SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. - One thing I’ve noticed walking around here is all the kids. And all the kid-friendly things the USGA is doing to encourage them. Kids get in free with a paying adult. The front row in all the grandstands is reserved only for the little ones—no more staring at the back of someone’s head. There’s a tent by the main entrance set up just for them, complete with a putting green, free hats, free vouchers for lunch, and perhaps most important, air conditioning. For a mom, this is a wonderful thing. As Marty Parkes, senior director of communications for the ... full post »

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. - Here we go again. Bring out the evacuation vans and pull the players off the course, it’s time for another weather delay here at the US Women’s Open. This Open seems plagued: Wednesday’s practice round was cut short by weather. Yesterday’s first round included an almost four-hour delay, forcing 26 players to finish their rounds early this morning. And now we’re hit again, this time with rather alarming crashes of lightning in the not-so-far-off-distance. To their credit, the USGA is handling the delays well. Think of the logistical difficulty pulling every player, their caddies, clubs, standard bearers, ... full post »

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. - Having two writers here covering the women’s Open - it’s like Harry and Sally, he-said, she-said, yin and yang. He likes the media tent’s bottled soda, I prefer the media tent’s beef brisket. He’s played Oakmont, I’ve played Pine Needles. But there’s one thing Brandon Tucker and I agree on: Pine Needles deserves full marks, not just in terms of better scenery, but also playability. When it’s not hosting the U.S. Women’s Open for the third time, it’s a great course for all levels - even clowns like myself. But I’m not the only one who loves ... full post »

I like the US Open. But I like the US Women’s Open even more. Why? a) I’m a woman, I can’t help it, b) For the same reason I read the occasional US Weekly–I find the meow factor intriguing, and c) Any LPGA event with Michelle Wie in it means I’ll have plenty to write home about. This weekend I’ll be joining Brandon Tucker at the Women’s Open down there at Pine Needles (now a three-time host of the event) watching Annika defend her title, Morgan Pressel and Suzann Pettersen try to prove that their first majors weren’t flukes, and Michelle ... full post »