This'll Never Happen At A PGA Tour Event Files, Vol. 1

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Even Sophie Gustafson had to stop and get a shot of Tillman boarding his way around one of La Costa's many cart pathsI'm making a quick stop-in at the LPGA's Kia Classic to talk to a few players and for the opportunity to see the world's most dominant player tee it up (Yani Tseng) along with some exciting young phenoms (Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda).

You've heard it all before, but the players are tremendously accessible to fans and just as enjoyable to watch as the boys (well, minus the absurd caddy-lining-them-up nonsense).

For those of you not on Twitter--a big part of the LPGA culture evidenced by the pairing sheets--here's one example I Tweeted earlier today of the fun vibe here at La Costa.

Could you imagine if Commissioner Monk found out that one of his players (Irene Cho in the LPGA's case) taped a segment for Animal Planet and his staff let a hound on the property for a quick, fun promotional shoot? And this happened? I give you, Tillman the Wonder Dog...

Questions Surround Gulbis Decision To Pose With Painted Swimsuit In Swimsuit Issue

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You can feel the tension as golf.com's Jeff Ritter doesn't back down in questioning the decision to use a body painted swimsuit for Natalie Gulbis's SI Swimsuit issue shoot. Uh, so yes, that's paint. How do they do the part where...oh this can't end well. Just check it out. On newstands this week.
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The Choking Freaking Dogs' Wounds May Have Finally Healed

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Randall Mell believes Meg Mallon's appointment as 2013 Solheim Cup captain was newsworthy because of her openness to a Dottie Pepper assistant captaincy, healing the lingering wounds from Pepper's honest (and accurate) assessment from the 2007 (get over it!) Cup telecast.

“I don’t know who my assistant captains will be yet,” Mallon said. “But I do believe Dottie Pepper should be a captain someday. I also strongly believe that anyone who is captain should be an assistant captain first. Whether it’s me who names her, or another captain after me, Dottie was the face of the U.S. Solheim Cup team in the ‘90s. She deserves to be captain.”

Mallon believes it’s time to welcome Pepper back into the Solheim Cup fold.

“I’m all about forgiveness, and I think both sides need to step forward to kind of have that healing happen, and it couldn’t happen soon enough for me,” Mallon said. “I’ve spent my whole career with Dottie, and I know her whole heart bleeds red, white and blue. She is so passionate about the Solheim Cup that sometimes that passion comes out in ways that have obviously hurt other people. But I still believe you can get over those hurts, and that she will be a captain someday.”

Pepper, 46, was visibly moved when told about Mallon’s comment.

“I don’t know what to make of it, but it’s terribly complimentary, and that means a lot to me,” Pepper told GolfChannel.com.

LPGA Announces 2012 Slate Well Before Its First 2012 Event!

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Ron Sirak breaks down the additions to the LPGA Tour's 27-event schedule and says this "very well be the most crucial corner turned in a seemingly endless series of twists and turns during the 62-year history of the tour.

Golf Channel's Randall Mell also gives the LPGA a big thumb's up, saying "The ship doesn’t look like its foundering anymore."