The Marathon Classic, in full the Marathon Classic Presented by Dana, is a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour. It was founded 40 years ago in 1984 and has been played yearly, except in 1986 and 2011, in Sylvania, Ohio, a suburb northwest of Toledo. The tournament is televised by Golf Channel.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sylvania, Ohio, U.S. |
| Established | 1984, 40 years ago |
| Course(s) | Highland Meadows Golf Club |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,506 yards (5,949 m) |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play – 72 holes |
| Prize fund | $1.85 million |
| Month played | July |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 261 Se Ri Pak (1998) |
| To par | −23 as above |
| Current champion | |
 Danielle Kang | |
Golf Club
Golf Club
History
The tournament was founded after PGA Tour caddie Judd Silverman, a Toledo native, sought to bring a ladies professional golf tournament to his hometown. He contacted sponsors and actor Jamie Farr, also a Toledo native, brought his name and several of his celebrity friends to the tournament. Throughout the history of the event, children's charities in Northwest Ohio and Southern Michigan have been the charitable beneficiaries of the tournament. They have received more than $6.2 million during the event's history.[1]
From 2004 to 2010, the title sponsor was Owens Corning, the world's largest manufacturer of fiberglass and related products, headquartered in Toledo, near the site of the tournament. In 2012, they became a presenting sponsor. Kroger, one of the largest American supermarket chains, with headquarters in Cincinnati, has also been involved as a sponsor of the tournament since 1997. Owens-Illinois (O-I) became a sponsor in 2012.
From 1984 to 1988, the tournament was held in the village of Holland at Glengarry Country Club (41°38′06″N 83°45′18″W / 41.635°N 83.755°W), which became Stone Oak Country Club in 1988.[2][3] The event moved several miles north in 1989 to its current home, Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, just south of the Michigan state line.
The largest playoff in LPGA history took place at the 1999 Jamie Farr, a six-player affair involving Karrie Webb, Carin Koch, Sherri Steinhauer, Se Ri Pak, Kelli Kuehne, and Mardi Lunn. Defending champion Pak won it on first hole of sudden death, sinking a ten-foot (3 m) birdie putt.[4]
In 2007, Pak won the Farr for the fifth time, becoming only the fourth player on the LPGA Tour to win the same tournament five times.
The tournament was at risk of ending after 2009, due to a variety of circumstances including the slumping worldwide economy and reported dissatisfaction with LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens. Late in August 2009, after Bivens had resigned under pressure, it was announced that the tournament would continue for at least one more year, albeit with a sharply reduced purse.[5]
On June 29, 2010, LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan announced the Farr Classic would return for at least three more years beginning in 2012.[6] The tournament took a one-year hiatus in 2011, as the Toledo area hosted the U.S. Senior Open, a major championship on the Champions Tour, at the Inverness Club in late July. A similar break occurred in 1986, when the PGA Championship was at Inverness in August.
On December 2, 2011, tournament director Judd Silverman announced that the Jamie Farr Classic would have a new name and a new logo; it became the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic Presented by Kroger, Owens Corning and O-I.[7] On January 8, 2013, the LPGA announced that Marathon Petroleum was replacing Jamie Farr as the title sponsor.[8] In 2016, the event received broadcast network coverage for the first time when CBS Sports televised the final round live.
