LPGA Samsung World Championship at Torrey Pines Golf Course

This week, the world’s best female golfers are competing at the Ladies Professional Golf Association Samsung World Championship held at the Torrey Pines South Course.  San Diego will be hosting this invitation-only event held September 16-20.  With the prize at $1,000,000, this is the largest purse in event history.  The winner will take home $250,000.

Photo from 'Keith Allison' via Wikimedia

Defending champion Paula Creamer has been winless since defeating Song-Hee Kim by one stroke in the tournament last year.  Lorena Ochoa, LPGA Leading Money Winner and LPGA Vare Trophy Winner, will be present at the tournament as well.  Other top qualifiers include Brittany Lincome, Anna Nordqvist, and Eun-Hee Ji.

Originally this championship featured 12 of the world’s best players.  With the number of professional female golfers growing, the number was increased to 16 players in 1996 then to 20 in 1999.

The Samsung World Championship has been held in various locations throughout the United States and California.  This is only the second time that a LPGA tournament will be played at Torrey Pines since 1983.  The tour has not visited the San Diego area in over 15 years.

In 1957 both the north and south courses at the Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Courses opened.  The South Course, where this tournament is taking place, was remolded by designer Rees Jones in 2001 to an impressive 7,702 yards in length.  Torrey Pines is well-known for hosting the Buick Invitational and Junior World Championship every year.  These courses, maintained by the City of San Diego, have recently gained more fame for hosting the 2008 United States Open Championship where Tiger Woods claimed another victory.

The Samsung World Championship will be broadcast on the Golf Channel and NBC sports.

Prices for advance purchase tickets start at $24 and tickets at the gate start at $29.