Catching up with the Farr's past champions

8/1/2004

Farr win: 1984.

Other LPGA wins: 1983 State Farm Rail Classic, 1993 U.S. Women's Open.

Career earnings: $1,187,317.

Career notes: Went almost nine years between wins, then produced her two best seasons in 1993-94 with an Open victory, a runner-up finish at the LPGA Championship, a total of 13 top-10s and earnings of almost $600,000.

Current events: Has not competed on tour since early in 1997. She and her husband, Louis Capano, have homes in Delaware and Florida and she dabbles in decorative painting.

Farr wins: 1985, 1989.

Other LPGA wins: 1991 Desert Inn LPGA International, 1997 Rochester International.

Career earnings: $1,708,977.

Career notes: Her first Farr victory propelled Hammel to LPGA rookie of the year honors in '85. Her best season was in 1996 when she earned $260,000 despite not winning. She was second at the British Open and third at the LPGA Championship.

Current events: Still competing at age 42, Hammel has posted just two top-10 finishes in the last five years and has only once earned more than $56,500 in a season during that stretch.

Farr win: 1987.

Other LPGA wins: 1986 U.S. Women's Open, 1986 Boston Five Classic, 1987 Women's Kemper Open, 1987 GNA/Glendale Federal Classic, 1987 LPGA Championship, 1987 Boston Five Classic, 1991 Jamaica Classic, 1991 Atlantic City Classic, 1993 Oldsmobile Classic, 1994 Chicago Challenge.

Career earnings: $3,805,553.

Career notes: Won the Farr during a season that saw her capture five titles, including the second of two major championships, and finish as runner-up four times. Ironically, Geddes did not win again for four years. She served under Patty Sheehan as assistant captain of the 2002-03 U.S. Solheim Cup teams.

Current events: Although Geddes, now 44, never announced her retirement, she has not played on tour this year and is pursuing a law degree at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Farr win: 1988.

Other LPGA wins: 1987 U.S. Women's Open, 1988 Circle K Tucson Open, 1989 Lady Keystone Open, 1991 Inamori Classic, 1993 McDonald's Championship, 1994 Standard Register Ping, 1994 Sara Lee Classic, 1994 LPGA Championship, 1995 Standard Register Ping, 1995 Chick-fil-A Charity, 1996 Standard Register Ping, 1996 LPGA Championship, 1996 du Maurier Classic, 1996 Star Bank LPGA Classic, 1997 Standard Register Ping, 1998 PageNet Tour Championship, 2000 Los Angeles Open, 2000 Phillips Invitational, 2001 Wegmans Rochester International.

Career earnings: $6,744,482.

Career notes: An eight-time member of the European Solheim Cup team, the Englishwoman was the LPGA's player of the year in 1996 when she won four times, including two major titles. At the '97 Standard Register Ping, she joined legends Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen as the third pro golfer to win the same tournament four consecutive times.

Current events: Still going strong at age 40, the four-time major winner has posted four top-10 finishes in 2004.

Farr win: 1990.

Other LPGA wins: None.

Career earnings: $247,557.

Career notes: Canadian born and a two-time All-American at Arizona State University, she was playing as Tina Purtzer when she won the Farr title in '90 by posting a four-stroke win over Hall-of-Famer JoAnne Carner and Chris Johnson. Her next best shot at winning came in 1993, when she lost to Meg Mallon on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff at the Sara Lee Classic.

Current events: Married and the mother of two daughters, the 42-year-old Tombs has made few appearances on tour since 1999 and was recently hired as women's golf coach at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona.

Farr win: 1991.

Other LPGA wins: 1983 West Virginia Classic, 1984 Sarasota Classic, 1984 West Virginia Classic, 1985 S&H Golf Classic, 1985 Nabisco Dinah Shore, 1985 McDonald's Championship, 1985 Mayflower Classic.

Career earnings: $1,102,140.

Career notes: Miller was part of the LPGA's "Golden Era" with stars like Nancy Lopez, Patty Sheehan, Amy Alcott, Betsy King, Pat Bradley and others very much in the prime of their careers. In 1985, though, few were better than Miller, who won four times, including a major at the Nabisco Dinah Shore. She also teamed with Don January to win the Mazda Champions event and was runner-up four times, including a second-place finish to Lopez at the LPGA Championship. Oddly, she would not win again for six years when she made the Farr Classic her final title by beating Deb Richard with a birdie on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff.

Current events: Upon retirement, the 48-year-old Miller spent several years as an LPGA rules official and is now the tournament director for the McDonald's LPGA Championship, one of the tour's four majors.

Farr win: 1992.

