LPGA Playoffs at The ADT
Encyclopedia
The LPGA Tour Championship, in full the LPGA Tour Championship Presented by Rolex, was the season-ending women's professional golf
tournament on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour
. After two seasons it was discontinued, replaced by the CME Group Titleholders
in 2011
.
The tournament was created in 2009 to replace the ADT Championship
, which was discontinued after ADT
decided not to extend its sponsorship. The LPGA Tour Championship was not considered an extension of the ADT and its inaugaral edition was in 2009.
offices of Stanford Financial were raided and the firm's assets were frozen. In response to this action, the LPGA issued a statement that it was "monitoring developments regarding the situation."
On May 26, 2009, the LPGA announced that the tournament would still take place, without a sponsor and with the purse lowered to $1.5 million.
The tournament would be known as the LPGA Tour Championship. In September, Rolex
was added as the presenting sponsor. The 2009 tournament was played at the Houstonian Golf and Country Club in Richmond, Texas
, southwest of Houston.
of Sweden
finished the 54 holes at 13-under par, carding a 65 in the third round on Monday for a two stroke-victory over runner-up Lorena Ochoa
. The tournament was originally planned as a 72-hole event, but November weather intervened; Friday's second round was delayed and then curtailed by darkness, and weekend play was canceled due to rain. The second round was completed on Monday morning and the 36-hole cut was made, and the third round commenced immediately in calm and sunny conditions. The final day also held a large amount of suspense for the Player of the Year race between top-ranked Lorena Ochoa
of Mexico
and the year's leading rookie, Jiyai Shin of South Korea
. Ochoa's second place finish secured the Player of the Year award.
.
The 120-player field was reduced to the top-70 and ties after 36 holes, and the top-30 and ties after 54 holes. Maria Hjorth
of Sweden
shot a final round 72 to finish at 283 (-5) and won by a single stroke over runner-up Amy Yang
.
1n November.
1 The 2009 tournament was shortened to 54 holes due to weather.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournament on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
. After two seasons it was discontinued, replaced by the CME Group Titleholders
CME Group Titleholders
The CME Group Titleholders is a women's professional golf tournament, the season-ending event on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. It succeeds the LPGA Tour Championship, which was played for two seasons in 2009 and 2010...
in 2011
2011 LPGA Tour
The 2011 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 17, 2011 and had its last official event end on November 20, 2011 in Florida...
.
The tournament was created in 2009 to replace the ADT Championship
ADT Championship
The ADT Championship was a women's professional golf tournament on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. The season-ending event on the tour, it became the LPGA Playoffs at The ADT from 2006 through 2008.-History:...
, which was discontinued after ADT
ADT Security Services
ADT Security Services, originally American District Telegraph, now also known as simply ADT, is a division of Tyco International and a worldwide supplier of electronic security systems, fire alarm systems, communication systems, and integrated building management systems.-History:There were many...
decided not to extend its sponsorship. The LPGA Tour Championship was not considered an extension of the ADT and its inaugaral edition was in 2009.
Stanford Financial and SEC action
In November 2008 Stanford Financial was announced as the new sponsor of the tournament with a purse of $2 million. On February 17, 2009 the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Stanford chairman Allen R. Stanford in an $8 billion investment fraud scheme, and the HoustonHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
offices of Stanford Financial were raided and the firm's assets were frozen. In response to this action, the LPGA issued a statement that it was "monitoring developments regarding the situation."
On May 26, 2009, the LPGA announced that the tournament would still take place, without a sponsor and with the purse lowered to $1.5 million.
The tournament would be known as the LPGA Tour Championship. In September, Rolex
Rolex
Rolex SA is a Swiss watchmaking manufacturer of high-quality, luxury wristwatches. Rolex watches are popularly regarded as status symbols and BusinessWeek magazine ranks Rolex No.71 on its 2007 annual list of the 100 most valuable global brands...
was added as the presenting sponsor. The 2009 tournament was played at the Houstonian Golf and Country Club in Richmond, Texas
Richmond, Texas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,081 people, 3,413 households, and 2,628 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,975.4 people per square mile . There were 3,595 housing units at an average density of 965.3 per square mile...
