LPGA: Lewis' No. 1 ranking on line at season's first major

LPGA: Lewis' No. 1 ranking on line at season's first major










The Sports Xchange April 3, 2013 10:40 AMThe SportsXchange



Stacy Lewis enters a major championship as the No. 1 player in the world for the first time this week. It just so happens to be at the site of her first major title - the Kraft Nabisco Championship at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., where she won in 2010.

Lewis will tee off at 8:22 a.m. on Thursday in a group with South Korea's I.K. Kim, who finished second in the first major of the season last year when she lost a one-hole playoff to Sun Young Yoo. Lewis has a pair of victories already this season, but her grip on the top spot in the world is tenuous with former No. 1 Yani Tseng less than a point behind and Na Yeon Choi and Inbee Park not far behind.

Tseng and Choi have an opportunity to unseat Lewis this week - Tseng with a victory and Choi if she wins and Lewis finishes fourth or lower.

"Well, I think the first question I was asked when I became No. 1 is, 'How long are you going to stay there?' I can't even think about that," said Lewis. "There are so many things that I can't control. I can't control how Yani plays, how Inbee Park plays. If they go out and play better than me, then I lose the No. 1 ranking. If I go out there and take care of myself, I'll be at that No. 1 ranking."

Yoo begins her title defense having missed two cuts in the United States already this season. Meanwhile, Kim said she has learned from the experience of watching her putt on the playoff hole agonizingly lip out.

"I learned a lot," said Kim. "I think last year was big turning point of my life of learning and what's really important. It just gave me different view of it.

"Well, so, look back, it was tough to handle at first, but I think it's important not only to the viewers and the people, but to let other people, younger generation, to know that it's not always going to be glorious and like victory."

Paula Creamer enters the week ranked No. 10 in the world, and said the depth of the tour and the style of the Mission Hills Country Club gives a slew of players an opportunity to be in contention come Sunday.

"It's a tournament where you can be right out in the lead the first couple days, and when the weekend hits you never see the leader," said Creamer.

"It's a golf course that really doesn't fit one person's game. You can be long, and some of the holes it doesn't really matter. I think it's more about your short irons. You're obviously making putts, things like that, but it's harder to say five players that are going to be in contention just because of the way the golf course is."

The opening two rounds features several interesting pairings. Tseng will play with Jiyai Shin, who won the season-opening event in Australia, while Creamer is paired with fellow American Brittany Lang. Choi will play with Norway's Suzann Pettersen, and Park will be with rising American Jessica Korda.

Another interesting pairing features Michelle Wie, who has struggled mightily thus far this season, with Lydia Ko, an up-and-coming amateur star from New Zealand who was in contention throughout the Australian Open.

Three-time Kraft Nabisco champion Annika Sorenstam agreed to host this week's pro-am, as LPGA commissioner Mike Whan has made a point of emphasizing the importance the tournament's tradition plays for the LPGA. And there is no image that resonates more on the tour than the tradition of the Kraft Nabisco champion jumping into Poppie's Pong along with her caddie.

"I think every player loves the major championships," said Sorenstam. "There's something special about it, especially an event like this that's been going on for over 40 years. There is so much tradition. We are in the same venue, which makes it even more special. It's kind of like the Masters. We all come here and remember shots that the champions have hit. We remember the famous leaps into Poppie's Pond.

"It's the history I think that means a lot. You look at the trophy, at the paths on the 18th and you see all the names of the players that we all look up to and that we all try to copy one way or another. I think it's very, very special."

Players admit the potential leap into Poppie's Pond creep's into their mind - as much for style as what it means to win the first major of the season.

"I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but obviously it's very easy to think about it," said Creamer. "You talk about it every day. I don't think I would be very graceful. I think I would go for a cannonball. That would be a great moment. Hopefully that will come one day."

PGA REACH: Improving lives through golf

PGA REACH: Improving lives through golf











PGA.COM April 3, 2013 1:59 PM

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What is PGA REACH -- "Beyond 18"? St. Louis and Bellerive Country Club are honored to be hosting the 74th 2013 Senior PGA Championship in May, 2013, and the 100th playing of the PGA Championship in 2018. In conjunction with these Championships, a community-wide initiative -- PGA REACH - has been created. Through this initiative the PGA of America, the Gateway PGA Foundation, and the St. Louis golfing community will combine their strengths and resources to effect meaningful change and improve lives in the St. Louis area through the game of golf. Our program will secure, support, and extend the REACH of local organizations that help keep kids in school so their health, wellness, and career prospects are improved now, and Beyond 18 years old.


