LPGA Event Scheduled For June 21-23

Ai Miyazato holds up the trophy after winning the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on July 1, 2012 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers.
Ai Miyazato holds up the trophy after winning the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on July 1, 2012 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers.

LPGA golfers will head to Rogers in late June during perhaps the most critical stretch in the season.

The LPGA released its 2013 schedule on Tuesday, showing this year’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is slated for June 21-23 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers.

The tournament, which is in its seventh year, will give players a brief reprieve during a rough swing in June.

The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is sandwiched on the schedule in between two LPGA major events, with the Wegmans LPGA Championship slated for June 6-9 in Pittsford, N.Y. and the U.S. Women’s Open scheduled for June 27-30 in Southampton, N.Y.

"It's a great spot for us. The week immediately before us is the men's U.S. Open. So, if you're a golf fan, you've got the LPGA Championship, men's U.S. Open, us and the women's U.S. Open."

David Shoemaker

Tournament director for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship

“It’s a great spot for us,” said David Shoemaker, tournament director for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. “The week immediately before us is the men’s U.S. Open. So, if you’re a golf fan, you’ve got the LPGA Championship, men’s U.S. Open, us and the women’s U.S. Open.

“We’ve been close to the Women’s Open a few years back when we were in July, and it’s going to be great for us. It’s a prime time for a golf fan to really get excited.”

This year’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship will be played a week later than last year’s event. In 2012, the LPGA moved the Rogers tournament from September to June 29 through July 1.

Ai Miyazato won last year’s tournament when she sank a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish at 12-under, then watched as longtime friend Mika Miyazato came up just short on a birdie putt a few minutes later.

Shoemaker said the decision to move up the event by a week shouldn’t cause problems for officials in charge of organizing it.

“Last year we moved to June, so we’re only moving a week earlier,” Shoemaker said. “So, from our standpoint, it doesn’t change much.”

The field for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship hasn’t been announced yet, but Shoemaker said he anticipates another solid field for this year’s tournament. The event has a $2 million purse, which puts it toward the top half of the LPGA schedule in prize money.

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