Author: lenz

Defending champ Henderson is lurking going into KPMG finale

There’s no reason Canadian teen-age phenom Brooke Henderson can’t repeat as the champion of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship today. She’s again among those within striking distance of the lead with 18 holes to go.

Last year Henderson, then 18, was two strokes off the lead after 54 holes, caught New Zealand’s Lydia Ko by shooting a final round 65 and then beat Ko by sinking a three-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.

This time Henderson’s deficit is bigger. Chella Choi, of South Korea, shot 67 in Saturday’s third round to hit the 54-hole stop at 10-under-par 203 on Olympia Field’s North Course. Moments later 36-hole co-leader Danielle Kang posted a 68 to match Choi’s score. They’re the players to beat.

Henderson, at 206, is in fourth place and has another Korean, Jiyai Shin, ahead of her as well. Shin made a rapid climb up the leaderboard by shooting a 7-under-par 64 – the best score of the day. She was in the clubhouse before the leaders even hit the back nine.

Saturday was Happy Canada Day, and that added to Henderson’s support on the course.

“Canadians are very proud to be Canadian, and this is a very special day back home,’’ said Henderson. But Sunday will have to be even more special for her to repeat as the champion of the LPGA’s second major of 2017.

“With a major championship, it really comes down to the back nine on Sunday,’’ said Henderson. “If I can play solid and get myself into a good position coming down those final holes it will be a really interesting finish, and I’m just hoping I’m a part of it.’’

Choi is in the hunt because of a caddie change. Her father is back on the bag this week, and Choi has taken the approach the “Father knows best.’’

“My Dad was going to retire to spend more time with my mother,’’ said Choi. “When he started as my caddie it was to save money, and I always had dreamed of having my Dad on the bag when I was an amateur.’’

His retirement as a caddie lasted seven weeks.. Then Chella was struggling with her game and called for help.

“I lost my confidence and asked him to come back,’’ she said. “I’m feeling very good now. He gives me confidence.’’

Choi played only 18 holes on the North Course in pre-tournament preparations. She has taken her father’s advice on every shot of every hole. That’s familiarized her with the course and clearly improved her status on the leaderboard.

Kang, who grew up in California, attended Pepperdine University and now resides in Las Vegas, is downplaying her position at the top of the leaderboard.

“I’ve been working every day to get better, and I have to trust my game,’’ she said. “It would be incredible to be called a major champion, but I’m just trying to perform the best I can perform. I love the vibes of a major championship, but I’ve got to stick to my routine.’’

She said a change in attitude has help her improve, that change being “that winning isn’t everything.’’ Kang, though, has had calls of encouragement from three famous big-time winners – Wayne Gretzky, Caitlyn Jenner and Hollis Stac;y.

Kang, 24, won back-to-back U.S. Amateurs in 2010 and 2011 but has yet to win on the LPGA Tour and her best finish in a major was a tie for 14th in the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open. Choi, 26, has one LPGA win, at the 2015 Marathon Classic. Her best finish in a major was a tie for fifth in the KPMG event in 2013, back when the tournament was called the LPGA Championship.

Further down the list but not quite out of it yet are Michelle Wie, Lexi Thompson and newly-minted No. 1 So Yeon Ryu. They’re all five shots off the lead at 208 and in a tie for seventh.

Wie birdied three of the first four holes. “Then I hit a wall. I got real tired all of a sudden,’’ she said.

“You never know what’s going to happen on this golf course’’ said Wie. “Tomorrow it’s a whole new day, and I’ll try my best and see where that takes me.’’

Choi benefits from father’s return as her caddie

OLYMPIA FIELDS, IL. – Danielle Kang and Chella Choi are regulars on the LPGA Tour but have only one victory between them on the premier circuit in women’s golf.

Still, they are the co-leaders in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – the second of the LPGA’s five majors of 2017. Both hit the 54-hole stop at Olympia Fields Country Club’s North Course at 10-under-par 203. Choi shot 67 in Saturday’s third round and Kang had 68.

Choi is in the hunt because of a caddie change. Her father, Ji Yeom Choi, is back on the bag this week, and Choi has taken the approach that “Father knows best.’’

“My Dad was going to retire to spend more time with my mother,’’ said Choi. “When he started as my caddie it was to save money, and I always had dreamed of having my Dad on the bag when I was an amateur.’’

They made a good team until his retirement as a caddie. Their break lasted seven weeks, then Chella was struggling with her game and called for help.