Is PGA REACH just a St. Louis local initiative? PGA REACH was created and developed here in St. Louis by a coalition of members from Bellerive Country Club, and the Board and leadership of the PGA Gateway Foundation. Since its founding here, the PGA of America has decided to adopt this program as a national program, and a similar PGA REACH program will be affiliated with each one of their future Championships throughout the country.

What are the Goals of PGA REACH?PGA REACH intends to measurably improve and advance opportunities for St. Louis area youth to succeed in life. Success will be measured through programs that have demonstrable outcomes to positively impact youth by:

A. Increasing classroom attendance B. Lowering the high school dropout rate C. Enhancing the long term health of young men and women through education, activities, and recreational programs D. Improving the career options available to these youth

Do all these goals have a common focus?All of our plans, programs, and support are focused on "keeping kids in school." That's how we know we can make a difference in St. Louis.

How does PGA REACH intend to achieve these goals? We have determined that we can have the most impact by partnering with existing organizations, in the form of funding and/or volunteer support, that have effective programs already in place to achieve these goals. PGA REACH will assist the following organizations and initiatives to expand their own "reach."

a. ABCToday!, an "early warning system" of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri (BBBSEMO), was designed to collect, track and respond to individual student performance measured through Attendance, Behavior, and Classroom success in reading and math. b. Urban K-Life (UKL), a Christian based organization operating in the inner city of St. Louis, has a proven track record of working with the St. Louis Public Schools to improve the academic performance and dramatically lower the dropout rate of the participants in their programs. c. Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis (BGCGSL) is a long established facility offering programs whose mission is to inspire and enable youth to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. d. Site investigation is proceeding whereby a multi-acre golf site, either a driving range/fitness facility, or a multiple hole golf course, or both can be secured and developed. Aspects of all three of the UKL, BGCGSL, and BBBSEMO programs include a fitness and wellness element that will be enhanced with this golf site.

How will PGA REACH raise the necessary funds to assist these partners? Funding will come from multiple sources. On October 8, 2012, the National Car Rental/PGA REACH Pro-Am was held at Boone Valley Country Club. Over 80 golfers participated in this event, and along with the generous sponsorship of National Car Rental, $80,000 was raised to support the objectives of PGA REACH.

On Memorial Day, 2013, PGA REACH will host the "Play it Like the Pros" at Bellerive Country Club, staging a celebrity pro-am that will be played exactly like the Senior PGA Championship was played...same length, same tees, same conditions. 34 4-man teams are expected at this event and the objective is to raise over $200,000.

In an unprecedented and generous decision, Bellerive Country Club has informed PGA REACH that 10% of its proceeds from both the 2013 Senior PGA Championship, and the 2018 PGA Championship, will be donated to PGA REACH to assist with its programs.

In addition, the Gateway PGA Section will host events annually to raise money, and a portion of the proceeds will go directly to PGA REACH and its St. Louis partners.

Who receives and manages the contributions destined for PGA REACH, and what kind of governance oversight is provided? All contributions for PGA REACH will be received and distributed by the Gateway PGA Foundation. Its governing board will oversee all funds. In addition, an Executive Steering Committee for PGA REACH has been created, consisting of 12 St. Louis business and civic leaders, including Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, President of the Gateway PGA Foundation.

Is the only form of support needed for PGA REACH monetary support?No. In addition to the monetary contributions, we will support our partners through volunteer assistance and with staff support from the Gateway PGA Section. For example, at Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, the activity based programs already being conducted there utilize both volunteer and Gateway PGA Section staff support. Many of our future planned initiatives will require extensive volunteer assistance.

Are the activities supported with each of the PGA REACH partners planned and managed on an informal basis? No, the activities of our partners and support by PGA REACH are detailed in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) mutually signed by both parties, after being approved by the governing boards of both parties.

Can you give us some further information about what is being planned with the partners you support?Sure. Our initiative at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri includes funding for a staff position to help implement a program called ABCToday. That program allows for early intervention with Little Brothers and Little Sisters experiencing medical issues that prevent them from fully attending school. Through coordination and medical intervention, the program will improve Attendance, Behavior, and Classroom success measured through progress in reading and math.

At the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, our focus is on supporting PGA Sports Academy activities, designed to provide physical and emotional development utilizing golf related activities. Those activities can be done both indoors and outdoors, and are led by a PGA of America golf professional and a Gateway PGA Section staff member.

The needs of Urban K-Life's participants can be best addressed by adding staff members to extend the relationship model with high school aged youth to additional participants. Through support of that, we will be able to supplement after school activities. With the benefits of relationships and activities, together we will measurably improve the graduation rate.

Because many of the participants in these initiatives attend the St. Louis Public Schools, we are developing programs in partnership with those schools, and with the assistance of our partners.

Is all this in the future, or do you have activities and support underway now?Much has already been accomplished.

