Soft conditions will challenge LPGA players in opening round of Queen City Championship
MADEIRA, Ohio – Everything leading up to the LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G went as well as anyone could expect. A world-class field of LPGA players will compete in a tournament sponsored by two of the most iconic companies in Cincinnati on one of the best golf courses in the region. Then, the weather decided to have a say in the week’s schedule.
LPGA players were already arriving at an unknown course, but then rain on Tuesday canceled practice rounds and meant players would only practice on nine holes of the course before Thursday’s opening round.Factor in wet conditions along with Kenwood Country Club’s 6,515-yard setup and Thursday’s opening round is poised to offer a challenging day of work for the players.
“It's a beautiful golf course. It's just a shame it's like so wet,” Jessica Korda said. “So, yeah, I mean, we'll see what's going to happen because they haven't been able to go out there and cut the grass in a couple days and you can see when you roll the ball on the greens just that it's catching the mower marks a little bit.”
Korda, the 13th-ranked player in the world, said tour pros would generally get in extra practice rounds ahead of a tournament at a new course, but that didn’t happen this week. And the wet conditions also lead to some surprising results on the golf Korda did play.
“Well, the fact I had 4-iron into the first hole was a real shock on a par-4,” Korda, who ranks 14th in driving distance on the tour, said. Korda was referring to Kenwood’s first hole, which is a 426-yard par-4 with trees and bunkers in play off the tee shot.
The tournament will be contested on the Kendale course at Kenwood Country Club, which offers plenty of challenging holes, some difficult sight lines and plenty of ways to get in trouble around the greens.
“From what I've seen so far, I think it's really quite a fun track,” Minjee Lee, the third-ranked player in the world, said. There is a mixture of short holes, long holes. I know it's playing a little more wet right now, but hopefully as we get along through the week and it will dry out a little bit more.”
Lee, twice a winner this year on the LPGA Tour, is coming off a T-49 finish at last week’s Dana Open presented by Marathon in Sylvania, Ohio. She will be a part of ESPN+ coverage of the featured groups when she tees of at 8:36 a.m. with Paula Creamer and Brooke Henderson.
Lee added she was ready for whatever challenges the course presented this week.
“I feel like I can't really pick and choose,” Lee said. “I like whatever is right in front of me, so, you know, I do enjoy playing the fast and hard conditions, but obviously if it's softer and it's more of a ball striking kind of course, then I enjoy that as well.”
Kickoff of big sports weekend
When the first players tee off at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, it'll be the start of a weekend full of sports in Greater Cincinnati. In addition to the LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, high school football is Friday night, both the UC Bearcats and FC Cincinnati play Saturday and the Cincinnati Bengals host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
The Reds are in Milwaukee for a weekend series.
Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn played in Wednesday's pro-am and offered her thoughts on the inaugural tournament.
"It's obviously a great thing for Cincinnati," Blackburn said. "It's fun when Cincinnati has exciting things going on and it's been amazing to watch some of these women out here play. It's really just fun to watch and I'm glad it's here."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: LPGA players will be tested at Kenwood Country Club
