The Sybase Classic was a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour for twenty years, from 1990 to 2009 . The event was originally known as the "Big Apple Classic", but the name was dropped in 2007 when the tournament relocated from the New York City area to New Jersey . From 1992 through 2006, ShopRite sponsored the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Atlantic City .
23-771: For its first seventeen years, the event was held at the Wykagyl Country Club in the Wykagyl section of New Rochelle, New York . In 2007 the venue was changed to the Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey . The tournament was last played in 2009, as Sybase switched its sponsorship to the Sybase Match Play Championship in 2010 , also played in New Jersey. ShopRite revived its sponsorship of
46-505: A complete overhaul of the course to keep it in line with championship standards, such as being over 6,600 yards (6,000 m) long, with a 72 par . Most recently, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw completed structural renovations aimed at preserving the rugged character of the course. In 2016, the course received a largely positive review by Golf Atlas publisher and leading golf course architecture expert, Ran Morrissett. In that review review , Bill Coore said of Wykagyl, "It's easy to make
69-461: A course hard; it is a far greater challenge to make it interesting and that's what they have done at Wykagyl." Horace Rawlins , winner of the first U.S. Open Championship, held in 1895, later became head professional at Wykagyl. In 1944 Wykagyl hosted its first notable charity event to benefit the American Red Cross , the 1944 New York Red Cross Tournament . The tournament ranked as one of
92-466: A regular annual event at the club. Although the sponsors and names of the tournament changed over time, the venue remained constant for the next 17 years. In 2007 Wykagyl was the site of the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship . Lawrence Van Etten, a Wykagyl member, laid out the original golf course when the club moved to New Rochelle in 1905. Over the years nine other golf architects have worked on
115-555: Is a golf course in the Wykagyl section of New Rochelle , New York . Through the years, the club has hosted major professional and amateur tournaments and is considered to be one of the premier "classic courses" in the country. The club is private and application for membership is by invitation only. In February 1916, the Professional Golfers' Association of America was established in New York City. One month earlier,
138-565: Is old fashioned, primarily because the three architects who were mainly responsible for the layout of the course - Lawrence Van Enen, Donald Ross and A. W. Tillinghast - all practiced their art over 60 years ago. Because of this it has small greens and more blind shots than any architect could get away with designing today. The tee shots on Holes 1, 3, 8, 15 and 17 are blind, and there are several blind approach shots on Holes 2, 6 and 14. The second and third shots at Hole 9 are blind, depending on length. There also are several holes that are semi-blind;
161-530: The 1896 U.S. Open , played on 18 July at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club . Rawlins was also involved in golf course design , having in 1910 done some work on The Springhaven Club course in Wallingford, Pennsylvania , which was originally laid out by Ida Dixon in 1904. After settling permanently in England in 1913 Rawlins seems to have played little golf. His only known appearance was as an unattached professional in
184-515: The 1891 census and returned to the Isle of Wight, living in Brading . In 1891 Horace and his younger brother Harry are described as golf caddies. The Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club was situated nearby. Rawlins was one of a number of near-contemporaries who learnt their golf at the now-defunct Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club and went on to become successful professional golfers. The group included Rowland Jones ,
207-493: The 1909 Metropolitan Open, won by Alex Smith. Smith also captained an American team that competed in the British Open and then played a match against France. Several world-famous foreign professionals played at Wykagyl in exhibition matches, including George Duncan and Harry Vardon . In other matches, home grown players were the attractions - Jerry Travers and Chick Evans among the amateurs and Walter Hagen and Gil Nicholls from
230-710: The 1919 "Victory" tournament of the Southern Section of the PGA. Played at Walton Heath on 14 May, Rawlins scored 88 and 89 and finished well down the field. Rawlins married Cicely Margaret Wright at St Saviour, Shanklin in early 1911. Cicely had been born in Great Chesterford , Essex in 1878. Horace and Cicely travelled to the United States in April 1911 and April 1912 and spent the summer there. Their first child, Robert Cecil,
253-491: The Open Championship Cup, which went to his club. Rawlins returned to England in late 1895 and took a position at Crowborough Beacon under the professional Arthur Jackson for the winter. A match was arranged between Rawlins and James Braid on 7 March 1896 at Crowborough, Braid winning 5&3. Rawlins returned to America soon afterwards, moving to Sadaquada Golf Club near Utica, New York . Rawlins finished second in
SECTION 10
