Tulsa World: Tulsa loses annual LPGA event that was sponsored by SemGroup

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Tulsa loses annual LPGA event that was sponsored by SemGroup

Former SemGroup CEO Tom Kivisto hands Paula Creamer the trophy after the LPGA SemGroup Championship at Cedar Ridge Country Club in August.

By Staff Reports
Published: 11/18/2008 1:45 PM
Last Modified: 11/18/2008 3:09 PM

Complete coverage: Read all the stories and documents related to the SemGroup collapse.

The annual LPGA tour stop in Tulsa won't be back in 2009.

The tour that includes the highest level of women's professional golfers was forced to cancel its event in Tulsa after SemGroup -- the title sponsor -- filed for bankruptcy this year. No title sponsor could be found as a replacement during an economic downturn, according to a press release from Octagon, the organization that operates the event.

"The support of the Tulsa community has been tremendous throughout this process," said tournament director Doug Eibling, of Octagon, in a press release. "However, given our current economic climate, finding someone to commit the needed money has proven to be an extremely difficult task."

The LPGA had been making tour stops in Tulsa since 2001 and was scheduled to return the final week of May in 2009.

The event annually attracted the world's top players and had been expanding in recent years -- raising purses and increasing the number of championship rounds. But SemGroup's sudden collapse and eventual bankruptcy filing on July 17 left the golf tournament's future uncertain. Event organizers tried to find a title sponsor for months as the economy worsened.

It's possible the LPGA could return after 2009, Eibling said in the press release.

"While we are disappointed that we will not be on the LPGA's 2009 schedule, we continue to believe in Tulsa as a future home for professional golf tournaments," Eibling said. "It is a tremendously supportive market that has been a great hit with the LPGA and its players for the last eight years."

According to the press release, it's possible an LPGA pro-am or "special event" featuring LPGA players could be held in 2009 at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, the host site of the tournament.

The event's first year in Tulsa was in 2001 at Tulsa Country Club. It stayed at the north Tulsa course until moving to Cedar Ridge in 2004.

The title sponsor from 2001-03 was Williams Cos. From 2003-06, John Q. Hammons Hotels was the title sponsor. SemGroup took over in 2007 and '08.

Tournament purses were $1 million annually from 2001-2006. But in 2007 -- SemGroup's first year -- the purse climbed to $1.4 million. And in 2008, the payout to players grew to $1.8 million.

Annika Sorenstam was a three-time winner. Paula Creamer was the 2008 winner and won an event-record $210,000. Previous winners received $150,000.

The tournament was a fall event from 2001-2006. In 2007 and 2008, it was played in May.

By Staff Reports

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	Report Comment Arbythree, (11/18/2008 2:21:09 PM) Wonder why Hammons did not come back in? Maybe it is a jixed toruney anyway. It did not exactly help Williams and SemGroup once they had it.
	Report Comment vj, Tulsa (11/18/2008 3:11:56 PM) QT is one company that could step up....among others. QT is just the one that comes to my mind.
	Report Comment paleface, Ponca City (11/18/2008 3:14:06 PM) Well the big man of SemGroup still has money why is he not stepping in????? We know he took the money and ran and left all else to take the fall....
	Report Comment paleface, Ponca City (11/18/2008 3:15:07 PM) Well the Cherokee could also step in and I think they even have a golf course.
	Report Comment Dado, Owasso (11/18/2008 3:42:13 PM) I think that George Kaiser. who owns BOK and Kaiser Petroleum, would be a good sponser. He is the richest person in Oklahoma (multi-billionaire).
	Report Comment Hawktalk, (11/18/2008 3:46:29 PM) ORU could sponsor the lady's event and heal your nasty backswing at the same time.
	Report Comment susieq, broken arrow (11/18/2008 3:52:24 PM) I'm not into golf but the tournment is usually something that brings money to tulsa - how about t boone pickens is he not a golfer ??
	Report Comment Lance-a-lot, Tulsa (11/18/2008 3:52:47 PM) I think the bigger question is: Does anyone really care?
	Report Comment 1artist, KIEFER (11/18/2008 4:06:23 PM) Man, that's just too bad.
	Report Comment MarkB, Oklahoma City (11/18/2008 4:34:34 PM) Hammons hosts a tourney in NW Arkansas now.
	Report Comment Ignatz, Broken Bow (11/18/2008 4:48:12 PM) I played in the 1st pro-am of the tourney at TCC in '01 and had a great time. Surprised BOK (Kaiser et al) didn't step back into it.
	Report Comment Bluebird of HOPE, Osage County (11/18/2008 4:54:45 PM) Maybe Robert Lorton (Tulsa World) will sponsor the thing!!
	Report Comment jonas x3, Tulsa (11/18/2008 4:58:00 PM) kivisto's lies and pillaging of company assets continue to hurt so many people.
	Report Comment @HomeInTulsa, (11/18/2008 5:21:31 PM) Swami121658 - Thanks for the laugh. :-) Quick Buck. LOL! Maybe Hotties with Hotzies! I call trademark!
	Report Comment Ray, (11/18/2008 7:55:20 PM) ask me if I care
	Report Comment Dr. Strangelove, Tulsa (11/19/2008 7:29:44 AM) I went to the event every day last year. I like golf. That being said, I don't know if sponsoring that tournament in a market Tulsa's size and the admittedly focused demographic that the TV coverage brings made any real economic sense. Once again I think Kivisto did it out of vanity. Not that that's criticism (heck I'd pay big $ to get that close to to Paula Creamer... haha)

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