Other LPGA wins: 1981 Mazda Japan Classic, 1982 Orlando Lady Classic, 1982 Safeco Classic, 1982 Inamori Classic, 1983 Corning Classic, 1983 LPGA Championship, 1983 Henredon Classic, 1983 Inamori Classic, 1984 Elizabeth Arden Classic, 1984 LPGA Championship, 1984 McDonald's Kids Classic, 1984 Henredon Classic, 1985 Sarasota Classic, 1985 J&B Scotch Pro-Am, 1986 Sarasota Classic, 1986 Inamori Classic, 1986 Konica San Jose Classic, 1988 Sarasota Classic, 1988 Mazda Japan Classic, 1989 Rochester International, 1990 Jamaica Classic, 1990 McDonald's Championship, 1990 Rochester International, 1990 Ping-Cellular One, 1990 Safeco Classic, 1991 Orix Hawaiian Ladies Open, 1992 Rochester International, 1992 U.S. Women's Open, 1993 Standard Register Ping, 1993 LPGA Championship, 1994 U.S. Women's Open, 1995 Rochester International, 1995 Safeco Classic, 1996 Nabisco Dinah Shore.

Career earnings: $5,513,409.

Career notes: Sheehan did it all during a phenomenal career that produced 35 victories, including six major championships. She was the LPGA rookie of the year (1981) and player of the year (1983), won the Vare Trophy for low scoring average (1984), and won the Patty Berg Award for outstanding contributions to women's golf (2002). In '92, she was playing nine groups ahead of the leaders entering the Farr's final round, but shot a 66 and nobody could catch her.

Current events: Sheehan captained the 2002-03 U.S. Solheim Cup teams and works as a golf course design consultant, but is pretty much retired from competitive golf. She lives in Nevada, enjoys gardening, and is raising two kids.

Farr win: 1993.

Other LPGA wins: 1992 Ping/Welch's Championship, 1993 du Maurier Classic, 1993 Safeco Classic, 1998 du Maurier Classic.

Career earnings: $3,938,972.

Career notes: The nation's top collegiate golfer in her one year at Arizona State, Burton broke onto the scene as the LPGA's rookie of the year in '91 and had four wins and more than $1 million in earnings by the end of 1993. In fact, she was the youngest player in tour history (21 years, 7 months, 21 days) to reach the $1 million mark. She has been raking it in ever since, too, but a series of injuries, most importantly to her right shoulder, slowed her trips to the winner's circle.

Current events: With two major championships to her credit, both at the now-defunct, Canadian-based du Maurier, the 32-year-old Burton has had a couple of top-10 finishes this year and continues to build on her current No. 20 ranking on the LPGA's all-time money list

Farr wins: 1994, 1997.

Other LPGA wins: 1993 Corning Classic, 1995 LPGA Championship, 1996 Twelve Bridges LPGA Classic, 1997 Diet Dr. Pepper National Pro-Am, 1998 HealthSouth Inaugural, 1998 Lifetime/AFLAC Tournament of Champions, 1999 HealthSouth Inaugural.

Career earnings: $5,690,766.

Career notes: One of the tour's most consistent players based on stroke average, Robbins had a big year in 2003. She tied for second after a playoff at the U.S. Open, marking her highest finish in a major since winning the LPGA Championship; she tied her career low round with a 64; she surpassed the $5 million mark in career earnings, and she was a member for the sixth time of a U.S. Solheim Cup team. She won her first Farr title in a playoff against Tammie Green and her second in what was then tour-record fashion for a 72-hole event with a 19-under-par 265 total.

Current events: This has been an up-and-down year, but the Michigander made yet another "major" bid at the U.S. Open before settling for third place.

Farr win: 1995.

Other LPGA wins: None.

Career earnings: $1,031,178.

Career notes: Scotland is considered the birthplace of golf and Marshall's win at the '95 Farr was noticed far and wide as she became the first native Scot to win an LPGA Tour event. She has since been joined by Janice Moodie (2000 ShopRite LPGA Classic) and Catriona Matthew (2001 Hawaiian Ladies Open). The Farr victory helped her accumulate enough points to land a spot on the 1996 European Solheim Cup team.

Current events: Marshall has not recorded a top-10 finish since 2001, but she made enough in her first 14 starts this year to surpass the $1 million mark in career earnings.

Farr win: 1996.

Other LPGA wins: None.

Career earnings: $1,292,984.

Career notes: The low amateur at the 1986 U.S. Women's Open, it took Pitcock 8 1/2 pro seasons and 225 starts to score her first and only tour win at the '96 Farr. Her final-round duel with Marianne Morris was a back-and-forth classic and resulted in a one-stroke victory when Morris' birdie putt on the final hole stopped an inch short of the cup. Pitcock led up to that victory with eight top-10 finishes in the preceding two years.

