Safeway Classic to feature 13 of top 15 on money list

The Safeway Classic today announced the final field for the 2005 event. The field will feature 13 of the top 15 money winners on the LPGA tour this year. Additionally the tournament will have all 15 players who are competing for spots on the US Solheim Cup team. Included in the field this year will be Paula Creamer, Lorena Ochoa, Cristie Kerr, Grace Park, Natalie Gulbis, Laura Diaz, Christina Kim and US Open winner Birdie Kim. Rosie Jones will also be in Portland for her final visit, as she is retiring at the end of this season. Also included in this year’s tournament are long-time Portland favorites Juli Inkster, Meg Mallon and Beth Daniel.

Absent from the tournament this year will be Annika Sorenstam. Due to personal and tour scheduling conflicts; Sorenstam will miss the event for the first time in many years. “Obviously we are disappointed that Annika will not be here in Portland this year but we respect her situation,” said Tom Maletis, President of Tournament Golf Foundation, Inc., the tournament owners and organizers, “and in talking with Annika, I know she is disappointed not to be here as well. But we are again going to have one of the strongest fields on the LPGA tour this year, and will have some of the brightest young stars here, along with a number of LPGA legends to make the event a great experience for fans.”

The 2005 edition of the Safeway Classic will be held next week from August 15-21 at Columbia-Edgewater Country Club in Portland. This will be the 34th year for the event, which to date has raised over $9 million for local children’s charities, through the Safeway Foundation. This year’s event will feature a record purse of $1.4 million.

“The strength of our field is a tribute to our long association with the LPGA here in Portland, and the ongoing support that Safeway is showing in the tour,” said Maletis. Safeway also is the title sponsor for the Safeway International, held in Arizona each March.

This year’s event will again be broadcast on the Golf Channel, Friday-Sunday from
1:00–3:00 PM Pacific each afternoon, with a rebroadcast each day from 9:30-11:00 PM Pacific.

Fans who want to attend the event can get two free one day passes with any purchase of $15 or more at an Oregon or Southwest Washington Safeway store, or can purchase tickets at the gate for $10 per day, or $50 for a weekly pass. Children 17 and under are free.

For more information visit www.safewaygolf.com.