Safeco Classic
The Safeco Classic (often styled as the SAFECO Classic) was a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour in the Seattle area, sponsored by Safeco Insurance. It was played 18 times, from 1982 to 1999, at Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent, Washington, usually in mid-September, the week following the Safeway Classic in Portland.[1][2]
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kent, Washington, U.S. |
| Established | 1982 |
| Course(s) | Meridian Valley C.C. |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,241 yards (5,707 m) |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play - 72 holes |
| Prize fund | $650,000 |
| Month played | September |
| Final year | 1999 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 270 Patty Sheehan (1990) |
| To par | -18 Patty Sheehan (1990) |
| Final champion | |
 | |
With the opening of the Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field in Seattle in July 1999, Safeco entered a 20-year, $40 million agreement for the naming rights of the new major league baseball stadium. Safeco ended its sponsorship of the LPGA event in October 1999 and a new sponsor did not emerge.[3]
Multiple winners of the 72-hole event were Patty Sheehan (1982, 1990, 1995), Juli Inkster (1983, 1988), and Karrie Webb (1995, 1996).
Winners
| Year | Dates | Champion | Country | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Purse ($) | Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Sep 16–19 | Maria Hjorth | | 271 | −17 | 2 strokes | 650,000 | 97,500 |
| 1998 | Sep 10–13 | Annika Sörenstam | | 273 | −15 | 5 strokes | 600,000 | 90,000 |
| 1997 | Sep 11–14 | Karrie Webb (2) | .svg.png){kind=small} | 272 | −16 | 1 stroke | 550,000 | 82,500 |
| 1996 | Sep 12–15 | Karrie Webb | | 277 | −11 | 2 strokes | 550,000 | 82,500 |
| 1995 | Sep 14–17 | Patty Sheehan (3) |  | 274 | −14 | 2 strokes | 500,000 | 75,000 |
| 1994 | Sep 15–18 | Deb Richard | | 276 | −12 | 1 stroke | 500,000 | 75,000 |
| 1993 | Sep 16–19 | Brandie Burton | | 274 | −14 | 1 stroke | 450,000 | 67,500 |
| 1992 | Sep 17–20 | Colleen Walker | | 277 | −11 | 2 strokes | 450,000 | 67,500 |
| 1991 | Sep 19–22 | Pat Bradley | | 280 | −8 | Playoff | 400,000 | 60,000 |
| 1990 | Sep 13–16 | Patty Sheehan (2) | | 270 | −18 | 9 strokes | 300,000 | 45,000 |
| 1989 | Sep 14–17 | Beth Daniel | | 273 | −15 | 6 strokes | 300,000 | 45,000 |
| 1988 | Sep 15–18 | Juli Inkster (2) | | 278 | −10 | 3 strokes | 225,000 | 33,750 |
| 1987 | Sep 17–20 | Jan Stephenson | | 277 | −11 | 1 stroke | 225,000 | 33,750 |
| 1986 | Sep 11–14 | Judy Dickinson | | 274 | −14 | 4 strokes | 200,000 | 30,000 |
| 1985 | Sep 12–15 | Joanne Carner | | 279 | −9 | 2 strokes | 200,000 | 30,000 |
| 1984 | Sep 13–16 | Kathy Whitworth | | 279 | −9 | 2 strokes | 175,000 | 26,250 |
| 1983 | Sep 15–18 | Juli Inkster | | 283 | −6 | 1 stroke | 175,000 | 26,250 |
| 1982 | Sep 23–26 | Patty Sheehan | | 276 | −12 | 1 stroke | 175,000 | 26,250 |
References
- LPGA Tournament Chronology 1980-1989
- LPGA Tournament Chronology 1990-1999
- Smith, Craig (October 6, 1999). "Safeco ends sponsorship - 18-Year association with LPGA Tour ends". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 8, 2015.