Longs Drugs Challenge Preview
by hound dog on Oct 7, 2008 3:00 PM PDT
7 comments
|
Defending Champion – Suzann Pettersen Blackhawk Country Club 72 holes, begins Thursday Par 72, 6212 yards Field Score – 69 Scoring Averages – 73.62 (2007), 73.18 (2006) 2008 Scoring Average to date – 72.83
U.S. TV coverage (all times EDT): Thu-Sun 7:30-10p Golf Channel |
The Tour makes a short jump across the San Francisco Bay to Danville (near Oakland) for the Longs Drugs Challenge. This event returns to Blackhawk Country Club for the third consecutive year. The course isn't very long but has significant elevation changes which can make some holes play a lot longer.
From afar, I have to say this venue isn't the most fan-friendly on the 2008 schedule. Blackhawk Country Club doesn't have a map of the Lakeside Course available at its website so patrons can't plan their camping-out spots in advance. Even worse, the pre-tournament activities are all closed to the public! A $50 weekly badge ought to at least buy access to the Pro-Am, and I can't remember seeing Monday qualifying or Tuesday practice rounds inaccessible at any other event. Was it this way at Longs the last two years?
I'm a bit surprised that more of the Samsung field didn't hang around the Bay area for this one. Annika Sorenstam, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park, Karrie Webb, Song-Hee Kim and Angela Park all chose to spend the week elsewhere. Of course the defending champion Suzann Pettersen is here along with her playoff opponent from last year, Lorena Ochoa (I was wrong last week when I said Ochoa had won two straight playoffs - actually two of her last three). That win vaulted Pettersen into the #2 spot in my rankings and was the first of three victories Suzann would collect in October 2007.
I expect both of the two playoff participants to be in contention this week. Pettersen came close enough at Samsung to make me believe she's on the verge of getting her first 2008 win. I'll make my usual Lorena-Ochoa-to-win prediction, with Suzann Pettersen and Paula Creamer as my CYAs.
Stats: 6-27 (10-27 with CYAs), Top Tens 37-81.
0 recs |
7 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
HD, in answer to your question, the public has not been allowed at the course Mon-Wed in years past either. Even during the tournament the public hasn’t been allowed onto holes 12 and 13 because it’s just too steep to be safe.
The course is residential so it’s very spread out. Players get carted from the green to the next tee in some cases. It’s essentially impossible to walk 18 holes with your favorite player.
Why are some players skipping the event? Paula said today, “The golf course, it’s a tricky golf course. Most players don’t like it.”
suburb?
As a former resident of both Oakland and Danville, I can assure you all Danvillians would be highly offended by their city being called a suburb of Oakland. While a map may show physical closeness, there’s more than that mountain range separating the two cities.
no offense intended
and I have changed the wording.
Just being curious, was Danville ever considered a suburb of Oakland? For example, Marietta GA is a larger-than-average city in its own right but back in the day was certainly a suburb of Atlanta.
not in my memory
The cities of Danville, Alamo, Pleasanton (Paula’s home town) and to a lesser degree San Ramon (has some industry) are bedroom communities. The employed residents are most likely in the financial services industry in San Francisco, although some work almost anywhere in the Bay Area including Oakland. There really is a mountain range separating cities whose border touches the bay from the “Tri-Valley” area. I don’t think they mind being called a suburb of San Francisco, but never of Oakland. It’s a snob thing.
Great Mix
It’s fun to see a varied group at the top of the leaderboard. I’d love for Maria to get that win, after the LPGA Championships slipped away.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
