SAGSTROM SAVORS 1ST WIN AT CHICO'S PATTY BERG MEMORIAL

Madeline Sagstrom
2016 Patty Berg Memorial Champion

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Madelene Sagstrom is obviously something special. She managed to overcome the “Niles curse” to gain her first win on the Symetra Tour at Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial at Cypress Lake Country Club. Essentially, if I pick you to win, you may as well zip up your bag and put it in the trunk. Just ask Jordan Spieth about that curse. In my preview of the event, I suggested that if Samantha Richdale, Volvik Race to the Tour Leader, didn’t win, I would “hedge my bets” with Sagstrom. Well, Richdale didn’t even play the event, so by elimination…

The Niles curse wasn’t all Madelene had to contend with as

Spectators around 18th green

she tried to secure her maiden victory. The track at Cypress Lake is a good test of golf skill under any circumstances, and if the elements choose to make an appearance, it is far from a gentle walk in the park. The afternoon-start for the leaders didn’t bode well as the wind arose from its siesta around noon-ish, and howled and bared its gusting teeth for the remainder of the afternoon.

The wind didn’t play favorites in the afternoon, and the

Michelle McGann during Saturday's round

Legends had their struggles as well. Only two players managed to shoot under par on the blustery links of Cypress Lake. Michelle McGann carded the best round of the day for the Legends with a three-under 69. She jumped from a tie for 17th into a tie for 4th with that finish. I don’t suppose her 9:20am start time hurt her much, but 10 groups started before hers and no one else in the Legends field shot -3. In fact, that was the low round of the tournament for the Legends.

Legends Champion Lorie Kane was the other Legend to

Lori Kane & caddy sizing up birdie putt on 16

break par and she started just as the wind began to howl. She broke out of the pack of seven leaders to post a one-under 71. Speaking of Lorie Kane, I didn’t give her her due yesterday when I mentioned that Rosie Jones was the only Legends golfer I saw walking. I may not have seen her, but she did walk yesterday and did so again today. Can’t say I’m sorry to see someone who walked and talked with the young LPGA Tour aspirants claim the win.

Interesting side note: it is probably safe to say that our

And she stroked it in for the bird

Legends Champion doesn’t like Holes 9 and 17. Lorie was a combined six over par on those holes, and yet she still strolled, or better yet, stalked her way to victory by three shots over Jane Crafter and Barb Mucha. In fact, the only other hole that she played over par for the weekend was No.18, on which she was plus-one. Both Crafter and Mucha were among the seven who led coming into the final round, but the best they could craft and muster was two over to take second.

Back to the LPGA hopefuls. Although I could empathize with

Sherman Santhiwiwatthanaphong

Madelene Sagstrom and Sherman Santhiwiwatthanaphong (Sherman from here on out), that rough start heightened the drama that would unfold on the finishing holes, giving me something to write about. Had Sagstrom and Sherman not had some difficulty, where would the fun be in telling the story?

Sagstrom started the final round at -12 after shooting three-under on Saturday, and Sherman sat at -10 after posting the best round of the day

Surveying results of
bunker shot on 17

(-5) on Saturday. By the time she had finished the front nine, Madelene had given back all she had gained on Saturday and then some. She made the turn at -8. Sherman wasn’t quite as generous on the front, but she too gave up most of what she had gained the previous day, donating three shots to par to greet the back nine at -7.

Although I’m sure Sherman wasn’t happy, shooting plus-three on

Sophia lining up birdie putt on 17

the front and actually gaining on the leader couldn’t have felt too

horrible for her. Germany’s Sophia Popov began the final round at -9, well within reach of the lead, and as things unfolded, her reach was long enough…for a while. Early on, it seemed that she would share the fate of the others atop the leaderboard.

Popov walked off Hole No.1 with a double bogey, and carded

Early round leaderboard

two more bogeys on the front (Holes 5 & 9). Fortunately, she also notched birdies on No.4 and No.7 to minimize the front-nine bleeding. Like Sherman, although she had dropped some shots on the front, she had gained ground on Sagstrom. Indeed, after her birdie on No.11, she was tied for the lead! Sherman had given back two more to completely negate the previous day’s gains.

My Saturday recap suggested that there would be “fireworks

in store on the back nine on Sunday.” Even a blind squirrel

Popov's reaction to barely missed birdie

finds a nut from time to time I’ve heard. Madelene and Sophia stayed knotted through Hole 13, before Sophia touched the gas pedal and edged out to a one-shot lead after a birdie on the par-five 14th left her at -9.

