The LPGA tour is far from perfect and they know it. The players will tell you they need a more complete schedule and more tournaments in the United States. The American players will tell you they need more
of the home grown women to win to energize the U.S. golf fans. The people who cover the tour on a weekly basis will certainly say a big time player with a superstar personality will go a long way to open
up the tour to the regular sports fans. But none of that should prevent people who love the game of golf from making a trip to Locust Hill this week to see some of the LPGA Championship. Need a reason to go? Here are a few.
1) Stacy Lewis: The 27 year old from Texas just won for the second time this season and has moved into the spot as the top ranked American on tour. Lewis is not only a great player, she is a great inspiration. For nearly 8 years of her life, Lewis had to wear a back brace for all waking hours to try to corrects scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. Lewis eventually had back surgery and went on to have a college career at
Arkansas and now is starting to become a star on the LPGA tour
2) Yanni Tseng: Here is a number for you. Over the last three and a half seasons, the very personable Taiwan native has won 14 times on tour. All of the American players combined now have 17 wins. Maybe that says something about the lack of American success. But there is no denying that Tseng is as good at her sport as any pro athlete in any sport at the moment.
3)Brittany Lincicome: Ok big hitter. You think you impress your buddies on Saturday morning when you stripe one 260 down the middle of the fairway at Oak Hill or Shadow Lake? Well Brittany will outdrive you, by a lot
She averages 283 yards per drive in tour competition. Play in her group and they can build a Super Wal-Mart in the space between her drive and yours.
4) Lexi Thompson: She qualified for the US Open at 12 years old. Not a typo. 12. She turned pro at 15 years old. She won a tournament at 16. She is a 17 year old regular member of the tour who is starting
to learn what it takes to win on a regular basis on Sunday afternoon. Watch out for her this weekend.
There are other reasons to head out to Pittsford/Henrietta this week to watch. Paula, Natalie, Michelle and all the regulars are back. The tents are filled with white hots and adult beverages if that is your pleasure. Many of your friends and neighbors will be hanging around the area behind the 18th, so it will feel like a festival and we know how Rochester loves festivals. Yes there is plenty the LPGA tour does not have, but its not a bad way to spend an afternoon or two. We will be out there, hope to see you too.
*Mike Catalana will be covering his 25th LPGA tour event in Rochester this year. Join Mike,Toby Motyka and Jon Doss for an LPGA Championship preview special live on Wednesday
night at 8pm on 13WHAM-TV.
