French Lick has a long history supporting women’s golf
By Kevin Frisch
Dating back to the earliest days of the LPGA Tour, French Lick Resort in southern Indiana has had a love affair with women’s golf. It began in the 1950’s and grew into an admiration and respect for the Legends who helped shape the LPGA Tour. 
This year, the Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank will be held October 15th through 17th. Juli Inkster returns to the championship and Trish Johnson tries to win back to back titles and her third consecutive event at the Pete Dye Course.
It will also be the second senior women’s major of 2018 as Chicago Golf Club hosted the inaugural US Senior Women’s Open in July, where five Michigan women participated: Cindy Figg-Currier (native of Mt. Pleasant), Suzy Green-Roebuck of Ann Arbor, Elaine Crosby of Jackson, Becky Iverson (native of Escanaba) and Mary Jane Anderson Hiestand, who grew up in Oakland County.
Crosby led after the first round and Green-Roebuck finished T10 at Chicago.
The Senior LPGA last year at French Lick drew World Golf Hall of Fame Members, Pat Bradley, Laura Davies, Betsy King, and Hollis Stacy, plus players who accounted for 339 LPGA Tour Wins, and 43 LPGA Major Championships.
60 Years ago:
The history of women’s golf at French Lick Resort kicked off in 1958 when the Sheraton Corporation hosted the French Lick Open for the then fledgling LPGA Tour. Louise Suggs triumphed in that event over Marlene Hagge. Suggs went on to win 61 events in her career.
In the years that followed, Betsy Rawls and Mickey Wright picked up wins in the LPGA Championship hosted at the Donald Ross Course in 1959 and 1960. Suggs, Rawls and Wright were also 3 of the 6 original members of the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Having hosted one of the earliest PGA Championships in 1924, followed by the LPGA Championship in 1959-60, and Senior PGA Championship in 2015, it seemed only fitting that that French Lick be involved in the Inaugural Senior LPGA Championship.
Although many years had passed since those early championships, French Lick embarked on a path in 2013 that would lead the Resort to be instrumental in creating and hosting the Inaugural Senior LPGA Championship at the Pete Dye Course.
French Lick stepped up in a big way and Chairman of the Board Steve Ferguson entered into an agreement with the tour to host a 54-hole championship on the newly-opened Pete Dye Course with a record $500,000 purse.
That event was won by Canada’s Lorie Kane. Kane stated: “I don’t know if I consider myself a Legend, but I am totally honored to win this event”
Year two, despite a second round, 9-under par 63 by Sherri Steinhauer, Laurie Rinker triumphed in a 2-round rain shortened event.
Inkster made her Legends debut in 2015 and won the title. She launched her bid for a repeat in 2016, however, England’s Trish Johnson matched her down to the wire and won a 6-hole sudden death playoff.
Feeling the need to further grow golf opportunities for the senior women, Ferguson again was instrumental in forming the first-ever Major Championship for Senior Women; The Senior LPGA Championship. The field was expanded to 81 players and the purse set at $600,000.
The Golf Channel was brought on to do live television coverage all three days of the 54-hole event, contested in July of 2017, where Johnson again triumphed. When accepting the trophy, Johnson said: “People ask me what is my favorite course, and I always said St. Andrews. But I have to say, this place has certainly taken over.”
