McDonald's Championship (golf) facts for kids
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. |
| Established | 1981 |
| Course(s) | DuPont Country Club |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,398 yards (5,850 m) |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play - 72 holes |
| Prize fund | $900,000 |
| Month played | May |
| Final year | 1993 |
| Final champion | |
 Laura Davies |
|
The McDonald's Championship was a special golf tournament for professional women golfers. It was part of the LPGA Tour, which is like a major league for women's golf. This tournament ran every year from 1981 to 1993.
For its first six years, the tournament was held at the White Manor Country Club. This club is located in Malvern, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. In 1987, the tournament moved to the DuPont Country Club. This new location was in Wilmington, Delaware.
Contents
Tournament History and Purpose
The McDonald's Championship was started by Herb Lotman and Frank Quinn. Herb Lotman was the founder of Keystone Foods. The main goal of this golf event was to raise money for charity.
Over its 28-year history, the tournament raised a huge amount of money. It donated more than $47 million to different charities. Herb Lotman once said that "everything we did, we did for 'the kids'." This shows how important helping children was to the tournament's founders.
Prize Money Over the Years
When the tournament first started in 1981, the total prize money was $150,000. The winner, Sandra Post, took home $22,500. By 1993, the last year of the tournament, the prize money had grown a lot. The total prize money was $900,000. The final winner, Laura Davies, received $135,000.
Becoming a Major Championship
After 1993, the McDonald's Championship ended as a regular tournament. However, McDonald's continued to support women's golf. From 1994 to 2009, McDonald's sponsored the LPGA Championship. This was one of the four biggest tournaments in women's golf, known as "major championships."
The LPGA Championship continued to be played at DuPont Country Club in Wilmington. It stayed there from 1994 until 2004. In 2005, the tournament moved to Bulle Rock Golf Course. This course is in Havre de Grace, Maryland. McDonald's stopped sponsoring the LPGA Tour after the 2009 tournament. This ended their 29-year partnership with the LPGA Tour.
Past Champions
Here are the golfers who won the McDonald's Championship each year:
- McDonald's Championship
- 1993 Laura Davies
- 1992 Ayako Okamoto
- 1991 Beth Daniel (2)
- 1990 Patty Sheehan (2)
- 1989 Betsy King (2)
- 1988 Kathy Postlewait
- 1987 Betsy King
- 1986 Juli Inkster
- 1985 Alice Miller
- McDonald's Kids Classic
- 1984 Patty Sheehan
- 1983 Beth Daniel
- McDonald's Classic
- 1982 JoAnne Carner
- McDonald's Kids Classic
- 1981 Sandra Post
