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Symetra Tour schedules 20-event season

• Author: Morning Read Staff

Released : By the Symetra Tour , the 2021 schedule for the LPGA ’s developmental tour. The season will feature 20 tournaments and $3.8 million in total prize money. The schedule will begin on March 18 in Mesa, Ariz., and conclude Oct. 10 in Daytona Beach, Fla., at the LPGA’s headquarters. Events will be held in 13 states, with purses ranging from $150,000 to $250,000. For one week in mid-September, the tournament and location were not disclosed. The top 10 players on the Symetra Tour money list will earn exemptions to the LPGA for 2022. Nos. 11-35 will advance to the LPGA Q-Series. The schedule:

March 18-21 : Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic, Longbow GC, Mesa, Ariz. March 26-28 : IOA Championship, Morongo GC at Tukwet Canyon, Beaumont, Calif. April 15-18 : Women’s Golf Classic at Casino Del Sol, Sewailo Golf Club, Tucson, Ariz. April 22-24 : Copper Rock Championship, Copper Rock Golf Course, Hurricane, Utah April 30-May 2 : Garden City Charity Classic, Buffalo Dunes Golf Club, Garden City, Kan. May 14-16 : Symetra Classic, River Run Country Club, Davidson, N.C. May 21-23 : IOA Golf Classic, Alaqua Country Club, Longwood, Fla. May 28-30 : Mission Inn Resort & Club Championship, Mission Inn Resort (El Campeon), Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. June 11-13 : Island Resort Championship, Sweetgrass Golf Club Harris, Mich. June 25-27 : Prasco Charity Championship, TPC River’s Bend, Maineville, Ohio July 8-10 : Donald Ross Classic, French Lick (Ind.) Resort (Ross) July 15-18 : Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic, Brook Lea Country Club, Rochester, N.Y. July 23-25 : Twin Bridges Championship, Pinehaven Country Club, Guilderland, N.Y. Aug. 6-8 : FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, Battle Creek (Mich.) Country Club Aug. 13-15 : Four Winds Invitational, South Bend (Ind.) Country Club Aug. 27-29 : Circling Raven Championship, Circling Raven Golf Club, Worley, Idaho Sept. 9-12 : TBD Sept. 17-19 : Guardian Championship, RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill Golf Club, Prattville, Ala. Sept. 24-26 : Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout, Mystic Creek Golf Club, El Dorado, Ark. Oct. 7-10 : Symetra Tour Championship, LPGA International (Jones), Daytona Beach, Fla.

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Road to the LPGA

LPGA developmental tour takes on new title sponsor, Epson, and three big financial changes

Nelly Korda Epson Tour graduate (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Julio Aguilar

The LPGA has secured a new title sponsor for its developmental tour, with Epson signing a five-year deal announced on Wednesday. The tour, formerly named the Symetra Tour, is now called the Epson Tour. With the new partnership comes significant changes to the tour, which will immediately benefit players financially.

The tour, which goes by the moniker of the “Road to the LPGA” provides players with a direct track to the big tour: Players who finish the season in the top 10 on the money list get LPGA status for the following year. Notable players have made it to the LPGA this way, including current World No. 1 Nelly Korda.

Under Epson’s sponsorship, the Epson Tour Ambassador Program has been created. Each of the 10 graduates will receive $10,000 to help make their transition to the LPGA Tour a little easier financially. And that includes providing 2021 graduates with the bonus.

“We wanted to do something that really had an impact on players,” Kendra Jones, Vice President Legal Affairs and General Counsel, Epson America, Inc., told Golf Digest. “Talking to Mike [Nichols, Epson Tour CBO], we came up with some ideas that were really going to do that. We wanted to create programs that had a lasting impact on these players, their development and their future.”

Another big change is in purse sizes. Epson has raised the minimum purse size for each tournament to $200,000. The jump is significant; in 2021, 10 of the 20 events on the calendar had purses smaller than $200,000.

MORE: 9 things we hope to see on the LPGA Tour in 2022

Additionally, Epson is subsidizing entry fees to lower the cost by 10 percent for each player. If you play every event, that totals to $1,000 savings over the course of the season. They want entry fees to be even lower, and are working to partner with other companies to help with that, the goal being to ultimately cut entry fees in half: from $500 to $250.

