COMING THIS SATURDAY the return of the Players Nine at the Schaumburg Golf Club located at 401 N. Roselle Road in Schaumburg, the newly expanded putting green also opens Saturday, and the Baer nine closes for renovation. Tee times at (847)-885-9000.   _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, and on Facebook and Linkedin. On the 16th tee at kemper Lakes Golf Club home of this weeks KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

THE KPMG WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, is now finally underway at Kemper Lakes Golf Club the actual site of this years championship.                      Tuesday was pro-am day at Kemper Lakes but early rain delayed the start by some 50 minutes.

The morning flight was able to finally complete their round, and the afternoon groups tee’d off, with the first groups almost getting finished, but just after 3:30 PM local time, threatening weather returned and everyone was taken off the golf course for the day.

The first group of the morning that started on the tenth tee, was leaded by professional Maria Stackhouse, who promptly made the first ace of the week on Kemper’s near island green the 170 yard par 3, 17th hole.

Several of the top players made trips to the press tent for pre-tournament interviews, and they included Lexi Thompson, Michelle Wie, defending champion Danielle Kang and Brooke Henderson winner of the championship in 2016.

Click here to hear defending champion Danielle Kang’s championship preview interview.

What will be interesting is to see how the players handle what Kemper Lakes final three holes 16-17 and 18 are now known as “The Gauntlet”. When asked about professional golfs newest group of finishing holes, the players did not seem to concerned. But it is still believed that the players who play the final three holes the best will be on the top page of the leaderboard.

When asked about the golf course long time LPGA veteran Juli Inkster called Kemper Lakes, “a hard golf course that is playing long after all the rain that has fallen in the week.” The course was wet today, but with high heats levels over the rest of the week, look for Kemper Lakes to dry out quickly over the next few days.

The last PGA Championship held at Kemper Lakes was in August of 1989 when the late Payne Stewart won his first major and his only PGA Championship. This weeks winner will be the other bookend to PGA history at Kemper Lakes.

Kang who recovered from a slight muscle strain and fatigue that led to a WD the week after the U.S.Women’s Open, said it took her three days of total rest to recover. Kang said that she slept some 48 hours over three days to get her body back in shape.

On Wednesday the players get the golf course for final practice rounds in advance of Thursdays first round of play. The Gog Blog returns tomorrow with a recap of day three at the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.