RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup Brings the LPGA Back to Phoenix, An Area Rich in LPGA History
The LPGA has Hosted Tournaments in the Phoenix Area for 36 Years;
Seen 28 Different Winners including One LPGA Founder, 12 LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame members
PHOENIX, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011 - The RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup will bring the LPGA back to the Phoenix area after a one-year hiatus from the golf-rich city. Karrie Webb was the last player to win in the Phoenix area after she won the 2009 J Golf Phoenix LPGA International Presented by Mirassou Winery at Papago Golf Course. The LPGA's history in Phoenix dates back to 1962 when 88-time LPGA Tour winner Kathy Whitworth captured the Phoenix Thunderbird Open at Paradise Valley Country Club.
"The LPGA has a very rich history in the Phoenix area," said Kelly Hyne, Vice President, LPGA Properties. "We always enjoy coming back here and we're especially excited to be able to honor our Founders in a city that has supported the LPGA so well through the years."
Three-time LPGA winner Brittany Lincicome, who joined the LPGA in 2005, says, "I'm extremely happy the Tour is returning to Phoenix where we've always had strong supporters and great fans. It's important for us to honor our Founders while focusing on the future of the game. Phoenix is a perfect market for us to do this because we have such a rich history in the area and hopefully we'll be in the Phoenix market for many years to come."
The LPGA has hosted tournaments in the Phoenix area for 36 years and has seen 28 different winners. Laura Davies, who won the Standard Register PING four consecutive times from 1994-1997, holds the record for most wins in the area. Additional multiple-year winners are: Judy Rankin (1973, 1976); Pat Bradley (1987, 1990); Danielle Ammaccapane (1991, 1992); Webb (1999, 2009); Annika Sorenstam (2001, 2004) and Lorena Ochoa (2007, 2008).
The Phoenix area has seen one LPGA Founder hoist a trophy. Marlene Bauer Hagge, one of the 13 pioneering women to establish the LPGA, won the 1965 Phoenix Thunderbirds Open at the Biltmore Country Club, which was one of her 26 career LPGA Tour victories.
Twelve LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame members have won in the Phoenix area. The 12 players include Whitworth, Sandra Haynie, Hagge, Rankin, Beth Daniel, Betsy King, Bradley, Patty Sheehan, Webb, Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak and Juli Inkster.
| LPGA Tournaments in the Phoenix Area |
|
| Year | Tournament Name, Course, Winner |
| 1962 | Phoenix Thunderbird Open, Paradise Valley Country Club, KATHY WHITWORTH, 213 (-3) |
| 1963 | Phoenix Thunderbirds Open, Arizona Biltmore Golf Club, SANDRA HAYNIE, 286 (-2) |
| 1964 | Phoenix Thunderbirds Open, Arizona Biltmore Golf Club, RUTH JESSEN, 289 (+1) |
| 1965 | Phoenix Thunderbirds Open, Arizona Biltmore Golf Club, MARLENE HAGGE, 290 (-4) |
| 1975 | Karsten-PING Open, Camelback Country Club, JANE BLALOCK, 209 (-4) |
| 1976 | Karsten-PING Open, McCormick Ranch Golf & Country Club, Scottsdale, JUDY RANKIN, 205 (-11) |
| 1980 | Sun City Classic, Hillcrest Golf Club, Sun City West, JAN STEPHENSON, 275 (-13) |
| 1981 | Sun City Classic, Hillcrest Golf Club, Sun City West, PATTY HAYES, 277 (-15) |
| 1982 | American Express Sun City Classic, Hillcrest Golf Club, Sun City West, BETH DANIEL, 278 (-10) |
| 1983 | Samaritan Turquoise Classic, Arizona Biltmore Golf Club, ANNE-MARIE PALLI, 205 (-14) |
| 1984 | Samaritan Turquoise Classic, Arizona Biltmore Golf Club, CHRIS JOHNSON, 276 (-12) |
| 1985 | Samaritan Turquoise Classic, Arizona Biltmore Golf Club, BETSY KING, 280 (-8) |
| 1986 | Standard Register/Samarian Turquoise Classic, Arizona Biltmore, MARY BETH ZIMMERMAN, 278 (-10) |
| 1987 | Standard Register Turquoise Classic, Moon Valley Country Club, PAT BRADLEY, 286 (-2) |
| 1988 | Standard Register Turquoise Classic, Moon Valley Country Club, OH-KEE KU, 281 (-7) |
| 1989 | Standard Register Turquoise Classic, Moon Valley Country Club, ALLISON FINNEY, 282 (-6) |
| 1990 | Standard Register Turquoise Classic, Moon Valley Country Club, PAT BRADLEY, 280 (-12) |
| 1991 | Standard Register PING, Moon Valley Country Club, DANIELLE AMMACCAPANE, 283 (-9) |
| 1992 | Standard Register PING, Moon Valley Country Club, DANIELLE AMMACCAPANE, 279 (-13) |
| 1993 | Standard Register PING, Moon Valley Country Club, PATTY SHEEHAN, 275 (-17) |
| 1994 | Standard Register PING, Moon Valley Country Club, LAURA DAVIES, 277 (-15) |
| 1995 | Standard Register PING, Moon Valley Country Club, LAURA DAVIES, 280 (-12) |
| 1996 | Standard Register PING, Moon Valley Country Club, LAURA DAVIES, 284 (-8) |
| 1997 | Standard Register PING, Moon Valley Country Club, LAURA DAVIES, 277 (-15) |
| 1998 | Standard Register PING, Moon Valley Country Club, LISELOTTE NEUMANN, 279 (-13) |
