The usually bustling tourist town of Lahaina, less than 20 minutes south of Kapalua, has been the hardest hit. More than 2,200 structures on the island have been destroyed or damaged by the fires — about 86 per cent of them residential, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said.

That’s why Collin Morikawa concedes it will be “scary” returning to Lahaina, where the Californian’s fraternal grandparents were born. They owned the Morikawa Restaurant, believed to have been in existence in the 1950s and 1960s. The two-time major winner was asked Tuesday at the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields if he was “fearful” of seeing the devastation at Lahaina come the first week of January.

“I am,” Morikawa said, having earned his spot at the Sentry courtesy of being among the top 50 on the FedEx Cup standings who made it to the BMW. Those top 50 will be eligible for Sentry, which changed its eligibility from its previous winner’s-only status. “Going back to a place like that where I know I have so many connections … it’s going to be very eerie,” Morikawa added.

“Every year we would always walk by the store that ended up being where the Morikawa restaurant used to be. I am very scared. But I think with being scared, also you need to step up. You need to be courageous, you need to be brave. We have that ability to reach out to millions of people, [with] our network of the PGA Tour and being professional athletes, to make it better [raise money and aid]. Find charities, find ways to help out these people because, they’re doing all they can and it’s always nice to have a helping hand. Golf will be very weird that week, I guarantee that. It’s only a handful months away. Even with that time, stuff can’t be rebuilt that quickly.”

World No.3 and reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm also has an affinity for Kapalua from playing the tournament. He won the Tournament of Champions this year, a year after shooting 33 under par for four rounds and finishing second to Cameron Smith by one shot.

Rahm said professional golf should be least of anyone’s concerns when it comes to Maui. The Spaniard echoed Morikawa in wanting to use the PGA Tour’s platform to raise money for the island.

“Obviously the priority right now wouldn’t be [the tournament at] Kapalua,” Rahm said. “It’s really sad what has happened over there, especially for a culture that cares about their native land as much as the Hawaiians do. I’m deeply sorry for everybody that lost somebody over there. I know Collin shared a bit of his [grandfather’s] story … I’m hoping they can rebuild Lahaina as quickly as possible. If we do go and play, I’m hoping through the tournament we can help the community as much as we can.”

Along with Morikawa, who is donating money from every birdie in the FedEx Cup to the recovery efforts, Michelle Wie West said she is donating $100,000 to support “the urgent needs of these families” who are dealing with the tragedy.

The post Collin Morikawa on why it’s important that golf steps up to help in Maui wildfires appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It is a landmark US Women’s Open, the first time the USGA has taken the biggest championship in women’s golf to Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of the most famous golf courses in the world. And this year’s is certain to be among the most memorable Opens in the 78-year history.

In celebrating the milestone, it felt right to reflect on the championship and spotlight the moments that have helped define the event through the years. There have been a variety of winners—from phenoms and Hall of Famers to dark horses and unknowns—winning in all sorts of ways. There have been tears of joy shed, and tears of heartbreak, too.

We recount it all in our countdown of the 18 most memorable US Women’s Opens, a ranking that is likely to inspire some debate. Before we begin, however, here are a few interesting historical facts about the championship.

• It was not a USGA event initially. It was started by the Women’s Professional Golfers Association, which held it for three years. Then the LPGA was formed and it staged it the next four years. In 1953, the LPGA asked the USGA to take it over.

• The first Women’s Open in 1946 had a field of only 39. Entries have topped 1,000 every year since 2004, with a record 2,107 coming this year for Pebble Beach.

• Mickey Wright and Betsy Rawls share the record for most US Women’s Open victories, with four.

• Forty-five of the first 77 Women’s Opens were won by those in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

• Among those who never won the Women’s Open: Kathy Whitworth, Nancy Lopez, Lorena Ochoa and Beth Daniel.

OK, on to the countdown.

18. Annika goes back-to-back (1996)

Annika Sorenstam had formally announced her arrival in women’s golf the year before at The Broadmoor but began to forge her legacy as the dominant golfer of her generation by winning the Women’s Open for a second straight year. This one came at Southern Pines, a convincing six-stroke victory over Kris Tschetter after shooting a closing 66 to break the Women’s Open 72-hole scoring record with an eight-under 272 total. “It’s a wonderful feeling to win this championship,” Sorenstam said through tears. “Once was wonderful. To win it twice was more than wonderful.” In 2006, she would add a third Open victory to her distinguished record of 72 LPGA titles and 10 majors.

• • •

17. No Open for Nancy (1997)

Nancy Lopez reacts to a missed par putt on the 17th hole at Pumpkin Ridge that, in part, kept her from finally claiming the Women’s Open title. Craig Jones

She was 40 and at the end of her reign, with 48 LPGA victories but none of them the US Women’s Open. Yet Nancy Lopez was tied for second after the second round at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club outside Portland, Ore., and solo second after the third, trailing by three. Lopez outplayed England’s Alison Nicholas in the final round (69 to 71), but ultimately came up one stroke short after two bogeys in her final four holes and missing a 15-foot birdie to force a playoff on the last. Finishing second for the fourth time in the national championship, Lopez knew she had missed her last best chance at victory: “This should have been the one, darn it.”

• • •

16. Grand Slam bid stymied (1986)

Pat Bradley had won the first two women’s majors that year, the Nabisco Dinah Shore and the LPGA Championship, but her try at a third straight, in the Women’s Open at NCR Country Club, came up three strokes short as she finished in fifth place. Bradley, 35 at the time, would go on to win the du Maurier Classic a few weeks later, becoming the first and only player to win three legs of the Grand Slam in one year in the modern era. History will note that the other major winner in 1986 was Jane Geddes, who prevailed over Sally Little in a playoff at NCR to win the Women’s Open, the first of her two career major victories.

• • •

15. A legend in a landslide (1949)

The Women’s Open in ’49 was played at Prince George’s Country Club in Landover, Md., a par-75 layout that was mastered by only a single player. Louise Suggs played 72 holes in nine-under-par 291 and won by a record 14 shots over Babe Zaharias. Suggs would win 61 tournaments, including a second Women’s Open in 1952 that helped her claim 11 majors in her Hall of Fame career.

