LPGA's 2011 schedule will again have holes

The LPGA schedule for 2011 will be a work in progress when it is released Jan. 6. There will be at least 22 events planned for next year and perhaps as many as 26. But the Tres Marias Championship will be on the schedule even though it is highly unlikely to be held because of security concerns in Mexico resulting from the ongoing drug war. The CVS/pharmacy Classic in California, which was on the schedule in 2010 when 23 official events were played, will not be back in 2011. The Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic will take 2011 off because of the close proximity of the U.S. Senior Open.

Sources familiar with the situation say an event in China the week after the Ricoh Women's British Open and two tournaments in the United States are still in the negotiation stage, although the tour is said to be optimistic.  The schedule compiled by GolfDigest.com, based on information from tournament websites and other sources familiar with the situation, includes 22 events, leaving off Mexico and the three pending tournaments. The schedule indicates 10 off weeks before the LPGA Championship is played June 23-26, which will start a run of three majors in six weeks. In addition to these official tournaments, the LPGA will have the Solheim Cup in Ireland Sept. 23-25 and a couple of limited-field events with unofficial money.  There are seven full-field, non-major events played in the United States in 2011

Feb. 17-20  Honda PTT LPGA Thailand

Feb. 24-27  HSBC Women's Champions (Singapore)

March 3-6 OFF

March 10-13 OFF

March 17-20 OFF

March 24-27 Kia Classic (City of Industry, CA)

March 31-April 3 Kraft Nabisco Championship

April 7-10 OFF

April 14-17 OFF

April 21-24 OFF

May 5-8 OFF

May 12-15 OFF

May 19-22 Sybase Match Play Championship

May 26-29 OFF

June 3-5 ShopRite LPGA Classic

June 9-12 LPGA State Farm Classic

June 16-19 OFF

June 23-26 LPGA Championship by Wegmans

June 30-July 3 OFF

July 7-10 U.S. Women's Open

July 14-17 OFF

July 21-24 Evian Masters

July 28-31 Ricoh Women's British Open

Aug. 4-7 OFF

Aug. 11-14 OFF

Aug. 19-21 Safeway Classic

Aug. 25-28 CN Canadian Women's Open

Sept. 1-4 OFF

Sept. 9-11 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

Sept. 15-18 OFF

Sept 23-25 Solheim Cup, Killeen Castle, Ireland

Oct. 27-30 LPGA Taiwan

__Tournaments still awaiting a date:

__

Bell Micro LPGA Championship

Navistar LPGA Classic

LPGA Hana Bank Championship (Korea)

LPGA Malayasia

Mizuno Classic (Japan)

Lorena Ochoa Invitational (Mexico)

LPGA Tour Championship

The last two months of the season will likely look like this:

Sept. 29-Oct.  2 OFF

Oct. 6-9 Navistar

Oct. 13-16 OFF

Oct. 20-23 Korean

Oct. 27-30 Taiwan

Nov. 3-6 Malaysia

Nov. 10-13 Japan

Nov. 17-20 Mexico

Nov. 24-27 OFF

Dec. 1-4 Tour Championship

*-- Ron Sirak