“I lost my confidence and asked him to come back,’’ she said. “I’m feeling very good now. He gives me confidence.’’

Choi played only 18 holes on the North Course – the site of many major championships, the most recent being the 2003 U.S. Open — in pre-tournament preparations. She has taken her father’s advice on every shot of every hole. That’s familiarized her with the course and clearly improved her status on the leaderboard.

Kang, who grew up in California, attended Pepperdine University and now resides in Las Vegas. She is downplaying her position at the top of the leaderboard.

“I’ve been working every day to get better, and I have to trust my game,’’ she said. “It would be incredible to be called a major champion, but I’m just trying to perform the best I can perform. I love the vibes of a major championship, but I’ve got to stick to my routine.’’

She said a change in attitude has help her improve, that change being “that winning isn’t everything.’’ Kang, though, has had calls of encouragement from three famous big-time winners – Wayne Gretzky, Caitlyn Jenner and Hollis Stacy.

Kang, 24, won back-to-back U.S. Amateurs in 2010 and 2011 but has yet to win on the LPGA Tour and her best finish in a major was a tie for 14th in the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open. Choi, 26, has one LPGA win, at the 2015 Marathon Classic. Her best finish in a major was a tie for fifth in the KPMG event in 2013, back when the tournament was called the LPGA Championship.

Jiyai Shin, who plays mainly on the Japan circuit, shot the day’s low score – a 64 – and is alone in third place, two strokes behind the co-leaders. In fourth is the defending champion, 19-year old Canadian Brooke Henderson.

“It’s the third day of a major championship, and any time you can see your name that close to the top is a really good feeling,’’ said Henderson, “especially when you know you have one day left. With a major championship it all comes down to the back nine on Sunday. It’ll be an interesting finish, and I’m just hoping that I’m a part of it.’’

Further down the list but not quite out of it yet are American stars Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson and newly-minted No. 1 So Yeon Ryu of South Korea. They’re all five shots off the lead at 208 and in a tie for seventh.

Shin shows she can still compete on LPGA Tour

Jiyai Shin doesn’t play on the LPGA Tour much anymore – but it’s certainly not due to a lack of talent. Her 7-under-par 64 on Saturday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Olympia Fields proved that.

Shin, from South Korea, was paired with American star Stacy Lewis in the third round but both were far off the lead when the day started. Lewis didn’t make a move, shooting 70, but Shin made a big one.

“I’m pretty lucky because I started early in the morning,’’ said Shin. “That’s when it’s easier to make a few birdies.’’

Shin won 11 times when she played on the LPGA Tour, and that included victories in two majors – the Women’s British Open in both 2008 and 2012. For 25 weeks she held the No. 1 spot in the women’s world rankings. Now, though, she plays most of her tournament golf in Japan.

“I enjoy it because there’s less traveling and more three-day tournaments,’’ said Shin. “Physically I feel much better. But this week I’m here, so I’m for focused on the LPGA.’’

READY FOR THE BIG TIME: Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom was the player-of-the-year on the LPGA’s developmental circuit – the Symetra Tour – in 2016.

Her play Saturday suggested she’s ready for the big time already. Sagstrom, playing one group behind Shin, posted a 5-under-par 66.

Sagstrom was clearly too good for the Symetra circuit a year ago, when she was named its rookie of the year. She set a single season earnings record ($167,064) with her three wins and 12 top-10 finishes (which was also a Symetra single-season record). Now she’s an LPGA rookie.

“It’s my first year out here, so I’m trying to figure everything out and trying to see where my game is at,’’ said Sagstrom. “I’m still going to work on some things because it’s not all there but it’s nice to just see that I can be up there.’’

NOTEWORTHY: Canadian Brooke Henderson, the 19-year old defending champion, is a perfect 13-for-13 in making cuts in LPGA major championships. Danielle Kang was the only player to go bogey-free in the first two rounds. The streak ended at 38 holes when she make bogey on the third hole Saturday.

Still, if Kang wins today she’d be only the second player to win both the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Kang, co-leader after 36 holes at Olympia Fields, won the Amateur in 2010 and 2011. The only other player to win both titles was Juli Inkster who won three straight Amateurs from 1980-82 and two straight KPMGs (1999-2000). The tourney was called the LPGA Championship when Inkster won it.

LOOKING AHEAD: The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship concludes today but planning is already well underway for next year’s event at Kemper Lakes in Kildeer. Dates will be June 26 to July 1.

