2022 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions (Jan 20 - 23)

[KBong]

3 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Having the celebrities doesn't bother me as much as it used to. A few of them can actually play. 

 

Not sure how they could run this event without them. To fill the field with LPGA players only they'd have to include players with a win going back at least 5 years. Unfortunately many winners have elected to sit this one out, so the talent pool is that much shallower. 

 

The Sentry on the PGA tour runs without the NONSENCE of the hit & giggle with the celebrities. 

And I think fans watch the Sentry without some PGA tour winners sitting out...with Tiger and FIGJAM who seldom played.

 

Yes, the Sentry has more pros playing because they have more PGA tour events with the opportunity for more winners.

 

I'd have no problem watching a LPGA ToC with only the 20 LPGA winners from last year...a 1 year timeframe.

Yes, it could get diluted down to 15-16 pros with no shows.

But on the +ve side....more money for the participants.

 

We typically only see 16 LPGA pros at any given round....even though there are 144 players in a full field event.

 

IMO....the issue from the "optics" perspective...is finding a sponsor for an event with only 16-24 LPGA pros.

The LPGA is not the PGA...where Hero is willing to sponsor an event with few PGA pros....along with Tiger as host.

[third-times-a-charm]

41 minutes ago, KBong said:

Ya...I remember you making a WRX thread to ask members their opinion of authenticity???

I think you bought them off eBay???....obviously not from Nelly herself but from someone who somehow acquired the wedges.

 

Glad you had a nice time.

 

I did get them off ebay yes. I told Nelly that today when she asked. She was a little surprised but not shocked, I guess. She went and shot a 66 and we met prior to her round so she obviously didnt care much 🤣

 

And yes in the thread I pretty much connected the dots during my research but putting these wedges back in her hands today she obviously confirmed they were hers.

 

She was busy signing with a large group of people after 18 and im not trying to be creepy so I didnt try and talk to her again. She confirmed they're hers - signed them - said she used them on tour - and thats good enough for me!

 

I think maybe she meant for them to be donated for charity somehow or something, still dont know how they ended up on the ebay sellers page as basic used wedges for $60.

 

For example, here is *i think* jessica korda's wedges from a while ago she donated to the first tee of st pete:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255335493233?hash=item3b732e6e71:g:cpEAAOSwzM5gE67L

 

Edited January 22, 2022 by third-times-a-charm

[KBong]

37 minutes ago, third-times-a-charm said:

For example, here is *i think* jessica korda's wedges from a while ago she donated to the first tee of st pete:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255335493233?hash=item3b732e6e71:g:cpEAAOSwzM5gE67L

 

I still continued to be how shock about how soft and light the LPGA pros play light and whippy shafts considering the SS they can generate.

 

That's a Modus 105 R.....that's a 'noodle" shaft considering how much club head speed Jess can generated.

Yes, I know there are many factors on how on loads/unloads...transition, etc etc.

 

[KBong]

I've said it before...considering all the chirping about having a coed event...IMO....the LPGA ToC and PGA ToC is an ideal event for a combo event.

 

If there are generally only 20-24 LPGA annual winners....and a few might no show.....the Sentry (limited sunlight) could play in 3somes vs. 2some.

Alternate PGA & LPGA tee times...obviously playing from different tee blocks.

 

I've got to believe the likes of JYK, Minjee, SYK and Hoo Joo who are NS's for Hilton would bail on playing Kapalua...especially to be able to drool and fangirl FIGJAM.🤣

 

But I have always felt there's been a lot of lip service to the LPGA to have a coed event...it's not as if it's a new idea...we used to have the JC Penny and Wendy's 3 Tour Challenge....and these 2 events were played years ago.

 

Alternatively, with the limited fields...I think the Hero and QBE could be re-formatted as a coed events, if desired.

 

I for one ......need not see a coed event....just sayin

[MagicClassic407]

5 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

We were treated to shots by only a handful of players today.

You got that right. Matilda had a low round of the day and coverage of her was 'zilch'. I never saw her on camera.

[JungleJimbo]

2 hours ago, third-times-a-charm said:

We had fun today. Got a headcover from the merchandise tent and had all the top pros sign it. It’s a very easy going event so they don’t mind in the morning or etc. since it’s a pro am type format the pace of play can get really slow so you’ll see fans getting signatures and taking photos with the guest celebrities between holes adding to the slow pace. It’s whatever.

 

this was the first time my wife and I have seen Michelle wie play in person. Was very cool. Checked that off the list and saw her close out her unfortunately not great second round on 18. She’s very tall!