Tournament names through the years:
- 1984–1996: Jamie Farr Toledo Classic
- 1997–2000: Jamie Farr Kroger Classic
- 2001–2003: Jamie Farr Kroger Classic Presented by ALLTEL
- 2004–2010: Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger
- 2012: Jamie Farr Toledo Classic Presented by Kroger, Owens Corning and O-I
- 2013–2018: Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I
- 2019–present: Marathon Classic Presented by Dana
2021 Course Layout
Highland Meadows Golf Club
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total[9] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yards | 347 | 162 | 396 | 382 | 401 | 170 | 575 | 146 | 375 | 2,954 | 376 | 407 | 395 | 355 | 175 | 399 | 400 | 513 | 532 | 3,535 | 6,506 |
| Par | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 34 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 71 |
Winners
| Year | Dates | Champion | Country | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Venue | Purse ($) | Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Aug 6–9 | Danielle Kang |  United States |
64-67-70-68=269 | −15 | 1 stroke | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 2,000,000 | 255,000 |
| 2019 | Jul 11–14 | Kim Sei-young |  South Korea |
67-64-66-65=262 | −22 | 2 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,750,000 | 262,500 |
| 2018 | Jul 12–15 | Thidapa Suwannapura |  Thailand |
65-69-71-65=270 | −14 | Playoff | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,600,000 | 240,000 |
| 2017 | Jul 20–23 | In-Kyung Kim | South Korea |
65-67-68-63=263 | −21 | 4 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,600,000 | 240,000 |
| 2016 | Jul 14–17 | Lydia Ko (2) |  New Zealand |
68-66-67-69=270 | −14 | Playoff | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
| 2015 | Jul 16–19 | Chella Choi | South Korea |
73-66-65-66=270 | −14 | Playoff | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
| 2014 | Jul 17–20 | Lydia Ko | New Zealand |
67-67-70-65=269 | −15 | 1 stroke | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,400,000 | 210,000 |
| 2013 | Jul 18–21 | Beatriz Recari |  Spain |
69-65-67-66=267 | −17 | 1 stroke | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,300,000 | 195,000 |
| 2012 | Aug 9–12 | So Yeon Ryu | South Korea |
67-68-67-62=264 | −20 | 7 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,300,000 | 195,000 |
| 2011 | No tournament, area hosted U.S. Senior Open in July | ||||||||
| 2010 | Jul 1–4 | Na Yeon Choi | South Korea |
64-67-68-71=270 | −14 | Playoff | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,000,000 | 150,000 |
| 2009 | Jul 2–5 | Eunjung Yi | South Korea |
68-66-61-71=266 | −18 | Playoff | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,400,000 | 210,000 |
| 2008 | Jul 10–13 | Paula Creamer | United States |
60-65-70-73=268 | −16 | 2 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,300,000 | 195,000 |
| 2007 | Jul 12–15 | Se Ri Pak (5) | South Korea |
63-68-69-67=267 | −17 | 3 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,300,000 | 195,000 |
| 2006 | Jul 13–16 | Mi Hyun Kim | South Korea |
68-66-67-65=266 | −18 | Playoff | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,200,000 | 180,000 |
| 2005 | Jul 7–10 | Heather Bowie | United States |
72-66-69-67=274 | −10 | Playoff | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,200,000 | 180,000 |
| 2004 | Aug 5–8 | Meg Mallon | United States |
66-69-74-68=277 | −7 | 1 stroke | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,100,000 | 165,000 |
| 2003 | Aug 14–17 | Se Ri Pak (4) | South Korea |
69-67-64-71=271 | −13 | 2 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,000,000 | 150,000 |
| 2002 | Jul 11–14 | Rachel Teske |  Australia |
67-73-64-66=270 | −14 | 2 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,000,000 | 150,000 |
| 2001 | Jul 5–8 | Se Ri Pak (3) | South Korea |
70-62-69-68=269 | −15 | 2 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,000,000 | 150,000 |
| 2000 | Jul 6–9 | Annika Sörenstam |  Sweden |
70-67-66-71=274 | −10 | Playoff | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 1,000,000 | 150,000 |
| 1999 | Jul 1–4 | Se Ri Pak (2) | South Korea |
68-69-68-71=276 | −8 | Playoff | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 900,000 | 135,000 |