Tickets prices for the grounds will be $35 for any one day, $79 for the week, $15 for Tuesday and Wednesday, $25 for Thursday and Friday and $30 for Saturday and Sunday. Volunteer registration for next year will begin in just three weeks, on July 24.

HERE AND THERE

The Network of Exelon Women and The First Tee provided golf lessons for girls between the ages of 8 and 18 on Saturday at nearby Marian Catholic High School, then took the participants to Olympia Fields to watch the tournament.

Kelly Shon’s 8-under-par 63 on Friday was one for various record books. It matched the KPMG tourney record set by Patty Sheehan in 1982 (of a par-2 course) and Meg Mallon in 1999 (on a par-71, just like Olympia North). It also matched the North Course record set by Vijay Singh in the 2003 U.S. Open and Ricky Fowler in the 2007 Fighting Illini Invitational collegiate event. Shon cooled off Saturday, shooting a 71.

Ally McDonald had a rarity in Friday’s second round – back-to-back eagles. She started her round on No. 10 and made eagles at Nos. 18 and 1 – both par-5s. Like Shon, she lost her magic in the third round, posting a 73.

Mom’s fighting spirit inspires Lexi Thompson

These are not easy times for Lexi Thompson, the best American player in women’s golf.

Frequently the face of the LPGA Tour – at least at U.S. tournaments – Thompson uncharacteristically took a break from pre-tournament interviews at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Olympia Fields this week. She didn’t want to field questions about either her mother’s health or the controversial four-stroke penalty that she was assessed in the LPGA’s first major tournament of the season, the ANA Inspiration.

The penalty handed that title to Korean So Yeon Ryu, who is now the top-ranked woman in the game. Thompson is No. 4, with Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko standing second and third, respectively.

Ranking points aren’t very important right now, not with her mother Judy battling uterine cancer. Thompson unexpectedly ended her silence on that topic late Thursday night after shooting a 1-under-par 70 in the first round at Olympia Fields. She had barely reached the clubhouse when dangerous weather suspended play for the day, and she got in just ahead of another suspension of play in Friday’s second round after posting a 69.

Reports of her mother’s health problems surfaced as players started arriving at Olympia Fields on Monday. They were confirmed by Thompson’s agent on Wednesday but Thompson has been struggling with her mother’s health diagnosis since winning a tournament in Kingsmill, Va., in May.

“It’s been rough,’’ admitted Thompson. “She’s my best friend. So hearing that, then just dealing with a lot of things this year, it was a breakdown moment for me. She’s doing better now, and hopefully she’ll be at the U.S. Women’s Open and support me there.’’

The U.S. Women’s Open is July 13-16 at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J.

Judy Thompson and husband Scott live in Florida and are the parents of three professional golfers. Lexi’s brothers, Nicholas and Curtis, are also competitive players but don’t have the high profile that Lexi has. She stormed onto the national stage when she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open as a 12-year old and was only 15 when she turned pro in 2012.

While Lexi, now 22, was just starting to make her mark as a golfer her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Luckily they caught it pretty early, when it was a small size,’’ said Thompson. “That was a challenging time for me when I was younger. She’s about an eight- or 10-year survivor, but hearing this news was just not good. Seeing how much she’s fighting is inspirational.’’

Judy Thompson, 60, had the third of her four radiation treatments just 23 days after undergoing surgery for uterine cancer with Lexi holding her hand during the procedure in Coral Springs, FL. The quick treatment came with the help of fellow competitor Morgan Pressel, who has a breast cancer foundation in nearby Boca Raton.

“I can’t give big enough thanks to Morgan,’’ said Thompson. “My mom wasn’t going to be able to get in the hospital for a few weeks once she heard the news. Obviously with a few weeks, it can spread and Morgan helped out. Morgan knows a lot of people and got her into the hospital two days later.’’

The entire LPGA community has supported the Thompsons since Judy’s diagnosis, and that’s been a big help.

“She’s always been the biggest fighter, no matter what she’s going through,’’ said Lexi. “She’s always been a role model of mine. I always aspire to be the woman – even half the woman – that she is. She just says `No matter what, I love you. Just go out, do your best. That’s all you can do.’ That’s her message every week, and that’s why I absolutely love her.’’

Thompson started her play at Olympia Fields with bogeys on the first two holes on Thursday, but she battled back and is now 3-under-par through 36 holes. That put her within striking distance of the leaders going into the weekend rounds.

Choi, Yang lead in rain-plagued start to KPMG tourney

The biggest names in women’s golf were notably absent from the top of the leaderboard on Thursday during Round 1 of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Olympia Fields.