Then, the reason why I wrote about Madelene’s “resilience

Madeline teeing off on 18

and steely nerve” yesterday surfaced. The other players finishing in the top ten on the leaderboard (actually 10 players with ties) played Holes 15 and 16 in nine shots over par, with not one of them birdieing either hole. Madelene, my new golf heroine, birdied both, BOTH, to snatch the lead back by two strokes at -10.

Sophia, up ahead, had bogeyed the 15th to drop to -8. Some

Jane Crafter and Sophia chuckle
about Sophia's tee shot on 18

might be thinking, “game over,” right? Two-shot lead, three holes to play after going birdie-birdie? Only someone who doesn’t know golf. Only two of the players finishing in the top ten on the leaderboard failed to shoot par or better on No.17, and Sagstrom was one of the two. Go figure.

You might think that when you bogey the 17th in the final round of a tournament that has your name written all over it, and you know that there isn’t much separation between you and the opposition,

Sagstrom's 2nd shot on 18

you might show some sign of nerves, right? Uh-uh. Madelene stepped up to the tee on No.18 stroked one down the middle and was picking up the tee, practically, before it hit the grass. She wisely left her second shot below the hole on the 18th fringe and with two more smooth strokes of the putter she was a champion for the first time.

Sophia had almost popped the top off the bottle of victory that Madelene had been chilling overnight, courtesy of

Walking up 18th fairway; I think she knows

a three-shot lead. But in the end, Madelene may have sagged, but she finished strong enough to claim her first professional victory at a tournament named for one of the most prolific winners in the history of golf. Congratulations to Madelene for a job well done, and I suspect we’ll be saying that repeatedly in days to come.

Yes, the Third Annual Chico's Patty Berg Memorial at Cypress

Caroline Martens 

Lakes Country Club will be memorable to quite a few and for quite a few reasons. We can imagine why it will be memorable to the winners and those who came close. I'll remember it for Caroline Martens' generous smile and gracious manner on Saturday as she thanked her volunteer scorer after shooting her worst round of the event. 

I will also remember Lorie Kane walking off 18 with her

Lorie Kane being a champion

championship sewn up, and patiently waiting while her scorer chatted with someone else. When he finally turned around, she gave him a smile, the "game ball," and a firm handshake. I don't know her, but I suspect Lorie Kane is a champion on and off the golf course!

Before I close, I must give proper kudos to the tournament

Bret Lasky with Howard sisters

staff, especially Bret Lasky, Senior Coordinator, Symetra Tour Media at LPGA, and Tournament Director Matt Hoover for their cooperation. And just in case anyone forgets, no event of this magnitude would be successful without the volunteers and the staff of the host venue. All should take a bow and savor the job well done! Until next...T. A.

Serious volunteer

THIRD ROUND SHOOTOUT AT CYPRESS LAKE IN CHICO'S PATTY BERG MEMORIAL

Sherman Santhiwiwatthanaphong

In golf parlance, Saturday is “moving day,” and that is precisely what it was for a few players who leapfrogged their way up the leaderboard on the third day of the Chico's Patty Berg Memorial at Cypres Lake Country Club. Thailand’s Sherman Santhiwiwatthanaphong (go ahead, say that fast) started the day in 6th position, four shots back of Madeline Sagstrom of Sweden, a former star at Louisiana State University. Sherman ended the day just two shots back at -10, after carding a five-under 67 to claim round-of-the-day honors.

What made her move especially impressive is that she shot

even par on the front nine, but Course Superintendent Bryce Koch may have to put in some extra time to fix the scorch marks she left on the back nine. Sherman posted an eagle and three birdies (two of those on 17 & 18) on the back side to finish Round 3 in second alone. Her birdie on No.14 was a brilliant piece of work. She pulled her second shot left of the green and greenside bunker, but lofted a feathery wedge onto the green and rolled in a 10-footer for the bird. So tweet!

Of those now on the first page of the leaderboard, tall

Jordan Britt

Tennessean Jordan Britt made the biggest northward leap. Britt’s 69 eased her past quite a crowd to move up from 20th into a tie for 8th with three other players at -4. Jean Reynolds of Newman, Georgia, 

Jean Reynolds

who sits at -6, was the other major Saturday mover in the top-ten, as her 69 bumped her up into 6th from a tie for 10th. Reynolds, no stranger to the LPGA Tour, had it to -7 before her U-Haul hit a speed bump on No.17 where she carded her first bogey since the opening hole.

