Author: lenz

Sainz’ title defense in Chicago Open is in limbo

Carlos Sainz Jr. will be the focal point of the Chicago Open, the last big tournament of the local season – assuming he plays, that is.

Sainz, 28, earned his PGA Tour card two weeks ago and the premier circuit’s 2014-15 season begins next week. The Chicago Open features a pro-am on Friday and tournament rounds Sunday through Tuesday (OCT 3-5) at Cantigny, in Wheaton.

The first event of the PGA Tour’s next season is the Frys.com Open, a California event that starts two days after the Chicago Open concludes. The problem is, Sainz hasn’t secured a place in the field for what might be his first PGA Tour event and he might not know if he’s in until the last minute.

Latest report is that he’s the No. 6 alternate in the Frys.com Open. He’s also the defending champion in the Chicago Open. The Frys.com Open has a $5 million prize fund. Last year’s Chicago Open paid $50,00 last year, but it does offer Sainz a competitive event. As a tour player, he must go where the money is, and he played tournaments 14 weeks in a row at one point this season.

In addition to playing lots of tournaments this year, he also found competition in Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Panama and Mexico in addition to the U.S. So, squeezing in events in Chicago and San Martin, Calif., in the same week isn’t that big a deal.

“I’ll play the Chicago Open unless I know I’m in the Frys,’’ said Sainz. “As of now I’m not. We’ll see how things go.’’

Sainz, who grew up in Elgin and attended Larkin High School before moving on to Mississippi State University, doesn’t have much priority on the PGA Tour’s performance list. He was No. 49 of the 50 qualifiers off the Web.com Tour’s advancement list. That means he’ll have trouble getting into the big-money PGA Tour events.

“I’ll get into 15-20 events,’’ he said. “It comes down to, when I get in, I’ve got to be ready to play. It might be harder for me, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’ll get in enough events, in my eyes, to make it.’’

So, Sainz will be watching the priority list on a daily basis to see if enough players withdraw for him to compete. If enough drop out early enough he could skip the Chicago Open and head straight to California. He could also try to get into the Frys event via a Monday qualifying tournament, but he’d prefer competing in the Chicago Open to doing that.

“I’ll know where I stand,’’ he said. “Every tournament has between two and 10 guys withdraw. If I’m close I’ll play the Chicago Open, then head to California and practice there Wednesday and play in the tournament.’’

Sainz will face a similar dilemma for most of the season. In fact, he might not get into a PGA Tour event until January. His money total come September will determine where he plays next season. If he’s in the top 125 he’ll remain on the PGA Tour for another season. If not, he’ll be back to the Web.com Tour Finals, where he earned his PGA Tour card for this season.

The Chicago Open will be played for the 25th time, and is part of Cantigny’s 25th anniversary season. The Chicago Open, though has had an on-again, off-again history. The Illinois Junior Golf Assn. revived it last year as its primary fundraiser.

This year’s tourney has 147 entrants. In addition to Sainz they include Mark Hensby, former winner of the Illinois State Amateur, Illinois Open and PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic; Illinois men’s coach Mike Small, who won the Illinois PGA Championship for a record 11 times in August; and former Northwestern star Jack Perry.

Steinhauer’s bomb brings Handa Cup back to U.S.

WEST POINT, MS. – Given the Americans’ lack of success in the last three Ryder Cup matches and the last two Solheim Cups, Sunday’s U.S. victory in the ISPS Handa Cup represented a breath of fresh air.

Captain Nancy Lopez and her U.S. team celebrate the regaining of the Handa Cup.

The U.S. had struggled in the previous two Handa Cups, the premier team event put on by the LPGA Legends Tour. After six straight victories the World teams managed a tie with the U.S. in 2012 and its first victory in 2013.

This year’s ninth staging was up for grabs after the teams battled to a 12-12 tie after Saturday’s best ball and alternate shot matches. In Sunday’s 12 singles matches, however, it was a different story. The U.S. got the better of those, winning 28-20 to take a 7-1-1 edge in the series.

Both teams sent out their big guns early. Reigning Scottish Open champion Trish Johnson was 5-under-par on the front nine en route to winning the day’s first match against Laurie Rinker, winner of the Legends Championship last month.

Beth Daniel put the U.S. ahead with a win over Lorie Kane in Match 2 and the third – a much anticipated duel between Juli Inkster, in her first Legends competition at age 54, and England’s Laura Davies was an epic.