• • •

14. First time on TV (1965)

The final round of the Women’s Open at Atlantic City (NJ) Country Club was nationally televised and it produced a worthy champion. Future Hall of Famer Carol Mann won by two, the third of her 38 LPGA wins and second of two majors. The Women’s Open has been televised every year since.

• • •

13. A playoff and a penalty (2016)

Rules officials explain to Brittany Lang (right) the two-shot penalty that Anna Nordqvist had just been assessed during the playoff at CordeValle. Jonathan Ferrey

Tied at six under at California’s CordeValle Golf Club after 72 holes, Brittany Lang and Anna Nordqvist continued on in a three-hole aggregate playoff. On the second extra hole, the 17th at CordeValle, Nordqvist inadvertently and unknowingly touched the sand with her club in a fairway bunker. The infraction was caught on TV, and Nordqvist incurred a two-stroke penalty, which she was told about while playing the next hole. Lang would go on to win the playoff by three. “Just focusing on hitting my shots, and apparently I touched the sand,” Nordqvist said afterwards. “It wasn’t on purpose. And just one of those things. I have to deal with the consequences. Unfortunately, it happened, but it’s not the end of the world.”

• • •

12. One sweetheart victory (2010)

Paula Creamer’s celebration after winning by four at Oakmont was emotional. Scott Halleran

One of the game’s most popular players, Paula Creamer had eight LPGA victories prior to arriving at Oakmont Country Club but was still in search of a major title to help validate her status as one of the top players. In the months preceding the Open, the 23-year-old nursed a hand injury that still bothered her throughout the week and wasn’t exactly conducive to playing in Oakmont’s gnarly rough. She prevailed nonetheless, winning by four and posting a 72-hole score of three-under 281.

• • •

11. The very first champion (1946)

The inaugural US Women’s Open was a match-play event that had a 39-player field to start, with the final coming down to two future World Golf Hall of Famers, Patty Berg and Betty Jameson. Berg, who won 36-hole stroke-play qualifying by seven shots, prevailed in the 36-hole final, 5 and 4, at Spokane (Wash.) Country Club. The 28-year-old, who four years later would be one of the founding members of the LPGA Tour, claimed a first prize of $5,600 in war bonds. The following year and from then on out, a 72-hole stroke play format was used.

• • •

10. An amateur beats the pros (1967)

France’s Catherine Lacoste, 22, made history with her two-stroke victory at The Homestead, becoming the first and only amateur to win the Women’s Open. That said, it didn’t come without some nerves; Lacoste, daughter of tennis star Rene Lacoste, took a five-stroke lead into the final round and shot 79, but hung on for the title. In 1969, she went on to win the British Ladies Amateur (a title her mother won in 1927) and the US Women’s Amateur, but by 1970 she had all but retired from competitive golf, never having turned professional. No other amateur has been able to match Lacoste’s feat, though others have come close, notably Morgan Pressel and Brittany Lang finishing tied for second in 2005 and Nancy Lopez tying for second in 1975.

• • •

9. Annika begins her reign (1995)

A second straight US Women’s Open title help solidify Annika Sorenstam’s burgeoning place in women’s golf. JD Cuban

Big things were expected from Sorenstam after she became the first international player to win the NCAA title in 1991 and finished runner-up at the 1992 US Women’s Amateur. But after joining the LPGA in 1994, she had failed to post a victory prior to arriving at The Broadmoor and didn’t look as though she would do it in Colorado, either, entering the final round trailing leader Meg Mallon by five. But Sorenstam closed with a 68, Mallon a 74 and Annika had the first of her 72 LPGA victories and 10 majors.

• • •

8. An unexpected champion (2003)

Hilary Lunke’s brief career had one shining moment when she shocked women’s golf by winning the Women’s Open at Pumpkin Ridge, defeating Angela Stanford and Kelly Robbins in a playoff. At 24, the Stanford grad was the first winner who had gone through local and sectional qualifying to play her way into the field. It was her only victory in an otherwise lacklustre career, and she retired five years later after only seven seasons on the LPGA Tour. In 24 career major starts, her next best finish was a T-37.

• • •

7. The ultimate birdie for Birdie (2005)

Birdie Kim celebrates after holing a bunker shot for birdie on the 72nd hole at Cherry Hills. Christian Petersen

Morgan Pressel, then a 17-year-old high schooler, was trying to accomplish the improbable at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver and become the second amateur to win the Women’s Open—and the youngest-ever winner of a major title. She was tied for the lead on the 72nd hole, standing in the fairway and watching the other co-leader, Birdie Kim, play her third shot on par 4 from a greenside bunker. The 23-year-old South Korean proceeded to shock everyone—particularly Pressel—when she holed the tricky sand shot for a birdie. “I was never a good bunker player,” Kim said. “Finally, I make it.” Pressel couldn’t regroup, bogeying the hole to allow Kim to win by two, her only LPGA victory.

• • •

6. A costly mistake (1957)

A dejected Jackie Pung (left) sits during the prize ceremony as Betsy Rawls is awarded the Women’s Open trophy at Winged Foot. Bettmann

Jackie Pung had the championship at Winged Foot Golf Club won by a stroke over Betsy Rawls, then lost it when it was revealed she had signed an incorrect scorecard. She made a bogey 6 on the fourth hole of the final round, yet her playing partner, Betty Jameson, marked Pung down for a 5. Pung, incidentally, made the same error on Jameson’s card and both were disqualified. “Winning the Open is the greatest thing in golf,” Pung, 35, said at the presentation ceremony. “I have come close before. This time I thought I’d won. But I didn’t. Golf is played by rules, and I broke a rule. I’ve learned a lesson. And I have two broad shoulders …” Herbert Warren Wind, writing for Sports Illustrated, noted: “You will probably never see an unhappier group of people at a golf championship than was gathered at the Winged Foot Golf Club.” Indeed, the members had become fond of Pung during the week, and after the mistake raised $3,000 among them to present to her, or $1,200 more than she would have earned with the victory.

