What a Week at the Senior Women’s Open in Chicago; Danielle Downey Classic Starts Thursday

Laura Davies’ dominating performance at Chicago Golf Club (the oldest 18-hole course in the United States) last week was almost as impressive as JoAnne Carner matching her age of 79 in Round 1 despite Chicago’s summer heat and Carner not having walked 18 holes since 2004.

Carner playing in the inaugural Senior Women’s Open at age 79 and having the determination to compete and finish two rounds despite that oppressive heat and a recent hip surgery was inspiring. It was almost reminiscent of Ken Venturi’s grit and determination in 1964. (“Big Mama” Carner missed the cut by four shots but gave it a valiant try with 79-83. The heat and humidity caught up to her Friday.) Not to pick on John, but take that John Daly!

This week, just a short drive from my home, is Brook-Lea Country Club and the Symetra Tour’s Danielle Downey Classic. Hosted by one of the great Donald Ross courses in Rochester, it should be another memorable Rochester golf event. The tournament begins early Thursday morning.

Wouldn’t it be great to get JoAnne, Laura, Inkster, Nancy Lopez, Annika, et al. here in Rochester for an upcoming Senior Women’s Open? We need CCR, Irondequoit CC, Brook-Lea CC, or Oak Hill CC to make the pitch to the USGA.

 

 

 

 

Legend Lopez to Chair Danielle Downey Event at Brook-Lea in Rochester

Nancy Lopez will be chair of the Symetra Tour’s Danielle Downey Classic this summer in Rochester. On this blog in September of 2014, I suggested combining the Downey event with a Legends Tour event when the tournament is held at Brook-Lea so as to bring all of the LPGA greats back to town to launch this new event. The Symetra Tour will be doing something very similar to this at a Florida tournament in April.

It has now been nearly a month since the Lopez announcement was made. We will see if any momentum for a joint Legends-Symetra tournament develops in ROC. For a 2015 event, the clock is ticking loudly.

Power of Suggestion? Joint Legends-Symetra Patty Berg Tournament Set for April

A combined Symetra Tour-Legends Tour tournament, almost exactly what I suggested in September (Rochester’s Danielle Downey Classic Should Include LPGA “Legends” Competition; September 29, 2014) for next year’s Danielle Downey event at Brook-Lea in Rochester, has been announced for April 2015 in Florida. The Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial tournament will feature a 72-hole event for the Symetra players and a 36-hole event for the Legends Tour.

I’ll keep posting and maybe we can make more things just happen…

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.