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USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
With no one in their 40s at 2025 U.S. Women's Open, connection to the past even more vital
With no one in their 40s at 2025 U.S. Women's Open, connection to the past even more vital ERIN, Wisconsin – Sandra Palmer walked onto the Golf Channel Live From set on Wednesday, threw up her arms and exclaimed, 'Well, I have arrived!' On a cold and rainy Midwestern day at the 80th U.S. Women's Open, 82-year-old Palmer rolled in like a breath of fresh air. She's on site this week at Erin Hills Golf Course celebrating the 50th anniversary of her U.S. Women's Open victory, and the USGA asked her to speak to the 26 amateurs in the field at a dinner on Tuesday evening. Palmer made such an impression that 17-year-old Jude Lee referenced something she'd said about the importance of having a routine in her pre-tournament press conference the next day. Like the rain in Wisconsin, the heavens opened early at Atlantic City Country Club 50 years too, making the petite Palmer an unlikely person to win. She was hanging out in one of the practice tee's cabanas on Tuesday that week and noticed a lone figure out there in rain suit, grinding away. That someone was LPGA founder Patty Berg, who would've been 57 at the time. 'I thought, if she can do it I can do it,' said Palmer, who suited up to practice. This year at Erin Hills, 52-year-old Leta Lindley, who celebrates a birthday on Sunday, is the oldest player in the field by a mile. There isn't a single player in her 40s at mammoth Erin Hills. The average age is 26. Finding a way to help young people connect with the past is paramount for organizations like the USGA and LPGA. Karrie Webb, 50, will be at Erin Hills on Thursday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her first U.S. Women's Open victory. Of course, it's up to the youngsters to make the most of it. Last year when Beth Daniel captained the Junior Solheim Cup, only two players handed her a club during a practice round asked: How would you hit this shot? The winner this week will earn $2.4 million, a sum that's hard for players who competed even a decade ago to wrap their heads around let alone someone like Palmer, who won 19 times, including two majors, and earned $754,356 in 363 starts. 'We never dreamed it would become this,' said Palmer. 'I stand on the shoulders of a lot of people that made this happen.' So much about tour life has changed since Palmer's time, but so much of what really matters is timeless. Heather Daly-Donofrio, 55, used to play a lot of golf during off-weeks with JoAnne Carner. In addition to advice on technique, she'd ask about the intangibles, like how to get over a bad shot quickly. 'She's like Heather, you don't have time to think about the bad shot,' said Daly-Donofrio. Recipe for winning a U.S. Open doesn't change If they take the time to ask, said Daly-Donofrio, who now runs the USGA's national development program, what young players will find is that older players are willing to help. After all, it feels good to be asked, and the recipe for winning doesn't change. Before Palmer played on the LPGA, she took a job in teaching. A cheerleader and homecoming queen at North Texas State, Palmer used a connection through a sorority sister to land a job in education without even needing an interview. The teaching job, however, didn't mean that golf was over. Quite the contrary. She'd pack up her car on Fridays and drive three hours after class to see renowned instructor Harvey Penick, who became like family to her. Penick would tell her to 'Give lady luck a chance, and then let God put his hand on your shoulder.' Saying it aloud even now gives her chills. It's the kind of thing that needs to be passed along. Two years ago, Palmer got the call that she was going into the World Golf Hall of Fame. The news brought her to tears as she thought about all the people who helped get her there. It's not often that young people have the opportunity to sit in a room and absorb the wisdom, wit and energy of someone as accomplished as Palmer. 'I'm the past and they're the future,' she said. 'I hope they can carry this game and remember the people along the way. 'Most of them wouldn't know who Patty Berg is or some of the all-time greats, but I hope they'll take a moment to find out.' And, in the case of Palmer, ask for her phone number. She'd be thrilled to keep in touch.