Korean Chella Choi, a morning starter, shot a 5-under-par 66 on Olympia Fields’ North Course and another Korean, Amy Yang, was at 5-under after playing 17 holes in the afternoon. Play was called for the day at 7:18 a.m. because lightning was detected in the area. Yang will complete her first round when play resumes at 7:15 a.m. today and the second round is to start on time, at 7:45 a.m.

American Brittany Altomare, who played in the morning, was one shot back with a 67 and Joanna Klatten of France was also a 4-under with two holes left when play was stopped on Thursday.

Canadian Brooke Henderson, the defending champion, and the enigmatic Michelle Wie shot 68s in the morning and were in a four-player group at that number, joining Alison Lee, Wie’s playing partner, and Korean Su Oh. Kim Kaufman and Emily Petersen were at 3-under and still on the course when play ended for the day.

Though not all the late starters could finish, those with afternoon tee times had better scoring conditions than their morning counterparts, who had to endure strong winds.
Such unfortunate tee times negatively affected Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, who was ranked No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings until Korean So Yeon Ryu replaced her at her teeoff time on Thursday.

Jutanugarn, who won the U.S. Girls Junior on Olympia’s South Course in 2011, shot 6-over-par 77 and is in danger of missing the 36-hole cut, which will be made after the second round. The low 70 and ties will play on the weekend.

The morning start also made scoring difficult for Stacy Lewis, one of the top Americans. She lost five shots to par early before rallying for a 3-over 74. Playing in the afternoon didn’t greatly benefit Ryu, who shot 69 on her 27th birthday; No. 3-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who posted 70; or three-time champion Inbee Park of South Korea, who managed a 73.

“There’s 156 players in the field this week. The top 100 in the world are here. Anybody can win this championship,’’ said Henderson, who won last year at Sahalee in Washington in a sudden death playoff with Ko. “I would love to win again, but it’s a different golf course and a different year.’’

Henderson, though, is clearly in the hunt.

“I was going to take it a day at a time and see what happens,’’ she said, “but I’m in a great spot right now so I’m really excited.’’

However — based on their career records — there’s no reason to think that either Choi or Yang won’t be in contention throughout the 72-hole competition that concludes on Sunday as well.

Choi may have only one LPGA victory, but she entered 2017 with over $4 million in winnings and has had top-10 finishes in four of the LPGA’s five major championships. She tied for fifth in the KPMG event in 2013.

With her father working as her caddie Choi, 26, took command of the course that hosted the men’s U.S. Open in 2003 though she had played only 18 holes on it before the tournament.

“I don’t remember every hole,’’ said Choi. “I asked my dad for advice on every hole, every shot, and my shots were very good.’’

She plans to continue the “father knows best’’ routine for the next three days.

Yang, 27, has a record in majors that’s even better than Choi’s. She was second in the U.S. Women’s Open twice, had fourth-place finishes in both the ANA Inspiration and Ricoh Women’s British Open and tied for fifth in the KPMG event in 2013.

Her most spectacular moment, though, came in the 2015 KEB-HanaBank Championship when she became the first player in LPGA history to birdie every hole on one nine. She posted a 27 for that side and went on to claim the first of her two career victories.

Michelle Wie is having fun on the course again

Michelle Wie finished her first round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship with a big smile on her face – and with good reason. She shot a 3-under-par 68, another indication that her game is improving.

Wie hasn’t won since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst and by her own admission her play in 2016 was “awful.’’ It’s not bad now, though. Wie has five top-five finishes this season including four in her last five starts.

She believes the good play is a reflection of an improved attitude.

“I was sick of playing bad golf, honestly,’’ she said. “I was sick of being down and started this year with a really good sense of determination and motivation. I just want to be happy and have fun out there. I made a pact with myself that I’m going to have fun.’’

She’s doing it in an unusual manner. She has no set putting grip, instead grabbing the club in whatever seems comfortable at the time. She couldn’t say how many different grips she uses in each round but Gary Koch, the PGA Tour veteran-turned-broadcaster, is intrigued.

“There is no rhyme or reason to it. It is feel,’’ he said. “For the longest time we’ve said that Michelle is not playing by feel, that she is too mechanical. I like this change.’’

SUPPORT FOR LEXI: Lexi Thompson has taken a break from media interviews the past few days after learning that her mother has uterine cancer. Jaye Marie Green, one of Thompson’s best friends among the tour players, sympathizes with Thompson.

