Celebrating the Founders Cup — Moms on tour — Must-click women’s golf links
By Addie Parker
The IX: Golf Thursday with Addie Parker, May 12, 2022
11 years ago, former LPGA commissioner Mike Whan established the Founders Cup to commemorate the 13 amazing founders of the LPGA Tour. For so many of us, we love this event because it connects past, present, and future. This week, this tournament serves as a trip down memory lane and an investment into the next generation of women’s golf. What had started off as charity event has transformed into the largest payout of outside of the majors and and the CME Group Tour Championship (the purse this week is $3 million, the winner takes home $450,000).
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Tour vet and faithful participant of the Founders Cup Brittany Lincicome spoke to the media Wednesday. “I think originally we all thought he was crazy, but now it’s blossomed into a beautiful event…Just helping kids in general is what it’s all about. Leaving the game better than what it was when I came out here has been my goal for 18 years now. Helping Girls Golf or the First Tees. I just love seeing kids out. Mike’s vision back then was something we were all, like, oh, is this going to work, how is this going to work, and now it’s turned into this beautiful event. We’re obviously very grateful for his vision.”
The LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program is the primary beneficiary of the Cognizant Founders Cup. Over the past six years, the Founders Cup has raised almost $4 million dollars for the Girls Golf Program.
Though a dollar (plus 499,999) can make us holler, our hearts are heavy as we feel the absence of Shirley Spork. She was the heart and soul of the Founders Cup and things won’t be the same without her. Commissioner Samaan said that the tournament will be honoring her in many different ways and I look forward to seeing how they do so over the next couple of days.
The tournament kicks off Thursday with Nancy Lopez as the honorary starter who will be hitting the first tee shot. To find out how to watch, stream, or stay updated with the tournament over the weekend, click here. If you find yourself wanting to learn more about the founders or are looking for something new to watch, check out the 2016 documentary about The Founders!
There’s a level of connectedness that the LPGA has that sets it apart from the PGA Tour (especially with all the mayhem with the LIV Tour) and the Founders Cup is our annual reminder that this tour is a family, and we are lucky to be apart of it and shaping the organization just like the original 13 women.
“Golf is a game of coordination, rhythm, and grace; women have these to a high degree.”
— Babe Zaharias, one of the 13 founding member of the LPGA
This week in women’s golf
If you have links you wish to share for Golf Thursday, sources for golf news, or want to talk about anything at all, you can email me at addieparker25@gmail.com ! Discussion of any kind is always welcome…I mean it…MESSAGE ME!
LPGA News
The LPGA has announced a significant change to its Q-Series criteria. From now on, in order to to compete in the Q-series to earn a LPGA card, players must turn professional. This is a big time change, Beth Ann Nichols breaks down implications for amateurs.
Girls Golf and Alabama Alum, Lakareber Abe will play in her first LPGA event! “If you look at junior, amateur and college golf, there’s a lot more diversity, and I think the depth of women’s golf has grown tremendously over the past few years. You’ll continue to see that trend for years to come…” Read what she, and players like Brittany Lincicome are saying about what the Founders Cup means to them.
Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan writes a touching tribute to Shirley Spork ahead of this week’s event. Her presence has been missed greatly, but this this week especially.
New sponsorship alert!!!! The AmazingCre Portland Classic will bring the world’s top women professional golfers to the city of Portland this Sept. 12–18, 2022.
Our dear friend Sarah Kellam is at it again with an incredible piece on motherhood in the golf industry! Her must-read pairs nicely with this week’s Five at The IX (hint hint)!!!
LET News
This week’s event: everything you need to know about the Aramco Team Series – Bangkok and how to watch it.
Click here for all the details about the 2022 Estrella Damm Ladies Open. The tournament will bring together the best golfers on the circuit at a spectacular venue that, in addition to offering its magnificent course, acts as a natural balcony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea…it doesn’t get any better than that!
The LET is partnering with John Deere in an initiative to becoming more sustainable to insure a better quality of life (and playing)!
Epson Tour News
Dorsey Addicks is the definition of “if there’s a will, there’s a way”. She competes on the tour while living in an Airstream, racking up 20,000 miles and counting. Such a cool story!!!
At 17, I was also asking my dad for money but not like Alexa after coming in SECOND in her pro golf debut.
NCAA News
For a full break down of who won each region and who to watch out for in Arizona, click here. A couple Thursday’s ago, I told y’all that Oregon and San Jose State were making some noise and they both are headed to the natty…predictions are coming next week!
College Performers of the Week, powered by Rapsodo: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women’s golf
College Performers of the Week powered by Rapsodo: Lucie Charbonnier, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Other News
Meet Kathy and Kay Cornelius, the only mother-daughter pair in history to win USGA championships
Five at The IX: Moms on the LPGA Tour
In 1993, the LPGA became the first sports league in the world to offer free traveling day-care for players and staff. For so many women who are professional athletes, the decision to start a family comes at the risk of potentially sacrificing their careers. All too often, they wonder if they have children, will they ever be able to win again?
This week’s Five at The IX will take you exactly five minutes and thirty-three seconds to watch and it’s beyond worth it. Enjoy!
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