—and because an American has won the U.S. Women’s Open—this is bound to be a huge lift for women’s golf and the LPGA Tour. With Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa gone, the game needs star power, and Paula has it in mega-wattage. Now she also has her first of what may be many majors.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Keith Allison/Flickr)

3-Year-Old Boy Hones Game for Q-School

WHEN ALEXIS THOMPSON RECENTLY turned professional to play on the LPGA Tour at the age of 15, some questioned whether she was too young for the rigors of tour life and openly wondered about the potentially damaging attention she might receive. But Thompson is a grizzled veteran compared to a 3-year-old Arizona boy who may enter the PGA Tour’s Qualifying School this fall.

The boy’s agent told ARMCHAIR GOLF in an email that his young client got an even earlier start in golf than Tiger Woods and other golf prodigies. The boy began making arm movements in his mother’s womb that simulated a golf swing and has aspired to play on the PGA Tour since he was 1. That was when he watched Woods beat Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open.

“He’s that good,” the agent said, “and he has a great attitude. Nothing keeps him down for very long.”

One large roadblock that stands in the boy’s way is the PGA Tour’s age rule. A player can enter Q-School at any age but isn’t allowed to become a PGA Tour member until his 18th birthday.

“We’re looking at it and talking to Ponte Vedra,” the agent said. “That’s all I can say right now.”

Apparently, business opportunities are also available. Golf-related companies and mega brands are always on the lookout for the game’s newest star players.

“Several potential sponsors are interested in signing him. He’s a great kid. He really is.”

For now, the boy’s parents and agent are guarding the boy’s identity should they decide to enroll him in preschool and forgo the Q-School bid until he’s 4.

−The Armchair Golfer

(This is an ARMCHAIR GOLF spoof.)

(Image: The Geary’s/Flickr)

2010 LPGA State Farm Classic TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE LADIES ARE BACK in action this week. Like a good LPGA partner, State Farm is there. (That was terrible, just awful. Sorry.) The 2010 LPGA State Farm Classic gets underway on Thursday at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Illinois, beginning a five-week stretch of tournaments on the LPGA Tour. The event is celebrating its 35th anniversary.

Purse: $1.7 million
Defending champion: In-Kyung Kim

Final field
Pairings
Tournament preview
Pre-tournament interviews
Tournament website


2010 LPGA State Farm Classic Leaderboard

TV SCHEDULE

More than nine hours of TV coverage are on tap for the 2010 LPGA State Farm Classic.

Thurs, Jun 10
6:30-8:30 PM ET GOLF CHANNEL

Fri, Jun 11
6:30-8:30 PM ET GOLF CHANNEL

Sat, Jun 12
6:30-9:30 PM ET GOLF CHANNEL

Sun, Jun 13
7:00-9:30 PM ET GOLF CHANNEL

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Playadura/Flickr)

15-Year-Old Alexis Thompson Will Turn Pro in June

TEENAGER ALEXIS THOMPSON has lined up a summer job: professional golf. Thompson will make her pro debut on the LPGA Tour when she tees it up in mid June at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey. Before she arrives in New Jersey, she’ll play on the U.S. Curtis Cup team in the June matches against Great Britain and Ireland in Manchester, Massachusetts.

“She thinks she’s ready,” said her father, Scott Thompson, at SunSentinel.com. “She tells me all the time at dinner, 'I’m ready, Dad, let me go.'”

Alexis will be a younger pro than Michelle Wie, who was one week shy of her 16th birthday when she entered the professional ranks.

The golf prodigy is used to firsts. In 2007 at age 12, Thompson was the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open. She also played in the championship in 2008 and 2009, and was ranked as the No. 1 female amateur last year.

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
Alexis Thompson Still Tops News About 14-Year-Olds

Reaction to Lorena Ochoa Retirement

LORENA OCHOA IS RETIRING from golf. The world No. 1 women’s player who snatched the top spot from Annika Sorenstam in 2007 and has held it for 157 weeks is just 28. Lorena has 27 LPGA Tour wins, including two majors. A press conference is scheduled for Friday during which Ochoa is expected to explain her reasons in more detail, which apparently center around her recent marriage and new family life.