• • •

5. The phenom delivers (2014)

Michelle Wie’s win at Pinehurst silenced those who doubted whether she would live up to her hype as a junior phenom. Scott Halleran

Expectations had been exceedingly high for Michelle Wie throughout her career, not long after having qualified for the US Women’s Amateur Public Links at 10 and missing the cut by one in the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii at 14. Yet these expectations went largely unfilled until she won the Women’s Open, defeating Stacy Lewis by two, at Pinehurst No. 2, the week after Martin Kaymer had won the US Open there in the USGA’s memorable back-to-back Opens. The 24-year-old’s reaction told it all: “Oh, my God, I can’t even think straight. I’m so happy right now. I’m just unbelievably happy. I’m so honoured to have my name on the trophy. Just so grateful for everything. I’m just really happy. I’m really thankful, just everything, feeling every single emotion I can right now.”

• • •

4. A Hall-of-Fame career fulfilled (1999)

Juli Inkster was able to win her first Women’s Open without too much worry, in the process breaking the USGA scoring record in relation to par. Luke Frazza

A three-time winner of the US Women’s Amateur, Inkster seemed certain to one day claim a Women’s Open title when she embarked on her Hall of Fame career. Yet in her first 19 starts in the championship, she had only two top-10 finishes (including a painful playoff loss in 1992 when Patty Sheehan birdied her last two holes to force the extra round, then won by two shots). At age 38, in her 20th start, however, Inkster put together a stellar performance at Old Waverly Golf Club, shooting a USGA record 16-under-par score to win by five strokes. “The hardest part was it really was my tournament to lose. No one had the pressure on except me. I had no one to blame but myself,” Inkster said, having started the final round-up by four shots. It was the 20th of her 31 career LPGA victories and the first of two Women’s Open titles (she’d win again in 2002 at Prairie Dunes). “This is the ultimate tournament,” Inkster said. “No one can take away from me that I’m a US Open champion.”

• • •

3. A win that inspires a nation (1998)

Se Ri Pak’s victory at Blackwolf Run inspired a generation of golfers in South Korea. Craig Jones

She was only 20, still mostly an unknown outside of South Korea who’d surprised American fans by winning the LPGA Championship six weeks earlier. Yet Se Ri Pak probably would have been considered an underdog in the playoff at the Women’s Open at Blackwolf Run had it been not for the person she was facing. Jenny Chuasiriporn, a 20-year-old Duke undergrad, made a 40-foot putt on the 18th hole to force extra holes and was trying to write her own “can you believe this” story. Tied still after the 18-hole playoff, the pair went another two holes before Pak pulled out the victory with a birdie. The championship was televised in South Korea, and Pak’s victory ignited a movement that resulted in South Korea’s LPGA dominance. “Back then, there was not the communication there is today,” Pak said when recalling the win. “It wasn’t until a week after I won that I learned that all of Korea was watching. It was unbelievable to me.” Following Pak’s lead, 46 more South Korean golfers have won LPGA Tour titles and all told 18 South Koreans have combined to win 33 majors. “At that moment,” said 2011 US Women’s Open winner So Yeon Ryu of Pak’s win, “just golf is my hobby and violin my dream. But now the violin is my hobby, golf is my dream, my job. So totally changed.” Pak went on to win 25 LPGA events, including five majors, before retiring in 2016. She is in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

• • •

2. Comeback from cancer (1954)

Babe Zaharias’ comeback was inspirational to her and others dealing with cancer. Underwood Archives

Fifteen months after undergoing cancer surgery, Babe Zaharias, at 43, became the oldest player to win the Women’s Open, running away with the title by 12 strokes at Salem (Mass.) Country Club, her third Women’s Open victory. “My prayers have been answered,” said Zaharias, who had missed the 1953 Open due to the surgery. “I just told the Lord to let me play again, and I’d take care of the winning. Today, we sealed the bargain.” Indeed, her performance was described in Golf World magazine as “the greatest sustained golf ever in a women’s championship.” At year’s end, the Associated Press voted her the female athlete of the year for the sixth time. Zaharias would not have a chance to defend her title a year later, forced to miss the championship because of back surgery that revealed the cancer had returned. She died in September 1956, at 45.

• • •

1. The Open’s greatest champion shines once more (1964)

Mickey Wright’s connection to the USGA and the Women’s Open will continue on after her death, thanks to her donation of her estate and possessions to the governing body. PGA of America

Any US Women’s Open list has to include Mickey Wright, who won the last of her four Women’s Opens at San Diego Country Club, the golf course on which she grew up alongside friend Billy Casper. “That was a very personal tournament,” Wright said years later. “It was my home. It was the first tournament that my mother and father had both seen me play in a tournament.” Wright beat Ruth Jessen, who also had San Diego ties, by two shots in an 18-hole playoff. “I hate to lose,” Jessen said, “but there is some consolation in losing to the greatest woman golfer in the world.” Indeed, it was Wright’s seventh win of the season and she would add four more titles before the year was out. Wright eventually ran her LPGA victory total to 82, including 13 major championships. Wright died in 2020 but her connection to the Women’s Open will continue; in Wright’s will, she bequeathed her estate and possessions to the USGA, which then announced that it has named the medal the Women’s Open champion received after Wright.

The post The 18 most memorable US Women’s Opens, ranked appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Indeed, one could describe Wie West as the oldest 32-year-old pro golfer in the world given how young she was when she started attracting attention with her game. It was back in 2000, when the Hawaii native was only 10, that she first made national news in becoming the youngest player ever to qualify for the US Women’s Amateur Public Links.

In subsequent years, Wie West showcased her talent by achieving several notable “youngest ever” accomplishments in various women’s amateur and professional events, while also competing against the best male amateur and professional golfers in the world by playing in a handful of PGA Tour events. Critics wondered if she might be better served beating up on players her own age to learn “how to win” a la Tiger Woods. But Wie West gained satisfaction and experience testing herself in other ways. And she did her fair share of winning along the way, grabbing five LPGA titles including her signature victory at the 2014 US Women’s Open.