Davies was 1-up before her tee shot went left at No. 9 and ended up a lost ball. She took a bogey to Inkster’s birdie, and Inkster never trailed again. She matched Johnson as the best player of the final day, touring Old Waverly Golf Club in 5-under par.

“I had a lot of chances,’’ said Inkster after catching fire on the same course on which she won the U.S. Women’s Open in 1999. “I had three-putted for bogey at the fifth and three-putted for double bogey at the seventh, so Laura owed me a little and I made some putts on the back nine. It all works out.’’

Inkster was delighted with her visit to the Legends and may play another event before the year is out.

“I enjoyed playing. I had a blast hanging out with the gals I grew up with and went to college with and played a lot of golf with. It’s been a lot of fun. I’d love to come back if they invited me back.’’

That’s certain to happen, and Inkster said she might play in November’s 36-hole Walgreen’s Charities Championship in Florida if she doesn’t make the field for an LPGA stop in Japan.

Inkster’s win over Davies gave the U.S. a 16-14 lead, and the groups playing behind them couldn’t keep pace. The U.S. seemed headed for victory at that point, though, leading in six of the remaining nine matches and standing all square in two others.

The World team got within 19-17 after more matches were completed but Pat Bradley’s gutty double bogey on the last hole, which netted a point for a tied match with Alison Nicholas, kept the U.S. comfortably in front at 24-18.

“If ever there was a good double bogey, that was it,’’ said Bradley. “I wanted to show all the youngsters here that you should never give up.’’

She didn’t, and Sherri Steinhauer clinched the Cup for the U.S. in the next match with a dramatic 30-foot putt on the last hole against Alicia Dibos.

“I remember some advice I received when we were way down,’’ said Steinhauer. “Get your point, get your point, get your point! My goal was just to get my point.’’

Steinhauer hadn’t played a competitive round since getting a bad break in August’s Legends Championship at French Lick, in Indiana. She shot a course record 63 in the second round at the challenging Pete Dye Course to get within striking distance of leader Rinker, but the final round was rained out and Rinker was declared the champion.

Since that near miss Steinhauer suffered torn cartilage in her ribs and wasn’t sure if she could play at Old Waverly.

“I was so excited to come here,’’ she said. “This was all about playing as a team, and our team just jelled. Any time you play for your country you want to play well.’’

The last two matches couldn’t affect the team outcome, and both Old Waverly owner George Bryan and Legends chief executive office Jane Blalock said they’d welcome a return to the beautiful Mississippi club.

“I hope it happens,’’ said World captain Sally Little, despite admitting “their team beat ours at our best.’’

“It’s been a fun week,’’ said U.S. captain Nancy Lopez. “This competition was special. Our team played its heart out. We had to really play well.’’

Davies-Johnson duo dominates first day of Handa Cup

WEST POINT, MS. – Juli Inkster received a rude welcome in her debut on the LPGA Legends Tour on Saturday.

Winner of seven major titles in a Hall of Fame career on the LPGA circuit, Inkster partnered with Meg Mallon in both of her matches in the ninth annual ISPS Handa Cup at Old Waverly Golf Club – the site of Inkster’s first win in the U.S. Women’s Open in 1999.

The Inkster-Mallon team drew the World team’s premier pairing, Laura Davies and Trish Johnson, and the U.S. pair was no match for them. In fact, no team was in the first day of the two-day competition that concludes with 12 singles matches on Sunday.

Davies and Johnson were 5-under-par in winning their best ball match with Inkster and Mallon on Old Waverly’s front nine. Matchups were shuffled for the afternoon nine-hole matches, played in a modified alternate shot format.

The format change didn’t cool off the Davies-Johnson team. They were also 5-under in polishing off the U.S. team of Val Skinner and Rosie Jones in the last match of the day. The result created a 12-12 tie, meaning today’s singles matches will decide who gets the Handa Cup.

Davies, Johnson and eight other members of the current World team also played last year, when the U.S. was beaten for the first time. The U.S. still leads the series 6-1-1, but the World squad has a draw and victory in the last two.

Inkster and Mallon recovered from their morning defeat to defeat Liselotte Neumann and Alicia Dibos in the first match of the afternoon session. The U.S. trailed 7-5 after the morning session and the Inkster-Mallon effort was a springboard to tying up the competition at the end of the day.

