Last week at The Woodford Club in Versailles, Kentucky, women whose careers account for 322 LPGA Tour victories and 42 major championships were given something golf does not offer nearly often enough: a stage worthy of what they accomplished and what they can still do.
The Woodford Legends Invitational Powered by Suran Systems was not presented as a nostalgia exercise. This was a tournament, complete with a deep field, a crowded leaderboard and players who had no intention of treating their scorecards like souvenirs.
Angela Stanford and Wendy Ward made certain nobody confused “showcase” with “exhibition.”
The Texans finished the 36-hole scramble at 30 under par, six shots clear of the field. Their rounds of 57 and 55 produced a tournament-record 112, four shots better than the previous winning score established by Catriona Matthew and Becky Morgan.
The result provided a fitting conclusion to a week that honored the history of women’s golf without trapping its legends in the past.
“What these Legends showed us this weekend was that the word ‘Legend’ does not mean they have lost their ability to play incredible tournament golf,” said Bob Baldassari, the PGA Professional who helped build the event into one of the strongest gatherings on the Legends of the LPGA calendar. “They can still absolutely play!”
Woodford by the Numbers
A Record-Setting Legends Performance
30 under
Stanford and Ward’s winning total
55
Final-round scramble score
6 shots
Final margin of victory
3
Eagles on three par 5s Sunday
The 32-player field entered the week with a combined 322 LPGA Tour victories and 42 major championship titles.
A Showcase That Still Had Teeth
The final margin suggests Stanford and Ward had a comfortable Sunday. The reality was considerably more demanding.
They began the final round with a one-shot lead after six teams finished Saturday within two strokes. Ten of the 16 Legends teams opened with scores of 10 under or better.
Standing on the first tee Sunday, Stanford and Ward understood that protecting their position would not be enough.
They eagled the par-5 first when Ward made an 18-foot putt from just off the green. Six birdies followed over the next eight holes, sending them out in 28.
Stanford chipped in for eagle at the par-5 10th, but Nancy Scranton and Ashli Bunch continued to apply pressure. Scranton’s birdie at No. 13 pulled the challengers within two.
That was when Stanford looked at Ward and changed the objective.
“Let’s just go set a tournament record,” Stanford told her.
The response came immediately. They birdied Nos. 14, 15 and 16 before Stanford rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt at the par-5 17th. They had played the course’s three par 5s in 6 under and left no realistic path for anyone to catch them.
“It was like, pedal down. Let’s go get it,” Ward said. “We knew they were the closest to us, but we had five holes to go and there were still a lot of great opportunities out there.”
Scranton and Bunch shared second at 24 under with Leta Lindley and Suzy Whaley. Liselotte Neumann and Jane Geddes finished fourth at 23 under.
“Birdie was like par out here today,” Ward said. “We knew we had to make eagles to come out ahead.”
That is not the language of players making a ceremonial appearance. It is the language of competitors who still understand how to recognize pressure and answer it.
Behind the Event
How Bob Baldassari Helped Shape Woodford Week
Tournament leadership
The PGA Certified Professional and tournament director helped bring the Legends of the LPGA to Kentucky and has served as one of Woodford’s lead organizers.
Player-development purpose
Baldassari helped make youth golf, women’s participation and direct access to accomplished LPGA players central pieces of tournament week.
A community event
The week included family programming, military and first-responder recognition, a pro-am and support for charitable partner KVC Kentucky.
Woodford’s success was a collective effort involving The Woodford Club, its foundation, the Legends of the LPGA, sponsors, volunteers, players and the surrounding community.
The Week’s Most Important Connection
The tournament record will remain in Woodford’s official history. Baldassari believes another part of the week may have carried even greater significance.
During the girls youth pro-am, young players were placed alongside LPGA Legends and allowed to experience what a future in the game might look like.
Parents told organizers the experience changed how their daughters viewed golf and what they might be able to accomplish through it.
The effect was not limited to the young players.
“What surprised and delighted us was how deeply it affected the Legends themselves,” Baldassari said. “They came up to me afterward and shared heartfelt stories about what the day meant to them.”
The players delivered a clear message.
“Every one of them told me, ‘Bob, you have to keep doing this next year,’” Baldassari said.
That may be the finest endorsement Woodford could have received.
Stanford and Ward supplied a record. Annika and Charlotta Sörenstam supplied a rare family partnership. Hall of Famers and major champions gave Kentucky golf fans a deserving look at the women who helped shape the sport.
The young players supplied a glimpse of where women’s golf can go next.
Last week’s Woodford Legends Invitational understood something golf occasionally forgets. Celebrating the game’s greatest players should not begin when they stop competing. Give them a meaningful stage, a strong field and something worth playing for.
They will take care of the rest.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer who serves as Athlon Sports Senior Golf Writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on R.org, where he is their Lead Golf Writer. To stay updated on all of his latest work, sign up for his newsletter or visit his MuckRack Profile.
