CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — The 2024 LPGA Senior Championship, held last weekend at Copper Rock Golf Course in Hurricane, concluded thrilling back-to-back weeks of professional women’s golf anchored by a pair of historic victories. Marking a monumental effort of planning and execution, the double-header was unlike anything else Southern Utah has ever seen.
“Copper Rock took on a huge endeavor that was challenging, to say the very least,” said Penny James-Garcia, volunteer and event coordinator for both tournaments. “The entire event could not have gone better from start to finish.”
On Saturday afternoon, Angela Stanford sunk her final putt to make history as the only golfer to ever successfully defend the LPGA Senior Championship title. Stanford won last year’s event at Sultan’s Run Golf Course in Jasper, Indiana, an environment far removed from the dry and blustery high desert conditions of Southern Utah.
The Texas native led her nearest competitor by two shots going into the final round and finished the 54-hole event at 10 under par, three strokes better than fellow American Cristie Kerr and eight below Sweden’s Maria McBride. Her victory at Copper Rock marks her third win since joining the Legends of the LPGA, as well as the first time she has ever successfully defended a professional title.
“She spent an hour (after her win) talking with us just as though we’d been dear friends for a lifetime. She shared her experience of the championship round and the thoughts that went through her head, and frankly, it was just an experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life,” James-Garcia said. “She’s not only a great golfer, but she is truly an incredible champion.”
Stanford earned LPGA membership in 2001 and has seven titles, including one major, to her name. Over the course of her illustrious career, she has helped the United States win six Solheim Cups and earned more than $12 million in total prize money. Additionally, she continues to compete on the LPGA Tour.
The first major golf event of any tour to be played in Utah, this year’s LPGA Senior Championship featured an international field of more than 70 players. Nine former major champions took to the links of Copper Rock, including World Golf Hall of Fame members Juli Inkster, Laura Davies and Hollis Stacy.
The tournament’s only hole-in-one was scored by American Sherri Steinhauer on Saturday at the 17th hole. It was also the 17th ace of her career.
After Stanford’s name is engraved on the base, the LPGA Senior Championship trophy will remain at Copper Rock’s clubhouse until next year’s event. Local golf fans are welcome to visit and experience this piece of history, James-Garcia said.
The LPGA Senior Championship is one of two major tournaments organized annually by Legends of the LPGA, the leading senior tour in women’s professional golf.
This year’s event was organized as an unprecedented double-header along with the fourth annual Copper Rock Championship, a stop on the Epson Tour. And while the LPGA Senior Championship showcased the enduring talents of legends of the game, the Copper Rock Championship highlighted ambitious young golfers chasing their dream of earning LPGA membership.
Copper Rock’s player-friendly layout and a competitive field stacked with talent resulted in a record-setting event over the weekend of May 16-18. Epson Tour rookie Fiona Xu of New Zealand captured the first title of her career with a dominant performance that saw her finish seven strokes ahead of her nearest competitor, South Africa’s Kaleigh Telfer.
By the time Xu reached the 18th tee during the final round, a standing-room-only crowd had gathered in the hospitality tent surrounding the green to witness history in the making. Ultimately, her 22-under-par finish broke the all-time 54-hole scoring record for the Epson Tour as well as the tournament’s previous low score record.
This year’s Copper Rock Championship was a swinging success overall, James-Garcia said. Spectator attendance more than doubled over last year, while the free junior golf clinic saw roughly four times as many participants.
Nearly 900 volunteers lent their time and talents over the course of both tournaments to help keep everything running smoothly. In fact, 54% of volunteers worked both events.
“There is no secret sauce,” she said. “It’s hard work and people with a passion who care so much about supporting women’s golf that they were willing to do whatever it took.”
Copper Rock has committed to continue hosting the Epson Tour through 2028, which includes a pledge to increase the annual purse by $10,000. The event is run by an all-female leadership team, providing career-changing opportunities on and off the golf course. Learn more at copperrockchampionship.com.
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
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