Davies and Johnson have been factors on more than just the Legends circuit, for players who have reached their 45th birthday, this season. The long-hitting Davies finished in the top 10 at the Women’s British Open and Johnson won the Scottish Open.

That dynamic duo was broken up for singles play, but World captain Sally Little put them in prominent positions for the final day of the competition as well. Little had first choice in the pairings decisions for Sunday, and she opted to send Johnson out first.

U.S. captain Nancy Lopez will send Laurie Rinker against Johnson. Lopez then named Beth Daniel for the second match, where she’ll face Lorie Kane. Little came back with Davies in the third match. Her opponent? Inkster.

That could be the match of the day, as the World squad hopes to retain the Cup with a strong singles showing much like it produced last year in a 27-21 win at Hermitage in Nashville, Tenn.

Daniel was sent out first by then-U.S. captain Joanne Carner against Davies last year. Daniel took a stirring victory, but the World squad was better the rest of the way.

Notably absent from last year’s winning World side is Australian Jan Stephenson, who rolled in the 30-foot putt on the final green in the next-to-the-last match to clinch her team’s first Cup win. Stephenson is here, but pulled out of the competition on Friday due to a wrist injury.

Dawn Coe Jones, who is Little’s assistant captain, stepped into the lineup as Stephenson’s replacement and was a factor in Day 1. Playing with different partners, her teams earned points for halving both of their matches. Last year Jones was scheduled to play but came up with an injury. She helped her team win by working as a caddie instead.

At 54 Inkster’s a Legend — but she’ll still have LPGA presence

WEST POINT, MS. – Juli Inkster’s biggest year in a stellar golf career came in 1999 when she won the U.S. Women’s Open, the LPGA Championship and three other tournaments while also qualifying for the Hall of Fame.

There’s nothing wrong with looking back fondly on a year like that 15 years later, and Inkster had no better place to do it than Old Waverly Golf Club. That’s where she won the first of her two U.S. Women’s Opens and the fourth of her seven major championships.

Her win at Old Waverly came by a whopping five-stroke margin, but she hadn’t been back since then until this week. The reason she’s back now is to make her debut on the LPGA Legends Tour. That circuit, for players who have reached their 45th birthday, holds its premier team event, the ISPS Handa Cup, on Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s always great to come back to fond memories,’’ said Inkster from a spot overlooking the 18th green. “When they invited me to play I was ecstatic to come back.’’

She played the course in Friday’s Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Pro-Am and will be part of the best ball and alternate shot team matches on Saturday in partnership with Meg Mallon and a singles match on Sunday. She hopes to help the U.S. team regain the Handa Cup from the World team – the winner for the first time last year at Hermitage in Nashville, Tenn.

“There’ll be some good golf played, and a lot of laughs,’’ said Inkster. “We’re playing the course shorter (than in 1999) but the routing is still the same. It’s amazing how many holes you remember and how many you don’t remember.’’

Now 54, Inkster is winding down her career on the main LPGA circuit but is hardly in retirement mode despite owning 31 LPGA titles and earning more than $13 million on the circuit.

“I’m the Solheim Cup captain for 2015, so that’s going to keep me busy,’’ she said. “I’m doing a little TV (broadcasting), too, so that’s going to keep me busy. Plus, I’ll probably play 10 (LPGA tournaments). I like to keep at it and watch the girls for the Solheim. I’m in a perfect place in my life right now.’’

Inkster has played in 12 LPGA tournaments this year with one still to go. In between she was a TV reporter during the International Crown – the new global team event that made its debut at Caves Valley in Maryland. It’s the biggest new thing in the sport, for men or women on any tour.

“It went great,’’ said Inkster, “but it needs a little tweaking. Picking three players (for each qualifying team) in March was a little early. Maybe pick two of them in March and then a wild card later. But overall the event was a big success.’’

She’s also hopeful a U.S. Women’s Senior Open is on the horizon. The U.S. Golf Assn. is considering it.

“They should do it. I don’t know why they haven’t,’’ said Inkster. “At least they’re talking, and I hope it comes to fruition.’’

Old Waverly return makes this Handa Cup special

WEST POINT, MS. – The ninth playing of the Handa Cup begins Saturday at a most appropriate location. Old Waverly Golf Club is the first site used for the LPGA Legends Tour’s premier team event that had previously hosted a U.S. Women’s Open.

