Aug 8, 2026 
(August 8, 2026 – LEXINGTON, KY) – With one of the deepest fields ever assembled in women’s professional golf – one that includes 32 Legends players who have combined for 322 wins on the LPGA Tour, today’s opening round of the Woodford Legends Invitational Powered by Suran Systems was bound to be competitive.
What unfolded over the first 18 holes of this two-day Legends of the LPGA team event was all that and more.
Ten of the 16 two-woman teams posted 10 under par or better playing a scramble format, and three are just one shot off the lead going into tomorrow’s final round.
That one shot lead is currently held by Angela Stanford and Wendy Ward who carded a birdie on the par 4 18th to edge past the teams of Nancy Scranton and Ashli Bunch, Suzy Whaley and Leta Lindley and Liselotte Neumann and Jane Geddes, all of whom posted par on 18 to stay at 13 under par.
“We knew we had a chance to get to 14 under on 18, but we played our approach a little long and the green was firmer than earlier in the week,” says Lindley. “I hit a great drive there and we were in perfect position. That’s where I want my tee ball tomorrow.”
Bunch and Scranton took the early clubhouse lead, combining for a 58 on the par 71 track.
“It felt easy today,” says Scranton. “We had a number of birdie putts inside five feet. Our longest birdie putt might have been 10 or 12 feet.” The pair got off to a hot start with five straight birdies on the first five holes, ultimately making birdie on eight of nine holes on the front and adding five more on the back.
“Nancy put it in a good spot for us first,” says Bunch. “I felt like I could go at every flag. When your partner does that, it really frees you up. We’ll take it again tomorrow.”
Geddes and Neumann, who finished solo second last year, made eagle on the par 5 first and followed it up by making six birdies to go out in 28. They, too, sit at 13 under par.
“I hate to say it — we hit it just okay today, but we putted really well,” says Geddes. “It’s so important to make those putts in this type of event, and we made some lengthy ones that have kept us in it.”
“We’re super happy with today – we’re in a good spot,” smiles Neumann. “Tomorrow, we have to play aggressive and probably do another 13 under to have any shot at it.”
Stanford and Ward are no strangers to being on top of the leaderboard in Legends team events. They won back-to-back titles in the 2024 and 2025 BJ’s Charity Championships held on Cape Cod.
But those were one-day events with just 18 holes deciding the champion. Tonight, Ward and Stanford will sleep on their first lead in this format.
“Our system was better here this year,” says Stanford – the pair finished T10 in the 2025 Woodford Legends Invitational. “Like, the way Wendy goes about her routine for each shot and I go about mine – our process was really good today.”
Ward agrees. “We kind of stayed in our own lane, I think, for longer than trying to be such buddy buddies. We’d hit the shot and then say, did you like your line, or do you think that’s the right speed or distance? Just kind of more factual information than cheerleading out there.”
“Sometimes you give or get too much information, and you know, people think about things differently,” adds Stanford.
Ward and Stanford made birdie on 14 of 18 holes at The Woodford Club, including a string of seven straight from holes 4 through 10.
But these two seasoned Legends know it’s far from over.
“This is a stellar field,” says Ward. “We don’t even consider it a lead. It’s two days and you pretty much have to do the same thing tomorrow. We’ve still got to play a solid second half.”
In the amateur division, C.A. Carter and Mary Keene Marrs, both of Lexington, Ky., also made birdie on 18 to post 11 under par and take the overnight lead by one shot.
Sunday’s final round starts at 10:00 a.m. at The Woodford Club in Versailles, Ky.
For final round pairings, current scores and live scoring tomorrow, please visit LegendsoftheLPGA.com.
Aug 5, 2026 
