The KPMG Women's PGA Championship begins today at Sahalee Country Club near Seattle, and though the LPGA's age demographic "hasn’t suddenly become young," it has "become younger than it’s ever been at the top of the game," according to Randall Mell of GOLFCHANNEL.com. Two of the top five players in the world are teenagers with Lydia Ko (19) and Brooke Henderson (18), and before 28-year-old Anna Nordqvist won the ShopRite Classic last week, "no player older than 23 had hoisted a trophy" this season. But Ko said, "When we're out there, we're not thinking about if I'm 19 or if somebody's 37 or whatever. We're all out there trying to play the best we can and make as many birdies as we can. I think that's the great thing about golf, that age is just a number" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 6/8). USA TODAY's Steve DiMeglio notes while the tour has been "trending younger since the turn of the century, it is now a traveling Romper Room full of big kids who have talent, disciplined games, patience, mature course management skills, strong mental games and textbook swings." The average age this year of the winners in the first 14 events was 21.1. In contrast, there were 24 players older than 22 "who played in this year’s women’s NCAA golf championships." LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan: "To say you can't win as a teenager, that's out. To say you have to gain experience before winning, that's out. The expectation to win at a young age is high now, because they've seen others do it." Golf Channel's Jerry Foltz added, "They are tremendous young ladies. They are great ambassadors for the game" (USA TODAY, 6/9).
LEARNING TO FLY: USA TODAY's Christine Brennan writes a "massive disconnect exists between what we should know" about the LPGA and "what most of us do know." Total prize money for this year, $63.1M, "has never been higher," up from $40.5M five years ago, and "almost nothing 30 years ago." There are "more tournaments (33) than there have been in eight years." Brennan: "Yet almost no one knows this" (USA TODAY, 6/9).
