BOSTON, Feb. 22, 2016 – LPGA Tour veteran Carin Koch of Sweden has committed to make her Legends Tour debut at the 5th annual Walgreens Charity Classic. The 36-hole event will return to Grandview Golf Course in Sun City West, Ariz.
The tour’s season-opening event is set for March 4-6, with a field of 50 Legends of the LPGA (age 45 and over) who will compete for a purse of $250,000. The event will also include a Legends Honors Division (age 63 and over) competing for a separate purse.
Koch, who won twice on the LPGA Tour and once on the Ladies European Tour, will join Swedish compatriot Liselotte Neumann in Arizona for her first tournament on The Legends Tour.
“I am very excited to play in my first Legends Tour event,” said Koch, who lived in Phoenix for nearly 15 years during her LPGA Tour career. “I’m really looking forward to seeing great friends and competing with some great legends of the LPGA.”
Koch made her mark as a formidable member of the European Solheim Cup team, where she posted an individual record of 10-3-3 on European teams in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005. She also served as captain of the 2015 European Solheim Cup team in Germany, where her squad was edged out by Juli Inkster’s Team USA in the closest finish in Solheim Cup history.
The Swede was the 1988 Swedish Girl Champion and played in the Junior and Senior European Amateur Team Championships as a member of the 1985-1991 Swedish National Amateur Team. She was also 1990 European Team Junior Champion.
As a collegian, Koch enrolled at the University of Tulsa, where she was a second-team All-American in 1990, and an Academic All-American in 1991. She turned professional in 1992.
A local qualifying tournament will be held on Thursday, March 3, prior to the competitive rounds. Two qualifying players will earn starting spots in the tournament field.
The tournament pro-am will be held on Friday, March 4, with competitive rounds set for Saturday and Sunday, March 5-6.
Advance daily tickets are currently on sale for $10 per adult at participating Arizona Walgreens stores. Daily tickets will be $15 per adult at the gate for tournament rounds. Kids 13 and under and all active military personnel with ID get in free.
Tickets for tournament rounds will include access to the Walgreens Healthy Living Expo, which will be staged adjacent to the clubhouse each day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Defending champion Kris Tschetter of Virginia will compete in this year’s Walgreens Charity Classic, as well as LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame members Amy Alcott, Pat Bradley, Donna Caponi, JoAnne Carner, Sandra Haynie, Juli Inkster, Betsy King, Nancy Lopez, Patty Sheehan and Hollis Stacy.
Local charities benefiting from all tournament proceeds will be the American Diabetes Association and Aunt Rita’s Foundation.
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