17th Hole At Pinnacle Shortened, Louder

Reigning Champion Looks Forward To Change, Crowd

Jay Allen, Walmart NW Arkansas Championship chairman of the board, discusses the return of the tournament to Rogers June 17-23.
Jay Allen, Walmart NW Arkansas Championship chairman of the board, discusses the return of the tournament to Rogers June 17-23.

ROGERS — Consider it lucky No. 17.

Officials with the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship are hoping to attract more attention to perhaps the most recognizable hole at Pinnacle Country Club.

Tournament chairman Jay Allen said Monday the par-3 17th hole at Pinnacle has been shortened to 144 yards for the upcoming LPGA event, which runs from June 21-23.

Allen said No. 17 played between 180-190 yards at last year’s tournament, but the shorter distance should allow more LPGA players to record a birdie on the hole.

The chance even exists that at least one player celebrate a hole-in-one at the 17th.

“It was a long par-3, and it always has been and the pros were making a par,” Allen said Monday afternoon at a media gathering for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

“So, by shortening it to 144 yards, it brings more birdies into play, maybe even an ace or two. Who knows? It makes it a lot more fun in terms of people rooting for birdies and all that.”

LPGA players were well aware of No. 17 at Pinnacle even before the yardage changed.

It has earned the reputation for being one of the loudest holes on the tour, with fans “calling the Hogs” any time former Arkansas golfer Stacy Lewis has approached the par-3.

Ai Miyazato admitted last week No. 17 at Pinnacle is her “favorite hole,” and she’ll have to adjust to the crowd noise and new distance when she looks to defend her Walmart NW Arkansas Championship title in late June.

“I think I played with Stacy a couple of years ago, and I heard the Hog call,” Miyazato said during a video conference. “I didn’t know what they were saying, but it was totally a great moment for Stacy and I just had a great time.”

Tournament officials have made changes in the hopes of getting the spectators hanging around No. 17 to be even louder at this year’s event. The structures around the hole have been redesigned to bring more of a “stadium feel” to the green.

“We’re really just trying to build out on all the things that we’ve done. The 17th is an example,” Allen said. “We’ve been working on that for the last several years, and we will be adding more viewing opportunities there.”

Ticket prices for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship have been reduced by 40 percent this year, which could lead to larger crowds for the tournament that has a $2 million purse.

This year’s event also comes during a particularly tough stretch on the LPGA schedule.

The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is sandwiched in between a pair of major tournaments, with the Wegmans LPGA Championship scheduled for June 6-9 and the U.S. Women’s Open slated for June 27-30.

“I just love the golf course’s design,” Miyazato said about Pinnacle. “It’s not playing long, but it sometimes gets windy and sometimes the fairways and the greens are really firm.

“Every year it feels like playing a different golf course. It’s always in good shape, but you have to manage your game really well. You have to use your head, and you have to focus every shot.”

Especially even on No. 17.

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