The Back Nine: Playing in the shadows....

So, how much LPGA golf have you seen this year?
Don't worry if you say "not much" - no one really has. Since the season opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay on Feb. 12-14, the tour has not been on television three times and has been off four times.
That's not including this week's off week.

In all, the LPGA has 12 off weeks sprinkled into its 30-tournament schedule, including two off weeks preceding its marquee event - the Solheim Cup.

It's unreal.

For comparison's sake, the 50+ circuit on the Champions Tour has 15 off weeks during its 26-tournament schedule.

It's unfortunate that that's a good comparison for the premier women's golf tour in the world where most of the players are old enough to be the grand daughters of Champions Tour players.

The Nationwide Tour, the PGA Tour's "developmental tour" has only 9 off weeks in its 29-tournament schedule.

Then, the grand daddy of them all, the PGA Tour, has 49 tournaments in 45 weeks with no off weeks.

On a local note, Winfield native, Wheaton Warrenville South alumnus and PGA Tour pro Kevin Streelman (who often practices out at Black Sheep Golf Club in Sugar Grove) was recently named as one of the "best players on tour" to not have won yet.

Quite an honor for a guy who has just started his second full season on tour.