| 1998 | Jul 9–12 | Se Ri Pak | South Korea |
71-61-63-66=261 | −23 | 9 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 800,000 | 120,000 |
| 1997 | Jul 3–6 | Kelly Robbins (2) | United States |
67-64-67-67=265 | −19 | 8 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 700,000 | 105,000 |
| 1996 | Jul 5–7 | Joan Pitcock | United States |
68-66-70=204 | −9 | 1 stroke | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 575,000 | 86,250 |
| 1995 | Jul 7–9 | Kathryn Marshall |  Scotland |
67-71-67=205 | −8 | 1 stroke | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 500,000 | 75,000 |
| 1994 | Jul 8–10 | Kelly Robbins | United States |
69-70-65=204 | −9 | Playoff | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 500,000 | 75,000 |
| 1993 | Jul 2–4 | Brandie Burton | United States |
68-66-67=201 | −12 | 1 stroke | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 500,000 | 75,000 |
| 1992 | Jul 3–5 | Patty Sheehan | United States |
70-73-66=209 | −4 | 1 stroke | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 400,000 | 60,000 |
| 1991 | Jul 5–7 | Alice Miller | United States |
69-66-70=205 | −8 | Playoff | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 350,000 | 52,500 |
| 1990 | Jul 6–8 | Tina Purtzer |  Canada |
67-72-66=205 | −8 | 4 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 325,000 | 48,750 |
| 1989 | Jul 7–9 | Penny Hammel (2) | United States |
69-66-71=206 | −7 | 2 strokes | Highland Meadows Golf Club | 275,000 | 41,250 |
| 1988 | Jun 2–5 | Laura Davies |  England |
69-70-69-69=277 | −11 | 3 strokes | Glengarry Country Club | 275,000 | 41,250 |
| 1987 | Jul 2–5 | Jane Geddes | United States |
71-73-69-67=280 | −8 | 2 strokes | Glengarry Country Club | 225,000 | 33,750 |
| 1986 | No tournament, area hosted PGA Championship in August | ||||||||
| 1985 | Aug 1–4 | Penny Hammel | United States |
72-69-72-65=278 | −10 | 1 stroke | Glengarry Country Club | 175,000 | 26,250 |
| 1984 | Jul 5–8 | Lauri Peterson | United States |
68-72-65-73=278 | −10 | 2 strokes | Glengarry Country Club | 175,000 | 26,250 |
Source:[10]
Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Multiple winners
Four players have won the event more than once.
- 5 wins: Se Ri Pak (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2007)
- 2 wins: Penny Hammel (1985, 1989), Kelly Robbins (1994, 1997), and Lydia Ko (2014, 2016)
Tournament records
| Year | Player | Score | To par | Round | Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Paula Creamer | 60 | −11 | 1st | Highland Meadows Golf Club |
Source:[11]
See also
- Glass City Classic: a LPGA Tour event that was played at Highland Meadows Golf Club in 1966.
References
- ^ Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Charities Archived 2009-03-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hackenberg, Dave (May 11, 1988). "Glengarry will change name". Toledo Blade. Ohio. p. 19.
- ^ "Club history". Stone Oak Country Club. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
- ^ "Pak wins crowded playoff". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. July 5, 1999. p. 3C.
- ^ "The Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Continues". Golf Digest. September 2, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ^ "Farr Classic to go on hiatus in 2011". ESPN. Associated Press. June 30, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ^ Hackenberg, Dave (December 2, 2011). "New name, new logo for Farr Classic". Toledo Blade. Toledo, Ohio. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ^ "Marathon Petroleum Corporation Joins LPGA Family as Title Partner of Northeast Ohio Tour Event". LPGA. January 8, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ "The Course - Marathon Classic". marathonclassic.com. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ^ "Jamie Farr Toledo Classic: Past Winners". LPGA. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
- ^ "Creamer shoots 11-under 60". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. July 11, 2008. p. D5.
External links
- Official website
- LPGA official tournament microsite
- Jamie Farr official website
- Highland Meadows Golf Club
- Stone Oak Country Club former venue, originally Glengarry C.C.