LPGA REIGNWOOD CLASSIC
Things were going well with our business endeavors in Beijing, and there were always more events for networking coming into town. With Beijing being the capital of China, if we didn't hear about it already, all we had to do is check the calendar and we would see all types of cool things to go to.
I was at Tuanjiehu hitting some balls on the range and heard a couple people talking about the LPGA coming to town. It was going to be at the Pine Valley Golf Club, a pristine tract located in Changping district. Changping was about 50 minutes from where I was living at that time. I lined up the driver to spend the day, and even got a ticket so he could come watch the tournament with me.
I saw that Michelle Wie and Stacy Lewis were headliners, along with country favorite Shanshan Feng, or "Xiao Zhu" as she is affectionately nicknamed. "Xiao Zhu" translates to "little pig" or "piglet", and the slightly chubby but ever so skilled Shanshan has had no problem embracing what some have considered a controversial moniker.
I was at Tuanjiehu hitting some balls on the range and heard a couple people talking about the LPGA coming to town. It was going to be at the Pine Valley Golf Club, a pristine tract located in Changping district. Changping was about 50 minutes from where I was living at that time. I lined up the driver to spend the day, and even got a ticket so he could come watch the tournament with me.
I saw that Michelle Wie and Stacy Lewis were headliners, along with country favorite Shanshan Feng, or "Xiao Zhu" as she is affectionately nicknamed. "Xiao Zhu" translates to "little pig" or "piglet", and the slightly chubby but ever so skilled Shanshan has had no problem embracing what some have considered a controversial moniker.
Beautiful day at Reignwood classic Beijing
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Golf isn’t cheap in China
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Natalie Gulbis
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It was a treat to see that Natalie Gulbis was going to be playing when I arrived. Gulbis has been featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition for women considered to be extremely attractive and appealing to the eye. She also was one of the very few women with a signature line of adidas golf apparel. I would get a chance to see how the game matched up with the fame.
I watched Cella Choi tee off with such a smooth but powerful swing. What a beautiful, controlled stroke! I followed Wie for a couple of holes. I didn't realize how tall she was. Very long and athletic frame. I was intrigued by how much she leans over the putter when she in on the green. I guess it helps her to see the line better. Whatever the reason is, it works for her. I like watching pros read the greens, and watching their timing in their approach to different shots they have to make.
I looked over in another fairway and saw Gulbis' blond hair moving towards the green, so I jumped over to check her out. On the second hole, I saw her go over to a guy after she putt and have an exchange. He went ahead to the next hole to where he thought her drive would land, and he was pretty much spot on. Once she got to her second shot, she looked over towards him, they exchanged some head nods and gestures, and he walked up towards the green. Gulbis tucked her approach shot in nice and close to the pin, much to the delight of the crowd.
After dropping the birdie, Gulbis went over to the guy and had an exchange. Now, I was convinced that this was not random at this point. I knew that there had to be some sort of personal connection. So, on the next hole, I went over and inquired.
"How are you?," I greeted. "I see you keep talking with Gulbis - are you her personal coach?"
"No," the young man laughed, "she's my fiance. I'm just keeping her pumped up!"
We shared that laugh of my assumption, and introduced ourselves. He was Josh Rodarmel, a former quarterback at Yale, now businessman and husband to be of LPGA golfer Natalie Gulbis.
"What are you doing over here in Beijing?" he asked me. "I wasn't expecting to see many Americans out here just walking around"
We walked and talked a bit about TGBTG in China, and then he stopped me and asked me to do a physical demonstration with him.
"Stand on one leg and put your arms straight out at your side," he asked me.
I played along, standing there looking like a human ostrich.
Then he pressed down on the arms to test my balance.
Next, he pulled a rubber bracelet out of his pocket with some sort of metal chip in the middle of it.
"Put this on your wrist," he said "Then let's do the same thing."
I watched Cella Choi tee off with such a smooth but powerful swing. What a beautiful, controlled stroke! I followed Wie for a couple of holes. I didn't realize how tall she was. Very long and athletic frame. I was intrigued by how much she leans over the putter when she in on the green. I guess it helps her to see the line better. Whatever the reason is, it works for her. I like watching pros read the greens, and watching their timing in their approach to different shots they have to make.
I looked over in another fairway and saw Gulbis' blond hair moving towards the green, so I jumped over to check her out. On the second hole, I saw her go over to a guy after she putt and have an exchange. He went ahead to the next hole to where he thought her drive would land, and he was pretty much spot on. Once she got to her second shot, she looked over towards him, they exchanged some head nods and gestures, and he walked up towards the green. Gulbis tucked her approach shot in nice and close to the pin, much to the delight of the crowd.
