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Michelob Open at Kingsmill

Took the goose to the tourney today after her lesson. Didn't actually get to see much, as the junior clinic wound up taking about two hours, and they had everyone off the golf course by 4pm (thankfully, just missing the rain).

Paige Mackenzie, Anna Nordqvist and WSE fave Jeehae Lee put on the first part of the clinic. Anna was a bit shy, but the other two were extremely funny and personable. All were in good spirits, considering they were putting on a clinic instead of playing on the weekend. I have a great deal of respect for them.

The University of Richmond Women's team and the William and Mary (Go Tribe!) Men's and Women's teams put on the second half of the clinic, where the kids got to participate. The goose asked one of the women what she'd need to shoot to make the team, then told me later she didn't think it'd be a problem in 10 years.

The final group was putting out on 15 when the clinic ended, so we hustled down the 16th fairway to watch them. We got great seats in the stands on 17 to watch Kerr, Ochoa and Song Hee Lee play the hole. I've played that course before (with a friend who dragged me back to the tips), and that tee shot really makes your butt pucker up. All hit beautiful shots, but only Kerr was able to make the putt for birdie.

We watched all three hit their tee shots on 18, then stood by the crosswalk from 18 green to the clubhouse, and the goose added some more autographs to her hat.

I think she's hooked. She's actually a little bummed that we're going to her grandmother's for Mother's Day tomorrow, and she wants to watch it on TV. What a great day.
 
Both reports are great! How old is Goose? Boo (almost nine) can't wait for the Sybase next week.
 
Wow, interesting round yesterday. Right before her big number on #14 I said to myself that she was looking like the Lorena of old. Surprised she shot 3 over on a day when Lindsey Wright shot a 64 and only 5 other people in the top 30 shot over par, with Lorena's score being the highest. I do think there was something to the fact that on 14 she didn't have her regular caddy to help calm her down. Christie Kerr can be an impressive putter at times. I will be rooting for Wright to get her first win today!
 
ClairefromClare said:
Both reports are great! How old is Goose? Boo (almost nine) can't wait for the Sybase next week.
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The goose turned 8 back in November. Eight going on 18, of course. Have fun at the Sybase!
 
Man, the leaderboard is changing by the minute.

But Lorena is having another meh day. +2 through 6.
 
HardcoreLooper said:
The goose turned 8 back in November. Eight going on 18, of course. Have fun at the Sybase!
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We're six months ahead of you. I know the drill!

Congrats to Cristie Kerr. She's been on a roll.
 
So Kerr wins another! She finished well, Song-Hee Kim made it interesting the last few holes and then exploded with a horrible approach on 16. I felt bad for Lindsey with the bogey on 18, that cost her some money. I am still wondering what happened to Lorena with another bad round on Sunday.

Hooray for a string of tournaments in a row! I kind of feel like the LPGA season is just beginning.
 
Final Round Report -

Hi All. Today started with a miracle - spouse volunteered to do laundry while I hitched a ride from a friend to the course. And yes, I'm easily pleased!

I spent the morning chatting with players, caddies, other fans and watching practice putting and driving. Turns out several players are flying private jets to the Sybase - Natalie courtesy of her reality show obligation, Juli with Ai, and Cristie on NetJets - a sponsor. Mid morning I sat at #1 to watch groups tee off. At noon I saw Angela tee off, then walked to the green and saw her make her birdie. I waited there for spouse and the LO crowd. It was good to see her birdie at #1 as well, and we marched forward to see how the round might go. Ouch! Some number of bogies later, we walked back in to the clubhouse area for lunch. (Her fiance left at hole 6 - probably to get back home to work.) Dunno what was up today - she just seemed unable to focus. It must have been difficult for her to finish.

On the way to lunch, we noticed 2 players who had been cut - Pat Hurst and Morgan seemingly having a putting contest of there own. Hmmm maybe they were waiting to hitch a ride on one of those private jets. After lunch, we sat in the #18 grandstands and watched the groups come in, as well as the changes to the leaderboard. The crowds seemed well disbursed - lots following Juli, Michelle and Lorena. (This made it easier than usual to get around, and it left those vacant seats in the stands for us.) No surprise that Cristie won - wow - talk about focus!

