Delaware has lost one of the few national sporting events it could claim as its own. The McDonald's LPGA Championship is leaving the DuPont Country Club in Rockland for Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Md.
DuPont has been home to the McDonald's tournament since it moved from White Manor Country Club in Malvern, Pa., in 1987. In 1994, the tournament became one of the four majors on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour and was renamed the McDonald's LPGA Championship. Now, the 2005 McDonald's LPGA Championship will be held June 6-12 at Bulle Rock, a nationally recognized public course 35 miles from Wilmington.
The purse for the event is expected to increase as a result. According to tournament co-founder Frank Quinn, the move, which will be announced at a news conference today, was based in part on other financial motives - the money raised for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
The tournament typically drew more than 100,000 fans a year and pumped millions into the state's economy.
The McDonald's Championship has raised $41.6 million in its 24-year history.
This year the tournament donated $1.6 million, a figure greatly affected when the second day of play was wiped out by rain. It was the first time since 1997 the tournament raised less than $2 million.
"We believe that we can raise more money down there," Quinn said Sunday night. "The DuPont Country Club has been an excellent home for us. We raised a lot of money in Delaware. It's like when you sell your house and move to a bigger house. You're not leaving because you didn't like the neighborhood - you just wanted a bigger house."
DuPont Country Club, at the moment, would have to be considered a fixer-upper. The course is undergoing a 10-month renovation that will improve the greens, which had come under criticism from LPGA players in the last several years. Meanwhile, Bulle (pronounced bull-ee) Rock was one of 16 courses in the country to be given a five-star rating this year by readers of Golf Digest. In 2003, Golf Digest named it the best course in Maryland.
"The whole idea when the golf course was built was to someday host a major championship," said Richard Rounsaville, Bulle Rock general manager and director of golf. "This, fortunately, came to us."
DuPont has had its renovation plan in place since 2000 and was improving the course for its members, not just the LPGA. Four weeks ago, during this year's tournament, LPGA Commissioner Ty Votaw said of the renovation, "It's not something we asked for. Clearly, we'll be interested in the results. But this is a darn good golf course right now."
Clearly, not good enough. And clearly, the renovations came too late for the tournament's sake.
"I wish they'd done it years ago when the problems became apparent," Quinn said. "But I won't degrade DuPont Country Club. With the renovation, it will still be a championship course."
A course that LPGA stars like Annika Sorenstam, Grace Park and Juli Inkster will have no reason to ever play again.
"I'm a little disappointed they won't get to play on the course after the renovations," said DuPont Country Club assistant general manager John Gosselin, who wasn't aware of the tournament's departure until reached Sunday night. "We're a busy place and will continue to be a busy place. I have no idea why they moved."
Votaw did not return messages Sunday night. Gov. Ruth Ann Minner also did not return several calls.
Delaware still has the two NASCAR races run each year at Dover International Speedway. Golf fans can still make the drive to Havre de Grace, and the tournament organizers hope that many of the hundreds of volunteers needed for the tournament will follow the event down the road. But fans will surely miss one of the events on the state's small sports calendar that drew national interest.
Departure will be felt
"This is a tremendous loss because it was something that we called our own," said Kevin Reilly, the former Philadelphia Eagles football player who served as an announcer at the tournament and was part of the initial discussions that brought the event to DuPont. "This is a major blow to the state from the standpoint of sports recognition. It's a real shame."
Losing the tournament will be an economic blow to the state as well. Quinn has estimated that the event brought in $10 million to the local economy as hotel rooms were booked, restaurants were overrun and many LPGA visitors hit the malls for tax-free shopping.
And the members of DuPont Country Club will lose the bragging rights that come with national exposure and the chance to see the best women golfers in the world play your home course.
"I was proud to say that I belonged to the course where the LPGA plays a major tournament," said Karyn Osmundson, a DuPont member and the president of the Delaware chapter of the Executive Women's Golf Association. "Nothing lasts forever, but there seemed to be a positive relationship between McDonald's and DuPont. I'm shocked."
Source: The News Journal (Wilmington, Del.)