"A Women's Golf Pioneer Reflects On Her Contributions"

Peggy Kirk Bell, who has nurtured the nearby Pine Needles resort since 1953 when she took ownership, has hosted the U.S. Women's Open and was a bit peeved when Pinehurst No. 2 got this year's second half of back-to-backs.

John Paul Newport caught up with the 92-year-old and wrote his weekly WSJ column about Bell.

This was fun (thanks reader John):

On Tuesday about a dozen former Women's Open champions played a round at Pine Needles, with Bell viewing some of the action from her cart. The previous week Lucy Li, the pig-tailed 11-year-old charmer from Northern California who is the youngest ever to qualify for a U.S. Open, practiced at Pine Needles and had lunch with Bell several times.

"She's phenomenal. She didn't miss a shot," Bell said. "I told her she had the skill to win here this week." That is not going to happen but the generation-spanning marvel of their friendship is a pleasure to ponder: A woman who took lessons from Tommy Armour, the 1927 U.S. Open champ and an influential early instructor, encouraging a girl who, when she is 24, might well be a contender for the 2027 Women's Open.