World #1 Yani Tseng had a 2 stroke lead going into the final round of the Kraft Nabisco so of course she won easily, right? Wrong! Stacy Lewis who had never won an LPGA event took over the top of the leaderboard at the turn and won by 3 shots for a major championship and a story that’s almost hard to believe. We found out during the trophy ceremony that a major golfing inspiration in her life-her Grandfather Al had died on Wednesday after some year’s with alzheimer’s disease. And Stacy went out with that bulldog mentality that she’s known for and shot rounds of 66, 69, 71, and 69 for the right to jump into Poppy’s Pond (the annual ritual for the KNC Champ originating with Amy Alcott in 1988).
So the Lewis family all leaped in holding hands but unfortunately Stacy’s mom (who’s 2nd to the right with the blue top and white cap) didn’t get a firm footing in the rough at the start of the jump and broke her leg on the rocks in the shallowest part of the pond. And Stacy found out when I was talking with her dad Dale while mentioning that it was bad enough that Mom was taken to a hospital. But Stacy remained her unflappable self still in her wet robe (telling me it was getting cold in it) and gave me a few minutes of pure joy followed by her father who tried to sort out this whole thing right in front of me after his wife had just been whisked away in a big red emergency truck…

Stacy Lewis and father Dale Lewis with Ted Sobel:

Ironically, Mrs. Lewis had run 14 miles this morning prepping for a marathon that may have to be put on hold for awhile. Also on hold is Tseng’s 4th major but she was still kind enough to stop and chat with me after such a ‘major’ disappointment…

Yani Tseng with Ted Sobel after final round of 2011 KNC:

More pictures to come later but first I have a 2 hour drive home after dinner so please check me out tomorrow again!