Jul 12 2011
The US Women's Open Championship
Posted in LPGA News
What can you learn from the 2011 Women’s US Open Championship? Major championships are meant to be difficult. When the USGA runs a tournament, they want to protect par at all costs. The rough will be deep, the greens will be fast and the golf course will be long.
This years’ championship was held at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO. This event was the longest golf tournament the LPGA/USGA has ever put on. I guess you could say both from a yardage standpoint and with all the many rain delays! The golf course played over 7000 yards and the elevation was 6400 feet which played havoc with all the LPGA players and their caddies.
The winner, So Yeon Ryu won in a playoff against fellow Korean Hee Kyung Seo. The winning score was 3 under after five grueling rain delayed days. What made this tournament so difficult was a combination of the yardage, elevation and rain delays. All factors playing against the golfers making for a very challenging major tournament.
At all times, the players kept track of the location of Cheyenne Mountain and the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. Why? When putting the ball, it will always break downhill and away from the mountains. Good to know if you are playing in a region with hills and mountains like at The Broadmoor.
The other factor that affected everyone’s club selection was the elevation. If you drive the ball high in Colorado you will hit the ball much farther than normal. One player, who averages 280 off the tee, actually hit a drive 330 yards! Everyone had to factor in the altitude along with their distance to figure out what club they needed to hit on every shot.
Annika Sorenstam, this year’s honorary chairman, said to win a major championship you must have a little luck, lots of patience and not think too far ahead. She also said you must have a good, all around game. You must drive the ball straight to keep out of the deep rough and know how far you hit every club in your bag as you may not be hitting right at the pin. She was exactly right. I watched the golfers use the slopes of the green to help feed their ball to the hole.
You can use these same tips when you go play your golf course. The elevation may not be 6400 feet here in middle Tennessee, but the greens may be elevated and you will have to hit a longer club to get to the flag. We also have some mountains in the area so you can expect the ball to break away from the mountains when you are putting. And, as always, it is better to hit the driver straight and in the fairway!
Use these tips from the pros the next time you play golf. Go have fun and play more golf!
Within two weeks, we have seen two rules violations, one on the PGA tour and one on the LPGA tour. Dustin Johnson was assessed a two stroke penalty for grounding his club in a hazard while Juli Inkster was disqualified for using a training aid during a tournament round. 
If you have watched any golf news at all this past week, then you know that Michelle Wie won her first LPGA tournament last Sunday in Mexico. We can all relate to this young woman and learn from her trials to her success on the tour.
Then Solheim Cup Captain Beth Daniel picked Michelle Wie as her wild card for the Solheim Cup. She gave her the confidence she needed to show the world what she is really made of. With the rules that no parents were allowed, the LPGA players bonded with each other and everyone got to know Michelle for who she really is; a young, highly talented golfer who is still going to college.
Spring Hill, TN, October 26, 2009 – The Ladies Professional Golf Association today announced that its 2009 National Teacher of the Year Award recipient is Rita Reasons, of the Nancy Quarcelino School of Golf, located at King’s Creek Golf Club. This is the highest honor that can be earned by a golf instructor within the LPGA.