Just back from dinner now. This week has been great. Lots of fun and great memories. We're off to NY tomorrow - then bussing over to Sybase.
 
Great thread, and thanks for the reports Ricey and Looper! I wasn't able to follow much until this evening because of my mother's day obligations (we took a trip to the Eastern Shore in Maryland). Bummer that Lorena couldn't keep up her amazing TH/F scoring, but I was pleased to see Natalie back in things again and Lindsey Wright competing as well.
 
Ditto from me on the thanks to Ricey and Looper!
 
What happened to Juli Inkster in the last few months? She looked great in the last interview I saw her in. Sunday, she was interviewed for somthing trivial, and she looked like Keith Richards!
 
Cristie Kerr's WITB:

Driver: Ping G10 9°
3-wood: Ping Rapture V2 16°
5-wood: Ping Rapture V2 19°
7-wood: Ping Rapture V2 22°
Irons (4-PW): Callaway X-16 Pro Series
Wedge: Scratch Golf 52° DOG grind
Wedge: Scratch Golf 58° SPN grind
Putter: Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball
Ball: Titleist Pro V1 (2009)
 
http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,1897828,00.html

LPGA's future at Kingsmill resort uncertain

Published: May 13, 2009

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Cristie Kerr made the putt that clinched her second Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill on Sunday and almost immediately began lobbying for Anheuser-Busch to renew its commitment to the tournament at the resort along Virginia's James River.

But the beer-maker, which also owns the host Kingsmill Resort & Spa, said that while it considers the event a success, it will be months before a sponsorship decision is made.

Dan McHugh, the American brewer's vice president of media sponsorship, said the company plans to conduct a thorough assessment of how much bang it got for its marketing buck - a regular process that takes a minimum of 60 to 90 days.

"In no way has a decision even been discussed or talked about until we sort of go through that assessment period and we all sit down," McHugh said at the resort, where a hovering cloud of doubt had players like Kerr lobbying all weekend.

"It's what you hear, but I don't really know," Kerr said when asked if the prevailing chatter among players centered on their fear they were making their final visit to Kingsmill.

"I'll play golf with whoever they want to try and keep the tournament," Kerr joked, before winning the $2.2 million tournament for the second time in its seven years in Virginia.

The tournament was played a week after the second-ever LPGA Summit, during which players were encouraged to do all they could to help secure sponsors going forward. The tournament seemed to highlight difficulties the tour is facing, having already lost a handful of events.

McHugh downplayed the looming negativity, but said the company's merger-acquisition by Belgian brewer InBev has caused a review of its sponsorship spending. He said talk that Anheuser-Busch is doing less in the way of sponsorship is false.

"What I can tell you with this new company is we have not cut back sponsorships," McHugh said. "There's so many rumors out there that, 'Wow! They're getting out of everything,' which is absolutely probably the opposite of what's going on. There's always a continued ebb and flow with our sports marketing properties, our media sponsorships. While we might get out of something over here, we're always looking at what's the new thing for the consumer."

The company's assessment of the event will include a look at sales of the sponsor beer in a seven-state area where there were displays geared toward the tournament, the number of $5 off admission coupons used in the immediate area, television ratings and other measures of exposure.

David Higdon, spokesman for the LPGA Tour, said officials are "cautiously optimistic. I think the economy has put everything in question and we're fully aware of that, but this is an event that has been just been so strong for Anheuser-Busch and for the LPGA," he said.

The tour's focus is on continuing with the tournament sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, Higdon said, but if the company does discontinue its sponsorship at Kingsmill, or if it sells the resort, the tour is hopeful the company will sponsor an event elsewhere, and also hopeful that conversations with several unidentified potential sponsors could keep the LPGA in Virginia.

It helps, he said, that Kingsmill and the Williamsburg area already have a history with the tour and an infrastructure in place.

"We're talking to many companies that are looking for just these kind of events," he said.
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Rats, Rats, Rats, Rats, Rats!!
 
Unbelievable, I am scared of how bad this might become!
 
I think A-B will re-up.
 
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