- November 24, 2024
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They are the greatest names in women’s golf, each a legend in her own right.
Nancy Lopez, Jane Blalock, Juli Inkster, Jan Stephenson, Hollis Stacy … the list goes on.
The Legends Tour, which showcases the most talented of LPGA Tour professionals, ages 45 and over, unites the best players the sport has ever seen. Together, they have combined for nearly 700 wins, including more than 70 major championships.
And we get to see them right here.
The ISPS Handa Cup, the final stop on the Legends Tour, will return to the Champions Course at Palm Aire Country Club for the second-consecutive year.
Team USA player Barb Mucha, who played in her third Handa Cup last year, and Legends Tour CEO Jane Blalock, along with Palm Aire President Ed Kornberger, announced the news March 15.
This year’s edition, which once again will feature 12 players from the United States against 12 players from the rest of the world, will be held Nov. 1 through Nov. 6.
“It’s a good test of golf,” Mucha said of the Champions Course. “There are some good holes out there. You definitely have to pay attention. I enjoyed it very much.”
It was fun to watch, too, even if I never have been a big fan of golf. If not for their names plastered across their caddies’ backs, I wouldn’t have the slightest clue who they were.
I’ll admit it. Golf has never really been my thing. I’ve covered it. I’ve occasionally watched bits and pieces on TV, but never really to any great length, and I’ve made one trip to the driving range.
That’s about the extent of it.
That doesn't mean I don't have an appreciation for the sport and those who have spent countless hours perfecting their craft.
I envy their precision and their patience. Think about it. It takes some serious dedication to try to hit a ball as perfectly as you can 70 times, give or take a few strokes, over a four-to five-hour period. Then, if you mastered it that day, you have to repeat it, perhaps for another two or three rounds.
While I am not familiar with the faces, I am sure many of you are. Fourteen who are eligible to play in November are LPGA and World Golf Hall of Famers. Nine have had the distinguished honor of captaining the Solheim Cup, a biennial professional women’s golf tournament featuring teams representing the United States and Europe.
Their names and faces have been making headlines for decades. They are some of the most talked about names in women’s golf. Pioneers who helped make the sport what it is today.
Despite all their accomplishments, they still love to win.
Mucha and Blalock spoke of the thrill of watching Danielle Ammaccapane hole-out for birdie from the 18th fairway, a shot that propelled Team USA past the World Team 26-22, in last year's event. They all shared in the pain as well when Ammaccapane tore her anterior cruciate ligament during a leap for joy after the monumental shot.
“That’s a shot she’ll never forget and we’ll never forget,” Blalock said. “We ended with a bang, to say the least.”
The Handa Cup is more than just a tournament. There’s something to be said for donning your team colors and representing your country. It’s a privilege, and a moment these players don’t take lightly.
“It’s an honor to play on the team and end the year here,” Mucha said. “Anytime you can play for your country, it is a special opportunity. You don’t really know it until you’re chosen and asked to play on the team.
“There’s more hype for this than any other event I’ve played in,” Mucha said. “It’s a pretty special feeling. You’re playing with your heart, but also for who you’re playing with.”