Current events: Pitcock was sidelined most of last year with a bulging disk in her back and after deciding against surgery has been playing with pain this season. It has been a struggle with only one sub-par result in her first 18 rounds.

Farr wins: 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003.

Other LPGA wins: 1998 LPGA Championship, 1998 U.S. Women's Open, 1998 Giant Eagle LPGA Classic, 1999 ShopRite LPGA Classic, 1999 Samsung World Championship, 1999 PageNet Championship, 2001 YourLife Vitamins LPGA Classic, 2001 Longs Drugs Challenge, 2001 Weetabix Women's British Open, 2001 AFLAC Champions, 2002 Office Depot Championship, 2002 LPGA Championship, 2002 First Union Betsy King Classic, 2002 Mobile Tournament of Champions, 2002 CJ Nine Bridges Classic, 2003 Safeway Ping Championship, 2003 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship, 2004 Michelob Ultra Open.

Career earnings: $7,874,051.

Career notes: The most dominant player in Farr Classic history with four wins in the last six years, Pak had perhaps the most impressive rookie debut ever by delivering her first two tour victories at major championships. She has never stopped winning and added a second LPGA Championship in 2002. Pak has won more than $1.6 million in each of the past three years and, amazingly, is already fifth on the tour's all-time money list.

Current events: Because her Farr prowess began at such a young age, it's hard to imagine Pak is still just 27 years old. And that her win earlier this year at the Michelob Ultra Open put her over the top in qualifying for the LPGA Hall of Fame during just her seventh year as a tour member.

Farr win: 2000.

Other LPGA wins: 1995 U.S. Women's Open, 1995 GHP Heartland Classic, 1995 Samsung World Championship, 1996 U.S. Women's Open, 1996 CoreStates Betsy King Classic, 1996 Samsung World Championship, 1997 Chrysler-Plymouth Tournament of Champions, 1997 Hawaiian Ladies Open, 1997 Longs Drugs Challenge, 1997 Michelob Light Classic, 1997 CoreStates Betsy King Classic, 1997 ITT Tour Championship, 1998 Michelob Light Classic, 1998 ShopRite Classic, 1998 JAL Big Apple Classic, 1998 Safeco Classic, 1999 Michelob Light Classic, 1999New Albany Golf Classic, 2000 Welch's/Circle K Championship, 2000 Firstar LPGA Classic, 2000 Evian Masters, 2000 Big Apple Classic, 2001 Welch's/Circle K Championship, 2001 Standard Register Ping, 2001 Nabisco Championship, 2001 Office Depot Championship, 2001 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship, 2001 Canadian Women's Open, 2001 World Ladies Match Play Championship, 2001 Mizuno Classic, 2002 Takefuji Classic, 2002 Kraft Nabisco Championship, 2002 Aerus Electrolux USA, 2002 Kellogg-Keebler Classic, 2002 Evian Masters, 2002 ShopRite Classic, 2002 Williams Championship, 2002 Safeway Classic, 2002 Samsung World Championship, 2002 Mizuno Classic, 2002 ADT Championship, 2003 Office Depot Championship, 2003 Kellogg-Keebler Classic, 2003 LPGA Championship, 2003 Weetabix Women's British Open, 2003 Safeway Classic, 2003 Mizuno Classic, 2004 Safeway International, 2004 Office Depot Championship, 2004 Corning Classic, 2004 LPGA Championship.

Career earnings: $14,836,164.

Career notes: Sorenstam, the No. 1-ranked women's golfer and wealthiest LPGA player of all time, has already qualified for the LPGA's and the World Golf halls of fame. She is one of only six players in tour history to have completed a career grand slam of the major championships and is the all-time points leader for the European team in Solheim Cup competition.

Current events: Sorenstam is shooting for her fourth straight - and seventh overall - LPGA player of the year award. It would tie her with Kathy Whitworth for the most ever.

Farr win: 2002.

Other LPGA wins: 1998 First Union Betsy King Classic, 1999 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship, 1999 City of Hope Myrtle Beach Classic, 2001 Evian Masters, 2002 Ping Banner Health, 2003 Giant Eagle LPGA Classic, 2003 Wegmans Rochester LPGA.

Career earnings: $3,989,013.

Career notes: The Farr Classic has presented Teske with a couple significant moments. Playing as Rachel Hertherington in 2000, she lost in a sudden-death playoff to Annika Sorenstam but surpassed the $1 million mark in career earnings with her second-place check. Her 2002 victory was her sixth and was built around a career-low round of 64. She posted back-to-back tournament wins in both 1999 and last year.

Current events: Teske has a pair of top-10 finishes this year, one coming at the U.S. Women's Open, and her more than $200,000 in earnings has the Aussie on the brink of the $4 million mark for her eight-year career.