| 1999 | Standard Register PING, Moon Valley Country Club, KARRIE WEBB, 274 (-14) |
| 2000 | Standard Register PING, The Legacy Golf Resort, CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM, 276 (-12) |
| 2001 | Standard Register PING, Moon Valley Country Club, ANNIKA SORENSTAM, 261 (-27) |
| 2002 | PING Banner Health, Moon Valley Country Club, RACHEL TESKE, 281 (-7) |
| 2003 | Safeway PING Presented by Yoplait, Moon Valley Country Club, SE RI PAK, 265 (-23) |
| 2004 | Safeway International Presented by Coca-Cola, Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club, ANNIKA SORENSTAM, 270 (-18) |
| 2005 | Safeway International Presented by Coca-Cola, Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club, ANNIKA SORENSTAM, 277 (-11) |
| 2006 | Safeway International Presented by Coca-Cola, Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club, JULI INKSTER, 273 (-15) |
| 2007 | Safeway International Presented by Coca-Cola, Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club, LORENA OCHOA, 270 (-18) |
| 2008 | Safeway International Presented by Coca-Cola, Superstition Mountain, Golf and Country Club, LORENA OCHOA, 266 (-22) |
| 2009 | J Golf Phoenix LPGA International Presented by Mirassou Winery, Papago Golf Course, KARRIE WEBB, 274 (-14) |
About the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup
The RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup represents the collective responsibility shared by LPGA players and sponsors - the responsibility to honor the history of the LPGA and a commitment to the future of the women's game. LPGA players will forego tournament earnings to support the LPGA Foundation and its LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program which impacted more than 6,600 young girls in 2010. With special appearances by LPGA Founders and LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame members, the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup will honor the past, showcase the present and provide for the future of the LPGA and women's golf.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.LPGAFounders.com or by calling1-888-LPGATIX (574-2849). Children 17 and under will receive free tournament admission with a ticketed adult. Active military members and their immediate family can receive free tournament admission when showing a valid active military ID at the main admission gate.
The RR Donnelley LPGA Founder Cup Pro-Am will take place on Thursday, March 17 and the first round begins on Friday, March 18 with the tournament concluding on Sunday, March 20.
About RR Donnelley
RR Donnelley, Official Print Provider of the LPGA, is a global supplier of integrated communications. Founded in 1864, the company works collaboratively with more than 60,000 customers worldwide to develop custom communications solutions that reduce costs, enhance ROI and ensure compliance. Drawing on a range of proprietary and commercially available digital and conventional technologies deployed across four continents, the company employs a suite of leading Internet based capabilities and other resources to provide premedia, printing, logistics and business process outsourcing services to leading clients in virtually every private and public sector. For more information, and for RR Donnelley's Corporate Social Responsibility Report, visit the company's web site at http://www.rrdonnelley.com.
About JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa
Arizona's largest luxury resort, JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa features 950 guestrooms, 10 dining experiences, the renowned Revive Spa, eight tennis courts and four acres of shimmering pools and waterways including the celebrated Lazy River with a serpentine slide, and two championship golf courses. JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa is located where Phoenix meets Scottsdale, just 20 minutes north of Sky Harbor International Airport, with easy access to the Loop 101 freeway. For more information about JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa located at 5350 E. Marriott Drive in Phoenix, call 480-293-5000, toll free at 800-835-6206 or visit www.jwdesertridgeresort.com.
About the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association)
The LPGA is the world's leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950, the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 1,700 members representing 29 different countries. With a Vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women's golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while dedicated LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management. The LPGA Futures Tour serves as the official developmental tour of the LPGA, consistently producing a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via: www.LPGA.com, www.facebook.com/lpga.official, www.twitter.com/lpga, and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo.
