Tag Archives: LPGA
Otter Creek To Host Epson Tour Event
By Mike May The Epson Tour has two new events on its schedule this year and one of them is being held at Otter Creek in Columbus, June 14-16. The Otter Creek Championship will showcase the next generation of female golfers and will feature Indiana golfers. Zionsville’s Annabelle Pancake, Greenwood’s Erica Shepherd, and Westfield’s Cailyn Henderson […]
Annabelle Pancake Had a Magical Summer of Golf
By Mike May Zionsville-native Annabelle Pancake had a ‘bucket-list’ summer. Hopefully her experiences this year will provide the foundation for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. She competed in both amateur and professional tournaments in California, Pinehurst, French Lick and Midland, Michigan, plus The Princes Club in Kent, England. The high point […]
Indiana Based Gainbridge Supports New Partnership with LPGA & Annika Sorenstam
By Mike May Starting in 2023, The Pelican Women’s Championship will be renamed THE ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. It features a tournament purse of $3.25 million – the largest on the LPGA Tour outside of the major championships and the CME Group Tour Championship – with proceeds benefiting the ANNIKA Foundation. […]
Father & Daughter Work Scoreboard for LPGA Event
By Mike May While the LPGA’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, won by Lydia Ko, was held in late November at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, there was an Indiana element to the event. During the final two rounds of this 72-hole tournament, the father-daughter tandem of Brent and Kate Edwards of […]
Annabelle Pancake Remains In the News
Longtime Zionsville resident and current Clemson University junior Annabelle Pancake had two memorable competitive golf experiences last month. In early August, she competed in the Epson Tour’s French Lick Charity Classic, held at The Pete Dye Course. She was the only Indiana resident in the field, made the cut and finished in a tie […]
Thank-You Michael Whan For Saving the LPGA Tour
By Fred Altvater Jim Brown knew. Barry Sanders knew. The greats always know, but stay past their prime for one more shot at glory, trying to capture youth in a bottle for one more adrenalin rush. Michael Whan came to the LPGA, in 2010, when it was at its absolute lowest point. The previous […]
Sophia Popov’s Women’s OPEN Victory Began at Marathon Classic
By Fred Altvater The win by a Symetra Tour player Sophia Popov at the 2020 AIG Women’s OPEN at Royal Troon last month was certainly unexpected, but can be traced directly back to the restart of the LPGA Tour in Toledo at the beginning of August. WHO IS SOPHIA POPOV? One of the […]
Timely Interview with LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan
LPGA Tour Commissioner tells Back 9 Report TV what the tour may look like after COVID-19.
Michael Whan is the Best Administrator in All of Professional Sports
When Michael Whan accepted the job as LPGA Tour Commissioner in 2010, he had a tough task in front of him. The women’s tour was down to only 23 events, attendance was poor and there was very little television exposure. With no exposure, deep-pocket sponsors were unwilling to provide the funding necessary for adequate prize […]
LPGA and LET Announce Join Venture
By Fred Altvater At the end of November, the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour (LET) announced a joint venture to strengthen women’s professional golf around the world. This single announcement will have lasting effects and will provide an impetus to grow women’s professional golf around the world. LET Board Chairman, Marta Figueras-Dotti […]