LPGA’s Regular-Season Finale Starts in San Diego

Los Angeles-area fans of women’s golf will have to travel 100 miles or so if they want to see their favorite LPGA players in action this fall.

With the cancellation of the tournament scheduled to begin next Thursday at Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park, the second-largest city in the nation no longer has an LPGA event. The tournament was canceled--at least for this year--when no sponsor could be found.

So the one remaining chance this season to see an LPGA tournament in Southern California is the Kuocera Inamori Classic, which starts today at the Handley Hotel-Stardust Country Club.

Most of the top female golfers, among them defending champion Judy Dickinson and leading money winner Patty Sheehan, will participate.

For the last five years, the event, in its 10th year at San Diego, was held at StoneRidge Country Club in Poway. Formerly a spring event, the $425,000, 72-hole tournament shifted to Stardust this year. The 6,200-yard course was built in 1947 and redesigned by noted architect Ted Robinson in 1976.

The only other Southern California women’s tournament is one of the majors, the Nabisco Dinah Shore, held in the spring at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs.

Charles Mechem, LPGA commissioner, didn’t want to discuss his group’s plans for future events in the Los Angeles area until ongoing negotiations are completed. Apparently, there is a chance that Los Coyotes will be awarded a 1994 tournament.

Last year’s San Diego tournament brought a surprise, when Dickinson, then 42, won her first tournament in six years, finishing two shots ahead of Meg Mallon and 11 under par at 277. Dickinson went on to record three runner-up finishes and earned $351,559, exceeding by more than $100,000 her best previous year in 15 seasons on the tour.

Sheehan has won this event three times. Among the other challengers are Nabisco winner Helen Alfredsson and U.S. Open champion Lauri Merten.

This is the final regular-season tour event. The 16 top women will then compete in the World Championship at Naples, Fla., Oct. 15-17.