LPGA’s Anna Nordqvist discusses the Olympics, the LPGA Tour, and other fun stuff

Written by Fritz Schranck. Posted in Golf Column

June 3, 2016

Professional golf tours don’t come to the Cape Region, at least not yet, so local golf fans wanting to see golf played at its highest level have to do some traveling.

Fortunately, the Ladies Professional Golf Association has made it as easy as possible, with its ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, held at Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, just outside Atlantic City. A ride on the Cape May Lewes Ferry and a shot up the Garden State Parkway, and you’re there.

It’s well worth the trip, and it’s held this weekend, so go already.

The tournament held a Media Day May 10, including a scramble round on the Donald Ross course the players confront in the three-round event. It is the shortest course on the LPGA Tour, but also one of the toughest, especially with winds blowing in from nearby Reed’s Bay.

Anna Nordqvist, a 6-foot Swede with several LPGA victories to her name, won the Classic in 2015. She’s an impressive player. In last year’s final, for example, she hit a hybrid club just over 250 yards on the 352-yard 10^th hole, and a 60-degree wedge for her approach.

At the end of Media Day, Nordqvist chatted amiably about her win last year and the effect of the Olympic Games upon the LPGA schedule and players.

“It’s always special to come back. You just know that you can play the course, know you’re happy, and you like the area. My mom’s going to travel to five or six events this year, and she wanted to come back to this one,” Nordqvist said. “She has good memories, too.”

Nordqvist discussed the challenges of playing at the highest level. “Winning definitely gives you confidence. It’s more credit to all the hard work I put in,” she said.

“The longer I’m out here, and the more I play, you realize how much harder it’s getting and how much more competitive it’s getting. Winning last year reminded me how special it is to win, and how much worth it is, all the hours you’re back home practicing or the early hours in the gym—all the hard work behind the scenes that you do day in and day out. You do all that work, so when you do win it’s a pretty sweet feeling,” Nordqvist said.

This year marks the return of golf to the Olympics, in Rio de Janeiro. The LPGA tour schedule has been compressed and shifted to accommodate tournament golf on sports’ biggest stage.

Nordqvist is proud to be a member of the Swedish Olympic golf team, calling it a “huge honor”. She also noted that it’s a bit different for her, with majors and regular tournaments every year, compared to swimmers and shooters at the Games, who as she said, “work so hard for that one minute every four years.”

Nordqvist believes golf’s majors are going to weigh “a little higher” as far as history’s view of golf in the Olympics, but also thought it’s a bit of an open question, depending on how it goes this time. She believes the exposure will be very good for women’s golf, and is already experiencing increased media attention about the Olympics and women’s golf.

An 11-week stretch in the LPGA schedule removed several scheduled breaks in the season in order to fit in the Olympics, finishing with the Women’s British Open at the end of July. Nordqvist will miss a few tournaments because she has to travel back to Sweden for Olympics preparations. Nordqvist also talked about the adjustments she’s made to her workout and practice regimen in dealing the new schedule’s demands.

“When I come to Rio, I want to be as prepared as I’ve ever been as an athlete,” she said. “I want to show up knowing I did everything I could.” Nordqvist expressed appreciation for the assistance she’s already received in the past few years from the Swedish Olympic staff, including sessions with mental coaches and others.

She’s pacing herself currently, with shorter and less intense workout sessions. “I’m really trying to not overdo anything right now,” she said.

When asked if she would rather have a Women’s British Open trophy or an Olympic gold medal, Nordqvist quickly chose the gold, but for eminently practical reasons. She can play four British Opens before the next Olympics in Japan, if she can make the 2020 team.

“Obviously, I’d take either/or–wouldn’t be picky,” Nordqvist said with a wide grin.

Scales makes Hole in One

Congratulations to Stevie Scales for her ace on the 135-yard 14^th hole at Rookery South May 26. Scales used her driver for the shot, during the weekly Ladies Scramble. It is her second career hole in one.

Rookery Golf Demo Days June 16 and 25

Thanks to awful weather, The Rookery gang had to shift their demo day from May 21 to a split schedule on June 16 and 25 at Rookery South.

On June 16, Titleist, Callaway, and Mizuno will be at the South practice range from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Ping will be there from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. On June 25, Cobra and Taylor Made will be at the South range from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Local Club Competition Results

The Kings Creek Ladies 9 Hole group played a Low Net game May 25.

Rita Musi won first place, with Pat Devoll in second place, Kathy Nave in third, and Mary Beth Merolla in fourth. Valerie Evans won closest to the pin on the eleventh hole.

The Kings Creek Ladies 18 Hole group played a Step Aside Scramble May 31. Lynn Sweeney, Carol Loewen, Leslie Ledogar, and Carolyn Ortwein teamed up for first place.

The second spot went to Ana Dittel, Wendy Maclay, Nan Martino, and Pattie Magee. Lynn Sweeney won the closest to the pin contest.

Special Report Addition
Zehner and Ashby do well for Cape in State High School Championship

Cape Henlopen junior Matt Zehner and senior Jack Ashby represented the Viking golf team well in the 36-hole 2016 State Championship Tournament, held May 31-June 1 at Rehoboth Beach Country Club.

The first day’s round took place under lift, clean, and place rules, thanks to a drenching daylong rain on Memorial Day. Puddles could be seen all over the RBCC course on Tuesday, but the sunny skies and light breezes did what they could to make the course as playable as possible.

Zehner started his first day’s round on the tenth tee, and finished in 27^th place with a 9-over par 81. Ashby began his round on the first tee, and his 91 tied him for 58^th with three other golfers, just making the cut.

The second day’s round also used lift, clean, and place rules, and the weather remained gorgeous.

Zehner shot an 86, with the difference between his two rounds represented solely by the 12th hole. He birdied the par-5 hole in the first round, but took a 9 in the second.

“I had a good drive, and then put three shots into the water,” Zehner said. “I chunked a layup, then went for it, and then chunked another layup.”

Zehner bounced back from that shock, however, with par, par, birdie on the next three holes, before finishing with a string of bogeys. He finished in a tie for 32d.

Ashby played his final round of high school golf and posted a 95, good for 61st overall. “My ball striking was good, and so was my chipping, but I missed a lot of putts,” Ashby said.

Not bad for someone who had to delay the start of his spring golf season due to an ankle injury from indoor soccer. Ashby recently told me he was never going to play indoors again, which showed that his head was in the right place—for golf.

Tower Hill won the team championship, which began with 11 teams on the first day. Only seven teams qualified for the second round, however, due to the low 60 and ties tournament rules.

Phoebe Brinker, an 8th grader at the Wilmington prep school, won the individual championship with a fine 4-under par performance. Matt Pulgini of Appoquinimink High School in southern New Castle County, took the second spot, six strokes behind Brinker.

The team finishes and total scores are as follows: 1. Tower Hill (516), 2. Caesar Rodney (538), 3. Appoquinimink (554), 4. Salesianum (555), 5. Charter School of Wilmington (566), 6. Archmere Academy (569), and 7. Caravel Academy (619).