Captain Nancy Lopez gathers her U.S. team at the Handa Cup’s opening ceremonies.

Old Waverly hosted the 1999 U.S. Women’s Open 11 years after opening its course, and owner George Bryan admitted at Thursday night’s opening ceremonies that “We feel we have an ongoing partnership with the LPGA. These players provide us inspiration.’’

The club’s enthusiasm for the Handa Cup showed in the nine months leading up to the big event. The club’s chairman, Rick Milburn, said that 111 sponsors, advertisers and contributors stepped forward and over 250 volunteers were projected to contribute over 7,000 hours to the staging of the event.

“Pretty impressive for West Point, Mississippi,’’ said Bryan, who was born in West Point.

Nancy Lopez, the U.S. captain, was in the foursome that played the ceremonial first round at Old Waverly in 1988. Her partners included Jerry Pate, the former U.S. Open champion who joined with Bob Cupp in the course design effort, and the late LPGA player Heather Farr.

The World (in blue) and U.S. (in red) get ready for battle.

“It was so exciting to know that we were coming back to Old Waverly for this event,’’ said Lopez. “Everyone has worked so hard to make this event one of the best Handa Cups ever. Old Waverly is a great place, and our players come from all over the world. This is the kind of competition you really want to watch.’’

Lopez and World team captain Sally Little introduced their 12-player teams during the well-attended opening ceremonies, which were held in the club’s English Garden prior to the dinner for participants in Friday’s Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Pro-Am.

Two of Lopez’ Handa Cup players finished one-two in the U.S. Women’s Open played at Old Waverly. That was an historic event on several fronts. Champion Juli Inkster posted a 16-under-par 272 score for 72 holes, which was six shots better than the previous tournament record for under-par scoring. The 272 also matched the stroke total record set by Annika Sorenstam three years earlier on a par-71 course. Old Waverly was a par-72 that played a 6,421 yards for its U.S. Women’s Open.

The word is out that the Handa Cup matches are a big deal.

Inkster’s closest challenger was Sherri Turner, who was five strokes back. During that tournament Inkster was 38 and Turner 42, so it was a battle of veterans. Inkster was also the first American to win since Patty Sheehan five years earlier.

That was Inkster’s first of two U.S. Women’s Open wins – she also was the 2002 champion – and the fourth of her seven titles in major tournaments. She would also win the LPGA Championship three weeks later.

Lopez was delighted that Inkster consented to be part of her team in her debut on the Legends circuit, which welcomes players who reach their 45th birthday. Lopez expected that Inkster would have good vibes about returning to the course where she posted such a big victory.

This unusual fountain is the centerpiece for Old Waverly’s English Garden.

“I love Juli Inkster, and I know she’ll have good feelings about that golf course,’’ said Lopez. “She killed us that year. She kicked our fannies all over the place.’’

Inkster and Turner weren’t the only Handa Cup participants who did well in that U.S. Women’s Open. Canadian Lorie Kane, a member of the World team, should have some good vibes coming into this Handa Cap as well. She was tied with Inkster after 36 holes in 1999 and remained a contender on the weekend, though Inkster’s lead never dropped to less than three strokes.

The U.S. takes a 6-1-1 edge into the ninth playing of the Handa Cup, but the World team won last year at Hermitage in Nashville, Tenn. Saturday’s schedule calls for best ball matches over nine holes in the morning and alternate shot matches over nine holes in the afternoon. The concluding 12 singles matches will be played on Sunday.

Bradleys — Pat and Keegan — play big parts in U.S. golf hopes

WEST POINT, MS. – One of America’s premier golf families has a dilemma this week. In what is most likely an historical first, the family’s two most prominent golfijng members will be playing in major international team competitions at the same time.

While Keegan Bradley will be trying to help the U.S. team regain the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland his aunt, World Golf Hall of Famer Pat Bradley, will be trying to help the U.S. regain the ISPS Handa Cup at Old Waverly.

“It’s very exciting,’’ said Pat Bradley who – like Keegan – was on the losing side the last time the team competitions were held. “I’m trying to figure out how he’s going to find time to watch his aunt at the Handa Cup.’’

Keegan will certainly have more trouble following his aunt’s performance than Pat will have following Keegan’s.

“The nice thing about the Ryder Cup is, they (the TV networks) will be playing it all night long, so I can catch up on him,’’ said Pat.

