ROGERS — Umbrella salesmen could probably make a nice profit selling to the 144 LPGA golfers playing in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
So many umbrellas have been spotted this week at the driving range and practice greens that it’d be easy to think that Tropical Storm Debby took a wrong turn in Florida and made its way to Northwest Arkansas.
But there has been no sign of rain at Pinnacle Country Club.
Instead, players have huddled underneath umbrellas of every color in an attempt to avoid the scorching sun that has seemingly touched everything. There’s only so much they can do to combat the record-breaking heat, and LPGA rules forbid players from being pushed around the golf course in an ice bath.
“I’m from a warm place. I’m kind of used to this heat, but I don’t know about everyone,” Ai Miyazato said, smiling. “It is difficult, though.”
Today’s forecast for Miyazato’s hometown of Okinawa, Japan, calls for a high of 82 degrees. Meanwhile, it’s expected to be 100 degrees in Rogers for the opening round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, making things even tougher on players as they spend more than four hours on the golf course.
Brittany Lang’s advice for withstanding the heat during the next three days: Get lots of rest, drink plenty of water and Gatorade and absolutely don’t do any complaining.
“I know when you complain, you wear yourself out and then the heat wears you out,” Lang said. “But yeah, try not to complain too much.”
Of course, no one would fault LPGA golfers if they complained about the heat and humidity like a bunch of a senior citizens. Even by Arkansas standards, it feels hot out there.
The temperature over the next three days could hover around 100 degrees, and with forecasts calling for a zero chance of rain, no relief is expected. So players will surely break out the umbrellas and bottles of Vitamin Water.
And not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but has anyone considered the possibility that bottled water companies are behind the decision to move this year’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship from mid-September to late June?
“I grew up in Texas, so I’m kind of used to it,” former Arkansas star Stacy Lewis said. “But you just have to stay hydrated and just stay patient out there and not use too much energy early in the round and just drink as much water as you can.
“I mean it’s tough, but everybody’s got to do it and you just have to prepare your body.”
It’s so hot that no one should be surprised if a golfer tried bribing an LPGA official for an early tee time. A 7:10 a.m. start should fetch at least a brand new driver and a lifetime supply of Titleist golf balls.
Lewis should know better than anyone else in this week’s field about dealing with an Arkansas summer. After all, she spent two summers in Northwest Arkansas after graduating “sweating it out on the range and all those kind of things.”
“I know how hot it gets here,” Lewis said. “I don’t see it as much of a factor for me.”
As players began arriving in town earlier this week, several of them went on Twitter to offer their opinions on the “mild” summer. Jessica Korda tweeted, “Hello Arkansas! You’re so hot!” And Michelle Wie posted a picture of a car temperature gauge reading 106 degrees with the comment, “Oh look! It dropped to 106 now! Might need to put that sweater on now.”
Wie can leave the sweater in her suitcase. But she might want her umbrella.
Alex Abrams is the assistant sports editor for Northwest Arkansas Newspapers. Email [email protected].