Madeline Sagstrom’s perch atop the leaderboard after three

Madeline Sagstrom

rounds is a testament to her resilience and steely nerve. She began Saturday’s round with a three-shot lead after a 69 on Day 1, and a blistering 66 on Day 2. After three birdies on the first 11 holes,

Sophia Popov

she was 12 under and threatening to pull away from the field with a four-shot lead. Bogies on No.12 and No.14 cut her lead to one shot over Kana Nagai of Japan and two ahead of Sophia Popov of Germany. It appeared as though Sagstrom’s move was heading in the wrong direction.

Ah, but a round of golf is 18 holes, and Madeline, who barely showed her irritation at bogeying No.14 after finding the greenside bunker, closed out the round with

birdies on the final two holes to finish at -12. She’s the only player to have carded three rounds in the 60s (69, 66, 69) and,as I mentioned in my previous post,3rd and 2nd-place finishes in her past two starts suggests that a 1st might be on tap. We shall see tomorrow (probably today by the time you read this).

Augusta James

Chico’s Patty Berg Symetra Defending Champion Augusta James of Canada is rounding into form. She posted a three-under 69 herself in the gusting conditions at Cypress Lake. However, that 69 came on the heels of two even-par rounds of 72, and she finds herself nine shots back of the leader. Although she moved 16 spots up the leaderboard on Saturday, her tie for 12th makes a successful title defense the longest of shots.

Speaking of defending champions, Floridian Laurie Rinker

Laurie Rinker

had a tough outing on the first day of her Legends Tour title defense. Her up and down round was mostly down and she carded a 78 to leave herself six shots off the pace set by the seven players who posted even par rounds on

Kris Tschetter

the difficult Cypress track. With approximately 68 professional wins among the seven leaders (Helen Alfredsson, Jane Crafter, Lisa Grimes, Christa Johnson, Lori Kane, Barb Mucha, and Kris Tschetter), Laurie’s chances of overcoming a six-shot deficit in one round is, shall we say, unlikely?

Perhaps it is because I’m a little bit of an outlier myself…ok,

Rosie Jones

more than a little bit…that I tend to give outliers at least a little love. California’s Rosie Jones showed herself to be an outlier among the Legends field at the Patty Berg today, in that she was the only legend that I saw walking the course. 

When I asked Rosie why she chose to walk, she replied, “I’m just trying to spend a little more time with my players and

when I’m on a cart, you know, it’s kinda hard to do that.” Kudos to Rosie and no disrespect to any of the other incredible legends in the field, but I’m pulling for her tomorrow. She sits one shot behind the above-mentioned group of seven.

Oh, speaking of outliers, gotta give a shout out to Ginger

Robbi & Ginger Howard

Howard of Bradenton, Florida. She was another of those outliers, being the only African American in the field, AND having her younger sister Robbi (a golfer in her own right) on the bag. Ginger has been touted as the youngest African American to make it onto a professional golf tour, after she medaled at Q-School in 2011 at 17. I haven’t verified the claim, but it sure sounds good.

After finishing Round 2 at -2 and 15th on the leaderboard, Ginger fell into a tie for 24th

after shooting two over par on Saturday, and she goes into the final round with a score of even par. You’d never know that she didn’t have the best round out there given the smile she flashed on the practice green after her round. She obviously has game and she has a terrific attitude, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for Ms. Howard.

Well I’d better wrap this up if I hope to catch some of the action tomorrow. If today is any indication, there should be more fireworks in store on the back nine on Sunday, and I plan to be there. Until next, keep it in the short grass…

T. A. in Myrtle Beach

3RD ANNUAL CHICO'S PATTY BERG MEMORIAL AT CYPRESS LAKE

2014 Winner Min Seo Kwak with Cinny Murray,  &
Liz Hodges of Chico's Photo courtesy of Symetratour.com

Tennis season is winding down so it’s time to rev up T. A.’s Take on Golf again, and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick start my golf season than snagging some competitive inspiration from some of the best golfers on the planet. Yes, it’s time for Cypress Lake Country Club’s third hosting of the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial.

It may just be the third year of the Patty Berg, but with the

committed backing of Chico’s, and a world class venue in Cypress Lakes, the event seems to have skipped early childhood and adolescence, and is springing right into early adulthood if we

Mike Nichols- Symetra Tour CBO
Photo courtesy of sportsbusinessdaily.com

extrapolate from the words of Tournament Director Matt Hoover, Jane Blalock President of Legends Tour) and Mike Nichols (Chief Business Officer of Symetra Tour). Heck, the winners even get a “Chico’s Winner Jacket”. No it’s not green, but I promise you it’s chic...black and chic.

