ORLANDO, Fla. – Day 1 of the LPGA Tour Championship is in the books, but not Round 1. Twenty-seven players trudged off the course Thursday evening, looking forward to a warm bath, not looking forward to returning at 7 a.m. to finish their rounds. Irene Cho, Sandra Gal and Maria Hernandez were moments away from teeing-off on their final hole, had one of them struck a tee-shot they’d have been able to finish.
Some other observations from Day 1:
-The 13th green is almost unplayable. I don’t envy Doug Brecht from the LPGA, who must find four hole locations suitable for tournament play. When then tournament leader Na Yeon Choi was putting for birdie, but chipping for par, she made double.
-Golf in December in Florida can be uncomfortably cold, but it can muster some rather interesting outfits….Christina Kim.
-This event has a great feel, we had good crowds for a chilly Thursday. The ninth and 18th holes run side by side to a double green, creating a natural amphitheatre to watch the best players in the game, with the temperature getting a little warmer over the next few days, people will enjoy themselves out there this week.
-There’s buzz about next year’s schedule. Players received a preliminary copy in their tour meeting on Tuesday evening but it won’t be released to the public until all the t’s have been crossed. Plus, quite rightly, the tour wants this week to be about capping-off a great year and crowning a worthy champion.