Pat Bradley, 53, was the only daughter among the six children of Richard and Kay Bradley. Her father was an avid golfer while she was growing up in Massachusetts and one of her brothers, Mark, became a PGA professional in Wyoming.

Pat won 31 tournaments on the LPGA tour including six major titles. Keegan, Mark’s son, won the PGA Championship in 2011 – his rookie season on the PGA Tour – and took the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in 2012. The Bradleys were selected National Golf Family of the Year in 1989 by the National Golf Foundation,

Both Keegan, 28, and Pat are known as fierce competitors, which adds to their enthusiasm for what’s ahead in the next few days. Ryder Cup matches begin on Friday and Handa Cup matches, for members of the LPGA Legends Tour, tee off on Saturday. Both competitions conclude on Sunday.

“It’s an exciting moment,’’ said Pat. “It is history – the Ryder Cup and Handa Cup. I’m thrilled to be here, thrilled to be part of the Handa Cup. I know Keegan is thrilled to be part of the Ryder Cup. It’ll be fun, and we’ll work hard.’’

Though Keegan was a star on the losing U.S. side at Medinah in 2012, he needed an invitation from U.S. captain Tom Watson to make this year’s Ryder Cup.

“He was worried,’’ said Pat. “He was hoping, and did everything in his power to be there. I’m happy Tom picked him. Keegan’s a great match player. He gets that competition, and he and Phil (Mickelson) made an exceptional team in the last Ryder Cup. Everybody’s sitting on the edge of their seats looking forward to see how Phil and Keegan come out of the box.’’

They’ll team up in the fourth match of the morning session at Gleneagles. Pat’s partner for Saturday’s team matches at Old Waverly hasn’t been announced.

“I’ve got to concentrate on what I’m doing and play hard for my partner and for the Handa Cup,’’ she said.

HANDA CUP: Will Inkster’s debut get U.S. back on winning track?

WEST POINT, MS. — This week in golf isn’t all about the Ryder Cup. The LPGA Legends Tour will have its premier team event, the ISPS Handa Cup, going on at the same time.

Old Waverly’s majestic clubhouse provides an attractive setting for the Handa Cup.

The Handa Cup isn’t as old as its male counterpart, but the U.S. teams in both are in precarious positions. The Handa Cup has been played every year since 2006. It’s not a biannual competition like the Ryder Cup. Like the Ryder Cup, however, the U.S. side dominated the competition early on, but now it’s a different story.

After losing the first six meetings the Internationals managed a 24-24 tie at Reunion Resort in Orlando, FL., in 2012.

That wasn’t good enough to claim the cup, named after Dr. Haruhisa Handa, a Japanese businessman and philanthropist, but the Internationals managed their breakthrough win last year, taking a 27-21 victory at Hermitage in Nashville, Tenn.

That didn’t sit well with Nancy Lopez, who was on the losing side as a player last year and will captain the U.S. in this Handa Cup.

“My team is ready to win back the Handa Cup,’’ she said. “I’m mad. I’m tired of this. We have a great team, and we’re not going to let (the Europeans) celebrate.’’

Sally Little, captain of the Internationals, isn’t so sure.

“It’s going to be a heckuva go,’’ she said. “Winning last year moved our team to the next level.’’

Like Lopez, Little is serving as captain for the first time. Sweden’s Pia Nilsson captained the winning European side last year while Joanne Carner completed her second year directing the U.S. side. Kathy Whitworth handled those duties during the U.S. victory run from 2006 to 2011.

The captains aren’t the only thing that’s different this time.

Old Waverly, a beautiful facility that hosted the 1999 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2006 U.S. Mid Amateur, should be a more familiar venue for the U.S. players – especially a most notable one. Juli Inkster, who won that U.S. Women’s Open at Old Waverly, is making her Legends debut at the Handa Cup after enjoying a brilliant career on the LPGA circuit. The Legends is for players who have reached their 45th birthday.

Also known as the Country Club of Mississippi, Old Waverly was co-designed by Jerry Pate and Bob Cupp. The course opened in 1988 and a second course, to be designed by Gil Hanse, is in the planning stages.

Joining Inkster on the 12-player U.S. team are Pat Bradley, Beth Daniel, Christa Johnson, Rosie Jones, Meg Mallon, Barb Mucha, Laurie Rinker, Nancy Scranton, Val Skinner, Sherri Steinhauer and Sherri Turner. Elaine Crosby is Lopez’ co-captain..