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Junior Solheim Cup teams set to make history in the Netherlands alongside their idols
Junior Solheim Cup teams set to make history in the Netherlands alongside their idols Sixteen years ago, Nancy Lopez and Carin Koch jumped from a 1-meter diving board into a pool at Aurora Country Club in northeastern Illinois. The scene played out at the Ping Junior Solheim Cup, where the kids were upset their two captains didn't go for the 3-meter board. Team USA had invited Team Europe to an impromptu pool party at the conclusion of competition, where only one of the Maguire twins (not sure which) attempted an actual dive. Most jumped more than once. Lexi Thompson was one of several players who grabbed the hand of a fearful friend and coaxed her off the edge. The scene played out about 10 miles from the 2009 Solheim Cup venue at Rich Harvest Farms, away from most of the media and fans. That's usually the case for the junior event, which brings together the 12 best and brightest youngsters from the U.S. and Europe to compete every two years in the run-up to the main event. Camaraderie is at the heart of the Junior Solheim, which began in 2002, but it's also a training ground for the next generation. Players must be between the ages of 12-18 to compete, and the inaugural teams 20-plus years ago included Solheim stalwarts such as Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Brittany Lincicome, Brittany Lang and Azahara Munoz. Junior Solheim Cup teams to compete on same course as pros in 2026 In 2026, history will be made at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands as officials tell Golfweek that Junior Solheim teams, for the first time, will have the opportunity to compete on the same course as the pros. Switzerland's Albane Valenzuela, who made her debut on the European Solheim Cup team last year, still has the bag from her 2015 Junior Solheim Cup appearance. 'When you're a junior,' said Valenzuela, 'the Solheim is definitely the coolest event you can get.' World No. 1 Nelly Korda also competed in the 2015 Junior Solheim at Golf Club St. Leon-Rot, a 36-hole facility. The Solheim Cup was played on the St. Leon course that year while the juniors competed on the Rot course. Korda noted that having the events so close made it easier for the pros to come out and watch the juniors, which they did in Germany. 'Having them there too was super cool,' said Korda, 'such a neat experience.' The added insight, however, of playing the same course, in similar conditions, with the grandstands in place does much to amplify the experience. Valenzuela said she thought about that back in 2015 while playing the Rot course as a junior while the pros played a different course. The 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland was similar with the juniors playing the Kings Course while the pros played the Centenary. 'It's kind of nice to benchmark yourself against the pros,' said Valenzuela. 'I think it makes it more fun, makes it more relatable for the viewers as well." The two junior teams will arrive in the Netherlands on Friday, Sept. 4, and the two-day competition will be held Sept. 7-8. From there, the two teams will attend a number of Solheim Cup festivities throughout the next week and, if the past is any indication, will even hang out in the team rooms with the pros. Every dinner, every first-tee experience proves unforgettable time and again for the wide-eyed teens. 'I always imagined having the Ping Junior Solheim Cup on the same course as the Solheim Cup,' said John A. Solheim, Ping Executive Chairman. 'The opportunity to play the same challenging set up and amazing atmosphere as the professionals is an experience that the junior girls will remember for the rest of their lives. I'm very thankful to the LET, Bernardus and IMG for making this a reality in 2026. It's another big step for the event and I look forward to presenting the trophies to the winning teams on the 18th green at Bernardus.' While the Junior Solheim captains have yet to be announced, the natural fit for Team Europe is the Netherlands' most decorated player, Anne van Dam. The five-time Ladies European Tour winner represented Europe at both the 2013 Junior Solheim and 2019 Solheim Cup in Scotland, where Europe won in dramatic fashion. The 29-year-old two-time Olympian is still competing on the LET and LPGA, posting a top-20 finish at last year's AIG Women's British Open at St. Andrews. Nineteen Junior Solheim Cup players from Europe have gone on to compete in the Solheim Cup as a pro, while the U.S. boasts 13 graduates to the big stage. Team USA leads the all-time series at 8-4-1. 'It's funny, when you think back on junior golf," said Valenzuela, "every time you played in something big, it just felt like the biggest thing in the whole wide world.' In the Netherlands, it just got even bigger.
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
As Nelly Korda hosts on AJGA, she tells kids not to compare: 'I wasn't even a top junior'
BRADENTON, Fla. – There was a time when Nelly Korda thought seriously about college golf, with Wake Forest and Texas as her top two choices. She was 15, shooting in the 80s and struggling to enjoy the game. 'I wasn't even a top junior,' said Korda while walking down the second fairway of her home course, The Concession Golf Club. 'I played Junior Solheim Cup once. I wasn't selected for Junior Ryder Cup. I wasn't selected for anything growing up.' Her advice to young players in the field at The Nelly Invitational: Don't compare yourself to others. With the help of instructor David Whelan, Korda rebuilt her swing and fell back in love with the game. The 15-time LPGA winner, Olympic gold medalist and current world No. 1 is already in the give-back portion of her career, hosting one of the best junior events in the country at her home club. Guests of The Nelly junior-am were welcomed on Wednesday by Sawyer, a rescue dog from Satchel's Last Resort, a no-kill animal shelter in Sarasota that's one of the event's two designated charities, along with the local Boys and Girls Club. AJGA Executive Director Stephen Hamblin said the event will raise $100,000 for charity, rare air for a junior event, particularly one that's just getting started. Korda has always had a special place in her heart for animals. Earlier this week, she said goodbye to her 15-year-old cat, Rafi. "I was like oh my god, something that's 6 pounds can weigh so much on your heart, right? It's so crazy," she said. "He was with me through so, so much. It's unconditional love no matter what kind of day you're having." The AJGA has had PGA Tour and LPGA pros hosting its events for decades, with Raymond Floyd and Tom Kite among the first. Today, there are 38 tour players' names attached to the AJGA's 147 events and 110 qualifiers in 2025. Korda won her first of two AJGA titles in 2015, weeks before her 17th birthday, at the Yani Tseng Invitational presented by Swinging Skirts. Three years later, she came full circle with her first LPGA title at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship. Korda never competed in a U.S. Girls' Junior and teed it up in only one U.S. Women's Amateur, losing in the first round to Lydia Choi. Back pain forced a long layoff in 2014, and she fought hard to make up for lost time. Through it all, her parents reminded their three kids that everyone has their own path. 