Only a handful of photos circulated on social media earlier this week — not a large enough sample size to understand the full scope of what LPGA players are facing in Shanghai.
But once the game begins, the broadcast cameras are turned on and the highlights are edited and sent to the world. Indeed, the greens at Qizhong Garden Golf Club are in rough shape. This might be the toughest you’ll ever watch a professional golf tournament this year.
The LPGA itself issued this statement:
We understand the course conditions at the Shanghai Buick LPGA. Golf course superintendents, tournament teams and LPGA rules officials have worked hard during the season’s extreme heat conditions to prepare for this week’s tournament. We will continue to monitor the situation throughout the week and look after courses appropriately.
They were right about the extreme heat conditions. Typical high temperatures in Shanghai in September are between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. But this year, from the last week of August to the first week of October, there were 23 days in Shanghai where the temperature reached at least 95 degrees.
It’s unclear from 6,000 miles away what effect the heat will have on the greens, but the visual effects of Thursday’s first round weren’t great. Some areas are visibly baked out, while others show an uneven surface. Some of the greens were badly damaged and it seemed difficult to find a place to cut the holes.
This is the second time in the last month that the LPGA has battled the ravages of nature. In September, the Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship was shortened from 54 holes to just 18 holes, ultimately leading to the event being canceled because severe thunderstorms made the course unplayable.
The shape of the greens didn’t exactly prevent scoring this week, as 57 players still shot under par. Of the handful of standout players who held postgame press conferences, none were asked to talk about the greens, although Lee did mention them.
“I thought the condition and condition of the greens, I thought I did a good job and made seven birdies,” she said.
Lee showed a positive attitude throughout the 18 holes. The one that didn’t fall off of her birdie look was this one, which was a foot shorter than her at just nine feet.
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