(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)
Earlier this month, I was in in Daytona Beach, Fla., for LPGA Rookie Orientation. (My first official day as a rookie on the LPGA Tour was Dec. 4, 2006.) Every year, after an intense five-round Final Stage Qualifying School tournament, the LPGA hosts an orientation for all the newbees.
Last year at the Final Stage of Q-School, I missed the cut by one stroke and returned to the Duramed Futures Tour. The Futures Tour is a developmental tour, similar in nature to the Nationwide Tour for the PGA. The players on the Duramed Futures Tour who finish in the top five on the money list at the conclusion of the season receive full exemption onto the LPGA Tour. The season ended in September, 2006, and I finished the year second on the money list.
On the LPGA Tour, there are two types of status: exempt and non-exempt. Exempt status means that the player automatically receives entry into every event and has the potential to play in limited-field and invitation-only events depending on her position on the money list. Non-exempt status refers to players who are limited in the events they can play based on where they finished at Q-School behind those golfers who earned exempt status.
Rookie Orientation was an intense 2-day session from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. filled with introductions of the LPGA staff, both members that will be traveling on tour throughout the year and those who stay behind at headquarters in order to make everything run smoothly.
All of us got to interact with each other in a variety of fun-filled activities and games. Sports psychologist Roberta Kraus was there to lead us. In one of our activities, we had to line up by height from shortest to tallest without speaking to each other. Note for rookies next year: the rookie class of 2007 holds the record for fastest lineup!
I enjoyed every minute of Rookie Orientation - including the great food that was served. On our second day, we were served special dishes made from recipes from the LPGA Cookbook written by players and staff on tour. Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens' Beef Lasagna was a huge hit, but my favorite was Nancy Lopez's Turkey Chili. I will admit I went back for seconds. The dishes were prepared by Canyon Ranch and the book can be ordered at spiritretail.com/lpgacookbook/sp-bin/spirit.
A surprise treat was special guest Louise Suggs, along with her little black dog named Damit. Louise was one of the 13 original founders of the LPGA. In her career, she won 58 tournaments and 11 majors. What a remarkable player and woman!
It was inspiring listening to Louise speak about how the tour was in the past and how it has grown and keeps growing. During the 2007 season, LPGA players will be competing for more than $54 million in prize money. When Louise won one of her U.S. Women's Open titles, her winner's check was just a little over a couple grand. Now the champion is paid more than $550,000.
Rookies received a huge, 3-inch-thick binder filled with LPGA guidelines, regulations, tournament business, and many more sections of important material. Yes, the orientation seemed long and sometimes it was hard to pay attention because the experience was pretty much information overload, but I thought the LPGA did a wonderful job in preparing us for our rookie seasons in 2007.
The 2007 begins with the SBS Open at Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii February 15-17.