Jane Blalock- Legends Tour President
Photo courtesy of tampabay.com

Listen, if you’ve ever watched the LPGA Tour on TV and wondered how the players reached the pinnacle of their sport, or wondered what the top players in the game do after they’ve left the LPGA Tour, Cypress Lake is the place to be April 11 -17. The Symetra Tour, billed as the “Road to the LPGA” will present the opportunity for 155 Tour hopefuls to earn points toward their LPGA cards, and the Legends Tour will feature 30 world class golfers who have amassed 556 professional wins and 46 major championships among them! Eight of those legends are Golf Hall of Fame members.

Samantha Richdale
Photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

The Symetra tourney, which will be played simultaneously with the Legends Tour event, will feature nine of the top ten players on the Symetra Official Money List. Obviously, the Cypress Lake stop is an important one on the circuit. The player I’m keeping an eye on is Samantha Richdale who leads the Symetra money list. Richdale claimed Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in Lake Wales last week, finished 6th in her only other Tour start this season, and who should be coming in with confidence oozing from her golf bag. 

Madeline Sagstrom
Photo courtesy of lsusports.net

Madeline Sagstrom, No.2 on the money list, bears watching as well, as she has placed a consistent tie 3rd, tie 2nd, in the same two Tour events that Richdale has played. Hmm, 3, 2, what comes next? Yes, I’d hedge my bets with Sagstrom.

Dana Finkelstein
Photo courtesy of golfweek.com

At No.5 on the money list, Tour rookie Dana Finkelstein doesn’t hit it far (still farther than I), but she hits it straight and her approaches to the green hit their mark three out of every four attempts. She’s only played twice on the Tour, and finished tied for 42nd in her first outing. However, she made a nice jump to tie-4th last week in her second go-round, so she might be in the mix this week at Cypress. Hey, at 5’ 1” you gotta pull for her, no?

Of course, once you’ve won on a particular track, you

Augusta James
Photo Courtesy of  cbc.ca

develop an affinity for it (at least so I imagine-never having won a thing on any track), and Augusta James, the 2015 Patty Berg Winner will be in the field again. James hasn’t hit her stride just yet, finishing 8th and 12th respectively in the first two events of the season, but what better place to find your form than a venue on which you’ve already left your mark?

Jan Stephenson- Legends Tour career money leader
Photo courtesy of janstephenson.com

The Legends event is definitely nothing to sneeze at with five of the top-ten all-time career money leaders in the field. All of the players who occupied the top-ten spots on the Patty Berg leaderboard in 2015 will be teeing it up again this time around, and the “Legends” moniker is no misnomer!

Laurie Rinker who bested Rosie Jones by three shots to 

Laurie Rinker- 2015 Patty Berg Legends Winner
Photo courtesy of LPGA.com

emerge victorious last year struggled last month in the Walgreens Charity Classic in Sun City West, Arizona (AZ), finishing in a tie for 41st at +8. A number of players in this week’s field played well in AZ, including Wendy Doolan (solo 2nd at -6) and Christa Johnson (tie 3rd at -4).

Nancy Lopez
Photo courtesy of abqjournal.com

That’s all well and good as far as who’s on form (hmmm, I think that’s a tennis term- oh well),but we want to see the big names, don’t we? Pat Bradley, Betsy King, Nancy Lopez, Beth Daniel and Meg Mallon are among the instantly recognizable names (if you know anything at all about women’s golf) in the field.

Sandra Haynie
Photo courtesy of thelegendstour.com

Yet, if you don’t know a ton about women’s golf history, there are a couple names you may not recognize, but they belong to women with goo-gads of career wins and multiple majors. Ever heard of Sandra Haynie (43 wins, 4 majors)? How about JoAnne Carner (49 wins, 2 majors), or Donna Caponi (29 wins, 4 majors)? A little research can make one seem like he knows something huh? Anyway, these women can flat out play!

Speaking of women who can play, just a little reminder that

Patty Berg
Photo courtesy of likesuccess.com

the event namesake, the late Patty Berg, former member of Cypress Lake Country Club, won 63 professional events in her time, including 15 majors (most in the history of women’s golf)! How many does Tiger have again? Uh, not quite 15.

Event activities begin tomorrow (Tuesday April 12) with a Pairings Party and fun golf gets underway on Wednesday with the Pro-Am. Serious competition with cash at stake opens on Thursday and continues through Sunday. Check out the event schedule here.

Since tennis season isn’t quite over and taxes are due next

week, I won’t catch as much of the action as I’d like, but I

T. A. at Cypress Lake

intend to catch some of it for sure. Hope to see you at Cypress Lake Country Club at some point during the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial, an event that’s fast becoming the biggest golf happening in town.