Ladies Trying to Make a Splash at First Major

For all of us so desperately waiting for The Masters we get a great distraction this week as the ladies of the LPGA Tour open up the major season at the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage California. 

It may have a new name but what formerly was the Kraft, The Kraft Nabisco, The Colgate Dinah Shore, The Nabisco Dinah Shore among other names still remains the first major of the year and for old timers will forever be “The Dinah”.

It was designated as a major in 1983 and Dinah’s legacy lives on as the winner’s trophy is called the Dinah Shore Trophy and the course at Mission Hills Country Club is also named in her honor.

We like tradition with our majors and with the changing landscape of golf and the LPGA sometimes that is difficult to maintain. In spite of this year’s sponsor change and the new name this major has a history and tradition that few LPGA majors can match.

In 1988 winner Amy Alcott celebrated her victory with a leap into the pond at the 18th green. It is a tradition that after some fits and starts has now become a joyful requirement of the champion.

The pond was a slimy mess back then but has since been cleaned and pampered into something more inviting. In 2006 it was named Poppie’s Pond after tournament director Terry Wilcox and any LPGA player will certainly welcome the opportunity to make a splash on Sunday. 

The field features all of the top ranked players led by world number one Lydia Ko. Ko is looking to continue her great 2015 season with her first ever major. If she is successful she will be the youngest major champion in LPGA history. But that’s nothing new for Ko who has been the youngest everything for the past three years.

Lexi Thompson is back to defend her first major victory as a nineteen year old. And Thompson will face challenges from world number two Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis who is still searching for her first win of 2015.

There have been seven tournaments on the LPGA this season, each one with a different winner. We’d like to think this major is wide open but my money is on a player from the top ten in the Official Rolex Rankings. I think one of them will be taking the leap into Poppie’s Pond come Sunday.