What It’s All About

The Los Angeles Women’s Championship is a 54-hole, $650,000 LPGA Tournament that runs Friday through Sunday at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale. An impressive field featuring 25 of the top 30 money winners from this year’s tour is vying for the $97,500 first prize.

The two-day pro-am includes 76 teams of five--40 that tee off today, with 36 more on Thursday. Each fivesome consists of four amateurs and one professional. Prizes go to the winners.

* The history: The LPGA Tour stopped at Oakmont from 1985-87, but club membership voted to end the tournament. In its three-year run at the course, competition was plagued by poor weather.

* Ground rules: Spectators should follow the yellow ropes that run along the course. Fans are not allowed inside the ropes and more than 500 volunteers help maintain the boundaries. Some pedestrian bridges will get clogged, so finding a nice spot to camp for the day is recommended. Word to the wise: Players have priority over the gallery in case they must walk the same path.

* Course highlights: The eighth hole was rated the toughest on the LPGA Tour when Oakmont previously hosted a tournament. The par-4, 390-yard hole crosses a flood channel on the tee shot, then again on the approach. This is a make-or-break hole on the front nine. The 18th is a 440-yard par-5. Many players will try to hit the green in two, assuring this hole will influence the outcome of the tournament.

* Sideshows: There is a mini-expo of vendors set up on the walkway between the ninth and 10th holes. You can find the usual credit-card booths as well as a Callaway golf store. Other exhibits are provided by a vendor of women’s golf sandals and Glendale Memorial Hospital, which will give away sweatshirts and dispense medical literature. You can also enter to win a free mammogram, cancer screening or cardiac fitness testing.

* 18-course meals: There will be five concession stands over the course offering food and beverages. Prices are typically high--a candy bar goes for $1.50--but the turkey croissant is among the best you’ll find at a sporting event.

* Gift grab: The Oakmont pro shop, open to the public, has stocked up for souvenir seekers. The shop has not raised its prices for the tournament. Merchandise includes pique polo shirts with the Oakmont emblem for less than $35 and hats in the $20 range.