LPGA, Ko Olina working on O'ahu tourney

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Negotiations continue to keep an LPGA tournament on O'ahu, with Ko Olina Golf Club now mentioned as a possible site. The golf course played host to the LPGA's Hawaiian Ladies Open from 1990 — the year it opened — to 1995.

Ko Olina representatives could not be reached for comment, and Rob Neal, LPGA Vice President of Tournament Business Affairs, said he could not discuss negotiations because they were "at a sensitive point." But local golf officials were told Thursday that an LPGA event would debut at Ko Olina in February.

Neal said the week of Feb. 11-17 had been saved for an LPGA event on O'ahu, with the third annual Takefuji Classic at Kona Country Club, Feb. 18-24.

"We have two events in Hawai'i and it's no secret we'd like to keep it that way next year," Neal said by phone from LPGA headquarters in Florida. "That's what we're working on."

Earlier this month, the Hawaiian Ladies Open announced it had lost its title sponsor after 15 years — the past six at Kapolei — and closed its office. Negotiations were underway before the announcement.

Ava Kawana of AJ Sports, Inc., which brought the Hawaiian Ladies Open and Takefuji to the islands, said her company was looking for a new title sponsor in Japan and at other sites on O'ahu. It is not known if AJ is negotiating with Ko Olina.

"We want to have something concrete in the next 30 days or it will be too late to get a proper tournament together," Kawana said. "If we can't, we might have to do something the year after."

Kawana added that "the LPGA definitely wants to have something on O'ahu." Neal went further, saying the LPGA was interested in eventually starting its season here in February. The PGA Tour and Senior PGA open here in January.