Sure , the contract between the resort and the LPGA expired the moment Lexi Thompson tapped in to complete her wire-to-wire victory in late May . Sure , years of attempts to lure a title sponsor , including with assistance from the Tour itself , have been fruitless .

But in March , Texas-based Escalante Golf paid $ 30.7 million to purchase the Williamsburg resort from Xanterra Parks & Resorts , whose interest in hosting professional golf tournaments might best have been described , charitably , as tepid .

Not so for Escalante . It owns the Golf Club of Houston , home to the Shell Houston Open . The Web . com ’ s WinCo Foods Portland Open is staged at Escalante ’ s Pumpkin Ridge , which also has hosted two U . S . Women ’ s Opens . Dove Mountain and The Gallery , Escalante properties , have hosted the Accenture World Match Play Championship , with the latter looking to secure an event on the PGA Tour Champions circuit .

Let ’ s see : PGA Tour event , Web . com event , angling for Champions Tour event . What would best fill out their dance card ? You guessed it .

Of course , the Kingsmill purchase , said John Hilker , new chief operating officer for the resort , was about more than just a professional golf tournament . The goal is to market a resort Hilker called “ one of the most iconic golf destinations on the Atlantic Coast ,” in a manner not evident for several years .

But , he added , the tournament is an integral part of the process .

So from Day One , Hilker and Escalante began discussions with commissioner Mike Whan and the LPGA . What emerged were two parties equally committed to maintaining women ’ s pro golf in Williamsburg .

The LPGA has some not so obvious reasons to throw its weight behind Kingsmill .

Fan support is a big reason the LPGA pros love coming to Kingsmill .

First , and I suspect foremost , is player response to the event . Despite the mere $ 1.3 million purse , second-lowest on the Tour , 20 of the top 25 and 85 of the top- 100 money winners came to Williamsburg in 2017 . Short of the majors and perhaps early-season events when everyone seeks a fast start , few other events can make that claim .

Why ? The women said the River Course was in the best condition they ’ d ever seen , and better than almost every track on Tour . Television analyst Judy Rankin made the debatable point that by growing a bit more rough and narrowing the fairways a smidge , the course was worthy of hosting a U . S . Open .

Player after player also mentioned the size of the galleries . The combination of chamber-of-commerce weather and the ultra-popular Thompson ’ s display of brute strength and diamond-cutter ’ s precision drew crowds that had exceeded Escalante ’ s goal for ticket sales by the third day .

Corny as it sounds , what the men take for granted — a pristine course , Southern hospitality , courtesy cars , even fans who high-five players as they make their way around the layout — seems to resonate deeply with the lady pros .

The fact that children were in abundance everywhere wasn ’ t lost on Thompson , who

pointed out that Kingsmill had managed to create exactly the type of vibe the LPGA has been seeking “ to grow the game .”

But , wait . What about that lack of a title sponsor ? You can ’ t stage a tournament without one , right ? Why not ? Hilker replied . “ Where we ’ re positioned now , in a partnership with the LPGA Tour , is that this is all about Kingsmill ,” he said . “ We have complete control over it . It ’ s all us . The [ Golf Channel ] telecasts have been two-hour commercials for Kingsmill — and there ’ s tremendous value that goes with that .”

That doesn ’ t mean he wouldn ’ t like to have some help , and he is open to some creative bargaining to get it . But a title sponsor ? I ’ m not so sure ; no potential partners were invited to witness this year ’ s tournament .

Hilker ’ s vision for the tournament extends past the Colonial Capital . He cited the Portland Web . com event in which numerous charities are selected to receive any profits earned over operating expenses . Knowing that was the charge , he said , enticed more corporate participation and contributions .

Future Kingsmill Championships would pinpoint charities from Richmond to Virginia Beach as recipients . Hilker admits that to make that model work , every city will likely need a little piece of the pie . Would there be enough support from the community to make that an option ? He ’ s hopeful . “ We think that this tournament needs to continue for a long time ,” he said . “ It ’ s good for the resort but , more importantly , it ’ s good for Williamsburg and the entire Hampton Roads community . There ’ s so much value in it for all of us .”

The LPGA has no deadline by which it needs an answer about Kingsmill ’ s future . Does Hilker have one ?

“ No ,” he said , smiling , as final-round play unfolded , “ because we have already begun preparing for next year .”

ASSOCIATED PRESS