Farr on 1-year hiatus for senior tourney
Written by Fred Altvater | | BackNine@toledofreepress.comJamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Tournament Director Judd Silverman and the LPGA announced June 29 that the tournament would take a one-year hiatus in 2011. The Jamie Farr will return in 2012 with a multi year contract. Although a contract with the LPGA to host the 2011 tournament had not been signed it was widely expected that the golf tournament would be hosted as normal.
Inverness Country Club in Toledo will host the USGA Senior Open in late July 2011. Silverman said hosting both the LPGA event, normally during the July 4 weekend and the USGA Senior Open so close together would stretch the resources of the community and would make it difficult to obtain adequate sponsors, as well as, volunteers to efficiently run both tournaments.
The Jamie Farr hosted its first tournament in 1984 at the Glengarry Country Club, currently Stone Oak Country Club. It has been played every year since except in 1986 when the the PGA Championship was at Inverness. The Jamie Farr tournament, with the help of more than 400 corporate sponsors and 1,200 volunteers, has donated millions of dollars to local children’s charities throughout its history.
Although this will cause a slight inconvenience for the ladies of the LPGA Tour with one less event to earn income at in 2011, in the long run, it is a victory for the LPGA and Toledo. The Jamie Farr will return in 2012 with a new long term contract with the LPGA and with improving economic conditions a larger purse for which the ladies can compete.