With several impressive moments during her career to choose from, we’ve highlighted 11 that serve as the most memorable — most for the better — of Wie West’s career.

Robert Laberge

When the teen became a star

The Kraft Nabisco Championship always loved inviting amateurs into the LPGA major, but took a chance in 2003 when inviting a 13-year-old Wie, who recently had become the youngest player to earn a spot into an LPGA event. Wie made tournament officials look smart when she became the youngest player to ever make a cut in an LPGA event. A third-round 66 put her in the final pairing in the final round. She finished T-9 to earn low amateur honours. It was her first of six top-10s in the major in her career, three of which would come before age 16.

A national champion

Less than three months later, playing in the US Women’s Amateur Public Links, Wie advanced to the finals at Ocean Hammock Golf Club in Florida. When she defeated former NCAA champion Virada Nirapathpongporn in the final, she became the youngest golfer to win a USGA championship that had no age restrictions.

Al Messerschmidt

Making waves on the PGA Tour

Having wowed several tour pros the previous year with her swing when she competed in the pro-am at the Sony Open — earning the nickname the “Big Wiesy” after Ernie Els sung her praises — Wie did more of the same while playing in the PGA Tour event on a sponsor’s exemption. She missed out on becoming just the second woman (along with Babe Didrickson Zaharias) to make a cut in a PGA Tour event but her second-round 68 was the lowest ever shot by a woman on the PGA Tour. This was the first of eight starts she’d make on the PGA Tour and also the closest she’d come to making the cut.

John Mummert/USGA

Working for a Masters invite

In an April 2004 interview with ‘60 Minutes’, Wie didn’t beat around the bush: “I think my ultimate goal is to play in the Masters. I think it’d be pretty neat walking down the Masters fairways.” One of the ways to qualify was to win the US Amateur Public Links title. So Wie entered the event in 2005 (which was open to men and women), qualified to play in the championship, then advanced into the matchplay bracket. Wie got all the way to the quarter-finals before falling to Clay Ogden, the eventual winner.

A pro at Sweet 16

Given all her success as an amateur in professional events, and the following she had in and out of golf, it was only a matter of time before Wie would turn pro. She did so a week before her 16th birthday in October 2005, and signed sponsorship deals with Nike and Sony worth a reported $10 million per year.

An auspicious debut

Wie West made her pro debut at the Samsung World Championship in California, seemingly finishing in fourth place and earning around $50,000. However, officials determined that she had taken a bad drop a day earlier and because she had signed for an incorrect score, she was disqualified from the tournament.

Kevin C. Cox

First pro win

Wie wasn’t a full-time LPGA member until earning her tour card in late 2008. Less than a year later, she claimed her first LPGA title, winning the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico by two strokes.

Donald Miralle

Getting her diploma

You could make the argument the most impressive thing Wie ever accomplished on the LPGA Tour was simultaneously going to college at Stanford starting in September 2007 and earning a degree. She took classes between LPGA events. It provided meaning and purpose for her, in a way perhaps golf couldn’t. And it was definitely an outlet to let Wie be defined by something other than golf. She wrapped up classes in March 2012 and attended graduation in Palo Alto that June.

Getty Images

A major milestone

Given all the laurels she earned as an amateur and the talent she displayed, big wins on the LPGA Tour were naturally expected. It wasn’t until 2014, however, that those expectations were fulfilled at Pinehurst No. 2. Playing a week after Martin Kaymer won the men’s title on the Donald Ross course, Wie was the only woman to break par, beating Stacy Lewis by two shots to claim the biggest title in women’s golf.

Disappointment at Hazeltine

Not long after her US Women’s Open title, Wie experienced the first of a series of injuries. She would sit out stretches of seasons to heal, with hopes that the rest would finally pay off. But often it didn’t, and the frustrations boiled over. They hit their hottest in 2019 at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, when she shot a first-round 84 at Hazeltine National after a nine-month layoff entering the event. “It’s just one of those situations where I’m not, you know, I’m not entirely sure how much more I have left in me,” she said at the time, “so even on the bad days I’m just like trying to take time to enjoy it. But it’s tough.” After missing the cut, she took the next 21 months off, during which time she got married to Jonnie West and had a baby.

Return to play as a mother

Nine months after the birth of daughter Makenna, Wie West entered the Kia Classic, the first of six tournaments she played in 2021. She missed the cut by four, but sounded enthused to be competing again and proud of the example she could set for her new child.
“After KPMG in 2019 I thought I was done, especially when I found out I was pregnant later that year,” she said. “I thought that cemented it. I thought there was no chance of coming back. And I told my husband that. He was like, ‘No, no, just think it through.’ But then we found out that Makenna was going to be a girl and that just changed my perspective on everything. It was crazy how just that one little fact changed everything.”

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The post 11 memorable moments from Michelle Wie West’s career appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Paisley
A few months ago, Lauren Stephenson quietly took a shot at a dream she has had since seeing Brittany Lincicome compete at the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship in 2018. The 24-year-old South Carolina native, still searching for her first LPGA win in four years on tour, wrote a letter to tournament director Steve Wilmot at the RBC Heritage requesting a sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour event she attended in her youth at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island.

“I grew up playing high school boys golf. I’m used to playing long yardages because I had to play from the same tees as them,” Stephenson said in explaining why she would have been well suited to become just the seventh woman to compete in a PGA Tour event. “I think it’d be really cool because I’m from South Carolina. It’s an invite-only tournament. It’s a tournament I grew up going to. I know a lot of people from around the area. Why not at least ask?”

Laura Stephenson. Sarah Stier

Indeed, the worst the tournament could say was no, which it did when it respectfully declined her request, noting interestingly she was not the first woman to try to get into the field.

News of Stephenson’s bid to play in a PGA Tour event leaves unanswered the following questions: When will a woman again tee it up with the men? And who might it be?

When thinking of such a feat, and with the PGA Tour at Colonial Country Club this week in Fort Worth, what immediately comes to mind is Annika Sorenstam memorably joining the field at the then Bank of America Colonial. It’s was 19 years ago that Sorenstam was paired with Dean Wilson and Aaron Barber for the opening two rounds, missing the cut by four shots but making news and shining a spotlight on women’s professional golf.

