As Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, N.Y., hosts the final Wegmans LPGA Championship this week, it may sound like the end of an era. But actually it’s the continuation of 60 years of major championship golf that has been played all over the country and will continue to thrive under a new partnership with the PGA of America.
Monroe, a 1924 Donald Ross design in suburban Rochester, N.Y., will be the 15th different course to host the tournament in 60 years, dating back to when Beverly Hanson won in 1955 at Orchard Ridge Country Club in Fort Wayne, Ind. The most frequent site has been the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Kings Island, Ohio (1978-89), followed by DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Del. (1994-2004). The event has been played as far west as Las Vegas and as far south as Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The LPGA and PGA America announced earlier this year that the new KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will debut at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y., next June. LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan said future site plans will “take this event to the very best golf courses in the country. … And this event is going to rotate. We are going to take it around the country to major markets and great golf courses. ”
With that in mind, here’s a look at the history of the tournament:
| Year | Course | City | Purse | Winner |
| 1955 | Orchard Ridge CC | Ft. Wayne, Ind. | $6,000 | Beverly Hanson |
| 1956 | Forest Lake CC | Detroit | $5,600 | Marlene Hagge |
| 1957 | Churchill Valley CC | Pittsburgh | $6,750 | Louise Suggs |
| 1958 | Churchill Valley CC | Pittsburgh | $7,000 | Mickey Wright |
| 1959 | Sheraton CC | French Lick, Ind. | $7,000 | Betsy Rawls |
| 1960 | Sheraton CC | French Lick, Ind. | $8,000 | Mickey Wright |
| 1961 | Stardust GC | Las Vegas | $14,000 | Mickey Wright |
| 1962 | Stardust GC | Las Vegas | $14,000 | Judy Kimball |
| 1963 | Stardust GC | Las Vegas | $16,500 | Mickey Wright |
| 1964 | Stardust GC | Las Vegas | $16,500 | Mary Mills |
| 1965 | Stardust GC | Las Vegas | $15,830 | Sandra Haynie |
| 1966 | Stardust GC | Las Vegas | $16,500 | Gloria Ehret |
| 1967 | Pleasant Valley CC | Sutton, Mass. | $17,500 | Kathy Whitworth |
| 1968 | Pleasant Valley CC | Sutton, Mass. | $20,000 | Sandra Post |
| 1969 | Concord Championship GC | Kiameshia Lake, N.Y. | $35,000 | Betsy Rawls |
| 1970 | Pleasant Valley CC | Sutton, Mass. | $30,000 | Shirley Englehorn |
| 1971 | Pleasant Valley CC | Sutton, Mass. | $53,000 | Kathy Whitworth |
| 1972 | Pleasant Valley CC | Sutton, Mass. | $50,000 | Kathy Ahern |
| 1973 | Pleasant Valley CC | Sutton, Mass. | $35,000 | Mary Mills |
| 1974 | Pleasant Valley CC | Sutton, Mass. | $50,000 | Sandra Haynie |
| 1975 | Pine Ridge GC | Towson, Md. | $55,000 | Kathy Whitworth |
| 1976 | Pine Ridge GC | Towson, Md. | $55,000 | Betty Burfeindt |
| 1977 | Bay Tree Golf Plantation | North Myrtle Beach, S.C. | $150,000 | Chako Higuchi |
| 1978 | Jack Nicklaus GC | Kings Island, Ohio | $150,000 | Nancy Lopez |
| 1979 | Jack Nicklaus GC | Kings Island, Ohio | $150,000 | Donna Caponi |
| 1980 | Jack Nicklaus GC | Kings Island, Ohio | $150,000 | Sally Little |
| 1981 | Jack Nicklaus GC | Kings Island, Ohio | $150,000 | Donna Caponi |
| 1982 | Jack Nicklaus GC | Kings Island, Ohio | $200,000 | Jan Stephenson |
| 1983 | Jack Nicklaus GC | Kings Island, Ohio | $200,000 | Patty Sheehan |
| 1984 | Jack Nicklaus GC | Kings Island, Ohio | $250,000 | Patty Sheehan |
| 1985 | Jack Nicklaus GC | Kings Island, Ohio | $250,000 | Nancy Lopez |
| 1986 | Jack Nicklaus Sports Center | Kings Island, Ohio | $300,000 | Pat Bradley |
| 1987 | Jack Nicklaus Sports Center | Kings Island, Ohio | $350,000 | Jane Geddes |
| 1988 | Jack Nicklaus Sports Center | Kings Island, Ohio | $350,000 | Sherri Turner |
