Career Begins in Paradise - and Playing with Idol

(Editor's Note: Charlotte Mayorkas, a rookie on the LPGA Tour in 2007, is filing entries for her LPGA Tour Diary throughout the season. If you would like to suggest topics for Charlotte, or ask questions about the Tour life, send them to golf.guide@about.com.)

My very first LPGA event, the SBS Open Feb. 15-17, 2007, was located in absolute paradise! Beautiful Hawaii!

I was fortunate to have arrived in advance of the tournament week to adjust to the time change and to get situated with the area, housing and the courses. The SBS Open is the LPGA season opener and hosted by the Turtle Bay Golf Resort in Oahu. What a wonderful place!

It was insightful to see the tournament preparations in motion and to feel the excitement building. The Turtle Bay Resort staff were busy all the way up to and during tournament week with lots of preparation, even while remaining open for public play. The Turtle Bay Resort has two signature courses; the Fazio and the Arnold Palmer. Both the Champions and the LPGA Tours host their events on the Palmer course.

Each LPGA event has a designated Advance Official who is the primary person in charge of handling the golf course preparations and preparing vital tournament player information. The Advance Official arrives well in advance of the tournament week to mark tee-boxes, hazards and cover up par-3 hitting areas. The par-3 hitting areas stay covered until Monday of the tournament week, allowing the teeing ground to be fresh for players. Janet Lindsay, an LPGA rules official, was our Advance Official for the SBS Open.

As tournament week began, my nerves were intensifying! I played a practice round with my caddie, Mike Troublefield, nicknamed "Country Club." Caddies on Tour are known by their nicknames. He carried my temporary Ogio bag. Tom Gocke, a National Sales Manager at Ogio, is working on a customizied bag with all my sponsors' logos: Hansen's, Dermalogica, Asicis, About.com, Bassura and Coppertone.

On Thursday, I was in the first group off the first hole in the first tee time. Paired with 9-year veteran, Heather Daly-Donofrio, and Stanford alum and a former fellow college competitor, Kimberly Hall. An early tee time also means an early finish. With an early finish, it meant I would have a little extra time after the round to work on my game.

On Friday, I was excited to learn that my group consisted of Tracy Hanson and Jill McGill. Jill has been been a role model for me and I'm a fan. When I was 10, I was in the gallery following Jill McGill in the final match of the 1993 U.S. Women's Amateur held at the San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, Calif.

I recall walking along and watching Jill defeat Sarah Ingram 1-up in a 36-hole match. I had never attended a golf match before that, and the event was thrilling, not only because the competition was great, but because Jill spoke to me during the final round. Can you imagine! I am sure she does not recall this at all, but I do, and it left a lasting impression on me. Jill had a club in her hand and was walking up a slight incline. The gallery followed closely along. I happened to be six or seven feet away from her. She smiled at me and very casually asked me if I played golf. With the gallery following, I replied meekly, "Yes, I'm learning," and simply beamed.

From then on, I was a fan and always looked for Jill's name in the newspaper in order to follow her career. I think I even have the USGA ticket stub from that event somewhere. Bottom line, playing with Jill McGill on my second day was huge for me. She is also my Big Sister on Tour for my Rookie year!

If you launch the photo gallery for the second round of the SBS Open, you can catch a glimpse of me. I'm wearing a classic Hogan golf cap and a Volcom shirt.

Saturday, the final day of the SBS Open, was a different story. I was grouped with Sae-Hee Son and Linda Wessberg. It wasn't my best round of golf.

Now onto a new week and new tournament.

Our Hawaiian paradise journey continues this week with the Fields Open at Ko Olina Golf Club, Feb. 22-24. See you out there!

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