Only one woman has made a cut in a PGA Tour event, and that happened before the LPGA had officially formed. Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who first played in a PGA Tour event at the 1935 Cascades Open, made three 36-hole cuts in 1945: first at the Los Angeles Open (a third-round 81 kept her from making the field for the final 18 holes), a 33rd place at the Phoenix Open and 42nd at the Tucson Open.

Along with Zaharias, Sorenstam and Lincicome, Michelle Wie competed in eight PGA Tour starts from 2004 to 2008 and the late LPGA founder Shirley Spork finished 105th at the no-cut 1952 Northern California-Reno Open. Additionally, Suzy Whaley earned a start in the 2003 Greater Hartford Open after winning the Connecticut PGA Section Championship the previous autumn.

Sorenstam had remained a substantial figure in the women’s game, running her Annika Foundation and serving as a mentor to multiple players. Interestingly, trying to make a start on the PGA Tour is not a common topic when her pupils ask for advice. “I’m really not surprised [six women have played on the PGA],” Sorenstam said via email expressing that, “it is hard to do. You have to be at the top of your game, and then you need to get the invite and then have the courage to go through with it. It’s easier said than done.”

WOMEN WHO HAVE COMPETED IN PGA TOUR EVENTS

Babe Didrikson. Underwood Archives

« ‹ of 6 › »

Like Sorenstam, Lincicome says no players have asked for advice on trying to make it into a tour field and what the experience felt like.

“It is kind of crazy,” Lincicome said about the fact she remains the last to have played. “I think it’s just a distance thing. Those guys hit it 320 [yards], 330 consistently or even fly it that far. The golf courses are just so long. As long hitters on the LPGA, our bread and butter are the par 5s you can get to in two and try to make some eagles on. Obviously, playing in a men’s event, there aren’t many opportunities to do that.”

A two-time major champion, Lincicome pointed out that for players to have a chance to make the cut in a PGA Tour event, not only would they need to average around 280 yards off the tee, but they would likely need to flip their practice regimen. Instead of focusing on short irons, as Lincicome does for her approach practice, they’d need to dedicate themselves to working on long irons into greens for a potential PGA start.

“Lexi [Thompson] could definitely go do it,” Lincicome said, noting the 11-time LPGA winner’s impressive length. “Ariya Jutanugarn, if she ever were to hit a driver, she hits it plenty far enough, she could definitely do it. We don’t normally talk about it.”

Jutanugarn actually contemplated making a run at a PGA Tour start when she was World No. 1 in 2018. She won three times that year, including the US Women’s Open for her second major title and joked about the possibility with her caddie as she felt her game was in a good place. One of the first stories her parents told her about playing professional golf was Annika’s start at Colonial when Jutanugarn was seven.

The challenge of following through would be the pressure, as Jutanugarn imagines playing on the PGA Tour would come with more nerves than competing as the No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings on the LPGA, a spot she held for 23 weeks in her career. Even averaging 262 yards off the tee so far in the 2022 season without using a driver, she’s unsure she’d hit the ball far enough.

“I think about it,” Jutanugarn said. “It’s always too big. I don’t know how to deal with all the spectators, the pressure, so I end up with stop thinking about it.”

Danielle Kang noted she has a couple of prerequisites before ever considering a PGA start. First, the six-time LPGA winner would want to become the No. 1 player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She nearly accomplished that in 2020, climbing as high as second after winning the LPGA Drive On Championship at Inverness Club in 2020 and then winning the Marathon LPGA Classic the following week. Now 11th in the Rolex Rankings, Kang also would need to find a tournament where she could compete with her 251-yard driving average.

“I’d be very careful on what golf courses to pick, where I can go low, how I can play to my advantage,” Kang said. “Maybe the straightness would help. It’d be really hard to compete on a 7,000-yard golf course when I don’t even hit it as far as [PGA players] hit a 4-iron.”

While some of the shorter PGA Tour setups hover around 7,000 yards, with the Sony Open (7,022 yards), RBC Heritage (7,121 yards) and the Colonial (7,209 yards), Hannah Green won the 2019 KPMG Women’s Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club that played at 6,807 yards. Since then, the Australian added 17 yards in driving distance off the tee, averaging 255 in 2019 to 272 this season.

POTENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR A FUTURE PGA TOUR START

Ariya Jutanugarn. Christian Petersen

« ‹ of 5 › »

Green has had success competing against men as well. In February, she became the first woman to win a 72-hole mixed men’s and women’s professional event at the TPS Murray River in Australia. However, even with the CV and length to hold her own, she hasn’t attended a PGA event. Once Green’s coach Rickie Smith watched Scottie Scheffler win the WGC-Dell Technologies Match play event and mentioned how good the skill level was, Green put away any potential thought of competing on the PGA.

“After he said that, I don’t think I could compete against them,” Green quipped.

Mel Reid competes against Jupiter, Florida, neighbor Brooks Koepka in money matches, but that’s as far as she plans to go towards a potential PGA Tour start. The 34-year-old remembered watching Sorenstam at Colonial, and Vijay Singh’s comments that he’d withdraw if paired with the Swede. The Englishwoman understands the challenge of someone trying to overcome a seven-club difference between drivers, with some of the longer PGA Tour players hitting it 370, nearly 100 yards further than the longest on the LPGA.

Reid believes that to take that step and tee it up on the PGA Tour, a player needs to showcase herself as a preeminent star on the LPGA over an extended period. After all, Sorenstam won 43 times on the LPGA before teeing it up in Fort Worth.

“I totally get why Annika did it,” Reid said. “She completed dominated, won all these majors, and didn’t miss cuts, and was winning all the time. I think somebody like Nelly [Korda] and Jin Young [Ko] definitely could [make a PGA cut], but I think that’s in the future and definitely not right now.”

Like Reid, Patty Tavatanakit plays with PGA Tour members for practice. Her 323-yard average off the tee at her 2021 ANA Inspiration victory, albeit in Palm Springs desert conditions, optimal for the ball to run out, puts her in a category to have the necessary distance to compete on the PGA.

