BOSTON, MA – LPGA Hall of Famer Juli Inkster juggles time these days as both a competitor and a second-year television announcer for Fox TV, but the Californian says she is eager to defend her title Aug. 19-21, at The Legends Championship presented by Old National Bank.
“French Lick is a tough golf course and it is fun to play,” said Inkster, winner of 31 LPGA titles with two wins and five top-10 finishes in five starts on The Legends Tour since her 2014 debut.
“They do a really nice job running the tournament and they draw big galleries there, so it’s fun to play for the people,” added Inkster. “I’m looking forward to going back.”
The Legends Tour will return for the fourth year to compete on the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort in French Lick, Ind. This year’s Legends Championship will bring a field of 50 Legends division players and eight Legends Honors division players (age 63 and over) to compete in the 36-hole event. Local qualifiers will be announced at a future date.
“We are thrilled to return to French Lick with an incredibly strong field of Hall of Famers and veteran LPGA Tour stars,” added Legends Tour CEO Jane Blalock, who will compete in the Legends Honors division.
The Legends Championship will offer a tournament purse of $325,000, awarding $37,700 to the winner. The Legends Honors event will compete for a separate purse.
The event’s pro-am tournament will be held Friday, Aug. 19, followed by the annual Legends Tour Hall of Fame induction dinner. Elaine Crosby and LPGA Hall of Famer Sandra Haynie will join the Legends Tour’s Hall that evening.
“The Legends Tour gives people a chance to keep playing,” said Inkster, who won last year’s tournament before she headed to Germany as captain of the victorious 2015 U.S. Solheim Cup team. “I wanted my young Solheim Cup team members to know that you don’t have to be perfect to win and that you can also win at any age and at any time. I think they got a big kick out of it.”
Inkster will return as captain of the 2017 U.S. Solheim Cup squad. And her return to French Lick this summer just might set up another reminder to players trying to make her team that this Hall of Famer always has her eye on the trophy.
“You just have to be ready to win whenever your time comes,” she said.
Tickets will be $15 for adults, with youth 13 and under, as well as active military with ID admitted free. Tickets will be valid for both rounds of the championship with 100 percent of all proceeds benefiting Riley Children’s Hospital. To purchase tickets, visit ticketmaster.com.
The field for The Legends Championship presented by Old National Bank is as follows:
Andrews, Donna – Southern Pines, N.C.
Atsedes, Lori – Goodyear, Ariz.
Bartholomew, Jean – W. Palm Beach, Fla.
Blalock, Jane – Cambridge, Mass. (Honors Div)
Bradley, Pat – W. Hyannisport, Mass. (HOF)
Britz, Jerilyn – Laverrne, Wis. (Honors Div)
Caponi, Donna – Orlando, Fla. (HOF) (Honors Div)
Carner, JoAnne – Lake Worth, Fla. (HOF)
Crafter, Jane – Phoenix, Ariz.
Crosby, Elaine – Jackson, Mich.
Davies, Laura – Surrey, England (HOF)
DePaulo, Lisa – Austin, Texas
Dibos, Alicia – Greenwich, Conn.
Dickinson, Judy – Tequesta, Fla. (Honors Div)
Doolan, Wendy – Lakeland, Fla.
Dormann, Dana – Pleasantville, Calif.
Estill, Michelle – Princeton, Iowa
Figg-Currier, Cindy – Austin, Texas
Finney, Allison – Bermuda Dunes, Calif.
Graham, Gail – Naples, Fla.
Grimes, Lisa – Minneapolis, Minn.
Hamlin, Shelley – Laveen, Ariz. (Honors Div)
Haynie, Sandra – Denton, Texas (HOF)(Honors Div)
Hurst, Pat – Danville, Calif.
Inkster, Juli – Costa Mesa, Calif. (HOF)
Iverson, Becky – Madison, Wis
Jeray, Nicole – Berwyn, Ill.
Johnson, Christa – Tucson, Ariz.
Johnson, Trish – Coventry, England
Jones, Rosie – Atlanta, Ga.
Kane, Lorie – Orlando, Fla.
Lidback, Jenny – Phoenix, Ariz.
Lovander, Marilyn – Punta Gorda, Fla.
McGann, Michelle – N. Palm Beach, Fla.
Moxness, Barb – Edina, Minn.
Mucha, Barb – Orlando, Fla.
Nause, Martha – Minneapolis, Minn.
Neumann, Liselotte – Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Palli, Anne Marie – Scottsdale, Ariz.
Palmer, Sandra – Long Beach, Calif. (Honors Div)
Pitcock, Joan – Fresno, Calif.
Rarick, Cindy – Tucson, Ariz.
Redman, Michele – Plymouth, Minn.
Rinker, Laurie – Stuart, Fla.
Scherbak, Barb – West Palm Beach, Fla.
Schreyer, Cindy – Peachtree City, Ga.
Scranton. Nancy – St. Augustine, Fla.
Shanahan-Rowe, Laura – Hampton, N.H.
Sheehan, Patty – Reno, Nev. (HOF)
Skinner, Val – Bay Head, N.J.
Stacy, Hollis – Holmes Beach, Fla. (HOF)
Stephenson, Jan – New Port Richey, Fla. (Honors Div)
Tschetter, Kris – Warrenton, Va.
Turner, Sherri – Phoenix, Ariz.
West, Lori – San Diego, Calif.
Young-Robyn, Kathryn – Imperial Beach, Fla.
For more information on The Legends Tour, visit www.thelegendstour.com.
About The Legends Tour
The Legends Tour is the official senior tour of the LPGA. The tour began in 2000 by LPGA professionals to showcase the talents of some of the greatest women’s golfers of all time. The Legends Tour has more than 120 members, including 14 LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame members. Legends Tour players have over 750 combined LPGA Tour victories, including 84 major championships. In its 16th season, The Legends Tour has awarded more than $13 million in prize money and helped raise over $17 million for charity. The Legends Tour has hosted events in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Japan and Australia. For additional information on The Legends Tour, log on to www.thelegendstour.com.
About French Lick Resort
French Lick Resort is a $600 million historic restoration and casino development spread dramatically across 3,000 scenic acres. It encompasses both the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West Baden Springs Hotel, which have been fully restored to their original sophistication and luxury, combine for 689 rooms and are located about one mile apart. The casino, built adjacent to the French Lick Springs Hotel, opened in 2006. West Baden Springs, with its spectacular massive dome, opened in 2007 after having not been used for its original luxurious purpose since 1932. Other facilities and amenities at this world-class golf resort destination include two spas with a 36 treatment rooms (they continue to offer the Pluto Mineral Springs bath), over 51,000 square feet of gaming space, 165,000 square feet of meeting space and a variety of dining and entertainment options. Free shuttle buses serve golfers and visitors from around the world. Visit www.frenchlick.com
Contact:
Legends Tour
Sue Fracker
(617) 513-4716
sfracker@jbcgolf.com
French Lick Resort
Dyan Welsh Duncan
(812) 936-5926
dduncan@frenchlick.com
Fusion Media Strategies
Kevin Frisch
(989) 614-0241
kevin@fusionmediastrategies.com
