I Was Expecting Carnage...But The Hazeltine Vibes Have Been Incredibly Wholesome

CHASKA, Minn. — Hazeltine National carries a reputation that precedes itself. Long before I stepped foot on the property, I'd heard all about the behemoth of a golf course waiting outside Minneapolis—a modern major championship venue built to test every skill of a player's game. Between the thick rough, demanding approach shots, and a closing stretch that'll derail your round in a blink of an eye, I arrived expecting to witness four straight days of survival (kind of like 2019).

Instead, the first round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship delivered something I wasn't expecting at all: good, no, immaculate (and wholesome) vibes.

Sure, Hazeltine still packed its punch (I watched World No.1 Nelly Korda double the 16th after sending her ball straight into the creek on the lefthand side), and yet, the overwhelming feeling walking the property wasn't tension—it was joy.

Fans lined the fairways in one of the best displays of fan participation I've seen on a Thursday morning, instantly transforming one of the toughest tests in championship golf to a welcoming environment for all. On a course known for its bite, Thursday was a reminder that even the hardest venues can produce some of the most endearing moments in the game.

The morning began with a sweet surprise for Korda, who had a squad of about 30 local LPGA*USGA Girls Golf participants all rocking the custom Nike soccer jersey she wore at Riviera just a couple of weeks ago waiting for her on the first tee.

As a Girls Golf alum, who attended my first ever professional golf event at an LPGA tournament when I was like 7 or 8 meeting my heroes Lorena Ochoa and Michelle Wie, I can attest to just how magical this day was for those little girls.

One of the participants even joined in on Nelly's post-round presser to ask her a question. Eight-year-old Elise asked the four-time major champion, "We were really excited to see you. Were you excited to see us?" To which Korda responded, "Yes. I was super excited. You guys made my day so much better. Thank you."

It was a pretty clinical day for the top-ranked player who looked relatively solid despite one real hiccup on the 16th. The tricky par 4 is Hazeltine's signature hole with a tee shot that will absolutely warp your brain. With water crowding both sides of the fairway (a lake on the right, and a creek to the left) the landing zone looks a lot smaller than it actually is. Korda found herself in the creek off the tee, and then three-putted for a double bogey, 6.

She's currently 2-under and seven shots behind leader Ina Yoon, who tied the KPMG low scoring record at 9-under.

Playing just one group ahead of Korda was 2016 KPMG champion Brooke Henderson who had a little extra pep in her step after receiving some incredibly special news right before she teed off.

For the last decade, Henderson has had big sister on her bag, but after the LPGA's season opener back in January, the sister duo temporarily split due to Brittany announcing her maternity leave. And six months later, her baby girl has joined the world during the week that gave her auntie her first major win.

And to make matters even sweeter, the latest bundle of joy was named Sahalee, after the course where Brooke and Brittany won their first major together at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship no less.

It's like something out of a Hallmark movie!

"Honestly what a way to start the week," said the 28-year-old Canadian golfer. "Perfect start to get under par, hear my niece was born and doing very well, ten-year anniversary of when I won at Sahalee in 2016. Great day overall, and hopefully carry that through the rest of the weekend."

The baby news didn't stop there. Another LPGA star celebrating an exciting off-course milestone is Dewi Weber, who recently announced that she and her wife are expecting their first child. Weber backed up the good news with one of the best rounds of her KPMG Women's PGA Championship career, briefly climbing into a share of the lead during Thursday's opening round. Before Thursday, she had never broken par in any round at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship—carding three birdies and just one bogey.

She was all smiles after her round today, and for good reason. "I think mostly we're just super, super excited for what's to come. My wife really hopes she stops being nauseous soon. No, very, very stoked, yeah."

When asked about the news and if her on course mentality has changed, the 30-year-old said, "I think it's made me rethink my life a little bit, and not in the sense like I don't want play golf anymore, but more in the sense of like if I'm going to be away from my family I better make sure that I'm having a ton of fun and having a good time and doing all the things of why I'm out here necessarily, and not being miserable on the course and punishing myself for every bad shot that I hit or every slight loss of focus that I'm having."

I mean what's better than birdies and babies? The vibes on Thursday of KPMG rank among some of the best I've ever witnessed and it's all being complimented by some really incredible golf.

Per Elias Sports Bureau, only three players shot under 70 in the first round of the 2019, the last time this event was contested at Hazeltine: Hannah Green (68, eventual winner), Mel Reid (69, eventual T-3) and Hyo Joo Kim (69, eventual T-7). The scoring average in the first round in 2019 at Hazeltine was 75.610. As of the mid-afternoon, the field scoring average is 73.549 (approximately two shots lower than it was in R1 in 2019).

Fans came out in droves this morning, showing to be one of the most crowded early-week galleries, especially compared to Chevron and the U.S. Women's Open. Kids were galloping across the course hoping to get a glimpse at their favorite players—one of the best sights I get to see on this job.

And I hope that this energy stays for the rest of the weekend! Click here round two tee times and featured groups.