The LPGA made it official this morning. The tournament will be leaving Rochester next year, as it becomes the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, to be played at the Westchester Country Club in 2015.
Linda Hampton, director of the Rochester LPGA tournament since 1980, says she's so busy working on the details of the final Wegmans LPGA Championship in August, that she's not thinking about this as a loss. Hampton does understand that there is a lot of sadness in the community.
"You know, we have a love affair with the tour, so it's like breaking up a little bit. But they're still going to be able to see these players and watch them evolve because we do have a platform, and now it's going to be on network television."
Hampton says she and her team will work to make the August LPGA tournament at Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford a fitting farewell. Details about that will be announced on Monday.
Hampton won’t rule out the possibility that the new KPMG Women’s PGA Championship could make a stop in Rochester in future years. "And with the owner of that championship being the PGA of America, they have relationships that extend beyond the relationships that we have with clubs in this community. They could come back and perhaps consider Oak Hill. To answer your question, I think that's a real possibility."