, southwest of Houston.
Importance in year-end awards
In close races for LPGA season titles, the last tournament of the year often determines the winners of the year-end awards: Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Vare Trophy (lowest scoring average), and the Money List leader.2009 tournament
Anna NordqvistAnna Nordqvist
Anna Maria Nordqvist is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
finished the 54 holes at 13-under par, carding a 65 in the third round on Monday for a two stroke-victory over runner-up Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa Reyes is a Mexican professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010, and was the top-ranked female golfer in the world for over three years, from April 2007 to her retirement in May 2010...
. The tournament was originally planned as a 72-hole event, but November weather intervened; Friday's second round was delayed and then curtailed by darkness, and weekend play was canceled due to rain. The second round was completed on Monday morning and the 36-hole cut was made, and the third round commenced immediately in calm and sunny conditions. The final day also held a large amount of suspense for the Player of the Year race between top-ranked Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa Reyes is a Mexican professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010, and was the top-ranked female golfer in the world for over three years, from April 2007 to her retirement in May 2010...
of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the year's leading rookie, Jiyai Shin of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Ochoa's second place finish secured the Player of the Year award.
2010 Tournament
After months of uncertainty, the LPGA announced in early August that the 2010 LPGA Tour Championship would be played December 2-5 at the Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
The 120-player field was reduced to the top-70 and ties after 36 holes, and the top-30 and ties after 54 holes. Maria Hjorth
Maria Hjorth
Maria Anna "Mimmi" Hjorth is a Swedish professional golfer. She attended the University of Stirling in Scotland. She won more than twenty amateur titles including the 1995 European Ladies Amateur Championship. She turned professional in 1996 and played mainly on the Ladies European Tour that year...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
shot a final round 72 to finish at 283 (-5) and won by a single stroke over runner-up Amy Yang
Amy Yang
Amy Yang, also known as Yang Hee-Young is a Korean professional golfer, currently playing on the United States-based LPGA Tour and on the Ladies European Tour .-Amateur career:...
.
Field of players
The field was made up of the top 120 players on the LPGA official money list following the Mizuno ClassicMizuno Classic
The Mizuno Classic is an annual women's professional golf tournament, jointly sanctioned by the two richest women's professional tours: the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the LPGA of Japan Tour. It was an unofficial money event on the LPGA Tour from 1973 to 1975...
1n November.
Winners
| Year | Dates | Champion | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up | Tournament Location |
Purse ($ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 LPGA Tour The 2010 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 13, 2010 and ended in Florida on December 5, 2010... |
Dec 2–5 |  Maria HjorthMaria Hjorth Maria Anna "Mimmi" Hjorth is a Swedish professional golfer. She attended the University of Stirling in Scotland. She won more than twenty amateur titles including the 1995 European Ladies Amateur Championship. She turned professional in 1996 and played mainly on the Ladies European Tour that year... |
72-68-71-72=283 | −5 | 1 stroke |  Amy YangAmy Yang Amy Yang, also known as Yang Hee-Young is a Korean professional golfer, currently playing on the United States-based LPGA Tour and on the Ladies European Tour .-Amateur career:... |
Grand Cypress Golf Club | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
| 2009 2009 LPGA Tour The 2009 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through November 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association .... |
Nov 19–22 | Anna Nordqvist Anna Nordqvist Anna Maria Nordqvist is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:... |
70-68-65=2031 | −13 | 2 strokes |  Lorena OchoaLorena Ochoa Lorena Ochoa Reyes is a Mexican professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010, and was the top-ranked female golfer in the world for over three years, from April 2007 to her retirement in May 2010... |
Houstonian Golf & C.C. | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
1 The 2009 tournament was shortened to 54 holes due to weather.
Tournament records
| Year | Player | Score | Round | Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Na Yeon Choi Na Yeon Choi Na Yeon Choi is a South Korean female professional golfer playing on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour.-Amateur career:At age 17 in 2004, Choi won the ADT CAPS Invitational on the LPGA of Korea Tour , beating future Hall-of-Famer Se Ri Pak by four strokes. Choi turned professional shortly thereafter, in... |
64 (−8) | 3rd round | Houstonian Golf & Country Club |