Parting shot: Wendy’s Championship, great tourney, great cause
If you missed the Wendy’s Championship for Children, you missed a really great tourney. The back nine on Sunday produced high drama, with Annika Sorenstam posting -17 with a final round 66 and sitting as the leader in the clubhouse. 19 year old Paula Creamer, sporting her “pretty in pink” outfit, made a valiant last-ditch charge by birdieing the beguiling par-3 17th hole, which is short but deceptive requiring a shot over water. Meanwhile, Cristie Kerr showed grit and determination by rolling in a huge 20-foot par putt on that same hole, to maintain her lead at -18. Cristie said that putt was “huge,” as almost “as good as a birdie.” That set the stage for 18 on which Paula Creamer tried to force a playoff with a 50-foot birdie putt that grazed the lip, … but did not fall in. Said Paula, “I hit a great putt. I thought it was in.” The spectators on 18 were screaming with anticipation as the ball almost dropped in. Wow, great finish.
There will be more time to debate how the LPGA can generate even greater fan interest (which we believe is deserved on the women’s tour, see Doug’s post below). Today, The Golf Blog would like to commend and thank both the LPGA and the Wendy’s Championship for Children for the wonderful week of golf. The tournament was a huge success, not only for golf, but for the charity raised for pediatric cancer research at Columbus Children’s Hospital ($2.2 million in the previous 4 years).
The hospitality showed to us throughout the tournament in the media tent and out on the course was tremendous. Free Wendy’s frosties for the media, well, that’s just heaven! There are so many staff and volunteers who made the tournament the huge success that it was. We’d like to single out Tom Sprouse and Paul Rovnak for their invaluable assistance throughout the week. They (along with their assistants) really make the entire media operations run so smoothly. Great job.
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