LPGA considers second Canadian event

So here’s the deal. If you’ve got a spare US$3-million, the LPGA Tour would like to talk to you.

That’s to say the tour has a few openings, at least four, and is willing to make some concessions if you’re really interested in staging a tournament in 2010, 2011 or 2012.

“A title sponsor, depending on the nature of the tournament, talking a purse of $1.5 million, then you build the full package with supporting sponsors but $3 million will get you started in a real good conversation with us,” said acting tour commissioner Marsha Evans during an informal gathering with the media Saturday at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, host of this year’s CN Canadian Women’s Open golf championship.

The retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, who was asked to take over from Carolyn Bivens in July, would love to see a second stop in Canada, given what CN has done with the Canadian Women’s Open.

“If we could find a sponsor who would sponsor in Canada, I would love to talk to them,” she said. “We have a full-court press on right now to not only sign tournaments that were up for renewal . . . but we’re very interested in new opportunities and I think a second opportunity in Canada would be fabulous.”

CN’s contract with the Royal Canadian Golf Association, which in turn has a contract with the LPGA, ends after the 2010 tournament in Winnipeg. Evans said discussions for renewal of the tour’s second richest event are “quite far along.”

A second Canadian stop, she is quick to add, would not be in conflict with the CN Open nor would she expect it to be of the same magnitude.

“One early in the season, one late. One in the East, one in the West. It could work nicely,” said Evans. “I don’t think it’d reach the level of what the CN is but we have other opportunities for what we call community-oriented tournaments.”

John Down, Canwest News Service

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