By Blake Isakson

The LPGA Tour was in the Valley March 18-20 for the RR Donnelley Founders Cup. The event honored the 13 founders of the LPGA Tour, and had a $1 million purse that was all donated to charity. Karrie Webb recorded her second victory in a row by firing a fantastic final round 66 to best Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome by just one shot. Because the entire purse went to charity, Webb donated the winners’ share to two different charities - the relief fund in Japan and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Foundation. Yet the biggest winner wasn’t Karrie Webb or all of the charities that received donations from the tour. The biggest winner was the future of women’s golf.

The last day not only saw top players competing for the inaugural championship, but also was the day of the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf clinic. This fun and interactive clinic had LPGA teaching professionals as well as current LPGA players working with 75 girls on fundamentals. Kathy Knadler, Director of the Girls Golf organization in Phoenix, was excited about the turnout and response from the girls and their parents. “This was a great event for us, and an excellent opportunity to introduce new girls to the game as well as allow some of our better players to meet their idols.”

The Girls Golf program in Phoenix was one of the charities that benefited from the event. The program runs 23 events and clinics throughout the year for girls 5-17 years old with 7 different divisions based on skill level. They have seen their membership rising in the last few years, even as the national participation for golf has declined. One of the reasons for this is the friendly atmosphere that Knadler provides making girls feel comfortable at the course. She says the goal of the program is to allow girls to play golf, build friendships, and sample competition in a non-threatening environment. When asked why golf seems to be struggling to recruit new players she said, “Golf is not a driveway sport, parents have to be involved and take the kids to the golf course. It’s not just the expense, but also the time involved.” However, despite these factors, her organization is doing well with over 200 members and growing every year. Her daughters, Megan and Kaylee, are part of the program and have been playing golf since the age of three. They both came away from the week with a new resolve to work even harder on their games. Maybe one-day they can play on the LPGA Tour and inspire the next generation of girls to take up the game.