The Internationals roster features Helen Alfredsson, Jane Crafter, Laura Davies, Alicia Dibos, Wendy Doolan, Trish Johnson, Lorie Kane, Jenny Lidback, Liselotte Neumann, Allison Nicholas, Mieko Nomura and Jan Stephenson. Little’s co-captain is Dawn Coe-Jones.

Inkster is one of three U.S. players who weren’t part of last year’s team, the others being Mallon and Skinner. Mallon, though, has played in the Handa Cup in the past. Doolan is the lone newcomer on the International side.

In the biggest early season Legends events of the year Neumann won the Walgreen’s Charity Classic, Jones took the Wendy’s Charity Challenge and Rinker was the titlist in the Legends Championship. Trish Johnson also won a big one, taking the Ladies Scottish Open in August.

Players on both sides played practice rounds at Old Waverly on Thursday morning, and participants in Friday’s Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Pro-Am tuned up on the course in the afternoon. Opening ceremonies are on tap for Thursday evening and pairings for Saturday’s team matches will be announced afterwards.

Saturday’s program calls for nine holes of alternate shot competition in the morning and nine holes of best ball in the afternoon. Twelve singles matches are on tap for Sunday to conclude the competition. The singles pairings will be announced after Saturday’s play is concluded and closing ceremonies will be held after the last putt drops on Sunday.

Elgin’s Carlos Sainz is now a PGA Tour member

The Chicago area has a new member on the PGA Tour. Elgin’s Carlos Sainz Jr. earned playing privileges for the 2014-15 season after finishing in a tie for 31st place in the Web.com Tour Championship on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass in Florida.

Sainz, 28, had only one top-10 finish and survived the 36-hole cut only 10 times in 23 tournaments in his rookie season on the PGA’s satellite circuit, but his best play came when it counted the most.

A tie for second in August’s Price Cutter Charity Championship earned Sainz $44,550, which accounted for most of his regular season earnings. Still, it allowed him to squeeze into the Web.com Finals, a four-tournament series of $1 million events that offered 25 berths on the PGA Tour for next season. The Finals was limited to the top 75 on the Web.com money list and players ranked from 126-200 in the PGA’s FedEx Cup standings.

Sainz, ranked 74th in regular season money, posted a tie for 19th and a tie for 12th in the first two Finals events before missing the cut by one stroke in the third. That put him in a precarious position going into the last event at TPC Sawgrass, but the former Mississippi State golfer put together rounds of 70, 70, 68 and 71 for a 278 total that was just good enough to put him on the 50 players from the Web.com circuit to advance to the PGA Tour.

A bogey on the last hole Sunday left Sainz in a precarious position, and he had to wait for the last putt to drop several hours after he finished his round before he was assured advancement in the No. 49 position.

Sainz is scheduled to defend his title in the Chicago Open at Cantigny, in Wheaton next month, but that may be in limbo now. Under its new scheduling format, which went into effect in the fall of 2013, the next PGA Tour campaign begins with the Frys.com Open in Napa, Calif., from Oct. 6-12. The Chicago Open is Oct. 5-7.

Though he has his PGA Tour card, Sainz won’t have a high enough priority to play in all the tournaments, and he may not get into an event on the premier circuit until January.

Derek Fathauer won the Web.com Tour Championship, finishing at 14-under-par 266 for the 72 holes. He was 13 strokes ahead of Sainz.

Michigan’s Harbor Shores adds to its reputation as a tournament venue

When Harbor Shores hosted the Senior PGA Championship in 2012 it had no tournament history. That won’t be the case when the tourney returns to the Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Benton Harbor, Mich., in 2014. The May 22-25 event will mark the tournament’s 75th anniversary.

While the Senior PGA is rich in tournament history, Harbor Shores is not. In a sense the course’s history in that regard began when the first ball was struck at the 2012 Senior PGA.

Harbor Shores only opened on July 1, 2010. The Champions for Change — a skins game-style exhibition that featured golf legends Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer and Johnny Miller — created a memorable grand opening as well as an appropriate lead-in to the first big tournament, but the 2012 Senior PGA was noteworthy for the history it produced more than for the arrival of big-name players.

