To Klein, No Place Is Like Oakmont

No one is probably happier about the LPGA holding a tournament at Oakmont Country Club than tour veteran Emilee Klein and her father, Bob.

When Emilee plays this weekend in the Valley of the Stars Championship at Oakmont, Bob will be her caddie. Gladly.

“I don’t get to see her much, so it’s nice to walk around with her,” Bob said. “Plus it keeps me fit.”

The Kleins have been members at Oakmont for about 10 years and Emilee, who played at Notre Dame High and Arizona State, has played countless rounds on the course.

Emilee was married in January and lives in Orlando, Fla., so the tournament at Oakmont serves as a family reunion.

Remember when LPGA players were modeling for glamour calendars several years ago?

Annika Sorenstam of Sweden, one of the tour’s megastars, apparently is following suit after all this time.

Sorenstam appears in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue, which came out this week.

“I think it turned out well,” Sorenstam said at Oakmont on Wednesday. “Both [husband] David [Esch] and I were nervous to see how it would turn out.”

Jennifer Rosales of USC, who received a sponsor exemption for the Valley of the Stars Championship, warmed up for the tournament by winning the SMU/OSU Challenge at Palos Verdes Golf Course on Wednesday.

Rosales, from the Philippines, finished with a three-over-par 216 and helped the Trojans finish in a third-place tie with Arizona.

Alicia Dibos, a seven-year tour veteran from Peru, doesn’t like flying and drives to tournaments whenever possible.

“I love to drive because that way I can get to know the United States,” said Dibos, who is making her third consecutive appearance at Oakmont. “I just drive and listen to classical music or Peruvian music.”

Dibos is joined on the road by her dog, Godiva. When she is forced to fly to a tournament, Dibos arranges for someone to drive her car there.