SAN FRANCISCO
TREATS 2015 SWINGING
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SKIRTS LPGA CLASSIC
Date: April 23-26 Venue: Lake Merced GC Format: 72 Holes Stroke Play Defending Champion: Lydia Ko
2015 WGC MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
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Date: April 29-May 3 Venue: TPC Harding Park Format: The 64-player field is di-
vided into 16 four-player groups. Each group will play round-robin matches on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The player with the best record in each of the four-player groups advances to the Round of 16 for single-elimination matches. The Round of 16 will be played Saturday morning, followed by the Quarterfinals on Saturday after- noon. The Semifinals will be Sunday morning, followed by the Champion- ship Match and Consolation Match on Sunday afternoon. Defending Champion: Jason Day
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LPGA Creamer’s reaction told the story. Soon after the LPGA announced its plans to hold a tournament at Lake Merced starting in April 2014, the first words of an email from Creamer read, “It’s about time we return to the Bay Area.” The Tour had vanished after a five-
year run at Blackhawk Country Club in Danville (2006-10). Longs-turned- CVS dropped out as the title sponsor and a replacement could not be found until Swinging Skirts, a non-profit organization based in Taiwan and determined to grow the game globally, agreed to come to Lake Merced. LPGA commissioner Michael
Whan embraced the partnership, most- ly because an event near San Francisco made perfect sense for Swinging Skirts officials. They wanted to show off golf ’s growth in Taiwan to American view- ers, and San Francisco seemed like an ideal market given its Asian American population and status as the gateway to the Pacific Rim. The size of the Bay Area doesn’t
hurt, either. “It’s great for us, because it show-
cases the LPGA to a bigger audience,” Whan said. “And a market like San Francisco has so many other business opportunities. It can turn into other tournaments and other business partnerships.”
This also makes sense given the
region’s deep ties to the women’s game. Inkster, Creamer, Pat Hurst and Chris- tina Kim are among the many LPGA pros who grew up in the Bay Area. Michelle Wie, one of the tour’s most recognizable players, attended Stanford. Inkster knows the LPGA needs
a strong, steady presence in the Bay Area, and that requires some degree of continuity—same course every year, strong field, easy access for spectators. “I hope we can have this event
here for a long time,” Inkster said. “It’s really important for the LPGA to be in this area. We want to build the audience and the fan base every year, so it becomes a big tournament. I’m optimistic it can work.” Last year’s inaugural edition went
well, even if the crowds were modest (Ko won with a 72nd-hole birdie). LPGA and Lake Merced officials have since extended their contract through 2016, so the Tour will remain in the Bay Area at least until then.
MATCH PLAY Finchem didn’t know exactly what to do with this event. Every year, the opening day created tantalizing theater. Every year, the weekend fell resoundingly flat. Then the longtime title sponsor (Accenture) bowed out, amid a drumbeat of player complaints about the uninspiring host course, The Golf Club at Dove Mountain outside Tucson, Ariz. Enter Harding Park. Finchem and his lieutenants needed
Lake Merced GC will host the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic through at least 2016. Pictured here is the 16th hole.
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NCGA.ORG / SPRING 2015
to return to Harding, so they moved the Match Play from its customary date (late February) to a more weather- friendly spot in late April. Just as im- portant, they changed the tournament’s format to make sure the big-name play- ers will hang around at least three days. “Part of our thinking was we wanted the best possible place to showcase this format for the future of the Match Play,” Finchem said. “That helped drive the decision of bringing it to Harding Park. Given the quality of our galleries there, serious golf fans would contribute a lot to the presenta- tion of this format.”
PHOTO: USGA
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