Stats and Stuff: Shared Tournament Sites Common on LPGA

Last summer’s dual U.S. Opens at Pinehurst No. 2 drew rave reviews for placing the women and men on the same course in consecutive weeks. The opportunity for both the LPGA and PGA Tour players to compete on the same course was a rarity, but it isn’t without precedent, as there are eight venues on the LPGA schedule that also have active or former men’s professional tournaments.

This week’s Kingsmill Championship at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va., represents a long-standing tradition of professional golf – on the PGA Tour for 21 years and for the 11th year (non-consecutive) on the LPGA. The PGA Tour’s last tournament at the Pete Dye-designed course came in 2002 when Charles Howell III won on the River Course. The LPGA stepped in from 2003-9 on the same course and continued in 2012 with the current Kingsmill Championship.

Here’s a look at the last two playings of the event on the River Course on the PGA Tour and LPGA:

Also, here’s a look at the events on this year’s LPGA schedule that also have or had PGA Tour or European Tour-affiliated events:

Kerr’s Kingsmill success

Cristie Kerr has had great success in Williamsburg, Va., winning three times (2005, 2009, 2013) and accumulating six top-10 finishes. She also has won $1.1 million of her $16.4 million career earnings at Kingsmill. In all thee victories, she led after the third round and holds a 69.71 scoring average.

Among her 17 career LPGA victories, Kerr has won only one other event multiple times – the 2004 and 2010 State Farm Classics.

Lots of Brooke Henderson

Even though Brooke Henderson, 17, can’t become a LPGA member until she turns 18 on Sept. 10, the Canadian has made a quick start on becoming one of the game’s new young stars. She is in the field at this week’s Kingsmill Championship on a sponsor exemption, the second of six that she can receive this season.

In three starts this season, her first as a professional, Henderson has a best finish of third at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic in San Francisco. She led after the second and third rounds there. At the following week’s Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout, Henderson underwent hectic travel from San Francisco to Dallas and won a two-hole Monday qualifier that went to a Tuesday playoff to earn a spot in the field. She held the second-round lead at Las Colinas Country Club.

Henderson will be in the field at three of the next four LPGA events, two on sponsor exemptions and the other, the U.S. Women’s Open, based on a top-10 finish last year.

Here’s a look at her 2015 season, both the results and what’s to come:

Etc.

This week’s Kingsmill Championship broadcast will be a mix of taped and live coverage. The first two rounds Thursday and Friday on Golf Channel will be aired from 9-11 p.m., EDT, while the final two rounds have 5-7 p.m., air times. … Defending Kingsmill Championship winner Lizette Salas has one top-10 finish since her victory in Williamsburg, Va., last year. She finished T9 at the Portland Classic last August. Salas’ best finish this year was a T11 at the JTBC Founders Cup. … The River Course will mark the second consecutive week that a Pete Dye-designed course has been utilized on the professional stage. The Players Championship on the PGA Tour was played at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course last week. … China’s Shanshan Feng, ranked No. 4, is the only player in the Rolex Women’s Ranking top 10 not in this week’s field. … None of the top three players in the world have won the Kingsmill Championship. The best finish was a solo fifth last year by No. 1-ranked Lydia Ko.