March 27, 2009–Inbee Park spent her formative golf years living in Las Vegas, winning state high school championships and training at the Butch Harmon School of Golf. Following her round at the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International Presented by Mirassou Winery in very windy Phoenix, Park told the media that she survived the wind, in part, because she learned to play with it in Las Vegas. Park was in a tie for second place entering the second round, and is one of several Las Vegas golfers in the field. LIVE RESULTS/SCORING.
"Yes, it did," Park said, when asked if living in Las Vegas and handling the windy conditions here helped her succeed. "(Also) I had a good experience yesterday in the Pro Am. I was playing in the afternoon, it was very windy, so it was really similar conditions to yesterday. So that gave me a lot of feedback and it really worked out today." Park, who doesn't spend as much time in Las Vegas as in the past, has said that she considers her home Las Vegas golf course to be Badlands Golf Club, and she continues to maintain a residence near that Las Vegas golf course, a Johnny Miller design.
"It was windy all today and it was really tough out there," said Park, the 2008 U.S. Women's Open champ and the first golfer with serious ties to Las Vegas golf courses to win a major title. "It was dusty, dusty wind blowing from the desert and it was incredibly windy. And I think I did a very good job handling myself out there. Sometimes the ball was about to move on the greens and it just made it mentally tough. But I was ready to come out there today and everything, the combination was really good today."
The other Las Vegas golfers in the tournament were Natalie Gulbis, who withdrew following a first round 72 (we are working to find out the reason); Erica Blasberg, who now practices out of the private Southern Highlands Golf Club; Amy Hung, who practices at the private DragonRidge Country Club; Charlotte Mayorkas, who practices at the resort TPC Las Vegas; Stephanie Louden, who grew up in Las Vegas but now lives in Texas; and Kim Hall, who, at times, plays at the resort Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort.
More than two dozen LPGA Tour, PGA Tour, and Nationwide Tour pros have deep ties to Las Vegas golf courses. The Las Vegas golf region is also home to more than 60 golf courses designed by some of the biggest names in golf including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Fazio, Pete Dye and many more. The Badlands Golf Club is operated by Troon Golf and features 27 holes of dazzling desert golf etched by Miller with consultation from Chi Chi Rodriguez. Click now the best Las Vegas golf rates for the Badlands, and to view a course flyover.