LPGA LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP

LPGA LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP
KO'OLINA GOLF CLUB
92-1220 ALIINUI DRIVE
KAPOLEI, HI  96707
www.lottechampionship.com

Spending a Saturday afternoon with my Daughter is special since she is now 16 and has friends, parties, studying and sports activities that do not include Dad.  Even though she is on her phone a lot it still warmed my heart and made me happy spending some precious hours with her at the LPGA Lotte Championship in Ko'Olina.  Thanks to my little buddy Brigette at KHON2 we were able to enjoy the VIP Hospitality Suite inside Roy's Restaurant on the 18th green.  Best food, drinks and seats in the house.  The VIP passes allowed us to eat and mingle with the players.  This is where they eat breakfast or lunch before or after their rounds.  There is not much talk among the golfers and fans in the restaurant.  Pretty quiet with most of the players sitting alone or with a friend or family member.  Kind of cool going through the buffet line with Lizette Salas and other players dressed in their sponsor laden golf attire.  We enjoyed some good food and drinks inside Roy's and then went out onto the outside deck which includes a large bar overlooking the 18th green.  No better place to be than here on the last day of the tournament.  After a great lunch we followed Michele Wie for a few holes and then Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu and Ariya Jutanugarn.  Made it back to the Hospitality Suite in time to watch Lydia Ko and So Yeon Ryu play hole #18 and then went down to grab some autographs and photos with them.  Lydia and Ryu were the most gracious players out there.  The signed every autograph, posed for photos and smiled the entire time.  Other players would come off the 18th hole and sign a few autographs and leave.  Lydia and Ryu stayed for everyone including us.
Click links below to view previous LPGA Lotte events;
https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2013/04/lpga-lotte-championship-koolina-hawaii.html
https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/04/lpga-lotte-championship-koolina-golf_22.html
https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/04/lpga-lotte-championship-koolina-golf.html

SO YEON RYU HAS A CRUSH ON ME I THINK

HANGIN AT THE LOTTE WITH MY BEST FRIEND

MY FUTURE LPGA SUPER STAR

VIP HOSPITALITY PASSES GOT US INSIDE ROY'S RESTAURANT ON THE 18TH HOLE.
THIS IS WHERE PLAYERS, FAMILY, MEDIA AND VIP'S EAT AND DRINK

THE ROY'S VIP HOSPITALITY SUITE OVERLOOKS THE 18TH HOLE AND FEATURES
INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SEATING AND BARS

BRAISED SHORT RIBS, MAHI MAHI, VEGETABLES AND SOME GREAT KIMCHEE

O.K. MAYBE ONE GLASS OF BUBBLY OVERLOOKING THE 18TH HOLE

O.K. MAYBE TWO GLASSES AND A LITTLE HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE

HERSHEY'S IS THE CO-SPONSOR OF THE LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP SO THERE IS LOTS
OF COMPLIMENTARY CHOCOLATES INSIDE THE HOSPITALITY SUITE

HOSPITALITY SUITE OVERLOOKS DRIVING RANGE TOO

BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE ON #18

GREAT VIEW OF PLAYERS HITTING SECOND SHOT TO THE GREEN ON #18.
AND YES, A FEW HIT INTO THE WATER JUST LIKE ME!

GOLF CHANNEL REPORTING LIVE FROM UNDER THE TREE ON #18

VIP HOSPITALITY SUITE AT ROYS IS THE PLACE TO BE FOR THE FINAL ROUND.

