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Five Hall-of-Famers Commit To Senior LPGA Championship Presented By Old National Bank At French Lick Resort

Last updated on Friday, May 12, 2017

(FRENCH LICK) - The Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank is approximately two months away and the 81-player field is starting to take shape.

Five World Golf Hall of Fame members - Laura Davies, Patty Sheehan, Hollis Stacy, Betsy King and Pat Bradley - have committed to the event along with an additional 12 LPGA Tour major champions.

The first major for former LPGA stars will take place on the Pete Dye Course at the French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana from Monday, July 10 through Wednesday, July 12. The total purse is $600,000 and all three rounds will be televised on Golf Channel.

"The names already committed are an impressive collection of talent that will no doubt create thrilling golf for fans in French Lick and the surrounding area along with the Golf Channel audience," said Tournament Director Mike Nichols. "Laura Davies - who is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished golfers worldwide - brings a great deal of recognition to the event and to have 17 LPGA major champs already committed is amazing."

Davies has won 84 tournaments around the world including 20 during her time on the LPGA Tour and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015. Sheehan, who won 35 times on the LPGA including six majors, was inducted into the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame in 1993. Hollis Stacy won 18 times on the LPGA including three U.S. Women's Open's and was elected to the WGHOF in 2011. King tallied 34 career wins including six majors and became an LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame member in 1995. King has devoted the last decade of her life to her Golf Fore Africa charity and vows to raise $10 million over the next five years to bring clean water to people in Zambia. Pat Bradley won 31 times and led the LPGA in wins in 1983 (4) and 1985 (5).

The 12 LPGA major winners in addition to the five Hall of Famers are Brandie Burton, Donna Andrews, Jan Stephenson, Sally Little, Cathy Johnston-Forbes, Jerilyn Britz, Liselotte Neumann, Pat Hurst, Christa Johnson, Martha Nause, Jenny Liback and Nancy Scranton.

In April, Michelle McGann and Jane Blalock joined Jan Stephenson at a media day in French Lick to discuss the tournament. All three are in the field. Blalock won 27 times, McGann won seven times while Stephenson won 16 times including three major titles.

The players that have committed won a combined 306 LPGA Tour events.

The field also includes Legends champions Trisha Johnson, Laurie Rinker and Lorie Kane, who all won on the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort.

The history of women's golf at French Lick dates back to 1957 where Louise Suggs captured the French Lick Women's Open on the historic Donald Ross course. A few years later the LPGA Championship was also brought to the historic site. In 1959 Betsy Rawls won the LPGA major followed by the legendary Mickey Wright winning the title in 1960 also held on the Ross course. In 2013 the resort hosted The Legends Championship on the Pete Dye course and opened up the LPGA Legends Hall of Fame. In 2017 the resort will add a new chapter with these elite and historic players.

Proceeds from the Senior LPGA Championship will directly benefit the kids at Riley Hospital for Children through the Riley Children's Foundation.

The weeklong celebration of women's golf will begin the weekend prior with a new Symetra Tour event on The Donald Ross Course at French Lick Resort from Friday-Sunday, July 7-9. The Symetra Tour's 54-hole tournament will have a purse of $200,000 and a winner's payout of $30,000.

The Senior LPGA Championship will host a pro-am on Saturday, July 8 on the Pete Dye Course. For more information including playing in the pro-am with an LPGA legend, sponsorship opportunities, or becoming a volunteer contact seniorlpga@frenchlick.com.

For more information about the Senior LPGA Championship, visit https://www.frenchlick.com/golf/events/seniorlpga/home.

About the LPGA

The LPGA is the world's leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and head- quartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing more than 30 countries. With a vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women's golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while the Symetra Tour, the official development and qualifying tour of the LPGA, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Additionally, LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management.

The LPGA demonstrates its dedication to the development of the game through The LPGA Foundation. Since 1991, this charitable organization has been committed to empowering and supporting girls and women through developmental and humanitarian golf initiatives, such as LPGA*USGA Girls Golf.

Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via www.LPGA.com. Join the social conversation at www.facebook.com/lpga, www.twitter.com/lpga and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo, and on Instagram and Snapchat at @lpga_tour.

About French Lick Resort

French Lick Resort is a $600 million historic restoration and casino development spread dramatically across 3,000 scenic acres. It encompasses both the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West Baden Springs Hotel, which have been fully restored to their original sophistication and luxury, combine for 689 rooms and are located about one mile apart. The casino, built adjacent to the French Lick Springs Hotel, opened in 2006. West Baden Springs, with its spectacular massive dome, opened in 2007 after having not been used for its original luxurious purpose since 1932. Other facilities and amenities at this world-class golf resort destination include two spas with a 36 treatment rooms (they continue to offer the Pluto Mineral Springs bath), over 51,000 square feet of gaming space, 165,000 square feet of meeting space and a variety of dining and entertainment options. Free shuttle buses serve golfers and visitors from around the world. Visit www.frenchlick.com.

About The Symetra Tour

The Symetra Tour -- Road to the LPGA is the official developmental tour of the LPGA and concluded its 36th competitive season in 2016. With the support of its umbrella partner, Symetra, the Tour's mission is to prepare the world's best young women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Since Symetra's inaugural sponsorship year in 2012, the Symetra Tour has grown from 16 tournaments and $1.7M in prize money to $3.5M in prize money awarded over the course of 23 tournaments -- the most events since 1988. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 418 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, Facebook.com/RoadtotheLPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA, and YouTube.com/Road2LPGA.

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