'For us, we were just all very active,' said Korda, whose older sister Jessica is a six-time winner on the LPGA while brother Sebastian is a top-ranked tennis pro. 'We went and practiced, we just stuck to our own bubbles. I think that's why I always say it is, because even growing up, it was family time. It was family and no one else. 'We didn't really look at what anyone else was doing, we just kind of stuck to what we were doing because there was already so much knowledge in the household.' Growing up, Korda had a safari-themed room and a lion was her first stuffed animal. Her late July birthday makes her a Leo, and the lion symbol now lives on in her logo, which is ever-present at Concession this week. 'I was always like referred to as one even when I was young because I was a little feisty, but I always worked really hard and I always kind of fought through it,' she said. 'It just became a symbol for me. There are so many ups and downs in life. You always try to fight through it, right? You always try to be a lion and like grit your teeth and keep going.' That fight was on full display as recently as last week, when Korda fought back after an opening 77 at the Chevron Championship to make the cut and ultimately take a share of 14th. She took this week off from the tour to focus on her event, riding around in a golf cart on Wednesday to meet with sponsors and juniors as they played. Chevron's commitment in 2025 enabled The Nelly to give the highest travel stipends in tour history of $2,000 for U.S. players and $2,500 for international players. The Nelly also strengthened its field in 2025 by extending invitations to the top-10 eligible international players that may not be AJGA members and/or didn't previously qualify for the event through the Rolex AJGA Rankings. Korda oversaw and insisted on small details this week, like allowing parents to come eat with their kids in the clubhouse, to big things, like extending a major championship invitation to the winner. After playing in the junior-am, Chevron Championship executive director Glenn Weckerlin was getting a printed invitation to the 2026 event ready for Sunday's winner. It was at a major championship – the 2013 U.S. Women's Open – that Korda first realized that this is what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. 'I could've played a million junior events,' said Korda, 'but there was some type of different feeling playing in a major championship. … I was like, I want to feel this over and over and over again.' The Nelly offers perks not often seen at this level. The TaylorMade tour truck, for example, was parked on the range on Wednesday. Korda plans to return to the club on Friday for Nike Night from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., where players will enjoy a host of Nike goodies and design their own shoes. The Nelly has quickly gained a reputation for having the best swag on the junior circuit. 'No. 1 by far,' said 15-year-old Honorine Nobuta Ferry. 'By far.' Players this week might need an extra carry-on for all their gifts, including two dozen TaylorMade balls, hats and a tournament-logoed head cover, a mini Tumi backpack, Stanley water bottles that are personalized and logoed, a Flye1+ wireless audio transmitter and receiver for the plane and a pin flag signed by the host. The Nike products players will receive include the Nike Free golf shoes Korda helped design, along with a tech fleece hoodie, leggings, slides, a duffle bag and custom off-the-course shoes they'll create on their phones. A grateful Korda lights up when talking about it all, noting that to this day she gets giddy about tournament swag. 'It's so crazy, but it's also like the little things that makes the experience of you wanting to come back," said Korda. The girls spreading the word that, oh, this event is really cool, this is what we got this year, we can't wait to see what we get next year. I couldn't have done any of it without my sponsors. For them to kind of bring my vision, or our vision, to life has been really fun.' Korda will float around the room on Friday night, making herself available to the elite field of 66. That suits her style more than a formal speech or program. Weckerlin noted that Korda's commitment to being involved not just in name but in person was a big selling point for Chevron's multi-year sponsorship. 'I don't know how to put a value on that,' said Weckerlin. 'It makes a difference.' Of course, while The Nelly offers the opportunity to compete in a major championship field, it also exposes young players to Korda's sponsors. The affable Ryleigh Knaub, a senior headed to LSU, was offered an internship on the spot from Ernst & Young by the end of Wednesday's round. Sophia Ellestad of Houston was in Korda's gallery on Sunday at the Chevron Championship and was struck by her calm demeanor. The high school senior signed with Oklahoma State, and The Nelly will be her final AJGA event. 'Everything is perfect,' she said, walking off Concession's 18th green. Korda considers the practice facilities at Concession to be among the best in the state, perhaps even the country, and, like many, jokingly refers to her home course as 'Concussion.' Last year, on the day Korda left for the Chevron Championship, she played nine holes with a member and shot 42. 'I was like, well, this is great prep for a major,' she said with a smile. 'I feel fabulous.' Korda, of course, went on to win that week for her fifth consecutive LPGA title. Concession tests every part of the game, she said, and has especially helped her improve around the greens. Aphrodite Deng won last year's inaugural Nelly Invitational with a 2-under total. Only three players finished the 54-hole event under par. Petr Korda, a Grand Slam tennis champ who will be out with his daughter as she practices this week, takes pride in what Nelly and her team have created for the next generation. 'It's just respect,' said Petr. 'That's what I've been answering, you know, what my daughter does for golf. She does her way; she has her vision.' And she's just getting started.
