Farr Classic notebook: Contract with course extended to '06
8/10/2003The Jamie Farr Kroger Classic, presented by ALLTEL, and Highland Meadows Golf Club have announced a three-year contract extension that will keep the LPGA tournament at the Sylvania golf club through 2006.
“It is truly a wonderful facility and it has become our home,” said tournament director Judd Silverman.
The Farr has been held at the Meadows since 1989. The first four Farr Classics were staged at the old Glengarry Country Club, now known as Stone Oak.
CELEBS: Actor-director Don Most, best known for his role of Ralph in the TV series Happy Days, and ex-Macomber/Ohio State basketball star Jim Jackson, who has 11 years as an NBA player under his belt, are the newcomers to the celebrity corps for this year's Farr Classic.
They will be joined by tourney host Jamie Farr, actors Ron Masak and Gregory Harrison, TV newsman Leon Harris, and Detroit Red Wings players Darren McCarty and Kirk Maltby.
All will play in Wednesday's Owens-Corning Celebrity Pro-Am while Farr, Harrison, Most, Harris and Masak are also slated to appear in Tuesday's Dana Celebrity-Pro Challenge.
Singer Michael Bolton will headline the Owens-Corning Gala Dinner and Show Tuesday night at the SeaGate Centre.
THE CHALLENGE: The tentative lineup of LPGA players in Tuesday's Celebrity-Pro Challenge includes defending champion Rachel Teske, Beth Bauer, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, Tammie Green, Natalie Gulbis, Carin Koch, Kelli Kuehne and Dottie Pepper.
NO TV: Fans who want to watch the Farr Classic will have to do it in person this week as the tournament will have no live television coverage.
“Evidently, ESPN did not provide [the LPGA with] a window for next weekend,” Silverman said. “I'm not sure why, although ESPN not wanting to schedule a ladies' tournament opposite the PGA Championship would be logical reasoning. I'm fairly confident we'll be back on TV in 2004.”
QUALIFIER: The last two spots for the Farr field will be determined with a qualifying tournament tomorrow afternoon at 1 at Highland Meadows.
It is not known how many players will compete in the 18-hole round, but northwest Ohio amateurs Heather Zielinski, a Toledoan and Purdue University golfer, and Emily Bastell are expected to participate.
Bastell, who is expected to turn professional in the near future, recently won her third Ohio Women's Amateur championship, and represented the United States on last year's Curtis Cup team. The former Michigan State University golfer is from Upper Sandusky.