AVONDALE, La. — The LSU women’s golf team spent Wednesday as caddies for pro-am groups on the day prior to the start of the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans at the TPC of Louisiana.
By the end of the afternoon, the Lady Tigers had turned into some of the stars of the event.
“It was great. It was a really fun deal,” Coach Karen Bahnsen said as she waited for the team to load up to head back to Baton Rouge. “The girls turned into a hit with the media. To say it was a fun day is an understatement.”
Some of those in the groups the team caddied and walked with included Tom Ridge, the former Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security, football quarterback brothers Eli and Peyton Manning (with caddy help from father Archie), Robert Lawless (CEO of McCormick and Sons) and Jim Schiro of tournament title sponsor Zurich Financial. Also playing in the pro-am group and having a wonderful time with the LSU team was the defending champion and world No. 2 player, Vijay Singh.
“They are fun. A great bunch of girls,” Singh said later to the media. “It’s one of the best times I’ve had on the pro-am. I’m sure my caddy (Paul Tesori) enjoyed it more than anyone else. But they (the LSU team) are a great bunch of girls. It’s good to see them out here.”
As the team walked up to the 18th green, Singh handed his putter off to the LSU team to let them make the putt on the final hole.
The team now goes back to work in preparation for the NCAA Central Regional Tournament, scheduled May 5-7 in Lubbock, Texas. The 10th-ranked Lady Tigers will be looking to be one of the top eight teams in the event to advance to the Division I national championship tournament at Sunriver, Ore., May 17-20.