Charlie’s Corner: Happy To See The LPGA Return Home

Welcome to Charlie's Corner, the blog home for Golf Channel analyst Charlie Rymer. A lifelong Myrtle Beach golfer, Rymer, with his charectaristic whit and unique perspective, will be weighing in on all things golf.

The domestic portion of the LPGA season is underway with the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, CA at the La Costa Resort having been played last week.  Golf Channel was there and I was pleased to be on board for the live coverage of the event.  I've been covering the LPGA for the past six years now and it has really been fun. 

Getting to know the players has been a challenge but I'm over the hump now.  At 6'4″ and slightly more than 200 pounds I can be a little intimidating.  I think I scared some of the players at first.  But now that most of them know I'm non-threatening things have smoothed out a bit. 

My favorite part of an LPGA week is Wednesday.  I usually blunder around the course and practice areas chatting with the players and anybody else that wants to chew the fat.  Last week I had a nice conversation with Juli Inkster.  I always like chatting with a Hall of Famer.  She is 49 years old and it seems like every time we have her on air hitting a shot one of the announcers points out her age.  She was really giving me the business about revealing a lady's age.  She said she weighs 145 pounds and that we should talk about that as well. 

Oh, maybe I shouldn't have brought that up.  Juli is a lot of fun to talk with and you better be on your toes with her because if not, she will needle you pretty good. 

I also ran into Dave Stockton and his son Dave, Jr.  Those two, along with Ron Stockton, have started quite a putting and short game teaching empire.  Their work with the likes of Phil Mickelson, JB Holmes, Hunter Mahan, Michelle Wie, Inkster and Morgan Pressel has been quite impressive. 

In fact, I interviewed the Stocktons about their work with these and other players.  We talked for well over an hour and I was fascinated.  Their approach is simple and puts fun back into the equation for players that are well off track with their putting and pitching. 

Dave Stockton is known as one of the game's great putters and he has almost a thousand starts on the PGA and Champions Tour.  He has 25 wins including 2 PGA Championships.  He learned from his dad and it’s really neat to see him passing that knowledge down through his family and on to other players. 

Knowledge use to be conveyed this way in golf but we have gotten away from mentoring over the years.  Watch for this interview to air during Golf Channel's wrap around coverage of The Masters. 

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