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$2.2 million purse is one of the highest on tour.

by Arthur Utley

Pick your favorite memory from the LPGA Tour’s Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill.

Even though the event is just three years old, the event played at Kingsmill Resort & Spa in Williamsburg has provided a number of lasting moments from which to choose.

How about the first tournament in 2003, the year following the PGA Tour’s departure after a 22-year run at the resort along the banks of the James River?

With a playoff looming, Grace Park, sank a 20-foot par putt to win on the 72nd hole. Among the trio of players tied for second was Cristie Kerr.

Or 2004 when super teen Michelle Wie, 14, tied for 12th, and Se Ri Pak made eight birdies in the final round and rallied for a victory that cemented her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame. Among the contenders who faded on the last day was Kerr.

Last year, on a renovated River Course layout, Kerr (left) broke through with a five-stroke triumph, her fifth on the LPGA Tour. She did it playing 36 holes on Sunday because the second round was rained out. Another teen sensation, 16-year-old Morgan Pressel, received a sponsor exemption and finished tied for 19th. Later in the year she tied for second in the U.S. Women’s Open, then earned her tour card at the LPGA qualifying school in the fall even though she is a high school senior.

The fourth edition of the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill will be held the week of May 8-14. The tournament has been tagged as the tour’s fifth major. Tradition will continue with a conclusion on Mother’s Day, a $2.2 million purse that is the fourth largest on the tour schedule and a field that is one of the strongest of the year. More memories are certain to be made.

For tournament director Wayne Nooe, his fondest recollection is from the last day of year one.

“It was my first involvement as tournament director. Grace made the winning putt on the last putt in the last group,” Nooe recalls. “We’d seen it through to completion. [The tournament] was a success with good crowds.”

The big purse with the $330,000 check for first is a major drawing card, but the strength of the tournament lies in the way the players are treated. Perhaps pampered is a more apt description.

“Very early on we decided to conduct the tournament like a men’s event from an amenities and services standpoint,” Nooe says. “We try to make sure players know the event is for them. They are here to play golf, and if they have needs, we take care of them. When you put the way we set up the skyboxes [behind the 18th green and a smaller presence at the 16th hole], our fan base and the purse together, hopefully we’ve created an event they don’t want to miss.”

The good comments Nooe and other tournament staff members hear frequently refer to the level of services and amenities and the course setup.

“They say it looks like a big event,” Nooe conveys.

The River Course, designed by Pete Dye who also guided the renovations between the 2004 and 2005 tournaments, has produced three terrific champions.

“The winning scores have been nine under the first two years and eight under last year. I think it speaks to the course when you don’t have to shoot 24 under to win,” Nooe says. “On the tougher courses, the cream rises to the top. Look at the top 10s. We have had three strong leader boards.”

The tournament staff isn’t resting on its laurels and past successes. They are looking for ways to improve the set up and appearance. Finding ways to involve spectators is a point of emphasis because the tournament is a family event. This year, children can participate in a scavenger hunt on Saturday and Sunday. When they arrive, children will receive a scorecard that instructs them to go to different areas for information. Then they turn in the scorecard for a gift that will help them get player autographs.

“It creates a fun atmosphere,” Nooe points out.

The biggest challenges are created by what the tournament staff does best.

“We’re trying to make it better for everyone,” Nooe says. “We can always do something better.”

Kerr will defend, and her past history at Kingsmill makes her a reasonable choice to become a repeat champion.

Annika Sorenstam has played all three years and the LPGA's most dominant player in recent history is back this year. Rising stars such as Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Lorena Ochoa and Christina Kim are set to play, and Pressel won’t have to rely on a sponsor exemption this time.

Wie played on a sponsor exemption in 2004 and had a major impact on the attendance figures. She declined an invitation last year, but Pressel was an easy choice instead. The other exemption went to Danielle Amiee, the winner of The Golf Channel’s Big Break III that was held at Kingsmill.

Amiee drew large galleries, but she missed the cut.

Wie, who turned professional last fall but isn’t a member of the tour, can accept six sponsor exemptions to LPGA tournaments. She said no to an exemption again this year. Pressel had accepted an exemption, but now that new LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens has granted her a waiver to the tour’s rule that a player must be 18 to compete as an LPGA member.

Author Arthur Utley is a sports reporter for The Richmond Times-Dispatch, and a frequent contributor to Virginia Golfer.

2006 MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

WHEN: May 8-14, 2006

WHERE: Kingsmill Resort & Spa’s River Course, Williamsburg

PAR / YARDAGE: Par 71, 6,306 yards

PURSE: $2.2 million. The winner will receive $330,000

2005 ROUNDUP: Cristie Kerr used a final day surge and rolled to a five-shot romp at the 2005 event. With the field playing 36 holes on Sunday, Kerr posted her third consecutive 68 in morning third round play and owned an insurmountable five-shot advantage over Jill McGill and Natalie Gulbis heading to the final 18 holes. Kerr carded a final round 72 to finish with an 8-under-par 276 aggregate. McGill finished five back (281, -3), while a contingent of three others – Gulbis, Catriona Matthew and Michele Redman – concluded play six off the pace at 2-under-par 282.

TICKETS / PRO-AM / VOLUNTEER INFORMATION: Call (757) 253-3985 or visit the tournament’s Web site at www.michelobultraopen.com.

TICKET PRICES: $25 (daily grounds tickets); $30 (daily clubhouse passes). Juniors 17 years of age and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. $60 (weekly grounds badge); $90 (weekly clubhouse badge). Please note: With the purchase of weekly clubhouse badge, you will receive one complimentary green fee at Kingsmill Resort & Spa’s Plantation Course. A $30 cart fee is applicable and the valid dates are July 1-Sept. 8, 2006, and Dec. 1, 2006-Feb. 28, 2007. Starting times may be made 48 hours in advance. LPGA Tour professional practice day and RMHC© LPGA Tour Junior Clinic on Tuesday, May 9: $10 (grounds) and $20 (clubhouse). Admission is free for Monday’s Education is Freedom Charity Pro-Am. Parking for all ticket and badge holders is free of charge.

TOURNAMENT WEB SITE: www.michelobultraopen.com

DIRECTIONS TO KINGSMILL: From the north or south, take I-95 to I-64 East. Take exit 242A and follow the directional signage to public parking. From the east or west, take I-64 to Williamsburg. Take exit 242A and follow directional signage to public parking.

Copyright 2006 Virginia Golfer.

MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL COMMITMENT LIST

Virginia State Golf Association
600 Founders Bridge Blvd., Midlothian, Va. 23113
Phone: (804) 378-2300
Fax: (804) 378-2369 and (804) 378-8216

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