By ANDREW HAZZARD
When the U.S. Women’s Open came to the lush greens of Old Waverly Golf Club in 1999, it left a good impression.
So good, in fact, that tournament chair Rick Milburn said that the LPGA Legends Tour, a division of female professional golfers over the age of 45, approached the West Point club about hosting the event.
“The folks of the LPGA Legends Tour are excited about coming back,” Milburn said.
That makes sense. The Handa Cup is a Ryder Cup-esque competition that will pit 12 American players against 12 international players in a stroke-play head-to-head format. Many players competing for the U.S. team played Old Waverly in the 1999 Open. One of them — Juli Inkster — won the whole thing. The title was the first of two U.S. Women’s Opens for Inkster.
“They’re just thrilled,” said Sue Fracker, marketing director of the LPGA Legends Tour. “Just because of the history here.”
Inkster will aim to leave her legacy in the Golden Triangle again by helping the U.S. take back the Handa Cup, which has shifted into foreign hands.
“For the first seven years, the United States dominated,” Fracker said.
In 2012, the event was tied after all 24 golfers had their say. The U.S. eventually won in a playoff. In 2013, the U.S. lost to the International team for the first time in the Handa Cup’s nine-year history.
Inkster will be a key contributor. She has the most wins for an American woman in Solheim Cup history. The Solheim Cup is similar to the Handa Cup, but for younger competitors.
The added excitement of the event means a more taxing workload for the Old Waverly staff. There are a lot of details for Old Waverly Director of Golf Chris Jester to handle.
“A ton of little things need to be attended to, whether it’s bleachers or garbage,” Jester said.
He said he believed getting the 1999 tournament was key to Old Waverly acquiring this event, and that the staff is ready to meet the challenge.
“Putting on world-class events is part of what we do,” Jester said.
The Old Waverly staff won’t go at it alone. Milburn said more than 200 volunteers will work throughout the weekend to help keep things running smoothly.
Old Waverly also has been hard at work securing sponsors. Milburn said they have been successful. The first big sponsor to join the event was Blue Cross Blue Shield of Jackson.
“They jumped on board immediately,” Milburn said.
Other major sponsors include Yokohama Tire Corporation, the Mississippi Development Authority, and Renasant Bank.
The event will begin with a pro-am Friday, Sept. 26. The pro-am will include local players, one of who will come from a young division of rising stars. The tournament will be Saturday and Sunday Tickets are $10 per person, per day. Children under 10 and military families with identification will be admitted free.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.