The victory by England’s Roger Chapman, who had won only one tournament in 16 full seasons on the European PGA Tour and none as a senior player, was a Cinderella story. He was the Senior PGA’s first wire-to-wire winner since Hale Irwin in 2004, and his breathrough win has been one of the most shocking developments in golf this decade.

Even with Kenny Perry shooting a tournament record 62 in the final round, Chapman dominated a field filled with the Champions Tour’s best players. He led by nine shots with 10 holes left before winning by two over John Cook. Chapman, who won the U.S. Senior Open later in 2012, posted a 13-under-par 271 and called his Harbor Shores victory “the greatest thing I’ve ever done.’’

That win may have been the best feel-good story in golf in 2012, but it wasn’t nearly the feel-good story that Harbor Shores has become as a focal point in the revival of Benton Harbor – a community that had undergone very difficult economic times. The building of Harbor Shores was a big part of that revival.

At one point one-fifth of the city’s 11,000 residents were unemployed and the 530 acres on which Harbor Shores was built was an abused, forgotten piece of property – basically a garbage dump. Some of it had been a slag pit for a company that made automobile brakes, Another spot was occupied by a company that used radium and mercury to manufacture components for fighter jets. It took a complicated financial deal that involved acquiring federal and state grant money to get the construction started.

Construction wasn’t easy, either. Some 117 tons of trash and 20,000 tons of contaminated soil had to be removed. At one time or another Nicklaus had to deal with empty buildings, roads, power lines, a railroad track, two rivers, a lake and a public park. He had to change the routing of the holes nearly two dozen times.

But that was then, and this is now.

Harbor Shores was barely open when the PGA of America, supported by an enthusiastic local sponsor in KitchenAid – a premium brand of Whirlpool Corporation, named Harbor Shores the venue for two Senior PGA Championships.

A quick look at the place tells you why. The 6,861-yard par-71 course has three holes on Lake Michigan and 10 other holes offer views of the Paw Paw River or Ox Creek. Plus, it had a visionary architect in Nicklaus, whose design included a three-tiered monster green at the No. 10 hole. At 10,500 square feet, it’s the biggest putting surface Nicklaus has ever designed – and that’s saying something, since the Golden Bear’s portfolio includes about 275 courses world-wide.

“We set out, really, to change a community,’’ Nicklaus said. “This wasn’t just about a golf course. This was a non-profit project. That’s the important part of it.’’

Harbor Shores has become one of the most beautiful spots in Southwestern Michigan in part because it has some other special touches. Each hole was named after a plant indigenous to the area. Each hole also features a metal sculpture with at least one piece of hand-blown glass holding a plaque describing one of Nicklaus’ 18 major championship victories.

The First Tee of Benton Harbor learning center is also part of the complex and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor also use the facility for their daily activities, adding significantly to the feel-good atmosphere so prevalent at Harbor Shores.

Not only has Harbor Shores established itself as one of the most attractive beach resorts on Lake Michigan, its creation has also stimulated home-building and community development. The renaissance envisioned by city and county leaders when construction started just five years ago is materializing.

International Crown already looking ahead to Rich Harvest in 2016

As exciting as this first International Crown figures to be, the second staging in 2016 could well be even more eye-catching. It’ll be played at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, IL., 46 miles west of Chicago.

Rich Harvest is a much different place than Caves Valley. The ultra-private club has only 100 members. The facility is spread over 1,820 acres and includes a private car museum, miles of horseback-riding trails and three lakes stocked for fishing.

At the center of it all, though, is a beautiful golf course that didn’t have all 18 holes open until 17 years ago but is already an established tournament venue. Owner Jerry Rich has wanted it that way. Not only did he design the course and build it over a 10-year period, he was at the forefront in the creation of the International Crown – the showcase event at his very special place.

Simply put, Rich is a visionary with a passion for golf, the women’s version in particular.

“I want to create a legacy,’’ he said. “Bobby Jones created the Masters, so we can create the International Crown. I had long decided that I wanted to stay in women’s golf. It’s the type of product I wanted to be involved in.’’

Rich Harvest continues to be Chicago’s most active tournament venue. This year it hosted the men’s NCAA Central Regional in May and will host the Northern Intercollegiate, nearby Northern Illinois University’s showcase event, in September. In 2015 Rich Harvest will welcome the Western Amateur and Palmer Cup events and in 2017 it’ll be the site of the Western Golf Association’s 100th staging of the Western Junior Championship. Rich is making his biggest impact on the women’s side, however.

