Top 50 On LPGA Money List to Visit Phoenix
Safeway International Field is Impressive

The strength of the field for the 2005 edition of the Safeway International looks very impressive. According to Tom Maletis, President of Tournament Golf Foundation, the event owners and organizers, “We are pleased that at this point we have all 50 of the top money winners from 2004 LPGA money list committed to playing in Phoenix.”

The list includes defending champion Annika Sorenstam, Juli Inkster, Grace Park, Lorena Ochoa, Jennifer Rosales, Meg Mallon, Cristie Kerr and former winners Se Ri Pak, Karrie Webb, Laura Davies, Rachel Hetherington and Patty Sheehan.

There were a total of 19 players in the event from as far away as Florida and Georgia. Stahle is #19 among amateur women in the US according to the Golfweek/Titleist Performance indexes; Karle is currently #30 among girls.

In addition, the tournament will feature two impressive amateurs on sponsor’s exemptions. Michelle Wie, the teen phenom from Hawaii, will return to the Safeway International again this year. Louise Stahle, the #2 ranked player in NCAA women’s golf, who plays for Arizona State University, has also joined the field by virtue of winning the Safeway International Amateur Open on February 17th

 “The strength of the field for the Safeway International is a tribute to our long association with the LPGA in Phoenix, and the ongoing support that Safeway is showing for the tour,” said Maletis. “We are extremely excited that we are going to have one of the strongest LPGA fields of the year for the great golf fans in Arizona.” Safeway also is the title sponsor for the Safeway Classic, held in Oregon in August.

The 2005 edition of the Safeway International will be held at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club March 14-20. The 2004 tournament drew record crowds to the new venue. The tournament features an increased purse of $1.4 million purse and all four rounds will be shown nationally on the Golf Channel. The broadcast will be from 6 pm – 8 pm MST daily.

Proceeds from the event benefit local Arizona charities through the Safeway Foundation. Since 1983, the tournament has raised almost $10 million for local charities, primarily cancer research programs through Banner Health Foundation with $758,000 coming from the 2004 event alone.

Tickets for the event are available at the customer services desk of any Arizona Safeway store or by calling 602-495-GOLF.