Golf: NW Arkansas Championship Features Strong Field

STAFF PHOTO SAMANTHA BAKER • @NWASAMANTHA Spectators protect themselves from the rain on the way to the 16th green Monday at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers during the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship local qualifying tournament.
STAFF PHOTO SAMANTHA BAKER • @NWASAMANTHA Spectators protect themselves from the rain on the way to the 16th green Monday at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers during the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship local qualifying tournament.

ROGERS -- Newly crowned U.S. Women's Open champion Michelle Wie and former Arkansas All-American and world No. 1 Stacy Lewis will headline a loaded field at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship this week.

The eighth edition of the tournament at Pinnacle Country Club will feature the top 10 players on the LPGA Priority List and nine of the 10 tournament winners on the tour this year. The field is as deep as it is stacked at the top, including 95 of the top 100 golfers on the LPGA money list, a strong number slightly less than the 98 who competed last year.

Lewis is returning to a venue close to where she attended college less than a month after claiming the No. 1 spot from Inbee Park, last year's tournament champion, who will also be in the field. Wie earned her first major title Sunday in a two-shot victory over Lewis at the U.S. Women's Open.

Kerr To Lead Clinic

LPGA pro Cristie Kerr will lead a girls-only golf clinic sponsored by The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas at 1 p.m. today in Lowell.about:newtab

The event will take place at the the Tyson Foods First Tee Learning Center. Kerr, ranked No. 12 on the LPGA money list, is participating in the NW Arkansas Championship.

"We were thrilled to hear that Cristie was willing to take time away from her hectic tournament schedule to work with our girls here at The First Tee," said Elizabeth Prenger, director of outreach for The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas. "With her dedication to the game and the success she has had as a female athlete, Cristie is a positive role model for all girls, on and off the course."

Children's Shelter Presented With Gift

The tournament donated a $50,000 box truck to the Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter in a ceremony Monday at the course. The ceremony also recognized key sponsors who made supply donations to the shelter in a Drive for Hope Campaign that coincided with the truck donation.

The ceremony was the first of several charitable donations that will be presented by the tournament this week. The Walmart Foundation will donate a grant to the Northwest Arkansas Council at noon today; there will be an Arkansas Children's Hospital/Cancer Challenge Donation on Wednesday and a Kraft and NWA Food Bank Donation on Thursday.

Kids Center Open Again

The Walmart Kids Center presented by Dove will be open between the 17th and 18th holes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The center will feature a nine-hole putt putt course, hitting nets, autograph signings, a food truck and more.

Fans Can Prompt Donation

Fans who wear a free, provided pedometer during the tournament can help earn a $5,000 donation to Mercy Northwest Arkansas.

The donation will be made by the tournament when patrons log a cumulative 500 miles walked at the three-day tournament. Pedometers can be picked up next to the 18th hole.

Tournament Tickets Available

Tickets will be available as patrons enter the tournament grounds throughout the week.

A single-day ticket for one of the three rounds costs $15, while a weeklong pass can be purchased for $25. Tickets to The Club presented by MasterCard, which opens Friday and includes complimentary food and beverage, are $275 per person.

Gates are open to the public today, and children 17 years old and younger are admitted free all week when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Military personnel and veterans are also admitted free with a valid military ID.

Sports on 06/24/2014

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