This weekend we again wondered why there isn’t a regular PGA TOUR stop in San Francisco? The LPGA stopped in this week for the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic and Lake Merced Golf Club reminded us that Frisco’s courses are just so darn cool and photogenic. You have awesome elevation changes, monster ball-eating cypress trees, and the marine layer dropping in from time to time to lend an air of mystery. Honestly, Lake Merced made the TPC Louisiana look just a little plain.
But we digress, let’s hit the links.
Hole #1: Soon You’ll Know His Name
Seung-Yul Noh won his first PGA TOUR event this weekend, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The South Korean player struggled early but regained his form to win by two. Noh is in his second season on the PGA TOUR. [Link]
Hole #2: Happy Birthday for Ko
Lydia Ko turned 17 last week (yes, 17), made Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” list, and she won her first LPGA title that she gets to keep the check for (she won twice as an amateur). At the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic at Lake Merced Golf Club in San Francisco, Ko stepped to the Par 5 18th tee box with a one-shot lead over playing partners Jenny Shin and Stacy Lewis. All three had birdie putts on the green, with Lewis in tight looking at an almost sure thing. After Shin missed her putt and settled for par, Ko stepped up and drained her putt. Lewis also made birdie for a solo second finish. [Link]
Hole #3: That’s with a “B”
Tiger Woods’ current absence from the TOUR to mend his ailing back could cost golf as much as $15 billion dollars. Regardless of whether that figure is right or wrong, golf will certainly miss Woods. Despite the injury, he is still the co-favorite for June’s U.S. Open, an event he is likely to miss because of his back injury. [Link]
Hole #4: College Conference Showdowns
It is college conference championship season across the nation. The Alabama Crimson Tide won the SEC tournament going away. [Link] The Stanford Cardinal women took the PAC-12 title. Apparently, it’s helpful to wear some shade of red. Check on your alma mater here: Men’s [Link] and Women’s [Link].
Hole #5: Woods Has New Tournament for Amateurs
The Tiger Woods Foundation has a new vehicle for bringing in donations. It’s a five-month tournament series at eight courses, including Merion and Congressional. Two-person teams will compete to earn a spot at the championship, a two-day event at Walt Disney World Resort. Good play is not the only way to qualify. Any team raising $10,000 or more will gain entry. [Link]
Hole #6: Will We Like Golf on Fox?
Joe Buck says we will be blown away. Fox has it’s own blonde former player who promises to be “provocative.” Fox’s football coverage did give us the Fox Box, that little onscreen scoreboard that lets us check scores and situation at a glance, so maybe they can do the same for golf. [Link]
Hole #7: Animals on TOUR
What happens when wildlife decides to visit a golf course during a tournament? Hilarity ensues. Sammy the squirrel, Tripod, and other close encounters with wild critters on tour. [Link]
Hole #8: Angry Insects on Tour
Pablo Larrazabal was attacked by a swarm of hornets during the second round of the Maybank Malaysian Open. When he was unable to get away from the stinging insects, he jumped into a water hazard to escape. Larrazabal finished the round and made the cut. [Link]
Hole #9: Lindsey and Elin, BFFs?
So the rumor is that Lindsey Vonn, Tiger’s girlfriend, and Elin Nordegren, Tiger’s ex-wife, are actually good friends. That just doesn’t seem natural. [Link]