| 1989 | Jack Nicklaus Sports Center | Kings Island, Ohio | $500,000 | Nancy Lopez |
| 1990 | Bethesda CC | Bethesda, Md. | $1,000,000 | Beth Daniel |
| 1991 | Bethesda CC | Bethesda, Md. | $1,000,000 | Meg Mallon |
| 1992 | Bethesda CC | Bethesda, Md. | $1,000,000 | Betsy King |
| 1993 | Bethesda CC | Bethesda, Md. | $1,000,000 | Betsy King |
| 1994 | DuPont CC | Wilmington, Del. | $1,100,000 | Laura Davies |
| 1995 | DuPont CC | Wilmington, Del. | $1,200,000 | Kelly Robbins |
| 1996 | DuPont CC | Wilmington, Del. | $1,200,000 | Laura Davies |
| 1997 | DuPont CC | Wilmington, Del. | $1,200,000 | Chris Johnson |
| 1998 | DuPont CC | Wilmington, Del. | $1,300,000 | Se Ri Pak |
| 1999 | DuPont CC | Wilmington, Del. | $1,400,000 | Juli Inkster |
| 2000 | DuPont CC | Wilmington, Del. | $1,400,000 | Juli Inkster |
| 2001 | DuPont CC | Wilmington, Del. | $1,500,000 | Karrie Webb |
| 2002 | DuPont CC | Wilmington, Del. | $1,500,000 | Se Ri Pak |
| 2003 | DuPont CC | Wilmington, Del. | $1,600,000 | Annika Sorenstam |
| 2004 | DuPont CC | Wilmington, Del. | $1,600,000 | Annika Sorenstam |
| 2005 | Bulle Rock GC | Havre de Grace, Md. | $1,800,000 | Annika Sorenstam |
| 2006 | Bulle Rock GC | Havre de Grace, Md. | $1,800,000 | Se Ri Pak |
| 2007 | Bulle Rock GC | Havre de Grace, Md. | $2,000,000 | Suzann Pettersen |
| 2008 | Bulle Rock GC | Havre de Grace, Md. | $2,000,000 | Yani Tseng |
| 2009 | Bulle Rock GC | Havre de Grace, Md. | $2,000,000 | Anna Nordqvist |
| 2010 | Locust Hill CC | Pittsford, N.Y. | $2,250,000 | Cristie Kerr |
| 2011 | Locust Hill CC | Pittsford, N.Y. | $2,500,000 | Yani Tseng |
| 2012 | Locust Hill CC | Pittsford, N.Y. | $2,500,000 | Shanshan Feng |
| 2013 | Locust Hill CC | Pittsford, N.Y. | $2,250,000 | Inbee Park |
| 2014 | Monroe GC | Pittsford, N.Y. | $2,250,000 | TBD |
| 2015 | Westchester CC | Rye, N.Y. | $3,500,000 | TBD |
About Monroe Golf Club
Monroe Golf Club in the suburban Rochester, N.Y., town of Pittsford, will host the Wegman’s LPGA Championship for the first time this week. The course was designed by famed architect Donald Ross in 1924, at virtually the same time as nearby Oak Hill Country Club, the site of multiple U.S. Opens. In 2007-2008, Gil Hanse restored the course to its original design, added bunkers and some tees. Hanse is designing the Olympic Games golf course in Brazil for the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games in 2016.
Monroe has been the site of the Monroe Amateur Invitational since 1937, with winners such as Dustin Johnson, Erik Compton, Jeff Sluman and Chris DiMarco.
Fans may be reminded of Pinehurst No. 2 this week because Monroe’s greens can be penal if players don’t hit the ball into the center as they roll off around the edges. The signature holes are the long, uphill par-3 13th which has a large false front and the par-5 14th, which will play 488 yards through an assortment of tall oak trees.
Best in the majors
Through three major championships, no players have recorded three top-10 finishes. However, six players have placed in the top 10 twice. Here’s a look at these players:
| Player | Kraft | U.S. Open | Ricoh British |
| Lexi Thompson | 1 | T7 | T54 |
| Michelle Wie | 2 | 1 | Cut |
| Stacy Lewis | 3 | 2 | T12 |
| Shanshan Feng | 6 | T15 | T2 |
| Angela Stanford | T7 | T30 | T5 |
| Amy Yang | 10 | 4 | T21 |
Etc.
One of the most startling things about Mirim Lee’s victory last week in the Meijer LPGA Classic was her distance off the tee. Lee, 23, averaged 280.4 yards last week, which ranked first in the field, and bettered season Driving Distance leader Lexi Thompson by two yards for the week. Thompson averaged 278.6 and finished 41st. … Americans have won 11 of the 19 LPGA events this season. But just one American (Cristie Kerr in 2010) has won the LPGA Championship in the last 14 years.
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