Love to watch the ladies on the tour? I'm always inspired each time I'm able to sit down and watch a tournament. Well, there will be fewer opportunities to watch ladies golf tournaments on the LPGA circuit next year.
The 2010 LPGA schedule will include only 23 events-- 13 of them in the United States -- to give the tour its smallest schedule in nearly 40 years. Only six of these tournaments are scheduled before June, according to a report by Golfweek.
Last year the tour announced 31 events for 2009, though only 27 were played as the economy led several sponsors to withdraw after the schedule was assembled.
The LPGA Championship is being moved to Locust Hill Country Club outside Rochester, N.Y., with regional supermarket chain Wegmans replacing McDonald's as sponsor of the season's second major.
Newly named the LPGA Championship Presented by Wegmans, the $2.25 million tournament will be held June 27th.
McDonald's had been involved with the event since it was founded as the McDonald's Kids Classic in 1981. The Rochester LPGA stop began in 1977 as the Bankers Trust Classic and was frequently mentioned in the past as a candidate for major status because of consistent fan support.
McDonald's announced earlier this year it would not return in 2010 as sponsor of the LPGA Championship. The Rochester event reportedly was also briefly at risk as relations between local organizers and LPGA officials became strained this summer during negotiations on a new deal.
That situation contributed to then-commissioner Carolyn Bivens resigning under pressure as players expressed concern about the shrinking tournament schedule amid reports that Bivens was at odds with numerous tournament organizers.
- Jen
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