Tavatanakit brought the thought of trying to make a PGA start to her coach, former PGA Tour pro Grant Waite, as she enjoys going up against fellow Thai native Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Korn Ferry Tour members Curtis Luck and Ryan Ruffels in money games in Florida. However, making history didn’t occur to her until being asked about it.

“I’ve never thought about that [being the first LPGA member to make a PGA cut] actually,” Tavatanakit said, “I just come out here [the LPGA] to try to win tournaments, try to win majors.

“That’s something I could put on my list for sure.”

Others too are worthy of consideration: Maria Fassi tried her hand competing against men on the Moonlight Tour in Florida during the LPGA’s COVID-19 pause in May 2020. She missed the cut at Champions Gate, which played around 7,300 yards during the week. But the experience fueled her appetite for more, as she’s been in touch with the Mexican tour, trying to line up dates for a start there. The 2019 NCAA individual champion viewed the mini-tour experience as more of a mental challenge than physical, aiming to stay within her 274-yard driving average and not swing out of her shoes. She’d enjoy the challenge of taking a run to be the first woman to make the cut on the PGA Tour in the LPGA’s lifetime.

“Anytime you get a chance to be part of history … I would be lying if I’d say that’s not tempting,” Fassi said when asked about a future attempt from the Mexican native. “The more that we see women doing different things, it’s also going to attract different people to the game, and that’s only going to help me and everybody else on the LPGA Tour. One hundred percent that would be something that drives me to want to do it.”

Other players Golf Digest talked with generally echoed Fassi’s thought that the accomplishment could help validate the LPGA’s talent on a larger stage and potentially grow the game to PGA fans who otherwise don’t watch. Notably, it was Kang who holds reservations given the stark contrast in playing styles between the LPGA and PGA.

“It’s just something where they’re two completely different games, two completely different tours,” Kang said. “I can’t really compare the two and what it would mean. I don’t know if it’d grow the women’s game in a sense/not grow the women’s game in a sense. It shouldn’t really matter whether someone makes the cut or not. I think if they want to try it, they can try it.

“With that being said, Annika did it after she was World No. 1, she has made her name, and she has dominated on this tour and excelled at every level. I think that’s pretty respectable she gave it a go at a 7,000-plus yard golf course. It’s just a challenge, a different challenge.”

While the next woman may not become the first to make a PGA weekend in the modern era, Sorenstam confidently believes someone else will eventually accomplish the challenge she set for herself at the Colonial.

“I think it would be great, and I’m sure it will happen one day.”

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The post Two decades after Annika played Colonial, LPGA pros ponder taking on the PGA Tour men again appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
Michelle Wie West is expecting the birth of her first child this summer. But now she’s also thinking about a return to the golf course shortly after.

The LPGA star is eying the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open as a possibility for her first tournament back. The event originally scheduled for June has been moved to Dec. 10-13 at Champions Golf Club in Houston due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“Logistically, it opened my eyes and I was like, ‘Whoa, like maybe it could happen,’” Wie West told ESPN. “I’m not making a decision right now, but my ears definitely perked up when I heard that the U.S. Open is going to be in December. Suddenly, it’s something that seriously needs to be discussed.”

It’s been nearly a year since Wie, 30, last played in an LPGA event at the 2019 KPMG PGA. Since then, she married Golden State Warriors executive Jonnie West, joined both the Golf Channel and CBS as a golf analyst, and of course, announced her pregnancy. But the latter has the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open champ particularly eager to play again.

“The motivation to come back is even stronger because I’m having a girl,” Wie said in January. “I really want her to see me play. I want her to see me be a strong woman. That’s really important to me. The motivation to come back and play is definitely there.”

RELATED: What will the LPGA look like when it comes back?

The post Michelle Wie West preparing for birth of first child—and a possible return to golf in 2020 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Now, Wie West is working for Golf Channel.

Starting with the Players Championship next week, Wie West will be a contributing analyst on Golf Central’s “Live From.” She’ll also work the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup for Golf Channel.

This isn’t Wie West’s first time appearing in front of the camera for Golf Channel, nor is it her first television deal for 2020. In September, Wie West worked as a Golf Channel studio analyst during the Solheim Cup. In April, she’ll be one of CBS’s contributors for the Masters.

Rachel Luna

Despite taking on analyst roles, Wie West was adamant in January that her playing career is not over. She hasn’t played competitively since June 2019, when she missed the cut in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

“The motivation to come back is even stronger because I’m having a girl,” Wie West said in January. “I really want her to see me play. I want her to see me be a strong woman. That’s really important to me. The motivation to come back and play is definitely there.”

The post Michelle Wie West’s next stop: Golf Channel appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
Michelle Wie liked how Lorena Ochoa said good-bye to competitive golf. After spending 158 consecutive weeks as the No. 1 player in the world, Ochoa decided to have a family, retired at age 28 and made a clean break from the game.

“I definitely idolise her and look up to her, so when she did that, I was like that’s pretty cool,” Wie said on Friday, a day after revealing that she and her husband, Jonnie West, are expecting their first child, a girl, this summer. Wie explained that before getting married last August, she assumed she’d follow Ochoa’s lead when she decided to have kids and quit pro golf entirely.

“I thought it was going to be too hard to [to play and have a family], something that I didn’t want to do. I just had that in my mind,” Wie said.

But assumptions change when reality arrives.

After announcing her pregnancy, Wie said she has no intention of quitting golf. In part, it’s because she has some “unfinished business” when it comes to her career. Equally important, though, Wie said she wants her daughter to see her play. Wie was inspired last summer when Suzann Pettersen held her son, Herman, in her arms after holing the winning putt at the Solheim Cup, and when how Tiger’s children were there to see him win the Masters.

“The motivation to come back is even stronger because I’m having a girl,” Wie said. “I really want her to see me play. I want her to see me be a strong woman. That’s really important to me. The motivation to come back and play is definitely there.”

Jamie Squire

So when, exactly, is she coming back? In the short term, that’s an unknown. Wie is formally considered on maternity leave by the LPGA, but can still play in as many events as she wants and is capable of playing in. Wie says she’d love to play competitively while pregnant, but she barely left the house during her first trimester.

