Olympia Gold Classic

Olympia Gold Classic

Tournament information
Location	Industry, California, U.S.
Established	1978 (as Sunstar Classic)
Course(s)	Industry Hills Golf Club Eisenhower Course
Par	73
Length	6,006 yards (5,492 m) [1]
Tour(s)	LPGA Tour
Format	Stroke play - 72 holes
Prize fund	$150,000
Month played	March
Final year	1982
Tournament record score
Aggregate	280 Nancy Lopez (1979)
To par	−9 JoAnne Carner (1980)
Final champion
Sally Little

Industry

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Location in the United States

Industry

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Location in California

Industry Hills
Golf Club

Rancho Park 
Golf Club 

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Locations in L.A. metro area

The Olympia Gold Classic was a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour, held in southern California in Los Angeles County from 1978 to 1982. ^[2] It was played in late winter at the Rancho Park Golf Course in the city of Los Angeles from 1978 to 1980 as the "Sunstar Classic," then moved east to Industry Hills Golf Club in City of Industry in 1981 and 1982, in a renamed event sponsored by Olympia Brewing Company.

History

Nancy Lopez, age 21, won the inaugural edition by a stroke for her second career win; ^[3] she won her first at the previous tournament in Florida two weeks earlier and won nine times in 1978, including five consecutive in late spring. ^[4] Lopez successfully defended the title in 1979, sinking a ten-foot (3 m) birdie putt on the final hole to edge Hollis Stacy by a stroke. ^[5]

The last three editions were hampered by heavy rains; 1980 was 54 holes as the first round was washed out, ^[6] and 1981 was reduced to 36 holes with no weekend play. ^[7] The next year it went the full 72 holes, but the final round was postponed a day to Monday. ^[1] Sally Little was the champion the last two years.

It was not succeeded by any event in the Los Angeles area in 1983.

Tournament names

• Olympia Gold Classic – (1981–1982), at Industry Hills Golf Club in City of Industry
• Sunstar Classic – (1978–1980), at Rancho Park Golf Course in Los Angeles

Winners

Year	Dates	Champion	Country	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Winner's share ($)	Purse ($)	Notes
Olympia Gold Classic
1982	Mar 11–15	Sally Little (2)	South Africa	75-74-69-70=288	−4	2 strokes	22,500	150,000	[1]
1981	Feb 26–27	Sally Little	South Africa	71-71=142	−4	1 stroke	22,500	150,000	[7]
Sunstar Classic
1980	Mar 6–9	Joanne Carner	United States	69-71-67=207	−9	3 strokes	18,750	125,000	[6]
1979	Mar 8–11	Nancy Lopez (2)	United States	70-71-70-69=280	−8	1 stroke	15,000	100,000	[3]
1978	Mar 9–12	Nancy Lopez	United States	72-72-70-71=285	−3	1 stroke	15,000	100,000	[5]

• Due to heavy rain, final round in 1982 was held on Monday; no weekend rounds in 1981, and no opening round in 1980.

References

1. "Little draws big paycheck with no guilt". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 16, 1982. p. 2C.
2. "LPGA Tournament Chronology 1980-1989" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2010-09-01.
3. "Lopez bids for premier rank in golf". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. March 13, 1978. p. 3C.
4. "Lopez pulls miracle out of her golf bag". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 19, 1978. p. 1D.
5. "Lopez sinks putt on 18th to capture LPGA victory". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 12, 1979. p. 4B.
6. "Carner at top of game and the Sunstar Classic". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. March 10, 1980. p. 5B.
7. "Weather plagues LPGA". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 2, 1981. p. 4B.

External links

• Industry Hills Golf Club
• Rancho Park Golf Club ^{[ permanent dead link ]}

34°01′16″N117°55′41″W / 34.021°N 117.928°W / 34.021; -117.928