News

Patchwork LPGA Schedule For 2010

November 16, 2009

SUGAR LAND, Texas -- The 2010 LPGA season will begin in Thailand Feb. 18 and end at the LPGA Tour Championship Nov. 21, sources tell GolfDigest.com. There are 24 events on the schedule that will be released Wednesday morning, down from 34 in 2008 and 27 this year, a season that began with 31 events on the schedule. In all, there will be 17 off weeks between the first and last event in 2010.

The Wegman's tournament in Rochester, N.Y. will be the season's second major, the LPGA Championship, replacing long-time sponsor McDonald's. The first tournament played in the United States is not until the last week of March when the J Golf Classic, which was in Phoenix this year, is played at La Costa, Calif,. Missing from the schedule are the Sybase Classic and the long-time stop in Phoenix.

The 2010 schedule was put together under extremely trying circumstances: A mix of a bad economy and bad blood among tournament owners left over the the Carolyn Bivens commissionership. Many of the tournaments acting commissioner Marty Evans was able to lure back returned at lower purses.

Here is the schedule that was revealed to players Tuesday night at a meeting at the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship, which begins here Thursday at the Houstonian Golf Club:

Feb. 18-21: Honda PTT LPGA Championship (Thailand)

Feb. 25-28: HSBC Women's Champions (Singapore)

Mar. 4-7: OFF

Mar. 11-14: OFF

Mar. 18-21: OFF

March 25-28 LPGA J Golf Classic by (La Costa, Calif.)

Apr. 1-4: Kraft Nabisco Championship

April 8-11: OFF

Apr. 15-18: OFF

Apr. 22-25: OFF

Apr. 29-May 2 Tres Maria Championship (Mexico)

May 6-9: OFF

May 13-16: Bell Micro LPGA Classic (Alabama)

May 17-23: OFF

May 24-30: OFF

June 3-6: OFF

June 10-13: State Farm Classic (Illinois)

June 18-20: ShopRite LPGA Classic (Atlantic City)

June 24-27: LPGA Championship by Wegmans

July 1-4: Jamie Farr Owens Corning (Toledo)

July 8-11: U.S. Women's Open (Oakmont)

July 14-18: OFF

July 22-25: Evian Masters (France)

July 29- Aug. 1: Ricoh Women's British Open (Birkdale)

Aug. 5-8: OFF

Aug. 12-15: OFF

Aug. 20-22: Safeway Classic (Pumpkin Ridge, Ore)

Aug. 26-29: CN Canadian Women's Open

Sept. 2-5: OFF

Sept. 10-12: P&G Beauty (Arkansas)

Sept. 16-19: OFF

Sept. 23-26: OFF

Sept. 30-Oct. 3: Acapulco LPGA Classic (Mexico)

Oct. 7-10: Navistar (Alabama)

Oct. 14-17: CVS/pharmacy (California)

Oct. 21-24: OFF

Oct. 29-31: LPGA China

Nov. 4-7: Mizuno Classic (Japan)

Nov. 11-14: Lorena Ochoa Invitational (Mexico) Nov. 18-21: LPGA Tour Championship

(An additional LPGA event in Korea is listed as TBD for date, venue, purse and sponsor. The Tour Championship is TBD for sponsor and venue. The China stop is a TBD for sponsors and venue.)