LPGA senior golf event coming to Springfield links

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The Ladies' Professional Golf Association will debut on the Springfield golf scene with the Springfield Business Journal Women's Senior Golf Tour Classic, to be held July 28 at Deer Lake Golf Links. |ret||ret||tab|

The one-day tournament gives local amateurs a chance to play with LPGA senior tour members, including professional golf's all-time wins leader, Kathy Whitworth. |ret||ret||tab|

Whitworth is the first LPGA pro to commit to play, Deer Lake's director of golf, Perry Leslie, announced at a press conference last week. |ret||ret||tab|

"This is the greatest women's golfer of all time," Leslie said of Whitworth, who owns 88 career titles, more than any other professional golfer in history, male or female. |ret||ret||tab|

The Pro Am tournament will consist of 20 teams, matching four amateurs to each senior tour member. The amateur players slots are available through sponsorship packages starting at $1,250.|ret||ret||tab|

Tournament proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks. |ret||ret||tab|

Springfield Business Journal Publisher Dianne Elizabeth, a BCFO supporter, conceived the tournament idea to benefit the foundation.|ret||ret||tab|

"We wanted to find a way to help," Elizabeth said. "The opportunity to present this unique tournament is an ideal answer. The WSGT, the official senior tour of the LPGA, will draw unprecedented local attention, underscoring the importance of BCFO's work and raising funds to help southwest Missouri victims and their families." |ret||ret||tab|

Leslie said 5,000 tickets are available to the general public for $10 a piece. A draw party and silent auction will take place July 27, the night before the tournament, at Chardonnay restaurant, 1620 E. Republic Road. Draw party tickets are $60 per person. |ret||ret||tab|

"This is a great thing for Springfield," said Mary Beth O'Reilly, founder of the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks. |ret||ret||tab|

O'Reilly started BCFO more than three years ago after a 31-year-old friend died of breast cancer. In the last year, the organization has served 50 breast cancer patients ranging in age from 25 to 72 with contributions of nearly $60,000 for housing needs, utilities, car payments, insurance, taxes and children's expenses. |ret||ret||tab|

The tournament's general chairman, Andy Osis, is seeking volunteers and sponsorships. |ret||ret||tab|

Leslie and tournament director Jay Edgar have a history of starting successful golf tournaments. |ret||ret||tab|

The two helped get the Greater Ozarks Open now Price Cutter Charity Championship here 13 years ago, when Leslie served as director of golf at Highland Springs. Edgar is executive director of One Tee LLC, a tournament management company.|ret||ret||tab|

Edgar hopes to name all 20 participating professionals by February. Edgar and Leslie have a wish list for the remaining 20 players, including Nancy Lopez.|ret||ret||tab|

"If somebody has an extra $20,000 laying around, Nancy Lopez will be here," Leslie said. |ret||ret||tab|

The goal is for the Pro Am to turn into a regular tour stop. |ret||ret||tab|

"We feel like eventually this thing will grow into a full-blown Women's Senior Tour event," Edgar said. |ret||ret||tab|

The Springfield Business Journal WSGT Classic is one of three tournaments the WSGT is holding hold next year. Another stop on the tour is the HyVee Classic in West Des Moines, Iowa. |ret||ret||tab|

"The Women's Senior Golf Tour is thrilled to be coming to Springfield this summer," said WSGT President Jane Blalock. "We are grateful to the Springfield Business Journal for providing us this opportunity to play for such a worthy cause the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks."|ret||ret||tab|

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