The fourth annual Woodford Legends Tournament once again turned Woodford County into a showcase for women’s golf.
The event brought LPGA greats, major champions, Hall of Famers and rising collegiate players together to celebrate women’s golf.
When the tournament ended Sunday, Angela Stanford and Wendy Ward stood at the top of the leaderboard at 30-under par, six shots clear of the field. But the weekend’s impact stretched beyond the championship, with dozens of high school girls getting an up-close look at the game’s legends and visitors traveling from across the country to spend the weekend in Versailles.
That blend of elite golf, community involvement and access to some of the sport’s most accomplished players is exactly what Woodford Club co-owner Randy Clay believes has allowed the tournament to grow so quickly.
“In the fourth year, this is the best quality and number of players and their accomplishments,” Clay said. “But their demeanor is just absolutely off the charts. I mean, they’re down to earth. They’re excited to be here. They love Central Kentucky and everything about what we do here.”
Clay said the players’ reaction to Woodford County has been just as meaningful as the community’s response to having them here.
“It makes you feel good that they would give you that kind of reciprocal responsibility,” Clay said. “It’s been a great week, good crowds, especially yesterday. A lot of the high school teams and kids came out. A lot of encouragement. It’s been a really great year for this event.”
That interaction with younger golfers became one of the week’s centerpieces.
Dozens of high school girls took part in the Women’s and Girls’ Program that helped kick off the tournament, giving them a chance to spend time around LPGA legends and hear directly from women who have competed at the highest level of the sport.
Stanford, the current United States Solheim Cup captain, was among those who addressed the group.
“I just want to say thank you so much for being here today,” Stanford said. “I know speaking for the LPGA players, we’re so excited to see all of the young faces out here today.”
Stanford also had a message for any of the girls who might not be familiar with the Solheim Cup.
“If you don’t know what the Solheim Cup is, I need you to pay attention for, like, the next six weeks of your life, OK?” Stanford said.
For Stanford, one of the things that makes the Solheim Cup special is the opportunity for players accustomed to competing individually to suddenly become teammates.
“The Solheim Cup is the one time every two years that we get to be a team,” Stanford said. “I think y’all would really enjoy watching this. You get to see the best Americans and the best Europeans play, and they’re playing for their country.”
Clay said the intergenerational aspect of this year’s event exceeded what he had envisioned.
“When we did the women’s day, the intergenerational event that was beyond my expectations,” Clay said. “It was something I thought about three or four months ago. Next year, we’re already getting ready for that to make it more important.”
For Clay, the idea is about more than introducing young golfers to famous names.
“It’s really that education of bridging the gap between, or really educating our community and, for a lot of people and generations, who these women are, what they’ve done in their careers, and being inspirational,” Clay said. “That is really, I think, so critical for us.”
The connection continued throughout the weekend as young spectators followed groups around the course and players stopped to talk, pose for photographs and interact with them.
“That’s what makes this different than everything else,” Clay said. “The interaction is unreal. It is. It’s very special.”
The golf itself provided plenty to cheer for.
Stanford and Ward immediately moved to the top of the leaderboard during Saturday’s opening round, finishing at 14-under and taking a one-shot lead into the final day.
Three teams were tied for second at 13-under with Nancy Scranton and Ashli Bunch, Suzy Whaley and Leta Lindley, and Liselotte Neumann and Jane Geddes knotted up.
Charlotta Sorenstam and her sister, Annika Sorenstam, opened at 11-under, tied with Juli Inkster and Pat Hurst and the amateur pairing of Mary Keene Marr and C.A. Carter.
Lorie Kane and Gail Graham, Cathryn Brown and Karra Tucker, and Trish Johnson and Dame Laura Davies were all four shots off the lead at 10-under.
With that many teams within striking distance, Stanford and Ward entered the final round with little room for error.
Instead, they created plenty of separation with three eagles in the final round.
After opening at 14-under, Stanford and Ward added another 16-under on Sunday to reach 30-under for the tournament and turn their one-shot lead into a six-shot victory.
Whaley and Lindley and Scranton and Bunch tied for second at 24-under.
Neumann and Geddes finished fourth at 23-under, while Charlotta and Annika Sorenstam were fifth at 22-under.
Brown and Tucker and Inkster and Hurst tied for sixth at 19-under.
Hollis Stacy and amateur Martha Leach, Claira Eden and MaddiJo Benton, and Marr and Carter finished tied for eighth at 18-under.
The depth of the field was something Clay believed separated the fourth edition of the tournament from the previous three.
Annika Sorenstam’s presence alone brought one of the most accomplished players in the history of the sport back to Woodford County, but Clay said it has become clear that many of the legends view the tournament as much more than simply another date on the schedule.
“They really see this as a key event,” Clay said. “They circle it. They want to know when it is because they circle it on their calendar a year in advance.”
One player, Clay said, made that commitment particularly clear.
“As one of them said to me, ‘I don’t care what date it is, I’ll be here,’” Clay said. “Just to know that commitment from them, to play this course, to be here, is important.”
Sorenstam backed up that sentiment.
“This is my second time here,” Sorenstam said. “People are very friendly. They love their golf. It’s been great to be here.”
For Sorenstam, Legends events also provide something that was not always available during her playing career: a chance to relax around women who were once fierce competitors.
“It’s obviously fun to see everybody that we used to be extremely competitive with,” Sorenstam said. “Now it’s more friendly, just coming out and playing.”
The weekend also allowed Sorenstam to compete alongside her sister, Charlotta.
“Obviously, I enjoy playing with my sister,” Sorenstam said. “We get to see each other and hang out with our husbands and just enjoy that.”
Davies also had high praise for The Woodford Club and the way the players were treated throughout the week.
“It’s fun. You can play some shots,” Davies said of the course. “It’s in good shape. I mean, the greens are slow. We all know why, all the rain everyone’s had, but the course is in good shape.”
Her assessment of the hospitality was even more emphatic.
“Fantastic. Second to none,” Davies said. “These guys really make us welcome and put on a good show.”
Clay said that kind of response is exactly what organizers hope to hear as the event continues to establish itself on the Legends schedule.
But he also said the impact of the tournament is increasingly being felt beyond the golf course.
Visitors came to Woodford County from Kansas, New Jersey and Minnesota, Clay said, staying in the area, eating at local restaurants and spending money in the community.
He said organizers had discussed that impact with LPGA legend Jane Blalock during the weekend.
“It’s more than simply just a golf tournament,” Clay said.
That may be the clearest sign of how far the Woodford Legends Tournament has come in four years.
The event now brings Hall of Famers, major champions, longtime LPGA professionals and top amateurs together in Woodford County. It draws spectators from outside Kentucky. It brings tourism dollars into the community. And it gives young golfers a chance to stand beside women whose careers helped shape the sport.
For Clay, that last part may be the most important.
“It’s giving back to the game,” Clay said. “Really encouraging that younger generation to aspire to something special in their lives. If we’ve done that for one person, as they say, it’s worth it. I think we’ve done it to many.”