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Utah’s LPGA history connects the UGA’s operation to Black Desert Resort

On Sunday evening, for the first time in 61 years, an LPGA Tour player will receive a trophy in Utah.

The last time that happened, the Utah Golf Association staged the tournament.

LPGA Tour Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion 54-hole leader, Haeran Ryu.

It’s all part of the state’s pro golf history that’s being revived with the Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion in Ivins, where Haeran Ryu remains the leader for a third straight day. Having shot 63-67-68, the Korean golfer is 18 under par. She’s two strokes ahead of China’s Ruoning Yin, who topped Ryu’s Black Desert Resort women’s course record with a third-round 62.

The UGA is now known for conducting amateur championships, but professional events once were within its scope. That included the LPGA Tour’s three annual Utah stops in the early 1960s, at Willow Creek Country Club, Ogden Golf & Country Club and Riverside Country Club in Provo.

Winner of 11 LPGA Tour events, Clifford Ann Creed won the 1964 Riverside Ladies Open at Riverside Country Club. (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

The explanation for why the tour stopped coming is ironic, considering the major role that pro-am events now play in the LPGA sponsorship landscape. Steve Dunford, a charter member of the Utah Golf Hall of Fame, apparently was ahead of his time.

As the UGA President, Dunford wanted to provide sponsors with the opportunity to play alongside the LPGA Tour golfers in a pro-am. Tour administrators wouldn’t commit to that extra day of play. That was the dealbreaker for the UGA, according to media reports. Dunford decided that funding the purse would be too difficult, without offering such sponsor benefits.

In the pros’ defense, playing a fifth round of the week was asking a lot, considering they were usually driving from one tournament site to the next. In 1964, they went from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Provo, a 556-mile trek.

So the Wednesday pro-am this week at Black Desert Resort became a significant part of the story of the LPGA Tour’s return to Utah. In a staple of tour life, 40 pros played nine holes each, joining the 20 amateur teams.

Chad McWilliams of Greater Zion teamed with Black Desert Athlete and sponsor exemption invitee Ali “Gator” Mulhall during Wednesday’s pro-am.

LPGA administrators and players recognize the pro-am’s value, during the tour’s 75th anniversary season.

“We’re not only celebrating the history … but looking forward to how we’re going to grow and get better,” said Casey Ceman, the tour’s Vice President, Tournament Business Affairs. “We’re kind of laser-focused on transitioning from this legacy sports league to a global sports and entertainment brand that is cherished around the world.”

The relationships that develop from pro-am experiences are part of that strategy. The players are “super bought-in,” Ceman said, “and understand that it’s a part of their job these days.”

LPGA TOUR Black Desert Championship feature written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photos by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson unless otherwise credited.