After dropping the birdie, Gulbis went over to the guy and had an exchange. Now, I was convinced that this was not random at this point. I knew that there had to be some sort of personal connection. So, on the next hole, I went over and inquired.
"How are you?," I greeted. "I see you keep talking with Gulbis - are you her personal coach?"
"No," the young man laughed, "she's my fiance. I'm just keeping her pumped up!"
We shared that laugh of my assumption, and introduced ourselves. He was Josh Rodarmel, a former quarterback at Yale, now businessman and husband to be of LPGA golfer Natalie Gulbis.
"What are you doing over here in Beijing?" he asked me. "I wasn't expecting to see many Americans out here just walking around"
We walked and talked a bit about TGBTG in China, and then he stopped me and asked me to do a physical demonstration with him.
"Stand on one leg and put your arms straight out at your side," he asked me.
I played along, standing there looking like a human ostrich.
Then he pressed down on the arms to test my balance.
Next, he pulled a rubber bracelet out of his pocket with some sort of metal chip in the middle of it.
"Put this on your wrist," he said "Then let's do the same thing."
Michelle Wie working hard
around the green |
Chella Choi showing grace and power on the tee box
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Following the leaderboard at the Reignwood Classic
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Already invested into his pitch, I willingly played the guinea pig for the experiment. When he pushed down on my extended arms this time though, I did feel an increase sense of balance and resistance to his downward force.
Rodarmel went on the tell me he was the inventor and CEO of the Powerband, a product that I later found out had done about $160 million in global sales before being entangled in litigation and claims around the product. I knew nothing of that on that day, and thought the product was really neat.
"Yea Natalie is out there playing in one right now," he said
Right about then Natalie was walking off the green and came over towards us.
"Hi, I'm Natalie," she said to me, extending her hand to me in the middle of her round. "What, is he over here telling you about the bracelet?"
"Yea," I said, " you must've saw me on the last hole standing on one leg!"
She laughed at that and said, "Yeah when you two started talking I knew it wouldn't be long! Nice to meet you".
"My pleasure and good luck with the rest of your round today," I said as she was walking off to the next hole.
I noticed that there were so many on lookers at the exchange between Gulbis and I. I guess because we were foreigners laughing and speaking English, so they really didn't understand what was going on. Or maybe they were wondering how we were all so friendly and seemingly familiar with each other. I saw a few people snapping pictures of us talking.
I walked a few more holes with Josh and continued watching Natalie. We exchanged contact information so we could build a rapport for business in the future. After that, I was pretty much satisfied. I got a chance to see the players I wanted to see, and even made some personal connection with a golf favorite for the future.
I knew my driver was getting tired. He had on those hard bottom church shoes, and I told him when I first got to Beijing that all that chain smoking was going to catch up to him. Now, he is out here gasping for breath, feet hurting because you don't have any athletic shoes, and you're ready to go. Ok! I was cool with it because I had a fulfilling day at the LPGA event.
Rodarmel went on the tell me he was the inventor and CEO of the Powerband, a product that I later found out had done about $160 million in global sales before being entangled in litigation and claims around the product. I knew nothing of that on that day, and thought the product was really neat.
"Yea Natalie is out there playing in one right now," he said
Right about then Natalie was walking off the green and came over towards us.
"Hi, I'm Natalie," she said to me, extending her hand to me in the middle of her round. "What, is he over here telling you about the bracelet?"
"Yea," I said, " you must've saw me on the last hole standing on one leg!"
She laughed at that and said, "Yeah when you two started talking I knew it wouldn't be long! Nice to meet you".
"My pleasure and good luck with the rest of your round today," I said as she was walking off to the next hole.
I noticed that there were so many on lookers at the exchange between Gulbis and I. I guess because we were foreigners laughing and speaking English, so they really didn't understand what was going on. Or maybe they were wondering how we were all so friendly and seemingly familiar with each other. I saw a few people snapping pictures of us talking.
I walked a few more holes with Josh and continued watching Natalie. We exchanged contact information so we could build a rapport for business in the future. After that, I was pretty much satisfied. I got a chance to see the players I wanted to see, and even made some personal connection with a golf favorite for the future.
I knew my driver was getting tired. He had on those hard bottom church shoes, and I told him when I first got to Beijing that all that chain smoking was going to catch up to him. Now, he is out here gasping for breath, feet hurting because you don't have any athletic shoes, and you're ready to go. Ok! I was cool with it because I had a fulfilling day at the LPGA event.
