TOLEDO, Ohio — Most Toledo golf fans would expect to see LPGA action in the middle of July. Not this year, at least.
The LPGA Tour’s annual stop at Highland Meadows Golf Club for the now-Dana Open presented by Marathon, has been rescheduled to begin Sept. 1.
The event, which features some of the top stars on the tour, was rescheduled because the new date will better fit the timing of other LPGA Tour tournaments.
Despite the time change, golf fans can still expect to see a jam-packed weekend of fun.
“It will be a nice fall thing to do,” Paige Ottaviano, the Assistant Tournament Director for the Dana Open, said. “The craziness of school will be a couple weeks in, and it will be a nice weekend out for some people.”
As for the tournament, fans will watch to see if defending champion Nasa Hataoka of Japan can go back to back. Hataoka finished with a six-stroke lead over second-place finisher Mina Harigae of the US.
Rain last year played a factor in the tournament, as only three rounds were played. However, Hataoka is very confident in her ability to repeat.
“There’s always pressure coming back to a tournament you won last year,” Hataoka said. “However, I feel like if I can play four rounds how I did last year, it’ll be great.”
The tournament will receive over 11 hours of live coverage on The Golf Channel, with the purse being $1.75 million.