2005 Hy-Vee Classic Field Announced
May 31, 2005 -- Seven Hall of Fame players will vie with WSGT rookies for
the title
WEST DES MOINES, IA – The sixth annual Hy-Vee Classic golf tournament
promises something for everyone – perennial favorites, new faces and lots
of free activities for the entire family.
Seven members of the LPGA Hall of Fame will be teeing it up June 16-19 at Hyperion
Field Club in the premiere Women’s Senior Golf Tour event – Amy
Alcott, Pat Bradley, Joanne Carner, Sandra Haynie, Carol Mann, Patty Sheehan
and Kathy Whitworth. The 52-member field also includes all five past winners
of the tournament – Jan Stephenson (2000), Colleen Walker (2001), Lori
West (2002), Marilyn Lovander (2003) and the defending champion, Elaine Crosby.
Joining them this year will be several new members of the WSGT, including 11-time
LPGA winner Jane Geddes, four-time winner Mary Beth Zimmerman and three-time
winner Dawn Coe-Jones, as well as Scottish professional Dale Reid, former captain
of Europe’s Solheim Cup team. Other newcomers include LPGA winners Missie
McGeorge and Shirley Furlong, Peruvian native Alicia Dibos and renowned amateur
player Laura Shanahan Rowe.
Returning for the first time since 2000 are three-time LPGA winner Muffin Spencer-Devlin
and Cindy Figg-Currier, an LPGA winner who remains active on the ladies’
tour. Also back this year is Cindy Miller, a teaching pro from upstate New York
who recently finished third in The Golf Channel’s “Big Break III”
reality series, where she became a fan favorite for her consistent play, professionalism
and positive attitude.
In all, members of the Hy-Vee Classic field this year have amassed 214 LPGA
victories, including 49 major titles. They’ll all be vying for the biggest
purse in women’s senior golf –$450,000, with a $75,000 check to
the winner.
Again this year, proceeds from the tournament will benefit Variety –
The Children’s Charity. Last year’s Hy-Vee Classic raised $250,000
for Variety, bringing the total raised since the event’s inception to
more than $800,000.
Several free events during the week will allow golf fans to mingle with and
learn from the pros. On Tuesday June 14, WSGT professionals will host a women’s
golf clinic at 4:30 p.m. at Hyperion Field Club in Johnston. The fifth annual
General Mills Junior Golf Clinic, for boys and girls ages 8-18, will be held
at the Hyperion practice range on Wednesday June 15 from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m. Fans
also are invited to follow the pros on their rounds during the Procter &
Gamble Pro-Am event on Thursday and Friday, June 16 and 17, with tee times beginning
at 7 a.m.
Tournament competition will be Saturday and Sunday, June 18-19. Tickets for
the Saturday-Sunday professional tournament are $10 per day and are available
in advance at any Hy-Vee or Drug Town location, or at the gate on tournament
day. Children under 18 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.