“It must be tough,’’ said Green. “Her and her mom are so close. They talk every day. They are best friends. Her mom would be the first person she would call about anything.’’

Green, though, won’t rule out Thompson winning the tournament. Thompson shot 70 in the opening round, barely getting to the clubhouse before play was suspended because of dangerous weather in the area at 7:01 p.m.

“She is definitely the toughest, most strong-willed person I know,’’ said Green. “If there’s someone who can win a major with what she’s going through, I’d put my money on her.’’

FAST STARTER: If there was a surprise in the first round it would be Brittany Altomare, a 26-year old former University of Virginia golfer whose best finish on the LPGA Tour was a tie for 11th in last year’s Volvik Championship.

Altomare started her round in the fourth group off the No. 10 tee and shot 67. The putts were just falling, she said.

“This golf course is unbelievable,’’ she said. “It’s in incredible shape. The greens are just perfect. You just hit the ball where you want it, and it just goes where you’re aiming. You can’t hit a bad putt.’’

WOMANLY BOOST: Three Olympians – skier Lindsay Vonn, figure skater Michelle Kwan and hockey player Angela Ruggiero – participated in the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summer, which was held at Olympia Fields in conjunction with the tournament.

“Women in golf definitely had a hard time being at the same level as men,’’ said Vonn, former girlfriend of Tiger Woods. “What KPMG is doing for women in golf is incredible, and it needs to be done.’’

KPMG announced this week that it will boost the tournament purse from $3.5 million to $3.65 million next year at Kemper Lakes in Kildeer. The company also agreed to extend its sponsorship agreement for the tournament through 2023.

HERE AND THERE

Olympia Fields’ North Course is now one of 22 venues that have hosted both men’s and women’s major championships. Kemper Lakes, which hosted the 1989 men’s PGA Championship, will join that select group next year.

NBC and The Golf Channel combined will provide 29 hours of coverage of this week’s tournament. It’ll reach 167 countries and 600 million households.

Olympia’s par-71 North Course was set up at 6,577 yards for Round 1 and the weather was unusual. The morning starters endured wind gusts of 35 miles per hour so they had more difficult playing conditions than the afternoon starters, who played their rounds in only a light breeze.

New No. 1 woman golfer is ready for a challenge at Olympia Fields

Women’s golf has a new No. 1 player going into today’s start of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club.

So Yeon Ryu of South Korea took over the top spot in the Rolex Rankings this week following her victory on Sunday in the Wal-Mart Northwest Arkansas Championship. She supplanted Ariya Jutanugarn, who had been No. 1 for just three weeks and didn’t play in Arkansas.

The ranking improvement – she had been No. 3 behind Jutanugarn and Lydia Ko – caught Ryu somewhat by surprise after she arrived at Olympia Fields this week.

“I couldn’t really think about it because I thought I was kind of far away from No. 1,’’ said Ryu, “But here I am. I’m finally No. 1. Dreams come true. I’m living a dream.’’

A five-time winner on the Ladies PGA Tour, Ryu won the first major tournament of the season – the ANA Inspiration – in March and became the first multiple winner of the season with her victory in Arkansas. It was a monumental win, too, as she set tournament scoring records after 18, 36 and 54 holes. She posted a sizzling 61 in the third round.

“I got a lot of confidence last week to play in this major tournament,’’ she said. “This week it’s really important to have great iron shots, and my iron shots have been really great. I feel pretty comfortable playing this golf course.’’

Along with claiming the No. 1 ranking Ryu took over the No. 1 spot on the LPGA’s official money list, the race to the CME Globe, the Rolex Player of the Year standings and Rolex Annika Major Award.

Ryu has missed only five cuts in over 140 starts on the LPGA Tour. Prior to her current hot streak she claimed another major title, at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open.

“I’m not a robot, so sometimes I play bad, sometimes great,’’ she said. “But even when I play bad I still enjoy the game. I can handle the situation. That’s why I made a lot of cuts. Hopefully I can make many more in the future.’’

Ryu doesn’t feel Olympia Fields’ North Course is as difficult as some of the other venues for recent major championships.

“The rough is not really long yet compared to the last two years of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (at Westchester, in New York, and Sahalee, in Washington),’’ said Ryu. “I hate to say this, but the rough lengths are the easiest so far.’’

She does think, however, that the slopes of the greens at Olympia could be tricky.