 

so the story of the day was getting Nelly to sign her wedges i now own. We bud just gotten dropped off at the clubhouse and not 2 minutes later Nelly walks up behind us from the range towards the putting green and I called her over. Spent a few minutes talking and signing these wedges. She confirmed they were hers and asked where I got them etc. she remarked that she played one of them on tour quite a bit before her vokeys and remembered the wear spot on it. Pretty cool!

 

 

 

[third-times-a-charm]

7 minutes ago, JungleJimbo said:

 

 

Yes that was my thread

[Argonne69]

8 hours ago, KBong said:

I still continued to be how shock about how soft and light the LPGA pros play light and whippy shafts considering the SS they can generate.

 

That's a Modus 105 R.....that's a 'noodle" shaft considering how much club head speed Jess can generated.

Yes, I know there are many factors on how on loads/unloads...transition, etc etc.

 

 

Tempo, tempo, tempo. Smooth as silk. 

[Argonne69]

8 hours ago, KBong said:

GC generally only drools over the Mericans🤣

 

ECP?

[KBong]

3 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

ECP?

Who is ECP?...what's with all these nicknames?🤣

 

The Mericans "adopted" ECP years ago because they didn't have any Yank gals that were performing well on the LPGA and the Asians(Koreans) were dominating or as some would say..."killing the tour" (yes you Jan😂).

 

So I consider ECP a "FAKE" Merican.

 

Just like some/many of my friends consider me a banana or "FAKE" Chinese.

We Canucks enjoy being "FAKES"....but we are not "PHONY"😅

[Forged4life]

1 hour ago, KBong said:

Who is ECP?...what's with all these nicknames?🤣

 

The Mericans "adopted" ECP years ago because they didn't have any Yank gals that were performing well on the LPGA and the Asians(Koreans) were dominating or as some would say..."killing the tour" (yes you Jan😂).

 

So I consider ECP a "FAKE" Merican.

 

Just like some/many of my friends consider me a banana or "FAKE" Chinese.

We Canucks enjoy being "FAKES"....but we are not "PHONY"😅

Do you work or sleep? 😂

[Oh Hi Carl]

15 hours ago, KBong said:

I haven't watched my recording yet.

So did you see Tina from Lydia's Drive On Commercial or did the GC cameras ZOOM in on her.

Did the camera's ZOOM in on BJ today?.....I'm thinking BJ likely has driven up from Jupiter.

 

If you attend a LPGA event, Tina is approachable to chat with.

Unless things have changed, Gil's command of English isn't great.

Sura likes to stay under the radar.

 

LUV Tina!

I think it was just the Drive On ad.  Not sure she was at the course.  But it was amazing to finally meet her after reading about her so many times on here.  

[Oh Hi Carl]

Incredible wear spot on that wedge.  Good work, Nelly!  If I were in a match against someone with wear spots like that on their irons, I'd be very concerned.  

[18majors]

 

I've just noticed that the 'DP World Tour' has  Shot Tracker on their leaderboard.  It's not as sophisticated as PGA Tour, but it's a giant step forward.

 

I wonder how much more do they need to implement Shot Tracker at LPGA .com if KPMG is already collecting shot by shot information?

[ThinkingPlus]

6 minutes ago, 18majors said:

 

I've just noticed that the 'DP World Tour' has  Shot Tracker on their leaderboard.  It's not as sophisticated as PGA Tour, but it's a giant step forward.

 

I wonder how much more do they need to implement Shot Tracker at LPGA .com if KPMG is already collecting shot by shot information?

They won't do it.  Bad PR.  They don't want to advertise how low the women's shots fly.  It's the same reason they rarely show distance information and club selection.  Sometimes that info is provided, but mostly only for the longest players.

[KBong]

2 hours ago, Forged4life said:

Do you work or sleep? 😂

Neither to both.🥲

[KBong]

1 hour ago, Oh Hi Carl said:

I think it was just the Drive On ad.  Not sure she was at the course.  But it was amazing to finally meet her after reading about her so many times on here.  

I'm pretty sure Tina is at Nona....they have a home there....maybe Tina was elsewhere fangirling Larry the Cable Guy.

 

Where did you meet Tina?....I assume you chatted with her?

[KBong]

49 minutes ago, ThinkingPlus said:

They won't do it.  Bad PR.  They don't want to advertise how low the women's shots fly.  It's the same reason they rarely show distance information and club selection.  Sometimes that info is provided, but mostly only for the longest players.

So if the LPGA does adopt Shot Tracker, do your think they'll turn it off when Inbee and Mo Martin step onto the tee?

[golfortennis]

21 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Having the celebrities doesn't bother me as much as it used to. A few of them can actually play. 

