Mallon Wins Her First Legends Tour Event in Delray Beach

Meg Mallon won her first event since joining the Legends Tour this afternoon, shooting an even par 72 to follow her opening 69 to win by one stroke over Juli Inkster. The Walgreens Charity Championship was the final event of the Tour’s 2014 schedule.

Mallon Leads Legends Tour Event in Delray Beach

Meg Mallon, the 2000 winner at Locust Hill C.C. in Rochester, leads at 69 after the first round of the Legends Tour’s Walgreens Charity Championship. Danielle Ammaccapane was one back at 70 with a slew of players at 71 including Juli Inkster.

Legends Tour Heads to Delray Beach for Next Event

The Legends Tour tees up again at its next event, the Walgreens Charity Championship, in Delray Beach, Florida from November 6-9 at Seagate C.C. A star-studded field of LPGA greats will be there to close out the 2014 season including former Rochester winners Patty Sheehan, Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley, Sandra Haynie, Rosie Jones, Meg Mallon, Jane Blalock, and Judy Dickinson.

At their last event at Old Waverly in Mississippi, the American team defeated the World team in the Handa Cup.

Photo Credit: The Legends Tour

Rochester’s Danielle Downey Classic Should Include LPGA “Legends” Competition

In 2006, the Wegmans LPGA Rochester tournament featured a Tuesday “shootout” for former Rochester champs mostly retired from LPGA competition. Pat Bradley was the 18-hole winner over players such as Patty Sheehan, Nancy Lopez, Jane Blalock, Deb Richard, and Kathy Whitworth. It was very successful and well-attended (an LPGA tour caddie remarked that there was a larger gallery that day than at the prior week’s tournament in Westchester County). In fact, the attendance probably exceeded most Thursday tournament rounds. There is a hunger to see former stars that formed a bond with the local golf community and that have largely, although not completely, exited the limelight.

Including a similar event, or even a 36-hole Legends Tour event before or during Classic week at Brook-Lea C.C., would be a great way to remember that Rochester golf history of which Danielle Downey formed a part. The 2014 LPGA Championship completely failed to do this. Correcting that error at next summer’s Symetra Tour event would guarantee even greater attendance and attention for the Downey Classic.

Those past champs, or the LPGA “legends” players in general, could compete in their own senior division in a block of times either before or after the tee times for the main Symetra Tour competition-on Saturday and Sunday perhaps. Something similar to this is done each year at the 3M Championship. Staged on a Donald Ross course and featuring the LPGA’s past, present, and future, the Danielle Downey Classic would bring “full circle” Rochester’s LPGA golf history in a way the LPGA tournament never quite did.

Rochester’s LPGA Tournament History and Records, 1977-2014

See the Democrat and Chronicle’s coverage here. Unmentioned by the D&C is that the 1973 U.S. Women’s Open was held at The Country Club of Rochester and likely provided some impetus to the creation of the LPGA’s Rochester event, first held four years later in 1977.

Legends Tour’s 2014 Handa Cup Begins Friday at Old Waverly Golf Club

The Legends Tour’s Handa Cup competition between U.S. and World Teams, held yearly since 2006, is being contested at Old Waverly G.C. in Mississippi this week. Nancy Lopez is the U.S. captain and Sally Little is the World captain.

These players love the competition and yet are very fan-friendly. There has been a great atmosphere at past Handa Cup events which is typical for all Legends Tour tournaments. These events are player and fan reunion, lively banter, and gritty competition all rolled into one package.

Read more about the 2014 Handa Cup here.

Fan has shirt signed by Pat Bradley at Legends tournament in Maine.

 

Nancy Lopez inked this shirt, too.