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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Addition Of Volvik Championship Pushes LPGA Schedule To Level Commissioner Envisioned

LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan yesterday announced that the new Volvik Championship in Michigan is "officially being added to next year’s schedule," and the '16 calendar now is "nearly full, as Whan envisions it," according to Randall Mell of GOLFCHANNEL.com. The event takes place Memorial Day weekend in Ann Arbor, and if the Reignwood Classic in China "returns as expected" in '16, the LPGA is "looking at a schedule of 33 official events next year." That is "34 overall events" including the unofficial Int'l Crown. The Volvik Championship is "scheduled as a 72-hole event with a field of 144 players" and a $1.3M purse. Volvik "signed a three-year contract as title sponsor." Almost from the day he became commissioner five years ago, Whan has said that he "believes 34 official events are optimum." Whan: “Somebody said, ‘Why would you stop there?’ I think at the LPGA, we can’t get away with having only two of the top 50 in the field of an event and have the sponsor be happy, TV be happy and have our ratings stay high. ... With 33 or 34 events, we can take strategic breaks through the year. We can have an off-season, which both the players and the commissioner prefer." Mell noted Whan has "rebuilt the LPGA schedule from an anemic 23 events" in '11. The '16 schedule "looks as if it will feature 23 domestic/North American events," including the Int'l Crown, which is "up from 14 just four years ago" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 10/7).

WERE THEY WEARING KHAKIS? ESPNW.com's D'Arcy Maine noted the LPGA "decided to do it big" in announcing the Volvik Championship, as golfers Victoria Elizabeth, Katherine Kirk and Amy Anderson "put on their best maize and blue gear and headed to the Big House to hit some balls." While the PR campaign was "definitely a genius way to get some attention for the new tournament, it seems Elizabeth -- a Dayton, Ohio, native -- wasn't exactly thrilled to be rocking Michigan gear" (ESPNW.com, 10/7).

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