Two full sessions of the PGA Sports Academy programs have already been completed at BGCGSL. Last October, and in February/March of this year, sessions were run on each Tuesday and Thursday, with approximately 20 youth participating in each. The sessions were well received and enthusiasm is high. We recently hosted a "fun day" that was open to the entire club, and had 15 new participants come to that event.

At BBBSEMO, development of the tracking system mentioned above is the focus of activities, as is the designing of a trial and deployment for ABCToday on a larger scale basis, with the intent to deploy throughout an entire school and an entire school system.

Urban K-Life has moved forward, with our help, to hire an additional relationship manager. That has enabled 30 more youth to be a part of the Urban K-Life relationship model, providing new motivation, role models, and life skills. In addition, a Job Training and Education program has been designed for deployment at the UKL facility, and a very successful parent conference has been conducted to explain the program. On March 6, nineteen students and their parents attended a meeting and signed "contracts" to start and complete the education program.

Activities will include specific classes focused on educational skills, job skills, and golf skills, and participating students will be eligible to accept a paid summer internship position upon completion. Classes will be conducted on Tuesdays throughout April. They will also have the opportunity to participate on a Club Golf Team through UKL.

Already in progress with the St. Louis Public Schools, a pilot Pros in the School program at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy just completed, and it served to introduce students to the sport of golf and the advantages of participating in the Job Training and Education program. Classes were conducted on Monday and Wednesday mornings.

Do you contemplate any further activities beyond those described above?Since the inception of PGA REACH in St. Louis, several other possible avenues for "keeping kids in school" have opened to us, and right now we are limited only by our current resources. The possibilities are exciting, and we are committed to finding a way to implement them.

Right now no SLPS secondary schools have golf teams, or the related after school activities and character development attributes that go with such activities. PGA REACH has been asked to consider finding volunteers, equipment, and related support so that golf teams can be initiated at each of the SLPS secondary schools. Volunteer interest has been superb, and we are carefully planning how to implement this initiative in a productive and successful way, working with the athletic staff of the SLPS.

In our discussions with each of our partners, a common theme emerged, that being the dire need for a physical site where outdoor and after-school activities can be conducted on an ongoing and regular basis. Concurrent with that need, the possibility arose of a potential site near the locations of our partners, albeit a possibility that will take very significant planning, development, and monetary support. Much has already been accomplished relative to the possible configuration and utilization of the site, and fundraising talks are underway to find assistance for proceeding with this initiative. Considerable volunteer help has already been harnessed, and daily activities are proceeding to make this a reality.

How can I become involved if I'd like to help with PGA REACH and its initiatives? As indicated, we are in need of both monetary contributions, awareness of the needs, and volunteer support. Contributions can be made to PGA REACH, in care of the Gateway PGA Foundation. If you'd like to discuss volunteering, we'd be pleased to visit with you, and you can call the Gateway PGA Section at 636-532-3355 to let us know of your interest. You can also go to www.gatewaypga.org and click through to the PGA REACH link to learn more. We'd welcome your help.

Can you summarize what is really important?Yes. Keeping kids in school! That is really important. And we all can help.

Tom Watson among former major winners in Senior PGA field

Tom Watson among former major winners in Senior PGA field











PGA.COM April 3, 2013 3:23 PM

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ST. LOUIS - PGA of America officials announced Wednesday the new player commitments to the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, which will be contested May 21-26, 2013, at Bellerive Country Club. This is the first time Bellerive has played host to the Senior PGA Championship, the most historic and prestigious event in senior golf.

The additions are highlighted by 2014 United States Ryder Cup Captain and two-time Senior PGA Champion Tom Watson, who still calls the Kanas City area home. Other notable commitments are two-time PGA Champion - including the 1992 PGA Championship played at Bellerive - and British Open winner Nick Price, as well as two-time U.S. Open winner and current ESPN analyst, Andy North.

Of the 93 players committed to play, 23 participated in the 1992 PGA Championship, which was played at Bellerive: Nick Price, 1; John Cook, T-2; Jim Gallagher Jr. T-2; Russ Cochran, T-7; Dan Forsman, T-7; Jeff Sluman, T-12; Brad Faxon, T-15; Anders Forsbrand, T-9; Josh Huston, T-18; Bill Britton, T-21; Tom Kite, T-21; Peter Jacobsen, T-28; Joe Ozaki, T-28; Tom Wargo, T-28; Mark James, T-40; Bernhard Langer, T-40; Mark Calcavecchia, T-48; Steve Pate, T-48; Peter Senior, T-48; Andrew Magee, T-56; Tom Watson, T-62; Hale Irwin, T-66; and David Frost T-73.

Click here to see the entire field, as of April 1, 2013.