Lydia Ko Goes Pro

Randall Mell with the news of 16-year-old Lydia Ko, currently 5th in the Rolex Rankings, deciding to turn pro.

She will make her debut as a professional in the LPGA’s CME Group Titleholders next month.

And we have this saga to look forward to:

As a non-member winner of a tour event, Ko is entitled to claim tour membership. She could seek to claim immediate membership for the rest of 2013 and through 2014. Or, she could defer membership to next year. However, Ko can’t do either without first obtaining a waiver of the tour’s age restriction. LPGA commissioner Mike Whan holds the power to grant or deny such petitions.

Update on 2013-10-10 15:59 by Geoff

**The LPGA really doesn't want to hear any questions about what the Commissioner is thinking on this. Their statement:

“The LPGA has received Lydia Ko’s petition and the Commissioner plans to review it upon his return from Asia. The decision on the petition will be solely up to the Commissioner’s discretion and upon his review, he will communicate directly with Lydia and her family. The LPGA does not comment publicly on petitions as they are a private matter between the player and the Commissioner.”

RIP: Stacy Lewis' Twitter Account

Twitter claims another victim as top LPGAer Stacy Lewis apparently Tweeted something not-entirely-cute-and-cuddly about the golf crowds in China, experienced some crazy backlash, and retired her account.

Stina Sternberg offered this:

Very sorry to see @Stacy_Lewis leaving Twitter over apparent backlash from comment she made Sun about her disappointment in the China crowds

— Stina Sternberg (@StinaSternberg) October 7, 2013

Update on 2013-10-07 17:42 by Geoff

**Alex Myers with the crazy shot that started Lewis's Twitter issues.

Randall Mell posts the Tweets and the backstory.

State Of The Game Podcast 28: Judy Rankin

Judy Rankin is a 26-time winner on the LPGA Tour, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame as a player, and if there was ever a golf broadcasting wing, she'd be inducted again for her eloquence, class and succinct appraisals that set the standard for on-course reporting.

Judy kindly spent more than hour with the State of the Game podcast to talk about her career, the LPGA Tour, golf broadcasting and of course, the state of the game.

You can listen via MP3 here. Or to past shows the same where via this page. And the iTunes option for all past shows, or this week's episode to listen/subscribe.

Update on 2013-10-01 18:05 by Geoff

**And while we're in podcast mode, here's my chat with Josh LaBell and Adam Fonseca on the Dimplehead golfer podcast about the Presidents Cup.

“We would not have finished today had we not covered the greens with tarps."

Granted, the Evian situation was unique because the greens were so new but it is cause for concern that the success of tarping the greens overnight could influence this practice more in the future.

Randall Mell on how tarping saved the 54-hole Evian Championship from further misery.

A half-inch of rain fell over Evian Resort Golf Club through late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Thursday’s first round was washed out by a third of an inch of rain. That came on top of all the rain that saturated the course earlier in the week.

“We weren’t sure, honestly, how it would turn out, and if it would help because we had never done it before,” Daly-Donofrio said. “And the grounds crew had never done it before.”

Tarps Come Out At The Evian

Some agronomists have always contemplated incorporating infield-style tarps to cover greens during a championship and as Randall Mell reports, it's finally happened.

Sort of.

More like selective tarping.

Sophie Retiring From The LPGA...For Now

Beth Ann Baldry tracks down Sophie Gustafson who says she's not retiring from competitive golf, just the LPGA Tour for now, with sights set on a return to Europe to find her game.

It seems in vaguely Tweeting she forget to tell mom and dad.

“I want to go back home and just have fun again playing,” Gustafson said. “If that brings my confidence back who knows. All I know is I won't be on the LPGA in 2014.”

Gustafson Tweeted on Friday after missing the cut at the Safeway Classic that she was stepping away from the LPGA. On Saturday, she followed up with this classic: “My parents got a bit of a shock watching the sport news at home tonight.. Guess I forgot to tell them.. Daughter of the year?”

Blumenherst Walking Away From LPGA Tour?

Randall Mell with news of a blow to the LPGA as one its classiest and most engaging players, 26-year-old Amanda Blumenherst, is walking away at year's end to spend more time with her husband, Oakland A's first-baseman Nate Freiman.

From Mell's exclusive on the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur champion:

“I don’t want to say I’m retiring, because you never know what will happen,” Blumenherst said. “Maybe I’ll decide in a couple years to come back, and this will just be a little break, you never know.”

It sounds like more than a break, though. Blumenherst, 26, would like to start a family. She said this season has been tough.

“I started noticing that my heart was no longer in it,” Blumenherst said. “I was just going through the motions in practice. I want to be with Nate.”

Mell discussed Blumenhurst's story on Morning Drive with Gary Williams:

Catriona Backed For Euro Solheim Cup Captaincy

While the 18-10 loss at Colorado Golf Club has left the Americans in disarray about what to do next, Europe appears to be building a consensus toward a Catriona Matthew Solheim Cup captaincy in 2015.

Martin Dempster reports.