BOSTON, June 25, 2018 – Members of The Legends Tour will be among the 120 players in the field for this year’s inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship.
The new United States Golf Association championship is set for July 12-15, at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill. The event will feature a number of former U.S. Women’s Open champions, including Legends Tour members Pat Bradley, Laura Davies, JoAnne Carner, Juli Inkster, Betsy King, Liselotte Neumann, Patty Sheehan and Hollis Stacy.
This year’s championship offers a brand new USGA event for any female professional or amateur golfer who is 50 years of age by July 12, and has a handicap index not exceeding 7.4. It will parallel the U.S. Senior Open, already staged for men.
“This is a historic event of mammoth proportions, so to have the chance to participate in this championship is so significant on many fronts,” said Legends Tour founder Jane Blalock, winner of 27 LPGA tournaments, who will compete in the event. “Those of us who did not win a U.S. Open will now have another chance.”
“I think this championship will really help jumpstart the opportunities for the legends of the LPGA,” added Legends Tour Hall of Fame member Elaine Crosby, also in the tournament field. “Senior women amateurs have had many opportunities to compete, but it has been very spotty for the pros. This event will hopefully highlight great senior women professionals.”
Crosby credits The Legends Tour for giving senior women professionals a place to play and also lauded Legends Tour members for continuing to seek their own USGA-sanctioned championship.
“Without The Legends Tour, this event might not have happened,” she added. “The Legends Tour has made it possible for retired LPGA players to keep their games sharp and has given former top names in the women’s game a place to compete.”
Players competing in this year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open advanced into the field through numerous sectional qualifying sites, as well as by exemptions granted by the USGA.
“I’ve been thinking about this event ever since it was announced,” added Legends Tour member Maggie Will. “I have no idea what to expect, but I’m excited for the opportunity to play at historic Chicago Golf Club.”
Legends Tour members who recently qualified for the U.S. Senior Women’s Open:
Lori Atsedes – Goodyear, Ariz.
Missie Berteotti – Pittsburgh, Pa.
Barb Bunkowsky – West Palm Beach, Fla.
Elaine Crosby – Jackson, Mich.
Annette DeLuca – Tequesta, Fla.
Lisa DePaulo – Austin, Texas
Dana Dormann – Pleasanton, Calif.
Kathryn Imrie – Portola Valley, Calif.
Anne Marie Palli – Phoenix, Ariz.
Susie Redman – The Woodlands, Texas
Laura Shanahan Rowe – Hampton, N.H.
Suzanne Strudwick – Knoxville, Tenn.
Nancy Taylor – Tampa, Fla.
Suzy Whaley - Cromwell, Conn.
Maggie Will – Richmond, Va.
For more information about The Legends Tour, visit www.thelegendstour.com.
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