 

Not sure how they could run this event without them. To fill the field with LPGA players only they'd have to include players with a win going back at least 5 years. Unfortunately many winners have elected to sit this one out, so the talent pool is that much shallower. 

 

I think the bigger problem is simply the fact that the LPGA coverage uses so few camera crews. We were treated to shots by only a handful of players today. With more cameras we'd see more shots by the pros, and fewer by the celebrities. 

 

 

 

Could it be that the amateurs are what push many players from playing in this event?  I know you couldn't pay any players who had a choice to play both Bob Hope and Pebble Beach back in the day when the Hope was a pro-am.  Other than a no-cut situation, is there much upside to playing this event?

 

In one regard it sounds like a cool idea to have this paired with the Sentry, but the you will open up a can of worms in terms of equal purse, timing for tee times.  Better an event starts from scratch like they did in Australia a few years ago.

[Golf Dino]

3 minutes ago, golfortennis said:

I know you couldn't pay any players who had a choice to play both Bob Hope and Pebble Beach back in the day when the Hope was a pro-am. 

 

Maybe in the 1980s . . . but it was a fairly big thing in the 1950s and 60s.  It brought golf into people's living rooms and piqued the interest of many non-golfers who started to take up golf as a result (Crosby Clambake & Hope's Desert Classic).  But the difference is that then, the celebs were "A - listers" ... Bing, Bob, the Rat Pack (Dean, Sammy, Lawford, and Sinatra), and more.  It was the genesis for Dinah Shore Classic (LPGA).  

These events helped grow the PGA tour into it's own entity separate from the PGA of America.  

[Forged4life]

15 minutes ago, Golf Dino said:

 

Maybe in the 1980s . . . but it was a fairly big thing in the 1950s and 60s.  It brought golf into people's living rooms and piqued the interest of many non-golfers who started to take up golf as a result (Crosby Clambake & Hope's Desert Classic).  But the difference is that then, the celebs were "A - listers" ... Bing, Bob, the Rat Pack (Dean, Sammy, Lawford, and Sinatra), and more.  It was the genesis for Dinah Shore Classic (LPGA).  

These events helped grow the PGA tour into it's own entity separate from the PGA of America.  

Definitely a step up from Larry the cable guy, George Lopez and ray Romano. Oh my how much actual talent has been negated from celebrity 

[golfortennis]

1 minute ago, Forged4life said:

Definitely a step up from Larry the cable guy, George Lopez and ray Romano. Oh my how much actual talent has been negated from celebrity 

 

I for one will always cherish my memories of George Lopez at the Pebble Beach event.  They all involve him walking with Andy Garcia, and an interviewer, and every time Garcia was answering a question, Lopez would cut in and start talking himself.  Good times.

[Zitlow]

Morgan Pressel should try to make a comeback on tour. 

[TiScape]

Nelly with the 238 carry with driver. Quite pedestrian. Isn’t she one of the longer players on the LPGA tour? She just missed it a bit??

[Argonne69]

57 minutes ago, golfortennis said:

 

 

Could it be that the amateurs are what push many players from playing in this event?  I know you couldn't pay any players who had a choice to play both Bob Hope and Pebble Beach back in the day when the Hope was a pro-am.  Other than a no-cut situation, is there much upside to playing this event?

 

In one regard it sounds like a cool idea to have this paired with the Sentry, but the you will open up a can of worms in terms of equal purse, timing for tee times.  Better an event starts from scratch like they did in Australia a few years ago.

 

I think the small paycheck is a bigger impediment. Also, there's the travel. I believe Jin Young, Sei Young, and Hyo Joo are in Korea. They're also skipping the next two tournaments in the next two weeks. They'll start their season in Singapore. 

 

 

[ThinkingPlus]

1 hour ago, KBong said:

So if the LPGA does adopt Shot Tracker, do your think they'll turn it off when Inbee and Mo Martin step onto the tee?

I don't think they will adopt it.  If they foolishly do, then it will work more intermittently than it does on other tours (strange functional dropouts on short player's shots).

[Argonne69]

Brooke putting with the pin in? That's new. 

 

[Argonne69]

15 minutes ago, Zitlow said:

Morgan Pressel should try to make a comeback on tour. 

 

I think that ship has sailed. She only played in four tournaments last year, the last one being in April. She missed two cuts. She missed nearly half the cuts the year before. While she did have a few top 10s, the majority of her finishes were outside the top 50. 

 

[TiScape]

Brett Baier. Gonna be tuff to unsee those pants or that putting! Ugh

[One Putter]

Sounds like a rager going on in the bg