Ryu has won two of the LPGA’s five major championships. Her next goal is to achieve a Grand Slam of the women’s majors. She can win a third this week with the Ricoh British Open and the Evian Championship coming up after that. She’d like to win all five during her career, but getting them all this season is still a possibility.

“That’s the goal I really want to achieve,’’ she said. “Even though I’m No. 1 right now I still have to knock down three more tournaments. I haven’t thought about a season Grand Slam yet, but if I can do it that’d be fantastic.’’

Ryu is the third woman from South Korea to ascend to the No. 1 ranking. Jiyai Shin and Inbee Park were the previous No. 1-ranked players from that country.

“It’ll be interesting to see how long I can be the No. 1 player,’’ said Ryu. “I don’t know how long it can be, but I’m going to do my best to keep this position as long as I can.’’

She’ll tee off at 1:40 p.m. today, her 27th birthday, after receiving the No. 1 bib signifying her top ranking. Jutanugarn, the player she supplanted in the top spot, tees off at 2:06 on the same course that hosted the men’s U.S. Open in 2003.

Olympia satisfies LPGA’s desire to play courses that have hosted men’s events

The tournament now known as the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is the second oldest event on the LPGA Tour, right behind the U.S. Women’s Open, but this week’s staging at Olympia Fields will mark the first time the tournament has been played in the Chicago area.

Olympia Fields will host the second of the five annual majors on the women’s tour. It was first played in 1955 as the LPGA Championship and took on its present name three years ago after an unprecedented collaboration with the PGA of America.

The site is critical in this arrangement, as the LPGA wanted more events on famous courses used for men’s tournaments. The first KPMG Women’s PGA Championship was played at Westchester, in New York, in 2015. Westchester was a frequent PGA Tour site from 1963-2007, then hosted the Senior Players Championship in 2011.

Sahalee, in Washington, hosted last year. It was the PGA Championship venue in 1998 and welcomed the U.S. Senior Open in 2010. Olympia Fields has a more impressive resume than both Westchester and Sahalee, having hosted U.S. Opens in 1928 and 2003 PGA Championships in 1925 and 1961, the 1997 U.S. Senior Open and five Western Opens.

“It’s a big deal for us to be here, and that was one of the stipulations we gave KPMG,’’ said LPGA star Stacy Lewis. “The history of the men playing here and, more specifically, the fact that the women have never played here. We need to be on golf courses we have historically not played in the past. That’s what the PGA has helped us to do.’’

The tournament will be played next year at Kemper Lakes in Kildeer, which hosted the 1989 PGA Championship, and the 2019 version is scheduled for Hazeltine, the Minnesota course that has hosted multiple big events, most recently last year’s Ryder Cup.

All of the top 100 on the LPGA Tour money list are among the 156 players who will tee off at Olympia Fields on Thursday. That group includes 26 winners of major championships and those 26 have combined to win 53 majors.

The first major for the women this year was the ANA Inspiration, formerly the Dinah Shore tourney, played in March in California. It was won by South Korean So Yeon Ryu, who claimed the No. 1 spot in the women’s Rolex Rankings this week after her victory in the LPGA’s Northwest Arkansas Classic on Sunday.

After the tourney at Olympia is over the LPGA stars have three other majors – the U.S.Women’s Open, Ricoh British Open and Evian Championship.

Six locals in U.S. Senior Open

Chicago-based Champions Tour veteran Jeff Sluman isn’t the only local player in this week’s U.S. Senior Open – and not by a long shot. Six qualified for the 72-hole test that tees off on Thursday at Salem Country Club in Massachusetts. That’s the tourney biggest local contingent of qualifiers in years.

Mike Small, the Illinois men’s coach, comes in on a roll. He tied for third in the Professional Players National Championship in Oregon and followed with a tie for 20th in the Champions’ American Family Insurance Championship in Wisconsin on Sunday. By virtue of his top-20 finish in the PPNC Small will again play in August’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in North Carolina.

Also in the Senior Open field are club professionals Danny Mulhearn of Glen Oak and Doug Bauman of Biltmore and teaching pro Jim Buenzli.

Here and there

Nancy Scranton, who came out of downstate Centralia to become one of the few Illinois players to make it to the LPGA Tour, and Sandra Palmer, a former U.S. Women’s Open champion, were selected for induction into The LPGA Legends Hall of Fame. The ceremony will be July 8 at French Lick, Ind.

It was an all-Kelly final in last week’s Illinois Women’s State Amateur at Pine Meadow in Mundelein. Kelly Sterling of Mokena defeated Kelly Anderson of Wheaton in the championship flight’s title match.

