It began modestly enough in suburban Philadelphia, a quarter-century ago. Now, it has grown into the LPGA Tour's flagship event.
No one could have foreseen what was about to happen when the McDonald's Kids Classic made its debut in 1981 at White Manor Country Club located on the eastern edge of Chester County: It marked the return of women's professional golf to the Greater Delaware Valley area.
Five years prior to the debut, JoAnne Carner had won the U.S. Open at Rolling Green C.C. in Springfield, Delaware County; and other than that, you had to drive 2 hours west each summer to watch the Lady Keystone Open in either Harrisburg or Hershey.
But thanks to co-founders Herb Lotman and Frank Quinn, who were simply searching for a vehicle to raise money for charity, Philly had a tournament of its very own.
Carner and Sandra Palmer, who'd lost in a playoff at that 1976 Open, were again two of the headliners. There was a lineup of young stars including Beth Daniel. The purse was $150,000, the biggest Philly had ever seen for a women's tourney.
The event certainly didn't happen overnight, but it eventually did take off. In fact, over a decade later, the tourney moved to Delaware in 1987, with Wilmington's DuPont C.C. as the new host venue. However, some questioned whether that backing would continue. Much to their surprise, the entire state rallied around the week. And through the years, the list of champions have enhanced its reputation as a premiere championship.
It's been quite a journey for the LPGA Championship. In many ways, it's still moving forward.
The year 2005 brought another move to the Pete Dye masterpiece that is Bulle Rock in Havre de Grace. Like before, many were uncertain that the event would continue to thrive. But the last 3 years have illustrated otherwise.
The purse is in the $2 million range and so is the charitable contributions.
