ANA Inspires Hope For Upcoming Majors

It didn’t take long to adjust, which is a good sign for the rest of the year.
The leadup to the ANA Inspiration was all about what would be different, with the championship in September instead of April, on thick Bermuda fairways (and even thicker rough) instead of traditional overseed, and without fans. How would Rancho Mirage, California, look? How would the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills play? Would it be weird seeing the water behind the 18th green instead of the large grandstands? And what would the vibe be for viewers as they watch a course that they know, but in a different context?
The answer to those questions turned out to be a big, collective shrug, which is a good sign. It took about five minutes of televised coverage for fans to forget what was different and focus on what was the same: great golf from marquee names. Nelly Korda shot 6-under-par 66 for the first-round lead, with major champions lining up behind her. In Gee Chun was a stroke back while Brooke Henderson and Danielle Kang trailed by two. And S...