Post by IceCat on Jun 20, 2015 15:26:20 GMT
This is not only a bit late but will also be relatively brief. As I write this I'm in Memphis, where I flew into yesterday, preparing to spend the next few days with my girlfriend Linda before driving out to Rogers, AR for next weekend's event.
I followed the final pairing of Inbee and Sei Young for 16 holes until my feet gave out and the outcome was beyond doubt but since most of it was on TV I won't go into a recap of the action. Rather I'll just give my overall impressions of this event.
The lack of a spectator village was one thing that stood out for me, but that's probably a PGA of America thing. The few sponsor exhibits they did have were off the beaten track and thus I never saw them. Rather than a separate merchandise tent they simply utilized the pro shop in the clubhouse. The crowds were manageable even as I was following the final pairing, which meant that they weren't as big as they could be given the market. The other main thing I had to deal with other than sleep deprivation was the terrain. I had seen warnings of the elevation changes around the course and took them to heart, but I was still straining against the sides of hills and such. It was around the fifth or sixth hole that I was wondering about my sanity in tackling this terrain when I spotted Ron Sirak, who had heart surgery during the offseason, so I figured if he could manage so could I. As I said I pressed on until 16 before I decided to head back to the 18th green to witness the coronation of queen Inbee.
Between the time I arrived at Westchester just after 10am until Inbee and Sei Young teed off at 1:50 I wandered the area around the clubhouse and the range. I took some much needed rest in a lounge chair in the shade just outside the pro shop to recharge my batteries before I had to walk the course later. I somehow managed to catch in my earlier wanderings at least a glimpse off all the former KLPGA stars from last year who are now on the big Tour. Hyo Joo Kim? Check. Hulk Smash (Ha Na Jang)? Check. The Omnipotent Being (Q Baek)? Affirmative, Number One. And of course Sei Young Kim was playing with Inbee. Despite missing the cut Tiffany Joh was there too putting in some range work and I also had a brief chat with Mike (AKA the commissioner) just as I was walking from the first green.
I stayed until the speeches concluded before setting off for home, and despite needing a short nap I managed to complete my trip later that evening. As I now sit here in Memphis I'm steeling myself for a week of warm, muggy weather. Nothing I haven't coped with before, mind you, but it still has my attention.
Kevin
