THE LADIES OF THE LAKE

THE CHAMPION'S LEAP AT THE KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. – From Amy Alcott's inaugural dive in 1988 to Brittany Lincicome's "fishing trip" at Poppie’s Pond in Champions Lake, the victory leap at the 18th hole of the Kraft Nabisco Championship is one of the most thrilling finishes in all of professional sports.

The celebratory dive was started by three-time champion and Hall of Famer Amy Alcott, and later immortalized by Alcott and tournament legend Dinah Shore when they jumped in together after Alcott's victory in 1991.

Following a bit of a "dry spell" in the early ‘90s when the victory dive was not yet a tournament tradition, the past several years have found each Kraft Nabisco champion taking a dunk in the drink.

And each has been unique. The 1998 champion, Pat Hurst, waded into the water only ankle deep - for the simple fact she can’t swim. Lorena Ochoa's Mexican fiesta in 2008, complete with live mariachi band, set a record for the most number of people in the lake. Dottie Pepper enthusiastically hit the drink after her 1999 win in one of the most emotional and joyous moments in her great career. Pepper won the event in 1992 (as Dottie Mochrie), but didn't get a chance to leap into the water that year because her victory came in a playoff which ended at the 10th hole.

Karrie Webb captured her first Kraft Nabisco title in 2000. Superstar diva and crowd favorite Celine Dion joined Webb in her victory plunge, becoming the first duo to take the leap since Alcott and Dinah back in '91.

Annika Sorenstam became the first champion to jump into the lake three times, winning her third Kraft Nabisco title in five years in 2005. Her third victory leap was a family affair with sister, Charlotta, mother, Gunilla, and caddie Terry McNamara joining in.

Here's a history of the dives, leaps, cannonballs and wade-ins at the Kraft Nabisco Championship over the years:

Year Player
1988 The splash heard ‘round the world: Overcome by excitement, Amy Alcott and caddie Bill Kurre "let it rip" and test the waters for the first time.
1989 Inkster does not dive. The tradition has not yet caught on.
1990 Betsy King wins for second time, but doesn't dive in.
1991 Alcott, Dinah and caddie Kurre take the most famous leap of all.
1992 Dottie Mochrie wins in a playoff at the lake-less 10th hole. No dive.
1993 Helen Alfredsson wins but doesn't take the leap.
1994 Donna Andrews, before back problems, takes a leap in Dinah's memory.
1995 Nanci Bowen, a surprising and joyous winner, takes a leap into the lake.
1996 Hall of Famer Patty Sheehan cartwheels her way into the water.
1997 Hall of Famer Betsy King finds third time is a charm and joins the dive team.
1998 Pat Hurst, the only non-swimming champion, wades in, drives the crowd wild.
1999 Dottie Pepper gets most hang time with dive following incredible victory.
2000 Karrie Webb makes her Australian homeland proud with an Olympic-quality dive "down under."
2001 Annika Sorenstam leaps into the lake just nine days after walking on water by shooting the first 59 in LPGA Tour history.
2002 Sorenstam celebrates the tournament's first back-to-back victories since Sandra Post in 1978 and 1979 by wading into the lake with Reilly McNamara, daughter of caddie Terry McNamara.
2003 Patricia Meunier-Lebouc takes a French dip after foiling Sorenstam's attempt to three-peat.
2004 Grace Park turns the 18th green into Grace-land and takes a stylish swim in the lake.
2005 Annika Sorenstam goes for her third "SorenSwim," this time making it adults only and diving in with her sister, Charlotta, mother, Gunilla, and caddie Terry McNamara.
2006 Karrie Webb celebrates her Webb-feat with a double cannonball with caddie Mike Paterson. Karrie is also the first Kraft Nabisco winner to test the waters of "Poppie's Pond" in Champions Lake at 18.
2007 Just ten months after graduating from high school, Morgan Pressel takes the victory plunge at age 18 with grandmother Evelyn Krickstein and caddie Jon Yarbrough.
2008 Con amigos y familia, Lorena Ochoa celebrates her second consecutive major win with a live mariachi band and the largest pool party yet.
2009 An avid fisherman, Brittany Lincicome reels in the big one with her first major tournament victory.


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