“I don’t think they should call it morning [sickness], it was 24/7,” Wie said, laughing. Though she spent most of her time at home, she did get out a few times to hit some putts, chips and even a few full-swing shots.

Coming back to golf is more complicated than just managing playing while pregnant, given that Wie continues to deal with an ailing right wrist, an injury that forced her to withdraw from the remainder of the 2019 season in June.

“I’ve seen some doctors and they think the extra time [off] will be amazing for me,” Wie said.

It’s also not just about managing the injury itself, but dealing with what the injury did to her mentally in 2019. There was an emotional moment at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June, her last official start, where Wie broke down in tears in front of the media, admitting she wasn’t sure how much golf her body was still capable of playing. It was a view into how devastating the injury was to her psyche.

“The amount of pain I was in last year, there were a lot of times when I didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was tough to want to go through that every day. I felt like my mind was there, but my body was completely lagging,” Wie said. “I think I definitely have PTSD from that. It’s nice that I’ve spent some time away to forget it. I think that pain is scarring. There was a moment where when I looked at a golf ball, I was terrified because I knew what that pain [of hitting it] was going to feel like. But with time away, the memory of it is getting less and less. It was really fun hitting balls a few months ago. That was a refreshing place to begin again.”

The next time we’ll likely see Wie, then, won’t be playing at an LPGA event. Instead, it will likely be in April, when she will be working with CBS on their multimedia coverage of the Masters. Her specific role has not yet been announced, but Wie has been enjoying her recent foray into golf television. She worked as a studio analyst for the Golf Channel during the Solheim Cup in September.

“I’m surprised with how much I liked it,” Wie said of the experience. “I knew I was going to like it, but I didn’t expect to like it that much.”

As Wie prepares for the Masters and the arrival of her daughter, she uses the words like “comfortable” and “extremely happy” when she describes how she feels about her life currently. While navigating the excitement and uncertainty of her first pregnancy, she sounds composed, and there’s a resolve to the way she talks about her new goals. They are ones she didn’t expect to have but that come when the perspective of becoming a parent sets in.

“It’s definitely a dream of mine for my kid to be in the crowd and watch me play,” Wie said. “Did I think that a couple years ago? Not at all.”

The post Michelle Wie says becoming a mom won’t be the end of her pro career. It’s a motivator to play more. appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
GLENEAGLES, Scotland — Golf Channel announced on Wednesday that Michelle Wie will be an in-studio analyst for the 2019 Solheim Cup.

Her first appearance will be on Friday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time, after the Solheim Cup’s first day of live coverage concludes from Gleneagles. Wie’s co-analyst in Golf Channel’s Orlando studio will be Paige Mackenzie.

“I’m excited to join the Golf Channel crew to give my views and inputs on a great event that means so much to me,” Wie said in a release.

This is the first time since 2007 that Wie is not a member of the U.S. Solheim Cup team. Wie has scored 8½ points for Team USA in her five appearances.

On the course, Wie has had a difficult year in 2019, a lingering wrist injury after surgery in late 2018 limiting her play. After the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June, Wie announced that she would be taking the rest of the season off to let her wrist heal.

One highlight in her year, however, came two months later in August, when she married Jonnie West, the son of NBA legend Jerry West.

Golf Channel said that Wie also will be contributing to its social channels throughout the competition.

The post Wie to work as in-studio analyst during matches at Gleneagles appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

WE’RE BUYING

Patrick Reed: How about this guy’s timing? For a second time in three years, Reed won his first event of the season at the first FedEx Cup Playoffs event, all but locking up a spot on Team USA for the Presidents Cup in December. Captain America winning in the shadow of Lady Liberty. How PATRIOTIC.

Kevin C. Cox

Incredibly, this was also Reed’s first victory since winning last year’s Masters. His seventh PGA Tour title only moved Mr. Self-proclaimed Top 5 back to No. 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking. But it did vault him to No. 2 (from No. 50) in the FedEx Cup standings. If he claims that $15 million bonus, he’ll never have to worry about sitting in the “cheap” seats again.

Scott Harrington: Timing was on this guy’s side, too, as he completed one of the best stories in golf by earning his PGA Tour card for the first time at 38. The accomplishment was made all the sweeter by having his wife, Jenn, in attendance at Pumpkin Ridge a year after Harrington cut his season short when she was diagnosed with cancer. Now Jenn is doing great and so is Scott.

The culmination of an emotional rollercoaster for @ScottyGlf and his family.

His wife Jenn has twice battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is now cancer-free. She flew in Saturday night and got to hug her husband on 18 as he heads to the @PGATOUR. pic.twitter.com/6dupdnM3WJ

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 12, 2019

Congrats also to Bo Hoag on winning the Korn Ferry Tour finale to secure his PGA Tour card as well. As for what happened to Vince India on the final hole, well, we’re not going to talk about that. . . Thoughts and prayers to Vince India. . .

Playing in a pro-am: I had the pleasure of playing in an LPGA Pro-Am four years ago, but as you can imagine, everything is a bit more amplified at a PGA Tour pro-am. The crowds are a lot larger (although, fortunately, my opening tee shot came on No. 10 in front of only a few fans), the SWAG is a lot cooler (I got an early Christmas gift for the wife as well), and odds are (no offence, LPGA), you’re going to get paired with a bigger name. I drew Hideki Matsuyama. You’ve probably heard of him. Decent little player.

What a thrill. At least, while it lasted. . .

WE’RE SELLING

Getting rained out in a pro-am: My only task that came with this plum assignment was finding a different angle to write about than the usual “Playing in a Pro-Am is awesome” (but again, to be clear, it is). And Mother Nature provided just that by bringing a lightning storm that chased us off the course after only three holes.

Sigh.

