Photography by Brenda Cash
The eyes of the world focused on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the magnificent course at the Palos Verdes Golf Club in PV Estates as the LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open took center stage during four spectacular spring days at the end of March.
The LPGA’s 2023 DIO Implant LA Open, which was televised live on the Golf Channel, brought some of the best players in the world to the hill and saw a 20-year-old rookie earn her first LPGA tour victory.
The grand four-day tournament was the culmination of years of dedication and hard work from PVGC members and hundreds of volunteers. Dave Klein served as president of the golf club in 2022 and was instrumental in bringing the LPGA to the Peninsula.
“It was a tremendous undertaking as we focused on enhancing the member experience with every decision,” he explains. “In that light, we began a discussion early in 2021 about the potential of bringing an LPGA tournament to PVGA so the members and the community could see the best players in the world play on our course,” says Klein.
Then it happened. In April of 2022, the LPGA brought the Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America to PVGC. Approximately 25,000 spectators attended the event over four days with Marina Alex hoisting the trophy after shooting ten strokes under par of the tournament.
“The event was televised all four days on the Golf Channel,” Klein says. “This year PVGC hosted the LPGA DIO Implant LA Open with tour rookie, Ruoning Yin winning with a -15 score. Once again all four days were televised on the Golf Channel with similar crowds to 2022,” he says.
There are a few other new additions this year. PVGC welcomes General Manager David Stocke to the club. Stocke brings Central Coast experience, joining the team just six months ago from San Luis Obispo Country Club. Also this year PVGC members hosted tour players and caddies and more than 400 volunteers helped make the tournament a success with PVGC members chairing most of the volunteer committees.
The popular Player-Housing Initiative is crucial to the LPGA players’ and caddie’s travel plans. PVGC members providing accommodations to players and caddies allows them to save financially, as well as build relationships with members of the Palos Verdes Golf Club and the Palos Verdes Estates community. Leading the program again this year was PVGC member Peggy Lanigan. This year, through the Player-Housing program, members at Palos Verdes Golf Club housed approximately 50 players and caddies.
PVGC supports Junior Golf, Collegiate Golf hosting the Terese Hession Regional Challenge, and Klein ads, “Now the professionals. We feel it’s right for our members, the community, and the game.”
The golf community thanks the LPGA’s DIO Implant LA Open for choosing Palos Verdes and as fans and broadcasters and volunteers and players look forward to the next tournament they all agree, there is no place better for a game of golf than Palos Verdes Estates California.
