Webb On Misery Hills: "It might take a while to get around the golf course."
/Initially I was sad that the LPGA Tour somehow landed at the worst possible golf course in Los Angeles County to play and watch a tournament (and one that players hated the last time the LPGA played here). But the potential of a slow play debacle for the ages should put this one on everyone's radar.
As Diane Pucin reports, KIA Classic play starts Thursday. The weather is cool and the pair of Industry Hills layouts are likely to be drenched from our second storm of the week. And then there is the composite course they've crafted of the God-forsaken Zaharias and the merely dreadful Eisenhower course, aka the "Babe" and the "Ike."
Or in composite speak, the Zahower course. Or is it the Eisenharias?
Karrie Webb, who has arrived here with a two-tournament winning streak, said she expects the first two rounds — before the cut is made — to be long ones.
"Scores won't be super low by any means," she said. "It might take a while to get around the golf course. There are just holes out there where you can be just a little bit off and not have a shot to the green.
"I think the second hole is a perfect example. If you're right center of the fairway you can't hit at the green because of a big tree. So your option is to miss the green left. If you miss the green left, it's really hard to get a chip within 10 feet. Those are the sort of challenges the course poses."
If it's any consolation, many years ago I played a couple of 36-hole USGA qualifiers here and those 12 hour days should pale in comparison to the six and change it'll take Thursday and Friday!