Bryson’s pace of play: On one hand, I feel bad for Bryson getting absolutely torched by the rest of the golf world after a pair of videos exposing his plodding pace of play went viral. On the other, if that’s what needs to happen to bring about change, then so be it. First off, here are the two videos in question:

anyone need a nap?

here’s DeChambeau pacing off a 70-yard shot which took over 3 minutes to hit (couldn’t post the entire video it took so long) pic.twitter.com/7A3Azeftyu

— Eric Patterson (@EPatGolf) August 9, 2019

We can… pic.twitter.com/TOnRS4BXds

— Fantasy Golf Pod (@fantasygolfpod) August 10, 2019

Not good! And here is a sample response from Eddie Pepperell:

Just look at Tommy and Justin, both looking completely bored. Slow players do this to their playing partners making the game less enjoyable. Problem is, the unaffected single minded twit in this instance, doesn’t care much for others.

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) August 10, 2019

Again, content! I’m also selling the fact that the PGA Tour hasn’t penalized an individual player since Glen “All” Day in 1995. That’s 24 years ago! DeChambeau was still using single-length diapers!

The Jason Day-Steve Williams Era: The old New Zealand looper was supposed to toughen up the young Aussie and rejuvenate the former World No. 1’s career. Instead, it resulted in a mostly forgettable T21-T8-T66-MC-T40-MC run over six tournaments. Day called the breakup “mutual” and that it was “a disconnect of old school and new school,” which can be summed up perfectly by this photo:

David Cannon

There’s no way Stevie stood for Jason wearing that shirt.

ON TAP

The top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings (including, hopefully, Tiger Woods. We’re going to forget last week’s WD ever happened. . . ) make their way to the BMW Championship at Medinah, AKA that place where Tiger Woods has won two majors and where the Miracle at Medinah happened in 2012. Isn’t it nice when things are so perfectly named? Makes them a lot easy to remember.

Random tournament fact: Medinah is also the site of Sergio Garcia’s running, leaping scissor kick at the 1999 PGA Championship. Sadly, Sergio won’t be here this year because he didn’t advance to the second state of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Sadly to the fans, that is. The course’s superintendent is probably relieved.

PHOTO(S) OF THE WEEK

Pick a photo, any photo from Michelle Wie’s wedding to Jonnie West. She Instagrammed 26 (and counting) to be exact:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1DQSrlJh8w/?utm_source=ig_embed

Then there were other photos posted by guests, including tennis player Genie Bouchard:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1CM3fnpJYR/?utm_source=ig_embed

And Golf Digest’s own Hally Leadbetter:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1B9lAtAiTy/?utm_source=ig_embed

Anyway, congrats to Michelle and Jonnie on looking fantastic and for coming up with a great wedding couple hashtag. And congrats to THE LOGO, Jerry West!

Think their kids will be any good at sports? LOL.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Rory McIlroy delivered quite the random dagger at Matt Kuchar during the Wyndham Rewards awards ceremony:

Rory eviscerated Kuchar today. ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/omtMHRS8rh

— Chris Chaney (@Wrong_Fairway) August 6, 2019

Poor, Matt. He’s never living down that cheap tip.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Yeah, look, it’s changed my life a little bit. I’m definitely more recognized now, and even coming over here to events, but if anything when you’re like that, it makes you feel more comfortable. That’s the way I feel, anyway. They’re not calling me Beef or they’re not calling me J.B. Holmes out there, anyway. That’s a plus.” — Shane Lowry on winning the Open Championship. That’s a plus, indeed. Beardism is real.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Danielle Kang managed to be at her good friend Michelle Wie’s wedding in LA:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1B5AqtnwZb/?utm_source=ig_embed

AND in Oregon to see her boyfriend, Maverick McNealy, earn his PGA Tour card for the first time:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1DDCRWnx5t/?utm_source=ig_embed

Awww.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

First, Phil. . . went for a hike?

I hiked the Precipice Trail at Acadia National Forest and wanted to share that it is one of the coolest things I’ve done. Hard to explain the beauty and challenge of this amazing trail. pic.twitter.com/9dfc8HuFTf

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 6, 2019

Then Phil posted this odd video with Bryson DeChambeau (before the slow-play storm hit):

Intellectual thinking with @b_dechambeau. pic.twitter.com/TOhNkBMkGk

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 7, 2019

Then he retold a classic yarn involving himself, Tony Romo, and Tiger Woods in front of Tiger (sort of) in his latest Phireside Chat:

The one and only @TigerWoods was nice enough to take time out of his busy schedule to join me on Phireside with Phil. We got to talk about all the times I beat him (one). pic.twitter.com/IPbUufpUKH

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 12, 2019

Absolutely brilliant. Both the gamesmanship at Pebble Beach in 2012 and the use of Tiger photos to re-tell the story. It’s too bad Phil didn’t start these little chats last year leading up to THE MATCH. Woods would have been happy to actually come on for real to promote that event.

THIS AND THAT

Congrats to Gabi Ruffels for winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur despite her caddie having to leave for a funeral on the 31st hole of the 36-hole final. Congrats to tour pro Ryan Ruffels as well. To say he was proud of his little sister is an understatement.

SHE DID IT US AM CHAMP LETS GOOO pic.twitter.com/50Q3UnH16Q

— Ryan Ruffels (@RRuffels) August 11, 2019

Congrats to Amanda Balionis for consistently hitting the gym on the road. That takes serious discipline (the only thing I consistently do on the road is eat fast food) and the results are evident by the GUN SHOW she put on at the Northern Trust:

Congrats to Chris Naegel for making this hole-in-one:

Eagle at 11.
?ACE at 12! ?

Chris Naegel is trying to do something special @PortlandOpen. pic.twitter.com/3kEbfV5orZ

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 11, 2019

But condolences to Chris for not winning the BMW on display behind the tee. That’s messed up. . . . And finally, now that my daughter, Julia, is walking, I presented her with her first set of golf clubs:

We need to work on her form, but most importantly, I’m doing my part to GROW THE GAME.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Will Steve Williams ever caddie on the PGA Tour again?

Will I ever play in a PGA Tour pro-am again?

When should I talk to my daughter about slow play?

The post Michelle Wie walks the aisle, Phil Mickelson needles Tiger Woods, and Bryson DeChambeau gets roasted for slow play appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.