U.S. Women’s Open is coming to the Bay Area for the first time

The Santa Cruz native and Los Altos resident is, after all, a two-time winner of the event that will be in the Bay Area for the first time in July.

[...] she had a rather unique vantage point: the upper deck at AT&T Park, from which she lofted pitch shots toward targets in the outfield.

Inkster was joined in the festivities by fellow golfer Alison Lee as well as Giants pitchers Matt Cain and George Kontos.

Each of the four took five shots at three targets set up in center field, then headed down to putt from the mound to the plate.

Inkster showed her talent by taking one shot left-handed while Kontos sliced one practice shot into McCovey Cove.

Several of the targets — no more than 100 yards away — were hit, but nobody kept score.

Inkster, who won Open championships in 1999 and 2002, said she would honor her promise to make 2014 the last time she’d play — even though that means missing the chance to play in it close to home.

“I’ve played that golf course a zillion times, I know the players, so I’m really looking forward to it,” she said.

Lee, who played on the United States’ Solheim Cup team last year (Inkster was the non-playing captain), said she has played CordeValle twice but hasn’t yet walked the particularly tiring course.