Of all 154 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship players presented from the P&G court, one player’s record stands out from the others. 2014 champion Stacy Lewis knows Pinnacle Country Club like the back of her hand. Lewis has played the event every year since the inaugural tournament in 2007, a year in which he unofficially won as an amateur as he was reduced to 18 holes due to rain. In his 12 official starts, he made every cut with six top-10s, including one win in 2014.
“It’s the comfort level of knowing what to hit from each tee and layup,” said Lewis of Pinnacle Country Club. “I was joking with my caddy saying I don’t need a yardage log here. He’s looking for the yardage book numbers and I said, it’s a 5-row layup. As if you know what to hit here. So that’s so much knowledge of the course, and it’s just about shooting from there. “
The University of Arkansas graduate returns to northwestern Arkansas this week just two weeks after acquiring her 13th career LPGA Tour title and her first mom at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.
“I’m still working on jet lag,” said Lewis, who returned to the US on an LPGA charter flight on Monday. “I think it’s getting harder and harder to come back. At 2:00, 3:00 in the afternoon you feel like you need a nap. I just have to keep doing it. It’s definitely great to be back. It’s good to be out of quarantine in Scotland. A little more freedom. At least you can drive around and go do a few things. But it’s nice to go back and see my daughter and see my husband. It’s been a long month. “
Lewis is leading a series of three other Razorback alumni this week, including fellow Tour players Maria Fassi, Gaby Lopez and Alana Uriell, and three current Razorbacks playing as sponsors invite Maria Hoyos, Ela Anacona and Brooke Matthews.
“It’s just really cool to see all the girls coming in,” Lewis said of his alma mater. “Gaby, Maria and Alana have been on tour, and we have three other girls on the field. It just shows what we are doing here and what the gaming experience is in this event, what it leads to in the future. Just help the girls learn what it takes to play at this level and how they can improve in college to go out someday. “
Lewis will start his first round on Friday from the first tee at 1:21 pm alongside fellow Razorback Gaby Lopez and Rolex Rankings No.6 Sei Young Kim.
