Golf News On and Around The Links
Apr 24, 2014; Pensacola, FL, USA; Young golfers wait to get a look at two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson (not pictured) as he visits Osceola Municipal Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Ben Twingley/Pensacola News Journal-USA TODAY Sports
Golf News On and Around the Links this week takes us to the end of the sport’s unique version of March Madness. Although the Texas wind complicated play during the early rounds of the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, the LPGA, European, and Ladies European Tours were enjoying clear skies and balmy breezes in Southern California and Morocco. The women are getting set up now at Rancho Mirage and the week-long race to Poppy’s Pond and the men have one more week of golf in Big Sky Country at the Shell Houston Open before the magnificent March Down Magnolia Land to America’s Golf Homecoming.
On the Links
Jimmy Walker. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
In San Antonio the Valero Texas Open field struggled for two days against the wailing Texas wind, then Jimmy Walker pulled out ahead and despite a valiant attempt Jordan Spieth couldn’t catch him. Walker closed the deal nicely and is going to hop over to Augusta National for a couple of days of practice before he tees off at the Shell Houston Open next Thursday.
Cristie Kerr.
At the Kia Classic, the final event before they invade Rancho Mirage for the LPGA’s first Major of the year, the Tour enjoyed 4 days of balmy southern California weather while they fought it out on the Aviara Golf Club track’s great rolling and tricky greens. Cristie Kerr took the win after a breathtaking Sunday Shootout, her first since the 2013 Kingsmill Championship.
The Europeans have spent their time in Morocco this week. Gwladys Nocera redeemed herself with a victory at the Lalla Meyrem Cup, making up for the stinging playoff loss to Charley Hull last year. Nocera and Hull, who finished well below Nocera, will both tee it up next week at the ANA Inspiration.
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Playing concurrently with the LET at the Golf du Palais Royal in Agadir, Morocco, Richie Ramsey became first Scot to win the Trophée Hassan II. It’s Ramsey’s third European Tour win and he picked up a handsome dagger valued at Euros 60,000 as his trophy.
On the PGA Champions Tour, David Frost overcame a penalty late in his final round to take the win at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic. It was Frost’s sixth Champions Tour title.
The LPGA Legends Tour was off this week. Their next event is the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial, April 13-19 at Cypress Lake Country Club, Ft. Meyer, Florida.
On the development tours, Sue Kim took the win at the Symetra Tour’s Florida Natural Charity Classic and Kelly Kraft took the win at the web.com Louisiana Open.
Around the Links
Jack Nicklaus. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Jack Nicklaus collected another honor. The Golden Bear was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, which was presented to him by Speaker of the House John Boehner in the Capitol Rotunda. ProGolfNow adds our voice to the chorus congratulating The Bear for this singular public acknowledgment of his accomplishments on and around the links.
Phil Mickelson’s broken 8-iron attracted a bit of attention, with the video clip of that bunker shot — really not all that difficult of a setup, as these things go — that led to the separation of club head from shaft. Still, Lefty made a decent shot and got the ball back in play.
Lydia Ko is getting lined up to break another record, the one Annika Sorenstam currently holds for the most consecutive sub-par rounds. The magic number is 29. Ko is at 27 with one round remaining at the Kia Classic as I write this. So, it could all come down next week in Rancho Mirage!
Jordan Spieth’s new library/meeting room
Jordan Spieth has bought a house, and what a house it is, perhaps more a castle than a house, or at the very least a house Texas Style. Golf Digest reported the 5-bedroom gated mansion that came with a pool and putting green also came with a $2.2 million price tag. My favorite room is the library/meeting room.
Golf is always more difficult – Amy Anderson
Second year LPGA Tour player
Amy Anderson
, who learned to play golf in North Dakota and played her collegiate golf at North Dakota State (Golf Channel’s Terry Gannon once opined that he didn’t know there were golf courses in North Dakota), has
— she said the exam prep was less stressful that preparing for a Tour event — and spent her spare time helping her Tour sisters get their taxes done.
Arnie Palmer hasn’t been able to and hasn’t wanted to hide his Grandpa Joy as he’s spent some time watching grandson Sam Saunders make his way around the PGA Tour and start making his way up in the rankings. Neither has LPGA rookie Alison Lee’s grandmother, who followed Lee along the ropes at the Kia Classic riding on a little electric scooter and beaming a smile that almost eclipsed the southern California sun!
Coming Up
At ProGolfNow we’re beginning to get excited about America’s Golf Homecoming at Augusta National. Check out ProGolfNow’s staff writer Sam Adams’s Nostalgic Lookback to the days when Arnies Army marched down Magnolia Lane. It will get you in the mood. Watch for the coming series of player profiles for The Masters Tournament as well as for contenders at this year’s USGA/PGA Drive, Chip and Putt Contest that will be held on the Sunday before Masters Week begins.
The PGA Tour will stay in Texas for another week for the Shell Houston Open. ProGolfNow will get you ready with Danny Norris’s weekly fantasy picks and power rankings posts and will provide ongoing commentary and end-of-round wrap-ups as well.
The LPGA will be at Rancho Mirage, California for the first Major of the year, the ANA Inspiration (formerly the Kraft Nabisco Championship). ProGolfNow will provide full coverage of the ANA Inspiration, beginning with my weekly tournament preview and ending with the traditional champion’s leap into Poppy’s Pond.
The Ladies European Tour is off until May 7-10, when they’ll travel to the Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf for the Buick Championship.
The European Tour is off this week but will join the PGA Tour and the USGA at The Masters Tournament, April 9-12 at Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia.