In the view of Kia Classic Tournament Director Dennis Baggett, the LPGA Tour made a strong statement last week during the tournament: It very much enjoys and wants to be at the La Costa Resort & Spa.
The entire event looked and felt bigger. Just the wraparound grandstands on the 18th hole gave it a grander vibe.
And when the world’s No. 1 player, Yani Tseng, dominates the competition and wins by six shots, there is evidence the golf course was a good test, set up properly.
There is hope on Baggett’s part, too, that Kia Motors America was impressed enough to continue to make La Costa the home of the tournament as the car maker decides in the next few months whether it will renew its sponsorship.
“My feeling is that we want to bill this as home of the Kia Classic, and continue to enhance the things around it,” Baggett said. “We just want to continue to grow and fill the place up.”
Baggett, an 18-year North County resident, wasn’t here when the Kia was played two years ago at La Costa, but the numbers and feedback he got from this year’s edition indicate the event moved forward in size and recognition.
Corporate tent sales were considerably better, Baggett said, and each day’s walkup ticket sales were better than in 2010.
Though the players often grumble about the bumpiness of the poa annua greens on the South Course, the rest of La Costa draws raves.
Baggett said about 60 percent of the players stayed at the resort for the week and several moved from other properties once they got on site.
There was some question about whether the South Course was the best choice for the LPGA, given the recent extensive renovation of the North (now Champions) Course. But the easier South ultimately proved to be the right selection. The scoring average for the week was more than two strokes over par at 74.31, while the lowest score was 67. Beyond Tseng’s 14-under winning total, the next-best score was a respectable 8-under.
La Costa got a memorable winner in Tseng, who reached her milestone 15th win at the age of 23.
“The LPGA has a clear No. 1 right now,” Baggett said.
“It was fun to watch good golf and see the world No. 1 do what she did. From that perspective, we’re very happy with the outcome. She’s a great champion.”
Honor for Hooton
Del Mar’s Courtney Hooton, a senior at Bishop’s, is among 18 girls competing today in the Fresh&Easy-Kraft Foods Junior Challenge at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage.
The girls are playing with legendary golfers as partners and the winner among them will receive an exemption to compete in the LPGA major Kraft Nabisco Championship beginning Thursday.
The SCGA Foundation led the selection of the girls.
Hooton, who will play with 13-time LPGA champion Liselotte Neumann, is a longtime standout in San Diego Junior Golf. Hooton, 18, has two career AJGA wins and has twice qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
She will play for the Harvard women’s golf team in the fall.
Courtesy of San Diego News
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