by Mike Livingston; Co-Host, The CaddyShack Radio Show
So attrition is really the only word for the last two days at the Women’s U.S. Open at Blackwolf Run. Kohler, Wisconsin was a great host for the championship and would you believe that was a public course? Amazing! That said, sloppy golf on the weekend saw what looked to be a very promising weekend set-up complete with Suzanne Pettersen and Michelle Wie leading through two days, only to see it all come crashing down…….So you say you don’t have a poster on your wall of Na Yeon Choi?….Really?…..well maybe you will soon (not holding my breath, but still). She’s a U.S. Open champion now and no one can take that away from her…..but the viewing stunk.
Thankfully, we had the PGA’s Greenbriar Classic instead! This is not only one of the most unique venues on tour, but this past weekend it provided arguably the best finish of the year. When the dust settled on the historic West Virginia hillside it was Tour rookie Ted Potter Jr. outlasting another rookie, long-hitting Troy Kelly on the third playoff hole to take the title and his first professional win.
Potter may have come away with the win but it was Kelly, with his unique desert-ties that had all of locals mesmerized on Sunday as he blazed around the Greenbriar with a Sunday-low 62 to put himself in the hunt. The 2nd place finish gives him and automatic berth in the British Open later this month, which is the ultimate for any professional. Interestingly, Kelly has spent many a moon in the desert, playing regularly at the Plantation Golf Club and even sporting some local sponsorship which you can see on his bag as recently as this past week……Grape Recovery is a unique, local business and the brain child of local dez-rez owner Rick Maghetti. The concept is that by taking the unique, ultra-healing antioxidant qualities found in the seeds and skins of grapes and offering them to patients in multiple ways and platforms, healing can take multiple forms. The pairing has created an interesting cooperative crossover for Kelly and great exposure for Maghetti. Look for the bag, the logo and Kelly pounding 300-yard drives throughout the remainder of the summer!
The Champions Tour took an novel idea and chose Pebble Beach for its inaugural First Tee Challenge where the professional was paired with an amateur youth, participating in the First tee Program. Locally, we at The CaddyShack have discussed the First tee Program and its many virtues with local Director Chris Keener. However, seeing it in action and in full force, to this magnitude was something to behold. National television coverage didn’t seem to phase these high school-aged kids as they played well and down the stretch it was
As far as local golf is concerned, please follow the two most important Caddyshack rules if you’re out there enjoying summer golf in the desert……..hydrate and “don’t burn, re-apply at the turn”. We’re serious about our golf and hope you are too! We’ll be looking for you on The Caddy Shack Radio Show every Saturday morning from 6-8 a.m. on KNEWS 94.3 FM……Fore!
Mike Livingston is the Co-Host of The Caddy Shack Radio Show on KNEWS 94.3 FM on Saturday Mornings from 6:00-8:00 a.m.; Additionally, Mike is the Director of Management for Personalized Property Management Company, in Cathedral City.
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