Next month’s John Deere Classic, the PGA Tour stop in the Quad Cities, landed two big names this week. Bubba Watson and Davis Love III will compete at TPC Deere Run.

William Mouw, a 16-year old Californian, was a wire-to-wire winner of the 100th Western Junior Championship last week at Park Ridge Country Club. His 14-under-par score for 72 holes enabled Mouw to win by eight strokes and match Hunter Mahan’s tournament record score, posted in 1999.

Mickelson takes on LPGA stars in KPMG warmup at Olympia Fields

Phil Mickelson obviously won’t be playing in this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Olympia Fields but – just as was the case at last week’s U.S. Open – he was still part of the show.

Mickelson’s participation in the Open at Erin Hills was in limbo until he formally withdrew to attend his daughter’s high school graduation in California just before the first round started at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. After the Open he was the talk of the golf world again when he announced a breakup with Jim Mackay, his caddie of 25 years.

Monday was a day for Mickelson to do some promotional work for KPMG, sponsor of the second of five major championships on the Ladies PGA Tour. The $3.5 million 72-hole championship tees off on Thursday but Mickelson gave tournament week a big sendoff when he competed with three of the top women players – defending champion Brooke Henderson, world No. 1 Lydia Ko and Stacy Lewis – in a fun exhibition that was closed to the public.

Several youth groups and Olympia members filled the bleachers as Mickelson and Henderson wound up in a duel for the title, Mickelson winning.

“It was fun a showcase for the young kids – and hopefully it’ll inspire them,’’ said Henderson amidst a throng of autograph-seekers.

Mickelson claimed he was “nervous’’ beforehand, but insisted his support for women’s golf overrode the competitive aspect of the day. Through his foundation he is making a contribution to the KPMG Future Leaders Program for the creation of college scholarships and believes the tournament will have a positive impact on women both on and off the course.

He was particularly respectful of Henderson, Ko and Lewis – three of the greatest stars in women’s golf.

“I know how good they are,’’ said Mickelson, “and it was fun to be around some of the best athletes in the world. Last year, when Brooke shot her low rounds (in winning the tournament at Sahalee in Washington) that was one of the most exciting events of the year.’’

Mickelson arrived at Olympia Fields on a Metra train from downtown Chicago to underscore an easy mode of transportation for spectators to get to the tournament.

Henderson and her cohorts will carry that message further in a day-long pro-am today that also features former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan, comedian George Lopez, Chicago sports legends Brian Urlacher, Ryne Sandberg and Greg Maddux and TV personality Drew Scott.

As for the much-publicized breakup with his caddie, Mickelson admitted it was emotional. Their last round together was in the St. Jude Classic in Memphis.

“We had hoped to end at the U.S. Open, because that’s where we started in 1992,’’ said Mickelson, “but we both knew it was time. He’ll have some incredible opportunities, and I’ve cherished the last 25 years. We’ve come through highs and lows on and off the course, but I’m also looking forward to spending time with my brother.’’

Tim Mickelson will be Phil’s caddie for the rest of the year and Mickelson added one bit of new information on the caddie switch. It came with the permission of young PGA phenom Jon Rahm. Tim was Rahm’s college coach at Arizona State. He quit the ASU job to become Rahm’s manager, a job he’ll now conduct along with his caddie duties.

Women’s Western will benefit from closer relationship with WGA

This one was long, long overdue.

The Western Golf Association and Women’s Western Golf Association have jointly announced that they have formed “a new partnership.’’ That made May 10, 2017, an announcement date to remember in Chicago sports history. Given the rich histories of the two organizations, its importance goes beyond just golf.

While the new agreement doesn’t kick in until Aug. 1 – which is after the WWGA’s two 2017 tournaments – it does have the potential for some great things that could be coming to golf in Chicago as soon as the 2018 season.

Few organizations in anything have lasted as long as the two Chicago-based golf groups. The WGA was founded in 1899, the WWGA in 1903. Prior to the women forming their own organization the WGA sponsored the first two Women’s Western Amateur Championships in 1901 and 1902.

Despite their similarities in name and purpose, the two groups have operated more or less independently most of the time since then. They formed a loose partnership in 2011 and the WWGA conducts its board meetings at WGA headquarters in the North Chicago suburb aptly named Golf. That doesn’t come close to having the impact the new five-year agreement will have, however.

