(BOSTON, Mass. – August 22, 2023) – The stage is set for the 6th annual BJ’s Charity Championship presented by Kimberly-Clark, a team event featuring 24 Legends of the LPGA to be held Friday, September 8 at The Ridge Club in Sandwich, Mass.
LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member Pat Bradley of West Hyannisport, Mass., will make her sixth appearance in the event, teaming up for the second consecutive year with former LPGA Tour competitor turned nationally recognized instructor, Jamie Fischer of Lake Forest, Ill. The pair combined for a final score of 59 in the 2022 tournament to win by two shots.
“We are ready to defend and look forward to it,” said Bradley, winner of 31 LPGA Tour titles including six major championships. “It will be difficult – the competition is getting stronger every year, but I’m so pleased I invited Jamie to partner with me last year because as the old saying goes, we just really ham and egged it well together.”
The format for the single-day, 18-hole tournament is a two-person scramble.
“Pat is a true legend of the game, and I am honored to be her partner for the BJ's event again this year,” said Fischer who is currently the Director of Instruction at Conway Farms Golf Club. “Pat hits so many quality shots - it's just fun to watch.”
Added Bradley, “I walked the fairways on the LPGA Tour with Jamie’s mom years ago, and it is a treat to be able to play with her daughter in this event. It’s wonderful to see life come full circle and to have this opportunity once again.”
Hosted by 27-time LPGA Tour champion Jane Blalock of Cambridge, Mass., the BJ’s Charity Championship features a mix of LPGA & World Golf Hall of Famers and former LPGA Tour stars pairing off and squaring off in a rare opportunity to play with a partner. “The team format makes the BJ’s Charity Championship a favorite stop for the Legends of the LPGA every year, and the last couple of holes guarantee a thrilling finish,” said Blalock. A member of The Ridge Club, Blalock remains the only player to have carded an ace in the BJ’s Charity Championship since the event’s inception in 2017.
New to the field this year are Sherri Steinhauer of Claryville, N.Y., a past AIG Women’s Open champion (2006) and 8-time LPGA Tour winner who will play with World Golf Hall of Fame member Hollis Stacy of Holmes Beach, Fla.; Ladies European Tour winner Becky Morgan of Abervganney, Wales who will team up with 19-time LET winner Trish Johnson of Porthcrawl, England; and 15-year LPGA Tour veteran Vicki-Goetz-Ackerman of Riverview, Fla. who will partner with Wendy Ward of Spokane, Wa., a four-time LPGA Tour champion.
Proceeds from the BJ’s Charity Championship benefit the BJ’s Charitable Foundation, which is dedicated to taking care of families by providing access to essential needs.
“We’re thrilled to host the 6th annual BJ’s Charity Championship at The Ridge Club and welcome this incredible line-up of LPGA Legends to showcase their talent,” said Bill Werner, executive director, BJ’s Charitable Foundation. “We’re grateful for our sponsors who have generously supported this tournament, which benefits the BJ’s Charitable Foundation and helps families who face challenges with food insecurity, education and health and wellness.”
Thanks to the generous support of sponsors, admission to the tournament on Friday is free.
“BJ’s Wholesale Club is such a great partner and a wonderful title sponsor for this Legends team event,” said Bradley. “I’ve been playing in this event for many years and what BJ’s does for the Boston area and the community is just incredible. I am honored to be a part of it.”
Gates open at 9:00 a.m. There is no parking at The Ridge Club, but fans can park for free next door at Holly Ridge Golf Course where shuttles will be available to and from the main tournament entrance. Tee times featuring six foursomes run from 9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. on Hole 1. Play is expected to finish at approximately 3:30 p.m. A trophy ceremony will immediately follow play on the 18th green.
For more information, please visit LegendsoftheLPGA.com.
PHOTO CREDIT: Rick and Linda Sharp
Here are the 12 teams playing in the 2023 BJ’s Charity Championship presented by Kimberly-Clark:
--Jane Blalock, Cambridge, Mass. / Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, Dijon, France
--Elaine Crosby, Jackson, Mich. / Cathy Johnston-Forbes, Kitty Hawk, N.C.
--Lorie Kane, Prince Edward Island, Canada / Nancy Scranton, St. Augustine, Fla.
--Michelle McGann, N. Palm Beach, Fla. / Suzy Whaley, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
--Wendy Ward, Spokane, Wash. / Vicki Goetz-Ackerman, Riverview, Fla.
--Pat Bradley, W. Hyannisport, Mass. / Jamie Fischer, Lake Forest, Ill.
--Liselotte Neumann, Finspang, Sweden / Alicia Dibos, Lima, Peru
--Sherri Steinhauer, Claryville, N.Y. / Hollis Stacy, Holmes Beach, Fla.
--Becky Morgan, Abervagenny, So. Wales / Trish Johnson, Porthcawl, So. Wales
--Jan Stephenson, Sydney, Australia / Laura Diaz, Ponte Vedra, Fla.
--Rosie Jones, Hilton Head, S.C. / Michele Redman, Plymouth, Minn.
--Juli Inkster, Los Altos, Calif. / Pat Hurst, Danville, Calif.
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About BJ’s Wholesale Club Headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts, BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BJ) is a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs primarily in the Eastern United States focused on delivering significant value to its members. The company provides a curated assortment of grocery, general merchandise, gasoline and ancillary services to offer a differentiated shopping experience that is further enhanced by its omnichannel capabilities. The company pioneered the warehouse club model in New England in 1984 and currently operates 238 clubs and 168 BJ’s Gas® locations in 19 states. For more information, please visit us at www.BJs.com or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
About BJ’s Charitable Foundation Established in 2004 by BJ’s Wholesale Club, the BJ’s Charitable Foundation provides essentials needs to families in the local communities BJ’s members and team members live and work. Through local and national non-profit partnerships, the Foundation focuses its giving efforts on three main pillars: hunger relief, education and health and wellness. Learn more at https://www.bjs.com/esg
About the Legends of the LPGA The Legends of the LPGA is the official senior tour of the LPGA providing competitive opportunities for LPGA Tour professionals and eligible amateurs, age 45 and over. The tour was founded in 2000 by twenty-five veteran LPGA Tour professionals with the goal of continuing to showcase the talents of some of the greatest women golfers of all time. Legends of the LPGA members, including 15 LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame members, have combined for over 750 LPGA Tour victories including eighty-four major championships. Legends of the LPGA has helped raise nearly $30 million for charity. For more information on the Legends of the LPGA, visit http://www.LegendsoftheLPGA.com or follow the Legends on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @legendsofthelpga.