#1733085804234276-510: The PGA". The course was initially designed by Lawrence Van Etten and was completed in 1905. It quickly became famous for both its beauty and the cruelty of its hilly terrain. English golf pro Harry Vardon dubbed the 18th hole, also known as "cardiac hill," as "one of the greatest" he ever played. Over the years Wykagyl has attracted a number of prominent golf pros including George Duncan , Walter Hagen , Ben Hogan , Bobby Jones , Byron Nelson , Sam Snead , and Alex Smith . The design of
299-659: The ShopRite LPGA Classic in Atlantic City in 2010. Over the years, proceeds from the event went to benefit charities such as St. Joseph's Healthcare System, Inc. and the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton. Tournament names through the years: * The 2000, 2006 and 2008 tournaments were shortened to 54 holes because of rain. 40°50′53″N 74°10′30″W / 40.848°N 74.175°W / 40.848; -74.175 Wykagyl Country Club Wykagyl Country Club
322-452: The course, some very briefly, others more extensively: Walter Travis (1908), Donald Ross (1919), Tom Winton (1920), Roben White (1921–27), A. W. Tillinghast (1930), Trent Jones (1960), Hal Purdy (1963–70), Stephen Kay (1990), and Arthur Hills (1994). The most significant changes to the course occurred during the redesigns by Ross and Tillinghast. The Wykagyl course is hilly, tree-lined and very beautiful accented by its stone tees. It
345-680: The cousins Alfred and Walter Toogood , as well as his brother, Harry Rawlins. Rawlins became the club professional at the Mid-Herts Golf Club when it opened in 1893. He played in a professional event at Stanmore Golf Club in June 1894 but finished well out of the prizes. Rawlins later moved to Raynes Park. In early 1895 Rawlins travelled to the United States to take up a position at Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island . The club hosted
368-440: The golf course has evolved over the years, although the greens on the 1st, 7th, 9th, and 16th holes remain essentially unchanged from the original design. In the 1920s, several holes including the 5th and 6th were redesigned by Donald Ross , one of the most noted architects of the period. A. W. Tillinghast made additional changes in the 1930s, eliminating holes and improving others. In 1994, golf course architect Arthur Hills did
391-412: The inaugural U.S. Open on 4 October 1895, and he was one of 11 players to participate. Playing in just his third tournament, Rawlins shocked the more established Willie Dunn , winning the title by two strokes over 36 holes. The first U.S. Open was a one-day event played immediately after the three-day U.S. Amateur , which received much more attention at the time. Rawlins won $ 150 plus a $ 50 gold medal and
414-550: The professional ranks. Often, Wykagyl's Val Bermingham and Alex Smith were in the thick of battle in these contests. Wykagyl was in the forefront of establishing the Westchester County Golf Association and hosted the first two Westchester County Amateur Championships. 40°56′35″N 73°47′36″W / 40.94306°N 73.79333°W / 40.94306; -73.79333 Horace Rawlins Horace Thomas Rawlins (5 August 1874 – 22 January 1935)
437-592: The surface of the green cannot be seen when playing approach shots on Holes 5, 10, 18, and on 15 (for the long hitter). These blind shots are only blind once. Still, they do make Wykagyl difficult to play for a golfer who has never seen it before. Wykagyl is unique in its mix of par threes, par fours and par fives. Most 18-hole courses have four par threes, four par fives and ten par fours, but Wykagyl has five par fives, five par threes and eight par fours. The years 1908 through 1916 were very active for golf at Wykagyl. The Club hosted not only its own Invitational event but also
460-539: The top events of 1944, as no U.S. Opens were held from 1942 through 1945 because of World War II and no Metropolitan Opens from 1941 through 1948. The 1949 Goodall Palm Beach Round Robin at Wykagyl was the first golf tournament to be broadcast by a television network. In 1977 the club hosted its first professional event, the LPGA Talk Tournament. Beginning in 1990, the JAL Big Apple Classic became
483-568: The wealthy department store owner Rodman Wanamaker hosted a luncheon at the Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle . This gathering of Wanamaker and the leading golf professionals of the day prepared the agenda for the formal organization of the PGA in New York City a month later. The organization's first president was Robert White , one of Wykagyl's best known golf professionals of the time. Golf historians have dubbed Wykagyl "The Cradle of
SECTION 20
#1733085804234506-548: Was an English professional golfer who won the first U.S. Open Championship in 1895 . Rawlins was born at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight , England , the son of Thomas Horatio and Sarah Maria Rawlins. Thomas Horatio Rawlins had married Sarah Maria Brown in Bombay in 1871. Rawlins had an older sister and two younger brothers; all of whom were born in India. Sarah was widowed by the time of
529-754: Was born in England in 1913, followed by Clifford Horace in 1916 and there is no indication that Rawlins returned to the United States after 1912. Rawlins' mother, Sarah Maria, died in Wealdstone on 7 June 1914 aged 73 at which time Rawlins was described as a " draper ". Rawlins died on 22 January 1935 in Greenlands Nursing Home in Reading, Berkshire , now part of the site of the Royal Berkshire Hospital . He had been living in Barkham near Wokingham and
#233766