His involvement officially began in 2004, when he started a five-year project that resulted in Rich Harvest hosting one of the most successful Solheim Cups ever in 2009. The U.S. team came out the winner, but the staging was even more important. The event drew 120,00 spectators and averaged about 30,000 on days when the matches were in progress.

The success of that Solheim Cup only whetted Rich’s appetite for something even more significant. The International Crown fits that bill. He’s hopeful the event will find a permanent home at Rich Harvest; the 2016 event is just a starter.

“I contacted (LPGA commissioner) Mike Whan after the Solheim Cup,’’ said Rich. “I told him `You’ve got the greatest product in the world,’ but the Solheim Cup didn’t have the greatest players in women’s golf; they’re from Asia. We had to create something new and different, an event that would bring them into the competition.’’

Whan agreed, and a format for the International Crown was developed. Whan, however, wanted to get the Crown going in 2014 and Rich wasn’t ready for that. He needed time to develop related junior programs and organize a promotional effort even more elaborate than his Solheim Cup received.

Rich hired seven staffers two years ago. They began contacting high school and college girls’ teams and built a large database of contacts in 240 communities within 40 miles of Rich Harvest.

More important, though, the staffers alerted the Chicago consulates based in Chicago about the International Crown. All countries competing in this year’s International Crown have consulates based there, and about 30 attended an October luncheon at a Chicago restaurant. They were receptive, and there’ll be more contact with those groups as the second International Crown approaches.

“There will be only four Americans playing, so we’ve got to energize the ethnic bases,’’ said Rich. “We’ve got to get 1,000 or 2,000 out each day from the other countries. When Golf Channel shows it, that’ll making this thing really blossom. We don’t know how many total spectators we’ll get, but we should be able to match or exceed the number we had at the Solheim Cup.’’

Rich isn’t reluctant about declaring Chicago “the greatest city in the world,’’ and an ideal area for the Crown because of the global nature of its large population. There are, for instance, 50,000 Koreans living in the Chicago area. They’re sure to be excited about seeing their golf stars compete, especially after attending this year’s Watch Parties that the Rich Harvest staff has organized at various locations during the inaugural International Crown. The first Crown will be televised in 170 countries, so many more people world-wide will know about it by the time the matches begin at Rich Harvest.

Rich already invited the top Asian players on the LPGA Tour to visit Rich Harvest anytime over the next two years. None have seen the place yet, but they’ll be impressed once they get there.

The course, always among the best conditioned in the country, has consistently been listed in the elite Golf Digest rankings of America’s Top 100 Greatest Courses. It has state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor practice facilities in addition to 29 suites on the property. Rich Harvest is also home to the Kids Golf Foundation of Illinois, which has impacted the lives of over 100,000 youth since its inception in 1998.

Players on both the U.S. and European teams stayed in cottages on the property during Solheim Cup, but that won’t be the case in 2016. The 32 players will be housed at a luxury hotel 10 minutes from the course. The three estate houses on the course, which comprise 50 rooms, will house those with ambassador packages. There will be eight of them, each coming in at the $400,000 level and offering a variety of perks in addition to the on-course lodging.

The bulk of the other golf fans attending will find it easier to get to the course than those attending the Solheim did. Due to the popularity of the event, the Solheim had a 10-mile traffic backup at one point on the first day of the matches, but that problem won’t likely happen again. Roads were widened and a round-about built near the course to facilitate traffic flow. Alternate routes to the course have also been devised.

A diverse gallery is assured for the second International Crown. Chicago’s ethnic communities are expected to turn out in large numbers, but Rich is just as happy to predict “there’ll be a lot of young people here.’’

The youngsters will have more to watch than the competitive matches. A 5,000-square foot Kids Pavilion will include special stations to interest both the youth and adult visitors.

“It’ll be a learning experience. That’s all part of it,’’ said Rich.

Once Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel heard about plans for the International Crown he told Rich that “It’s the Olympics we didn’t get.’’

The city’s bid to host that premier international competition was rejected, but the International Crown promises to be a suitable replacement. And, if Rich has his way, it’ll be a long-lasting one.

“It’ll be huge – the biggest thing to ever hit golf,’’ Rich predicted. That remains to be seen – but no one’s arguing with him about it.