Reaction

Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam (via her blog): “I must admit that I was surprised, but not shocked, when I heard the news yesterday that Lorena is going to retire. She has always said she would play for maybe 10 years and then leave the game to start a family. She just got married and obviously feels that she is ready for that next chapter in her life.”

Hall of Famer and TV analyst Judy Rankin (via AP): “I’m just crushed. We won’t get to see her play golf. Mostly, we won’t get to see her.”

Hall of Famer Amy Alcott (via LA Times and Golf.com): “To lose one of its great stars and great entertainers, that’s difficult. She’s been a great role model for young girls, and that’s what I admire the most about Lorena.”

Me: “Sniffle, sniffle, sniffle.”

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Pablo Lancaster-Jones/Flickr)

2010 Kia Classic TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

THE 2010 KIA CLASSIC is underway at La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. Na On Min is the current leader at 6 under.

Purse: $1.7 million
Defending champion: Inaugural event

Final field
Pairings
Tournament interviews
Complete tournament info

2010 Kia Classic Leaderboard

TV SCHEDULE

More than eight hours of TV coverage are on tap for the 2010 Kia Classic.

Thurs, Mar 25
Golf Channel 6:30-8:30 PM ET

Fri, Mar 26
Golf Channel 6:30-8:30 PM ET

Sat, Mar 27
Golf Channel 6:30-9:00 PM ET

Sun, Mar 28
Golf Channel 7:00-9:00 PM ET

−The Armchair Golfer

Did You Know Laura Davies Has 73 Wins?

I HAD NO IDEA. By closing with a 69 to win the New Zealand Open on Sunday, 46-year-old English golfer Laura Davies collected her 73rd worldwide title. Wow. Where have I been? I’m guessing trophy room rather than trophy case.

I knew Davies was one of the top women golfers for a lengthy stretch in the 1980s and 1990s, but she has never stopped winning golf tournaments since she got her first victory at the 1985 Belgian Ladies’ Open. In her quarter century as a professional, the long-hitting Davies has played all over the world. Here’s how her wins break down:

LPGA Tour: 20
Ladies European Tour: 39
LPGA of Japan Tour: 6
Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour: 6
Ladies Asian Golf Tour: 2

To my surprise, 15 of Davies’ 73 wins have been in the 2000s. Four wins are majors. She may not be the dominant player she once was—especially on the LPGA Tour—but she just keeps winning. Davies has also won the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit seven times, a record. I’d say it’s a Hall of Fame career.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: dnkbdotcom/Flickr)

The Ladies Are Back

THE LPGA SEASON GETS underway tomorrow at the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand. Forty-nine of the top 50 on the 2009 LPGA money list will tee it up at Siam Country Club outside of Bangkok, Thailand. World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa is the defending champion.

Although last year was tumultuous for the LPGA Tour, a new season and new commissioner had three of the LPGA’s biggest stars in a sunny mood as they sat for a press conference on Tuesday.

Asked about LPGA commish Michael Whan and new sponsor announcements in recent weeks, Ochoa said, “We are all happy with the new commissioner. We’re going in the right direction.” Paula Creamer said, “His vision for our Tour is where it should be.” Michelle Wie made it unanimous. “I’ve talked to Mike Whan and he’s awesome. He sends e-mails to us and keeps in touch. He wants to know what we’re thinking as players.”

What the players think definitely matters. Just ask ex-LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens. It’s early, but so far Whan’s collaborative style is winning the players and a few new sponsors.

The three players also talked about their prospects as the season begins. Creamer, who suffered last year with a mysterious ailment, said she feels the best she has in a long time. Wie said she and other players are gunning for Ochoa’s top spot. Lorena said she is just trying to concentrate on her own game and not be concerned about all the great talent chasing her, including last year’s rookie of the year, Jiyai Shin.

Whether they’re in for another bumpy season or not, look for the ladies to hang tough. The LPGA has survived since 1950 when a group of 13 women that included Babe Zaharias, Louise Suggs and Betty Jameson founded the ladies tour. They’ll be celebrating their 60th anniversary all year, which will include historic snapshots at LPGA.com.

Borrowing a phrase from Spock, who might be a commissioner candidate if Whan doesn’t work out, may the LPGA live long and prosper.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Images: Lancaster-Jones, Allison /Flickr)