The Tribune

BAHAMAS native Georgette Rolle and veteran LPGA player Wendy Ward have accepted sponsor exemptions to play in next week’s Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club Golf Course January 23-26.

The two are expected to join the 108-player field for the second LPGA event staged in the Bahamas. Ilhee Lee won the inaugural event last May at the Ocean Club, earning her first LPGA title.

Rolle, a 28-year-old who twice won the Bahamas National Amateur Championship, in 2003 and 2007, also was awarded a sponsor exemption in 2013.

But since being graduated from Texas Southern University, Rolle has spent most of her time as an LPGA teaching and club professional Class B member while trying to build her career as a touring professional.

Rolle relocated from Texas to her homeland in January. And she is again going to play on the layout where she learned the game.

“I am very grateful and excited to again have the opportunity to play in an LPGA event at home,” said Rolle, who missed the cut last year.

Conversely, Ward, 40, has been a full-time player on the LPGA Tour from 1996 through 2013, with four victories and $5 million in earnings. Her last win came in 2005 at the LPGA Takefuji Classic. Since 2012, however, she has spent increasing amounts of time overcoming injuries and tending to the family’s 300-acre cattle ranch in Washington.

“I am honoured and excited to accept this special place in the field, and I look forward to teeing it up with my fellow LPGA superstars and show them that this veteran still has some competitiveness in her bag,” Ward said. “I have battled a few injuries over the past two seasons, but now I’m healthy and hungry to get back in contention.”

As an amateur, the Texas native was among the most accomplished of all-time, leading her Arizona State University team to three NCAA titles and winning the 1994 US Women’s Amateur.

The Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic is the first event of the 2014 LPGA season, and the impressive field includes six of the best 10 women’s golfers in Rolex World Rankings, including Suzanne Pettersen and Stacy Lewis, ranked second and third respectively. Women’s Golf Hall-of-Famers Juli Inkster and Se Ri Pak will also compete.

“We are privileged to be able to offer special exemptions to Georgette and Wendy, and we know that they will only strengthen our field for the first LPGA event of the 2014 season,” said Matt Truax, tournament director. “I feel that something special is going to happen here and we can’t wait to get started.”

The Golf Channel will provide 10 hours of coverage of the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, which is in its second season.

Live play will be shown from 11:30am to 2:30pm on Thursday and Friday and from 3-5pm on Saturday and Sunday.