Next week belongs to the women. Chicago probably hasn’t had this many of the world’s top female players in town since the old LPGA Chicago Shootout was held at Oak Brook Golf Club and White Eagle in Naperville in the early 1990s.
The LPGA Tour may return here some day, and the U.S. Women’s Open definitely will in the year 2000, but until then Monday and Tuesday’s Field’s Classic at the Merit Club in Libertyville will have to do. Also on tap next week is the July 23-25 Illinois Women’s Open at Odyssey Country Club in Tinley Park.
LPGA stars Annika Sorenstam, Kelly Robbins, Liselotte Neumann, Karrie Webb, Kris Tschetter, Michelle McGann, Nancy Lopez, Colleen Walker, Patty Sheehan, Sally Little, Hollis Stacy and Jan Stephenson are scheduled to play in the Field’s Classic, which will benefit the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
On Monday, 28 LPGA players will participate in a scramble-format pro-am. On Tuesday, the 12 aforementioned pros will be teamed in an alternate-shot event beginning at noon. The winning team will split $80,000.
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The event will help showcase the Merit Club, which will play host to the 2000 U.S. Women’s Open.
“Jan (Stephenson) is back as a pupil of mine,” Merit Club pro Ed Oldfield said. “She works with the LPGA’s Medalist group (for pros over 40). And she asked me if the Merit Club had any interest in hosting this. We’re not a tournament club. The golf course was not designed by me as a tournament club, but as it turns out it’s a marvelous tournament club. We have plenty of space, parking.
“We’ve never closed our course for a day. This will give us an opportunity to work through some things. We’ve put bleachers up. And we’ll do some roping. We’re always interested in people’s reaction, but I’m not very concerned about what the pros think right now because it won’t be set up in Open-caliber. The pins will be set normally and the tees will be up and the rough won’t be as high or the greens as severe as you see them in an Open.”
Kerry Postillion of Burr Ridge will be after her third straight Illinois Women’s Open crown. Last year Postillion lost a nine-stroke lead before edging 1995 winner Diane Daugherty of Carbondale in a three-hole playoff. Also entered this year is former LPGA Tour player Nicole Jeray of Berwyn. Jeray is now playing the mini-tours.
On the tee: The USGA Junior Amateur for boys under age 18 begins Tuesday at Conway Farms in Lake Forest. After two rounds of stroke play, the top 64 players will advance to match play on Thursday. The semifinals and finals are scheduled for July 25. . . . The CDGA Girls Junior Open is Thursday at Indian Hill in Winnetka. . . . The North Shore Amateur is Saturday and Sunday at Sunset Valley in Highland Park. . . . The Northern Amateur is Monday and Tuesday at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, Ind.