NW Golf | LPGA golfers to play pro-am at Meridian Valley

Meridian Valley Country Club has yearned for the return of an LPGA tournament since the Safeco Classic folded in 1999. Saturday, it gets at least an appetizer.

That's when 11 LPGA players and former Washington State All-American Kim Welch, recent winner of "The Big Break" on the Golf Channel, will play in a pro-am and a horse race on the course on Kent's East Hill. The first tee times are 7:30 a.m. The horse race will be at 1:30 p.m.

The free event is the Paige Mackenzie Charity Shootout, and the Huskies All-American — who is now on the LPGA Tour — issued the invitations and will also play.

The other LPGA players are Jimin Kang, a graduate of King's in Shoreline; Wendy Ward, who lives on a ranch outside Spokane; Irene Cho, Hannah Jun, Erica Blasberg, Allison Hanna-Williams, Kristy McPherson, Becky Lucidi, Julieta Granada and Taylor Leon.

Meridian Valley general manager Craig McCone calls this event "a first step" toward getting an LPGA Tour tournament back at the course.

Ihlanfeldt Invitational

The UW women's golf team opens its season Monday with the three-day Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational at the Sahalee Country Club.

"I think everybody is excited to get going," said coach Mary Lou Mulflur. "We're in a good frame of mind and for our tournament, it's going to be about knowing the golf course. The more you play it, the wider it gets."

Participating in the annual event with the Huskies will be Brigham Young, California, Stanford, Long Beach, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Oregon, Oregon State, San Francisco, Washington State and newcomers Eastern Washington and Idaho.

Notes

• Paul Ramsdell, veteran golf writer and editor at various Northwest newspapers and publications, has been named winner of the Distinguished Service Award of the Northwest Golf Media Association. Ramsdell was president of the organization for six years. He also has been president of Fircrest Golf Club and is club manager at Kitsap Golf and Country Club.

Craig Smith: 206-464-8279 or csmith@seattletimes.com