Conway native Kristy McPherson has already chosen the charity that will receive her support if she plays well in the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, the first U.S. event on tour from March 18-20 at Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix.
McPherson, who suffers from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, will donate any earnings in the tournament to the Arthritis National Research Foundation.
Amid some player and public criticisms of the inaugural tournament’s setup, the LPGA announced enhancements Friday to the event, which doesn’t pay players a purse but instead will donate at total of $1 million to charity. The amount to charity has been increased and players now have a say in which charities will benefit.
With the changes, the tournament increased its commitment to charity to $1 million, with $500,000 going to LPGA-USGA Girls Golf and $500,000 going to the top-10 finishers’ designated charities. The RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup will donate the full amount of the purse to charity—$1 million—while maintaining its designed competitive environment by attributing winnings to the players for purposes of the 2011 LPGA Official money list.
Additionally, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major of the 2011 season, will provide the top-five finishers at the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup a coveted entry into the tournament to be held March 31-April 3.
The winner will be able to designate $200,000 to the charity of her choice, while the second-place finisher will donate $100,000. The complete breakdown:
1st place: $200,000 to charity of player’s choice
2nd place: $100,000 to charity of player’s choice
3rd place: $55,000 to charity of player’s choice
4th place: $40,000 to charity of player’s choice
5th place: $30,000 to charity of player’s choice
6th place: $25,000 to charity of player’s choice
7th place: $20,000 to charity of player’s choice
8th place: $15,000 to charity of player’s choice
9th place: $10,000 to charity of player’s choice
10th place: $5,000 to charity of player’s choice
The 134-player tournament is designed to honor the founders of the LPGA while also contributing to charity and helping to grow the game among girls. It will be televised on Golf Channel and include special appearances by LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame members.
