Cedar Ridge not likely to yield another 61

By KEN MACLEOD

Cristie Kerr flirted with a 59 and finished with a 10-under-par 61 in the second round on her way to winning the 2006 John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic.

It was a fantastic round of golf by one of the top LPGA players who that day was making every putt she looked at, including two longer than 50 feet.

That round, along with a first-round 64 by Annika Sorenstam and much lower scoring by the rest of the field compared to previous years, led some to wonder what was going on at Cedar Ridge, long regarded as one of the most demanding golf courses in the region.

After all, this is a course that carries a USGA Slope Rating of 138 (from the back tees).

This is where Jan Stephenson won the 1983 U.S. Open at 6-over-par. That’s right, the rest of the field was higher, most of them stratospherically so.

This is the course where for the local qualifier for the 2001 U.S. Open at Southern Hills, no one in the field broke par and the average score was higher than 80, this from the best amateur golfers in the region. And where for the Trans-Miss Four-Ball Championship, the winning score for 54 holes was just 4-under.

The 61 was a remarkable round, the lowest ever by Kerr and the lowest round of the season to that point on the LPGA Tour. How were Kerr, Sorenstam and others able to go so low at Cedar Ridge?

Several factors combined to create the perfect storm for scoring. One, rains had softened the greens. While they were rolling fast and true, they were certainly receptive to holding shots.

Two, there was no wind, which virtually eliminated the three-inch Bermuda rough as a factor for most of the extremely accurate LPGA pros.

Third and most important, the pins, set by the LPGA tournament staff, were near the center of all 18 greens for each round of the tournament.

Conditions this spring, with firmer, faster greens, the possibility of wind and hopefully a few more strategic pin placements would restore the challenge of Cedar Ridge.

There were three scores of 65 or better shot in 2006. Twenty golfers finished under par compared to five in 2005 and seven in 2004.

The rough was not expected to be a big factor this spring, but an unusually early growing season for Bermuda has changed that. Superintendent Mike Wooten said he has mowed fairways four times in March, after not mowing a single time in March in any of his previous 30 years in the golf business.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Wooten said of the early growth. “This is the most Bermuda we’ve ever had this early.”

The rough will still be inconsistent in early May, but it will be much thicker than normal for that time of year.”

Add to that the possibility of wind and firmer greens and it should be more than enough to again make Cedar Ridge one of the most exacting and exciting tests of golf the LPGA golfers will face.

While the SemGroup Championship is less than a mont h away, many of the tournament officials have been also working on the inaugural NW Arkansas Championship, which will be Sept. 7-9 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark.

“Things are going well,” said tournament director Andy Bush. “We’ve launched the Web site, the volunteer recruitment just kicked off and ticket sales will begin in early May.”

For those interested in volunteering the cost is $75, and the package includes a tournament golf shirt, outerwear, hat, volunteer badge that serves as a tournament pass for the entire week, one weekly grounds badge for a friend or family member, breakfast and lunch on work days and one volunteer party invitation. Applications are available at www.lpganwac.com.

Bush said the biggest reason the preparation has been smooth is because of the use of the experienced staff that runs the SemGroup Championship.

“We can use resources and the staff’s