Although she has perfectly legitimate golf credentials, Samantha Richdale still figured she was a longshot when she applied for a sponsor's exemption to the Safeway Classic.

But Richdale had an ace in the hole: her mother, Kathy, who has worked for Safeway for 25 years, the last 12 in a Kelowna, B.C., store. Throw in the fact that Samantha worked part-time at the store through high school and college, and her brother worked there for four years, and it added up to an irresistible family story for tournament officials.

On Monday, Tournament Golf Foundation will announce that Richdale has been granted a sponsor's exemption to the Safeway Classic, the Portland area's annual LPGA Tour event that will be played Aug. 28-30 at Pumpkin Ridge's Ghost Creek course in North Plains.

"It's a really neat story," said Rob Neal, executive director of TGF.

Kathy Richdale currently works in the bakery, but also has served as a cashier and in file maintenance.

"She was pretty excited," said Samantha Richdale, who won 10 college tournaments at Illinois State. "I thought my chances were pretty slim to get it, but I thought, 'Why not? Maybe they'll like that I used to work at Safeway.' "

Richdale, 25, will play in her third LPGA Tour event but is in position to get into many more next year. Although she is an LPGA Tour member, she is low on the priority list to get into events and has chosen to concentrate on the Futures Tour, where she has two victories, including one this year. She ranked fifth on the money list before this week's event in Richmond, Va., and the top five at the end of the season earn LPGA Tour cards for next year.

The year's final two events are sandwiched around the Safeway, so Richdale's appearance at Pumpkin Ridge will come at a crucial time. But that won't dampen her excitement at getting an exemption that seemed a longshot.

"I was pretty excited to get it because I'm sure there were a lot of really good players who were hoping to get it," she said.

-- Mike Tokito: 503-294-7603; miketokito@news.oregonian.com