Under the new agreement the WGA will “help guide the Women’s Western Golf Foundation’’ and “help stage and promote the WWGA’s Women’s Western National Amateur Championship and the Women’s Western National Junior Championship and secure host sites for the events.’’

These are changing times, and the new agreement in no way detracts from all the great things the women’s group has accomplished in its 116 years. Operating with all volunteers the WWGA put on not only its two continuing championships but also ran an LPGA major tournament, the Women’s Western Open, from 1930 until 1967. The Women’s Western Amateur is the oldest annually played championship in all of golf.

Organizational demands, though, have grown over the years and the 2011 agreement with the WGA did provide the women with some administrative support. Still, more is needed.

The WWGA will operate the same as last year for its two 2017 events – the 117th Women’s Western Amateur June 12-17 at River Forest Country Club in Elmhurst and the 91st Women’s Junior Championship July 10-14 at Dubuque Golf and Country Club in Iowa. Then the WGA takes on managerial duties just as it has long done with its three tournaments – the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship (an offshoot of the old Western Open), the Western Amateur and the Western Junior.

First order of business will be for the WGA to name a site for the next WWGA tournament. No site has been determined for the 2018 Women’s Western Amateur but WGA staffers hope to announce one during the tournament at River Forest and some Chicago clubs are under consideration.

The stop at River Forest was the tournament’s first staging in the Chicago area since Exmoor, in Highland Park, hosted in 2001. Though no official comments were made, the off-the-record sentiments of Western staffers was that the tournament should be basically a fixture in the Chicago area much like the WGA’s Western Amateur has been since the tourney left Point O’ Woods in Benton Harbor, Mich., after a 28-year run there ended in 2008.

Chicago area courses have hosted eight of the nine Western Amateurs played since then and Skokie will be the site of the 2017 championship from July 31 to Aug. 5. The WGA also has reaches a milestone tournament-wise this year when its Western Junior is played for the 100th time. Park Ridge Country Club will be the site from June 19-22.

Both organizations are delighted with the new agreement.

“The history between these two golf associations goes back to the beginnings of the Women’s Western Golf Association. We have had a great relationship with the Western Golf Association through the years,’’ said Frances Fleckenstein, the WWGA president. “We now look forward to taking the next step to having their full support, which will be beneficial to both our organizations.’’

David Robinson, the WGA chairman, feels the same way.

“We’re excited to be deepening our relationship with the WWGA, which has done so much in the Midwest and across the country for women’s golf,’’ he said. “It’s an organization whose values and storied history of championships and scholarships are very much aligned with our own.’’

The WGA’s Evans Scholars program had 935 students enrolled in 20 universities during the 2016-17 school year and 24 percent were women. The Women’s Western Golf Association Foundation, founded in 1971, has awarded more than $3.5 million in scholarships to more than 690 young women from across the country over the years.

Already the two organizations jointly sponsor a Women’s Western Evans Scholar, awarding a four-year tuition and housing college scholarship to a female caddie who excels academically, has an outstanding caddie record and demonstrates financial need. The current Women’s Western Evans Scholar is Hannah Gillespie, who is completing her freshman year at Notre Dame.

And all those good connections lead to the inevitable question: Can there be a Women’s Western Open again?

The Women’s Western Open had a history as rich as the men’s Western Open. It was first played 20 years before the formation of the Ladies PGA Tour, and the LPGA had the support of the WWGA at the time of its founding.

Two Chicago players – Lucia Mida of Butterfield and June Beebe of Olympia Fields – played in the title match of the first Women’s Western Open, Mida winning at Acacia in Indian Head Park – a club that no longer exists. The tourney continued under a match play format through 1954 with 11 of the 24 tournaments played on Chicago courses. The last of those was at Glen Flora, in Waukegan.

Then the tourney went to a stroke play format from 1955 to 1967 and Chicago’s Beverly Country Club hosted twice. The event’s last playing was at another Illinois course, Pekin Country Club, where Kathy Whitworth won the title with a record 11-under-par performance. Years after the event was discontinued it is still considered a major championship in women’s golf history.

Quoting the WWGA tournament histories in its 2016 annual publication, the Women’s Western Open was discontinued “when the WWGA concentrated all its efforts to support and promote amateur women’s golf.’’

Now might be a good time to change that line of thought. The WGA has benefitted from being involved in the pro game, why not the women as well?

No one in a leadership role at either the Western Golf Association or the Women’s Western Golf Association will predict a revival of the Women’s Western Open, but they won’t rule it out, either. Be sure to stay tuned.