LPGA At 22 Domestic Events, U.S. Women's Open A $5M Purse

The momentum of the LPGA Tour's business side continues under Commissioner Mike Whan's tenure, with purse increases at the majors and 22 events in the United States (but three domestic events disappear, including the Swinging Skirts at Lake Merced). 

Randall Mell notes the new events for GolfChannel.com as well as the purse increases.

The new schedule features four new events, the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Ladies Open, the McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open, the Indy Women in Tech event at Brickyard Crossing in Indianapolis and the Thornberry Creek Classic in Green Bay, Wis.

This Golfweek report notes the return of match play in a revamped Lorena Ochoa Invitational and the USGA's $1 million purse increase at the U.S. Women's Open.

On the match play event and the dying events.

The biggest surprise of Wednesday’s announcement is that match play will return to the LPGA schedule for the first time since 2012. The Lorena Ochoa Invitational, a tournament that struggled to get a strong field in recent years, will transition into the Lorena Ochoa Match Play and will feature a field of 64. The event will also move from the fall to the spring and will be held at Club de Golf México in Mexico City, the tournament site since 2014.

Three domestic events, the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic (Prattville, Ala.), Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic (Daly City, Calif.), and Coates Golf Championship (Ocala, Fla.) will not return. 2017 will mark the first time the LPGA hasn’t competed on a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail property in 19 years.

Comments

[The O]

Good to see some positive momentum for the LPGA.

[D. maculata]

Agree, O. Understand dropping the events in Ala. and Fla. but the Swinging Skirts? Was the golf course too hard? Lake Merced was one of the better venues on the LPGA Tour, hands down.

[Daddy Warbucks]

@D. maculata looks like a sponsor issue for Swinging Skirts. In 2016 the presenting sponsor CTBC Bank didn't actually sign on the dotted line until 5 or 6 weeks before the event in April, and it was a 1 year deal. Golf course was great, no cash available to fund the event.

[ReGripped]

Thanks for the insight on Swinging Skirts DW. That was one of my favorite venues on the tour and was really looking forward to it this year. Sad its going away!

[Bill Tedman]

While it's a shame that Lake Merced won't be a venue, at least the "Swing Skirts" tournament name won't be back...that was dreadful.