| Details |
| When |
Friday-Sunday, Aug. 20-22 |
| Where |
Country Club of the North, Beavercreek, Ohio |
| Purse |
$650,000 (Winner: $97,500) |
| Defending champion |
Meg Mallon |
| Par |
36-36--72 |
| Yardage |
6,331 |
| Television |
None |
| Tournament record |
17-under 199 (Meg Mallon, 1998; Dottie Pepper, 1998) |
| |
Hole by hole |
| |
Hole |
Par |
Yards |
| |
1 |
4 |
341 |
| |
2 |
3 |
159 |
| |
3 |
5 |
505 |
| |
4 |
4 |
396 |
| |
5 |
4 |
362 |
| |
6 |
4 |
377 |
| |
7 |
3 |
149 |
| |
8 |
5 |
489 |
| |
9 |
4 |
403 |
| |
Out |
36 |
3181 |
| |
10 |
4 |
368 |
| |
11 |
5 |
484 |
| |
12 |
4 |
379 |
| |
13 |
3 |
135 |
| |
14 |
4 |
359 |
| |
15 |
5 |
500 |
| |
16 |
4 |
358 |
| |
17 |
3 |
170 |
| |
18 |
4 |
397 |
| |
In |
36 |
3150 |
| |
Total |
72 |
6331 |
Meg Mallon will seek her third victory of the season when she defends her title at the Firstar LPGA Classic, beginning Friday at the Country Club of the North.
Mallon won the Naples LPGA Memorial in January and the Sara Lee Classic in May for her 10th and 11th career victories. She is currently sixth on the money list with $544,286 and has seven
top-10 finishes in 17 starts.
However, Mallon has not fared well in her last two events, ending up tied for 26th at the Big Apple Classic last month before struggling to a tie for 66th at the du Maurier Classic three weeks ago.
Mallon and Dottie Pepper both set a tournament record here last year with a 17-under 199. But it was Mallon who prevailed in the playoff, tapping in for par on the first extra hole as Pepper missed her 5-foot par attempt.
It was the first playoff in the five-year history of the tournament, which has always been played at the Country Club of the North but has gone by three different names over the years.
Juli Inkster is in the midst of the best season of her career, and she looks to continue her outstanding play this week.
| |
Past champions |
| |
The tournament began in 1994. Here are the past winners (x-won in playoff): |
| |
Year |
Champion |
| |
1998 |
x-Meg Mallon |
| |
1997 |
Colleen Walker |
| |
1996 |
Laura Davies |
| |
1995 |
Chris Johnson |
| |
1994 |
Maggie Will |
Inkster became just the second player of the LPGA's modern era to complete the career Grand Slam with her victories at the U.S. Women's Open and LPGA Championship in June. She is one victory away from admission to the Hall of Fame.
Inkster has finished no worse than a tie for sixth in her last eight events.
A winner of four tournaments this season, Inkster has earned a career-high $1,115,201 in 17 starts, second to leader Karrie Webb, who is skipping this event.
Se Ri Pak and Rachel Hetherington, both two-time winners this season, join Pepper among the other notables in the 144-player field this week.
Four of the top five players on the money list are taking the week off, including Webb, Annika Sorenstam, Lorie Kane and Sherri Steinhauer, who successfully defended her title at last week's Women's British Open.
