Jane Blalock is one of the LPGA Legends that will be playing in Versailles Friday and Saturday. (LPGA Legends Photo)
By JULIA SANDOR
The Legends of the LPGA are poised to compete in Kentucky for the first time in decades this Friday and Saturday in the Woodford Legends Invitational. The field is jam-packed with some of the greatest names in the history of women’s golf as 14 pairs of Legends will partner up and compete in an 18-hole, two-woman scramble at The Woodford Club here. Tee times start at 10 a.m. on Friday.
“It’s tricky,” said Sherri Steinhauer, a two-time major championship winner from Madison, Wisc., who got her first look at The Woodford Club golf course in Tuesday’s practice round. “You have to be careful with your approach shots. It’s not overly long, but it’s deceptive. The front nine with seven consecutive par 4’s after the first couple of holes is unique. I can’t recall seeing that on any other course.”
The Woodford Club is set up as a par 72 with three par 5 holes on the back nine which should make for an exciting finish with plenty of eagle and birdie opportunities heading into the home stretch.
Michelle McGann, a seven-time LPGA Tour champion from North Palm Beach, Fla., played the course last fall in a preview event for this inaugural tournament.
“The golf course is lusher than when we played it in October,” said McGann. “We’re going to have fun, and we’re going to kill it.”
McGann is teaming up with Laura Diaz of Ponte Verde, Fla., who played the LPGA Tour from 1999-2015, notching two wins.
“Laura and I will have the best outfits,” added McGann. “I’m bringing her a hat.”
Four two-person teams have won previous Legends team events, including World Golf Hall of Famer Laura Davies of Surrey, England and two-time Senior LPGA Championship winner Trish Johnson of Porthcawl, South Wales; 13-time LPGA Tour champion Rosie Jones and Michele Redman, LPGA and World Golf Hall of Famer Pat Bradley of West Hyannisport, Mass. and Jamie Fischer of Lake Forest, Ill., and most recently, 27-time LPGA Tour champion Jane Blalock of Cambridge, Mass., and major titleholder Patricia Meunier-Lebouc of Dijon, France.
“Rosie and I know each other’s games pretty well,” said Redman, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour who has also picked up five wins on the Legends of the LPGA. “We really enjoy team events, and I just love that she never gives up.”
Six two-person teams made up of area female amateur golfers will play alongside the Legends of the LPGA and compete for low amateur honors. Tournament proceeds will benefit official charity partners United Way of the Bluegrass and KVC Kentucky.
Tickets are $15 per day or buy a 2-day pass in advance for $20. Youth 17 and under are free. Tickets purchased at the gate are $20 each day. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.woodfordclubfoundation.org.
Gates open at 8:30 a.m. Tee times start at 10:00 a.m. on Hole 1. Free spectator parking is available at The Woodford Club clubhouse (495 McCowans Ferry Rd) and club grounds within walking distance of the fan experience area, driving range, first tee, and the 9th and 18th greens.
Shuttles will be available to take fans out on the course to a hospitality area with views of holes 8, 13, 14, 17 and 18. Food and beverages available for purchase on site. Restrooms are located near the clubhouse and on course in the hospitality area. Folding chairs are permitted. Please silence all devices. No flash cameras are permitted.
After parking, please enter through the main admissions gate to validate or purchase admission tickets and receive a course map and pairings schedule.
The Legends of the LPGA pride themselves on fan accessibility and limited roping. Fans are encouraged to request autographs and photos as players exit the official scoring area near the clubhouse following their rounds.
For more information and to follow live scoring online, visit http://www.legendsofthelpga.com.
Here are the Round 1 Pairings & Tee Times:
10:00 AM – Group 1
Abbie Lee (a) / Faith Martin (a)
Susan Stewart (a) / Elizabeth Eberle (a)
10:11 AM – Group 2
Elaine Crosby / Nancy Scranton
Suzy Whaley / Leta Lindley
10:22 AM – Group 3
Abigail Caine (a) / Anika Okuda (a)
C.A. Carter (a) / Athena Singh (a)
10:33 AM – Group 4
Jane Blalock / Patricia Meunier-Lebouc
Brandie Burton / Alicia Dibos
10:44 AM – Group 5
Laney Frye (a) / Claira Beth Ramsey (a)
Madison Borders (a) / Cathryn Brown (a)
10:55 AM – Group 6
Liselotte Neumann / Jane Geddes
Becky Morgan / Catriona Matthew
11:06 AM – Group 7
Michelle McGann / Laura Diaz
Sherri Steinhauer / Lisa DePaulo
11:17 AM – Group 8
Wendy Ward / Pat Hurst
Rosie Jones / Michele Redman
11:28 AM – Group 9
Hollis Stacy / Martha Leach (a)
Amy Alcott / Tammy Green
11:39 AM – Group 10
Pat Bradley / Jamie Fischer
Trish Johnson / Laura Davies
