LPGA Legends Inaugurate New Senior LPGA Championship on Monday

After The Legends Tour had staged at French Lick’s Pete Dye course their premier tour event over the last several years, the LPGA stepped in and made this 2017 tournament an “official” senior LPGA major championship. Once the USGA hosts the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open next July 2018 near Chicago, the senior LPGA players will have two majors each year. I attended last year’s event and have previously lobbied the USGA to bring the new Senior Open to the Rochester, N.Y. area where most of these senior golfers competed and won in front of large galleries over several decades at both Locust Hill C.C. and Monroe G.C. (another Donald Ross design). Here, see Pat Bradley’s comments on this historic occasion: http://www.lpga.com/videos/six-time-major-champ-pat-bradley-on-2017-senior-lpga-championship

The great Nancy Lopez will not be competing this week due to a knee injury. However, ever the good sport, she hit the ceremonial tee shot Friday for the companion Symetra Tour event being held at French Lick’s Donald Ross course–with a hickory club to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the course!