LPGA commissioner Michael Whan at the 2014 schedule announcement
The LPGA will return in 2014 with an expanded schedule featuring 32 tournaments including a new international team event.
The tour, which has experienced growth and schedule stability under the leadership of commissioner Mike Whan, is adding four new events to its schedule in addition to the International Crown tournament that was unveiled previously. More importantly for the LPGA, three of the new events will be based in the United States - in Michigan, California and Alabama. The inaugural International Crown event will be played in Maryland.
Prize money will also increase by more than $7 million, swelling to an all-time high of over $56 million, and 2014 television coverage jumps above 350 hours, surpassing the previous record set in 2013.
When Whan took the reigns of the LPGA in 2010, there were 24 tournaments on the schedule and the fear was that number was going to shrink as an economic recession was taking a toll on American corporations. Almost half of the tour's schedule was being played overseas. In just three short years, Whan has increased the North American schedule to 21 which should please a number of the U.S.-based players.
"There's no doubt that our schedule has a little something for everyone; but most importantly, it creates more opportunities for our players, more coverage for our fans, and more exposure for the world's best female golfers," said Whan.
"This is by no means a finished product but it's an enjoyable journey right now for our players and our partners and we're going to continue pushing toward something in which the LPGA's Founders and LPGA fans can be proud. We're excited about where we are, but even more excited about where we're going!"
Among the new stops in 2014 will be a return to Michigan for the first time in 13 years for the Meijer LPGA Classic, a return to the San Francisco area for the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, and a second event in Alabama, returning to Prattville after a one year absence. The fourth new event will likely see a second LPGA stop in China which will help round out the Tour's Asian swing in the fall by filling the open gap between the Taiwan and Japanese events. Details of that event will be confirmed in February.
While the published schedule shows 33 tournaments, the Tour is still hoping to finalize its stop in Portland, whose Safeway sponsorship ended at the conclusion of the 2013 event. The Portland event is the longest-running regular tournament on the LPGA Tour and Safeway had been the title sponsor since 1996.
Unlike past year's, LPGA fans won't have to wait long for the start of the new season. The Pure Silk Bahamas Classic kicks things off the last week of January. The tournament was moved up from its inaugural May date after devastating rain storms rendered a good chunk of the course unplayable. Rather than postpone the event, the tour opted to cobble together a 12-hole layout and the tournament went ahead as planned, providing a unique positive spin for the LPGA.
Once again there will be two Canadian stops with the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic moving back to its original early June date at Grey Silo Golf Course in Waterloo, Ont. The inaugural Canadian Pacific Women's Open will be held at London Hunt & Country Club the third week of August and its $2.25-million purse is the highest for a non-major tournament.
In the same vein as the PGA Tour's Presidents Cup, the International Crown event will give players outside of Europe who are not eligible to play in the biennial Solheim Cup a chance to face the world's best in a team format. The eight countries which will take part in the inaugural event include Australia, Chinese Taipei, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and the United States. The four players who will represent each country will be announced at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in April.
Another thing to watch for this year is the Women's U.S. Open which will be played at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina from June 19th-22nd. That is one week after the men contest the U.S. Open at the same venue, marking the first time that a men's and women's major golf tournament has been staged at the same venue in consecutive weeks.
The Women's British Open has been moved up one month because of the Commonwealth Games in Britain. It will be held July 10-13 at Royal Birkdale, one week before the British Open is held about 30 miles away at Royal Liverpool.