Stacy’s surprise call
Hollis Stacy went through the always emotional induction ceremony for the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday night in St. Augustine, Fla., but no moment may have been as shocking as receiving the call that she had been voted into the Hall of Fame. It came last November.
“I got the phone call, and it was a fake phone call with [LPGA Commissioner] Mike Whan,” Stacy said on Monday. “I’m always trying to do some business, help the LPGA, and then all of a sudden I hear this radio voice of [Hall of Fame Chief Operating Officer] Jack Peter. And then I went, ‘Oh, my God, this is it.’ They started talking, and basically it was like white. I was in shock. It meant a lot to me.
“I called my mother immediately, and then she was at church, and finally I got a hold of her two hours later, and my first words were, ‘Where have you been?’ ’’
Stacy, 58, had a large contingent of family and friends, including her 84-year-old mother, Tillie, from Savannah, Ga. – approximately three hours north of St. Augustine. Her younger sister, Martha Leach, a former U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, made the introduction for Stacy, who lives in Colorado and Bradenton, Fla., and teaches at golf schools in Sarasota, Fla., along with building a digital media online community for women.
Stacy won a record three consecutive USGA Junior Girls’ Championships (1969-71), and after turning pro in 1974, captured 18 LPGA Tour titles, including four majors (three U.S. Women’s Opens).
Stacy becomes the 29th World Golf Hall of Famer with LPGA ties. They include:
| Amy Alcott |
| Judy Bell |
| Patty Berg |
| Pat Bradley |
| Donna Caponi |
| JoAnne Carner |
| Beth Daniel |
| Marlene Bauer Hagge |
| Sandra Haynie |
| Hisako “Chako” Higuchi |
| Juli Inkster |
| Betty Jameson |
| Betsy King |
| Nancy Lopez |
| Carol Mann |
| Ayako Okamoto |
| Se Ri Pak |
| Judy Rankin |
| Betsy Rawls |
| Patty Sheehan |
| Dinah Shore |
| Marilyn Smith |
| Annika Sorenstam |
| Hollis Stacy |
| Louise Suggs |
| Karrie Webb |
| Kathy Whitworth |
| Mickey Wright |
| Babe Zaharias |
Phatlum’s hot streak
Thailand native Pornanong Phatlum won the HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup 2012 last week in Rio de Janeiro for her first LPGA victory. The win, even though unofficial, continued a streak of excellent play for the 22-year-old. She finished tied for 12th (a career best) at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic in Mobile, Ala., the previous week with four rounds of par or better. That continued with rounds of 66 and 67 in Brazil at the par-73 Itanhanga Golf Club.
Phatlum joined another Thailand native, Stacy Prammanasudh, in the LPGA winner’s circle. Prammanasudh won the 2005 Franklin American Mortgage Championship and the 2007 Fields Open on the LPGA. Phatlum also became the fourth different winner from a fourth country of the Brazil Open, including Cartiona Matthew (Scotland) in 2009, Meaghan Francella (United States) in 2010 and Mariajo Uribe (Colombia) in 2011.
First impressions of Rio
Paula Creamer made her first visit to Brazil last week and came back with a tie for third, her best finish since a tie for second at the 2011 season-ending CME Group Titleholders.
“I’ve had a wonderful time; I got to do a lot of things that you don’t normally get to do at golf tournaments,” Creamer said. “Just being able to see the culture. This is my first time in South America, so it’s nice to be able to see a different country and everybody has been really nice, really wonderful here. I’m really looking forward to the Olympics and hopefully I’ll be able to come and represent my country [in 2016].”
Creamer, 25, won the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open at Oakmont, Pa., for her first major championship title and ninth career LPGA victory. Since that win, Creamer has gone a career-high 38 official tournaments without a win.
Sybase Match Play Championship field
Today is the commitment deadline for the Sybase Match Play Championship, scheduled for next week in Gladstone, N.J., at Hamilton Farm Golf Club. The 64-player field has a predetermined pairing, with No. 1 seed Yani Tseng set to take on No. 64, No. 2 vs. No. 63, etc. The Monday, May 14 edition of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings will set the final matchups. Suzann Pettersen is the defending champion.
Major reminder
The LPGA’s remaining three majors this year include: Wegmans LPGA Championship, Pittsford, N.Y., June 7-10; U.S. Women’s Open, Kohler, Wisc., July 5-8; and Ricoh Women’s British Open, Royal Liverpool, England, Sept. 13-16. The Women’s British Open date was pushed back from its normal late July spot this year because of the London Summer Olympic Games.
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