The LPGA State Farm Classic was a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour. It was played annually from 1976 to 2011 in the Springfield, Illinois metropolitan area. From 1976 through 2006, the tournament was held at The Rail Golf Course. In 2007 it moved to Panther Creek Country Club.
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Springfield, Illinois, U.S. |
| Established | 1976 |
| Course(s) | Panther Creek Country Club (2007-2011) |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,746 yards (6,169 m) |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play - 72 holes |
| Prize fund | $1,700,000 |
| Final year | 2011 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 264 Cristie Kerr (2004) |
| To par | –24 Cristie Kerr (2004) |
| Final champion | |
 Yani Tseng | |
Originally known as the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Golf Classic, the tournament was underwritten solely by the owners of The Rail Golf Course for its first two years. A community-based not-for-profit organization took over the tournament in 1978. State Farm Insurance became the title sponsor in 1993. From 1980 until cancellation in 2011, over $2.5 million was contributed from tournament proceeds to medical and children's charities.
On December 9, 2011, it was announced the tournament was being cancelled due to organizers failing to find a new sponsor.[1] It had been announced earlier in the year that State Farm would be dropping its sponsorship after 2011.[2]
Tournament names through the years:
- 1976: Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Classic
- 1977: Rail Muscular Dystrophy Classic
- 1978–1992: Rail Charity (Golf) Classic
- 1993–2000: State Farm Rail Classic
- 2001–2006: State Farm Classic
- 2007–2011: LPGA State Farm Classic
Winners
edit| Year | Dates | Champion | Country | Score | Tournament Location |
Purse ($) | Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Jun 9–12 | Yani Tseng | Taiwan |
267 (−21) | Panther Creek Country Club | 1,700,000 | 255,000 |
| 2010 | Jun 10–14 | Cristie Kerr (2) |  United States |
266 (−22) | Panther Creek Country Club | 1,700,000 | 255,000 |
| 2009 | Jun 4–7 | In-Kyung Kim |  South Korea |
271 (−17) | Panther Creek Country Club | 1,700,000 | 255,000 |
| 2008 | Jul 17–20 | Ji Young Oh | South Korea |
270 (−18)* | Panther Creek Country Club | 1,700,000 | 255,000 |
| 2007 | Aug 30 – Sep 2 | Sherri Steinhauer | United States |
271 (−17) | Panther Creek Country Club | 1,300,000 | 195,000 |
| 2006 | Aug 31 – Sep 3 | Annika Sörenstam |  Sweden |
269 (−19) | The Rail Golf Course | 1,300,000 | 195,000 |
| 2005 | Sep 1–4 | Pat Hurst | United States |
271 (−17) | The Rail Golf Course | 1,300,000 | 195,000 |
| 2004 | Sep 2–5 | Cristie Kerr | United States |
264 (−24) | The Rail Golf Course | 1,200,000 | 180,000 |
| 2003 | Aug 28–31 | Candie Kung | Taiwan |
202 (−14) | The Rail Golf Course | 1,200,000 | 180,000 |
| 2002 | Aug 29 – Sep 1 | Patricia Meunier-Lebouc |  France |
270 (−18) | The Rail Golf Course | 1,100,000 | 165,000 |
| 2001 | Aug 30 – Sep 2 | Kate Golden | United States |
267 (−21) | The Rail Golf Course | 1,000,000 | 150,000 |
| 2000 | Sep 1–3 | Laurel Kean | United States |
198 (−19) | The Rail Golf Course | 900,000 | 135,000 |
| 1999 | Sep 4–6 | Mi Hyun Kim | South Korea |
204 (−12) | The Rail Golf Course | 775,000 | 116,500 |
| 1998 | Aug 28–30 | Pearl Sinn | United States |
200 (−16) | The Rail Golf Course | 775,000 | 116,500 |
| 1997 | Aug 30 – Sep 1 | Cindy Figg-Currier | United States |
200 (−16)* | The Rail Golf Course | 600,000 | 90,000 |
| 1996 | Aug 31 – Sep 2 | Michelle McGann | United States |
202 (−14)* | The Rail Golf Course | 575,000 | 86,250 |
| 1995 | Sep 2–4 | Mary Beth Zimmerman | United States |
206 (−10)* | The Rail Golf Course | 550,000 | 82,500 |
| 1994 | Sep 3–5 | Barb Mucha | United States |
203 (−13) | The Rail Golf Course | 525,000 | 78,750 |
| 1993 | Sep 4–6 | Helen Dobson |  England |
203 (−13)* | The Rail Golf Course | 500,000 | 82,500 |
| 1992 | Sep 5–7 | Nancy Lopez (2) | United States |
199 (−17)* | The Rail Golf Course | 450,000 | 67,500 |
| 1991 | Pat Bradley (2) | United States |
197 (−19) | The Rail Golf Course | 400,000 | 60,000 | |
| 1990 | Beth Daniel (2) | United States |
203 (−13) | The Rail Golf Course | 300,000 | 45,000 | |
| 1989 | Beth Daniel | United States |
203 (−13) | The Rail Golf Course | 250,000 | 41,250 | |
| 1988 | Betsy King (3) | United States |
207 (−9) | The Rail Golf Course | 500,000 | 33,750 | |
| 1987 | Rosie Jones | United States |
208 (−8) | The Rail Golf Course | 200,000 | 30,000 | |
| 1986 | Betsy King | United States |
205 (−11)* | The Rail Golf Course | 200,000 | 30,000 | |
| 1985 | Betsy King | United States |
205 (−11) | The Rail Golf Course | 185,000 | 27,750 | |
| 1984 | Cindy Hill | United States |
207 (−9) | The Rail Golf Course | 175,000 | 26,250 | |
| 1983 | Lauri Peterson | United States |
210 (−6) | The Rail Golf Course | 150,000 | 22,500 | |
| 1982 | JoAnne Carner (2) | United States |
202 (−14) | The Rail Golf Course | 125,000 | 18,750 | |
| 1981 | JoAnne Carner | United States |
205 (−11) | The Rail Golf Course | 125,000 | 18,750 | |
| 1980 | Nancy Lopez | United States |
275 (−13) | The Rail Golf Course | 125,000 | 18,750 | |
| 1979 | Jo Ann Washam | United States |
275 (−13) | The Rail Golf Course | 100,000 | 15,000 | |
| 1978 | Sep 1–4 | Pat Bradley | United States |
276 (−12) | The Rail Golf Course | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| 1977 | Hollis Stacy | United States |
271 (−17) | The Rail Golf Course | 100,000 | 15,000 | |
| 1976 | Sep 3–5[3] | Sandra Palmer | United States |
213 (−3)* | The Rail Golf Course | 100,000 | 15,000 |
* Championship won in sudden-death playoff.
- 1976 and 1981–2000 — 54-hole tournament
- 1977–1980 and 2001–2011 — 72-hole tournament, although the tournament in 2003 was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
Tournament records
edit| Year | Player | Score | Round | Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Laura Davies | 62 (−10) | 1st | The Rail Golf Course |
| 1997 | Kathryn Marshall | 62 (−10) | 2nd | The Rail Golf Course |
| 2004 | Christina Kim | 62 (−10) | 1st | The Rail Golf Course |
| 2006 | Annika Sörenstam | 62 (−10) | 4th | The Rail Golf Course |
| 2008 | Hee-Won Han | 61 (−11) | 3rd | Panther Creek Country Club |
References
edit- ^ No sponsor, no LPGA in Springfield
- ^ State Farm dropping event sponsorship
- ^ Kane, Dave (June 6, 2010). "State Farm Classic marks 35 years". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved 2010-06-11.