Juli Inkster is a native of Santa Cruz and played at San Jose State, so she’s more than happy that the LPGA Tour is returning to the Bay Area for the first time in four years.
The 53-year-old Inkster, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, is cutting her schedule back to 12 events from 21 a year ago, but she will be in the field for the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic on April 24-27 at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, just south of San Francisco.
“I’ll be in a swinging skirt, too, by the way,” quipped Inkster, who has won 31 LPGA Tour titles including seven majors, but will work five events this season as an on-course commentator for the Golf Channel. “You know me, I love a skirt.
”It’s great to have (the LPGA Tour) back here. We just need something to stick; we need something to stick for 10-15 years. I’d love to have this established for a long time. I think we can build a fan base, start from the bottom and build up, for years to come.”
The LPGA Tour has not held a tournament in the Bay Area since the 2010 CVS/pharmacy LPGA Classic at Blackhawk Country Club in Danville. CVS dropped out as title sponsor and tournament officials could not find another.
