Kia Classic Preview

The Tour returns to the Los Angeles area for the first time since 2005 for the second edition of the Kia Classic.  Sponsor's invitee and 2011 LPGA rookie Hee Kyung Seo won last year's inaugural at La Costa near San Diego by six shots over Inbee Park.  Her dominating victory was overshadowed when Michelle Wie was penalized during the final round for grounding her club in a hazard and her penalty appeal was televised live on Golf Channel (the last and only time I hope we ever see this process televised).

Industry Hills GC hosted two LPGA events back in the early ‘80s - the Olympia Golf Classic in 1981 and 1982.  Sally Little won both of those tournaments oddly enough, collecting two of her fifteen career victories the only times the Tour scheduled a stop here.  She won't be making it three-for-three, I'm afraid.  Any players with a line to Sally should ask for her secret before Thursday morning.  Seriously though, the club's website refers to recent renovation of all 36 holes so it's doubtful that even the Tour's veterans have played here since that work was completed.  The long track will include various holes from the club's Eisenhower and Zaharias courses and will play to par of 73.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate.  The forecast calls for scattered showers on three of the four scheduled days.  The field is a great one, including all but two players from my Top 40 (and those are one non-member and one retiree).  You can always count on a strong field the week before a major.  According to Larry Smich, 48 (!) players attempted to Monday qualify - Lee-Ann Pace and Jan Rah were the lucky ones who got through.

For the second straight week, we must handicap the players on a course they had most likely not seen before Monday.  Looks like I'll be leaning on my Hot List again.