LYDIA KO WALKING UP #18

MICHELE WIE GETTING READY TO RIP ONE ON HOLE #9

INBEE PARK HEADING TO FIRST HOLE OF DAY

MINJEE LEE 

JENNY SHIN

LYDIA KO ON THE PUTTING GREEN

LYDIA ALWAYS USES THE SAME SET UP WHEN PUTTING

LOVE WATCHING WORLD #1

ARIYA JUTANUGARN ON THE PUTTING GREEN.  WEARS HEADPHONES AND SINGS

SO YEON RYU

I LOVE TO WATCH INBEE PARK SWING.  SO SLOW AND PERFECT

BROOK HENDERSON ON THE TEE BOX AT #8

LIZETTE SALAS CHECKING DISTANCE ON #8

STACY LEWIS BLAMED THE WIND FOR NOT GETTING CLOSE TO THE HOLE HERE

LYDIA KO

ARIYA JUTANUGARN

SO YEON RYU WAS MOST GRACIOUS WITH FANS

I GAVE WORLD #1 LYDIA KO A FEW GOLF TIPS

ARIYA JUTANUGRAN 2016'S BEST FEMALE GOLFER

SO YEON RYU AUTOGRAPHED BALL

LYDIA KO AUTOGRAPHED MY PASS

LPGA LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP - KO'OLINA, HAWAII

LPGA LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP

KO'OLINA, HAWAII

We arrived late to the Lotte Championship this year with only about five holes left to play on the last day.  I saw that Inbee Park was still on the course and we walked to the 15th Hole to watch her play.  Stacy Lewis and Jessica Korda were in her group.  Korda is tall and lean and not bad to look at either.   After watching these three tee off, I checked the leader board and saw that Lizette Salas was making a charge for the lead.  We picked up and moved back a hole to watch Salas make a putt on 15 that either tied her for the lead or put her up by one stroke.  The crowd and Lizette were excited.  We walked side by side with Lizette to the 16th tee where she cracked a perfect drive that landed 3' from the cup.  Bam...she is in the hunt.  We walked with the Salas group that included Ariya Jutanugarn from Thailand and Hyo Joo Kim from Korea.  Hyo Joo Kim was a total bitch.  One of the rudest and most unfriendly female golfers I have ever seen.  She raced off each hole with her head down and away from the other golfers in her group.  She spoke to no one and after her round did not sign one autograph.  A huge line of young kids waited for her and she just walked past them with her head down. Said nothing and did not stop for anyone.  Back to the golf.  Salas finished her round and was quickly grabbed by tournament officials because Pettersen had tied her.  We had a playoff.  Salas appeared to be shaking and crying with joy or just nerves.  Pettersen and Salas went to a playoff hole on the 18th.  Both hit perfect drives just in front of the lake that fronts the course restaurant and overlook.  Pettersen hit her second shot and it landed on the green.  Perfect shot over the water.  Salas studied the shot that just minutes before she landed perfectly on the green just a few feet from the pin.  The crowd was silent.  We were standing right next to Lydia Ko and Ariya Jutanugarn on a hill above the green.  Salas hit and we all watched the ball.  It was like it was in slow motion.  Up it went heading toward the green.  This was her chance to become a LPGA winner.  The ball was heading straight for the pin, climbing in the air and then with a splash hit the water.  Over - Done - Pettersen is the winner.
Click links below for blog posts on the 2012 LPGA Lotte Championship
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/04/lpga-lotte-championship-koolina-golf_22.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/04/lpga-lotte-championship-koolina-golf.html

MORGAN PRESSEL HAPPY TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS

MORGAN PRESSEL HAD A BAD ROUND BUT WAS VERY NICE COMING OFF THE 18TH HOLE

THE 18TH HOLE AT KO'OLINA IS BEAUTIFUL

SO YEON RYU CHECKS OUT HER APPROACH TO THE 18TH HOLE AT KO'OLINA

WALKING WITH INBEE PARK, STACY LEWIS AND JESSICA KORDA

LIZETTE SALAS COMES OFF THE 15TH HOLE LEADING BY 1

LIZETTE SALAS TEE SHOT ON THE 16TH LANDED JUST A FEW FEET FROM THE HOLE

SALAS IN THE HUNT TO WIN THE TOURNAMENT

HYO JOO KIM WAS GRUMPY AND REFUSED TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS AFTER HER ROUND 

SALAS SO CLOSE TO VICTORY COMING OFF THE 16TH HOLE

ARIYA JUTANUGARN WAS SMILING AND NICE TO EVERYONE

SALAS LOOKING DOWN THE 18TH HOLE AND HEADING TO VICTORY WE THOUGHT

SALAS TEE SHOT ON 18 WAS PERFECT

SALAS FINISHES ON 18 AND IS IN A TIE FOR LEAD WITH SUZANN PETTERSEN

PETTERSEN WINS ON FIRST PLAYOFF HOLE AND DOES THE HULA

MY DAUGHTER AND THE HULA DANCERS ON 18TH HOLE

ARIYA JUTANUGARN HAPPILY SIGNS AUTOGRAPH

ARIYA SIGNED FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON STANDING IN LINE

ARIYA JUTANUGRAN AND LYDIA KO THIRSTY AFTER THEIR ROUND AT KO'OLINA.
TWO OF THE YOUNGEST AND BEST GOLFERS ON PGA TOUR

HEE KYUNG SEO SHOWED TOTAL CLASS SIGNING FOR EVERYONE THAT WAS WAITING FOR HER

LYDIA KO - YOUNGEST PLAYER EVER TO WIN AN LPGA EVENT - PLAYS AS AMATEUR

2012 LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER AI MIYAZATO - SUPER NICE GIRL WITH CLASS

MY DAUGHTER WAS HAPPY AND DOING CART WHEELS DOWN THE 10TH FAIRWAY AT KO'OLINA