Salina Country Club hosts 2022 Senior LPGA Championship this week. Here's what to know
The 2022 Senior LPGA Championship is quickly approaching.
Players arrived in Salina on Sunday with practice rounds scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
A Pro-Am 18-hole tournament will take place at noon on Thursday. While the Pro-Am Tournament is taking place, other pros will take part in a Junior Clinic at Salina Municipal Golf Course.
The 54-hole 2022 Senior LPGA Championship Tournament will begin at 8 a.m. Friday with the final tee-time set for 10:12 a.m. The second round takes place at 8 a.m. Saturday with a cut taking place after Saturday's round. The final round is scheduled for 8 a.m. Sunday.
"I am pumped and ready to open our club to the players, LPGA and spectators," Salina Country Club General Manager Chris Nickell said. "It really hit me at the beginning of last week, in terms of excitement when products began arriving. We were constantly evaluating the space and strategically storing all of the resources that were being shipped in.
"You could feel the energy level change. You knew the clock was ticking and that it was coming. Everything the team has put their energy towards the last several months is coming together. All of the puzzle pieces are being placed, and I can’t wait to show off the final product, the championship tournament environment to everyone who comes."
Here's what you need to know.
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How long is the Salina Country Club golf course?
Salina Country Club is a 6,135 yard-course using the blue tee with a par of 71. The back nine is 3,027 yards with a par of 35, with the front nine being 3,108 yards and a par of 36.
Holes 1, 3, 11 and 12 are par 5s. Holes 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 16 and 18 are par 4s. Holes 4, 7, 13, 15 and 17 are par 3s.
The LPGA will be using its own tees to play a Par 72 at 5,863 yards, according to Nickell.
What is the toughest hole at the Salina Country Club golf course?
Nickell said it depends on the player to determine which hole is the most difficult for them.
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Are there any changes being made in advance of the tournament being played?
The only changes that are taking place are the LPGA using its own tees other than tees provided by Salina Country Club. Once it found out it was going to host, preparations began.
"Preparation for the tournament began six months ago," Nickell said. "We gave extra attention and TLC to certain areas of the course, focusing on treating certain fairways, roughs, greens, etc."
What type of players does the course suit?
Nikkel said the Salina Country Club golf course is an above-average course, which is narrow and tree-lined.
"The length of the course is perfect for an LPGA event," Nickell said.
How the Salina Country Club was selected to host this year's event
Three years ago, the Salina Country Club was considered for an LPGA event for its developmental golf tour called the Symetra Tour, which is now known as the Epson Tour. At the time, there was a proposed development of the east side of the course, which the Salina Country Club decided not to pursue for the futures tour event.
When the LPGA was pursuing a course for its 2022 Senior LPGA Championship, it was familiar with Salina Country Club and reached out to them about potentially hosting the event last December.
"We committed to the event a month later and have had less than six months to plan and execute what most courses have 18 to 24 months to prepare to host," Nickell said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of my team right now and our staff. We’ve dodged a lot of bullets on making this thing successful and how we’ve integrated the community as well. We’ve made it work.
"It just takes pure dedication and care to make something like this happen in a short amount of time.”
Dylan Sherwood has been a sports reporter for the Salina Journal since August 2019. He can be reached at dsherwood@salina.com or on Twitter @DSherwoodSJ
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina Country Club to host 2022 Senior LPGA Championship
