LPGA Event Drives Interest Up

Baylee Maes, right, practices her swing Tuesday at First Tee golf center in Lowell.
Baylee Maes, right, practices her swing Tuesday at First Tee golf center in Lowell.

LOWELL — The 7-iron dropped a little low. Good sound, good contact as the ball sailed out over the driving range, but the club bit into the ground, throwing a shower of sand the wind threw right back into the face of Baylee Maes.

“I got a little too much on that one,” she laughed, shaking her head and poking another ball into place.

At A Glance (w/logo)

Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

Where: Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers

When: Monday-Sunday

Purse: $2 million

Format: 54 Holes

2012 Winner: Ai Miyazato

Charity: First Tee of Northwest Arkansas, Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Washington counties

Tickets: Daily tickets $15; Weekly tickets $30; Children younger than 17 admitted free with ticketed adult; Admission is free Monday through Thursday; All active and retired service personnel and veterans, along with accompanying families, will receive free admission all week displaying appropriate identification. Those receiving free admission include all retired and active military personnel and veterans as well as all fire, police and emergency employees.

Parking: Parking for general spectators will be west of Interstate 540 off Exit 82 beginning Tuesday through Sunday. All spectators will take a shuttle bus to the main tournament entrance. Spectators will not be allowed to walk to the premises. Public parking will be available for $5 with proceeds benefiting local organizations. Shuttle buses will run from parking areas to the main entrance beginning at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 7:45 a.m. Friday-Sunday continuing until 8 p.m.

Source: Staff Report

Maes, 16, first picked up a club at 5, playing with a golf-aficionado grandfather. She got back into the game at 13, joining the golf team at Heritage High School in Rogers and taking lessons through The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas’ development program. Every year, though, her biggest lessons come from one June weekend of watching the pros on the Ladies Professional Golf Tour.

“I learn so much just from watching them play,” Maes said. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship returns this week for its eighth year at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers. The tournament, along with the 2005 establishment of the local First Tee chapter, have been the biggest factors bringing more women into the game, said Chris Knodle, owner of Golf USA in Fayetteville.

At A Glance (w/logo)

The Schedule

Monday

• All Day: Professional practice rounds

• 1 p.m.: Qualifier at Pinnacle Country Club

Tuesday

• All Day: Professional practice rounds

Wednesday

• 7 to 9:10 a.m.: Official Pro-Am tee times

• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Walmart Kid’s Center

• Noon to 2:10 p.m.: Official Pro-Am tee times

Thursday

• 7 to 9:10 a.m.: Official Pro-Am tee times

• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Walmart Kid’s Center

• Noon to 2:10 p.m.: Official Pro-Am tee times

Friday

• All Day: First round

• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Walmart Kid’s Center

• 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.: Television coverage by The Golf Channel

Saturday

• All Day: Second round

• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Walmart Kid’s Center

• 4 to 6 p.m.: Television coverage by The Golf Channel

• 7:30 p.m.: Kenny Loggins concert, Orchard Park, Bentonville (free)

Sunday

• All Day: Final round

• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Walmart Kid’s Center

• 4 to 6 p.m.: Television coverage by The Golf Channel

*18th green trophy presentation immediately following final round

Source: Staff Report

“In May and June, there’s an overall increase because of the season, but there’s a bigger jump in ladies and juniors, which I attribute to the LPGA event,” Knodle said. “It’s not just young girls, either. Some are baby boomers, others are recent college graduates who are finding out that corporate America makes a lot of use of the game.”

The chance to get up close and personal with professionals encourages players both new and established, said Brenda Alexander, coach for the Rogers High School girls golf team.

“It’s hard to say the tournament itself is bringing in new golfers, but when fans and potential players can get close to the action like that, it’s a motivator,” she said. “I do think that’s especially true of the LPGA, because the players, while concentrating on golf, are also very open to interaction with the fans.”

About a third of the girls who enroll for First Tee lessons have never played the game before, said Debby Pinnell of Bella Vista, an instructor and former LPGA pro herself.

“The amount of enthusiasm among the girls just continues to increase,” Pinnell said. “Having the chance to see a tournament up close and near home really drives that.”

Seventeen girls tried out for Mounties golf this year, a record, Alexander said.

“My program has been growing, but there are still nearby schools that don’t have any interest among the girls,” she said. “I don’t know what factors are affecting that in various places.”

For Maes, the game is more than a hobby, but probably less than a career.

“I do hope golf might get me a scholarship to help pay for college, but I’ve never thought of it as a profession,” she said.

The LPGA event, which is the only regular major-tour stop in Arkansas, raises the profile of the game in the area for men and women, said Mark Holderbaum, athletic director for Rogers schools.

“It’s brought golf in general to the forefront,” he said.

The tournament also financially supports First Tee, and some of that money is directed to a series of camps aimed specifically at females, said Teresa Williamson, director of outreach.

“We’ve always had some girls involved in a co-ed setting, but some really shine playing in the all-girls situation,” she said. “Every year, we see an increase in the number of girls inquiring about lessons right around the time of the LPGA tournament.”

That’s where Maes has been honing her game. Next week, though, she’ll trade out her clubs and switch grips, carrying a scoring standard for two rounds of the tournament. A First Tee classmate will play in one of the two pro-am tournaments, while others are also helping out as volunteers, she said.

“It’s a cool way to get involved, to see the pros from a different point of view,” she said.

Upcoming Events