“We were looking for a partnership that aligns with our vision for our company and our values,” Keith Kratzberg, Epson President and CEO, told Golf Digest. “When we learned about the opportunity to be the title sponsor for the qualifying tour, that was a great fit. We were looking for something where we could really become a partner and finding that in women’s golf is really exciting. We think women’s golf is in a great position now and poised for a lot of growth.”

This concept of companies looking for partners who share their values is something Nichols says he’s seeing more of. When companies say they value diversity, progress, supporting women, the advancement of technology, determination, the pursuit of big goals, he thinks they can find all of those mirrored in the LPGA and its development tour. He’s been with the LPGA overseeing the developmental tour for 15 years, and sees a significant shift in 2022. From the USGA’s announcement of increasing the purse by adding a presenting sponsor to the U.S. Women’s Open to this partnership with Epson, women’s golf has seen significant investments in just the first month of 2022.

RELATED: U.S. Women's Open nearly doubles purse size

“There’s no question that companies now are starting to live their values,” Nichols said. “The LPGA this year has more network coverage than we’ve ever had before, purses are at an all-time high, we have more partners with greater investments than we’ve had during my time at the LPGA. There’s no question that, as the commissioner [Mollie Marcoux Samaan] says, ‘Our time is now’ and we definitely have to take advantage of the opportunity and are grateful when companies like Epson want to be a part of what we’ve built with this tour and what we’re building with the LPGA Tour as well.”

Though the Epson Tour’s schedule won’t be released until Feb. 7, they did announce that the first event will be March 4-6, the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic at the Country Club of Winter Haven.

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Three tied at symetra tour finale, with 10 lpga cards on the line.

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There’s a three-way tie for the lead after the first round of the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla., but this is a week that runs much deeper than who’s atop the leaderboard.

Come Sunday’s finish, there will be 10 players celebrating victories.

That’s how many LPGA tour cards will be won off the top of the season-long Volvik Race for the Card money list.

Daniela Iacobelli opened with a 7-under-par 65 to grab a share of the lead at LPGA International’s Jones Course. She knows what magic can happen with a strong finish. Iacobelli jumped from 22 nd on the tour’s money list to fifth when she won the Tour Championship in 2012. She starts this week 16 th on the money list.

Full-field scores from the Symetra Tour Championship

Current Symetra Tour money list

Finishing up with a birdie Thursday, Iacobelli relished good memories.

“I felt nerves over the putt on No. 18, because you’re staring out at the LPGA sign, and I could remember the exact putt I had when I won in 2012,” Iacobelli said. “It was a little reminiscent, but still a fresh start.”

Iacobelli is tied for the lead with Kendra Dalton and Laura Wearn.

The battle for the 10 tour cards opened a bit with news that Mind Muangkhumsakul wouldn’t be teeing it up this week. She holds down the 10 th spot on the money list but missed her tee time for Wednesday’s pro-am and was withdrawn from the event, per tour rules. Muangkhumsakul has a $10,176 lead on Min Seo Kwak on the money list, and Kwak made a strong start Thursday. Kwak opened with a 66 and is tied for fourth.

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St george news.

• 69 78/ 47 Wed 78/ 47 Thu 76/ 40

Copper Rock Golf Course hosts LPGA Symetra Tour event, first women’s pro tournament in Southern Utah

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Local golf fans will have the opportunity to watch rising stars of the women’s professional tour play during the inaugural Copper Rock Championship on April 19-24. 

The tournament allows fans to get close to the action as up-and-coming golfers from around the world compete for a $200,000 purse amid sweeping desert views at Copper Rock Golf Course in Hurricane.

Although the area is heavily promoted as a golf destination, tournament director David Viveiros said the Copper Rock Championship will be the first women’s pro tournament ever held in Southern Utah. The tournament is a sanctioned event on the Symetra Tour, the official developmental tour of the LPGA. 

“It’s a big deal for an area to have a tour event,” Viveiros said. “It tells people that golf is a booming economic business, and it definitely is in Southern Utah.” 

The Copper Rock Championship will welcome a field of 120 players. Among the players are several names that followers of women’s golf may recognize, including Cheyenne Woods, half-niece of Tiger Woods; Brigham Young University All-American Kendra Dalton; and Gabriela Ruffels, winner of the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur championship.

Additionally, the tournament provided a special exemption to Haley Sturgeon, a graduate of Dixie State University and two-time Utah PGA Omega Women’s Player of the Year. 

“They’re incredible golfers,” Viveiros said. 

Competition begins Thursday, April 22, after a series of corporate pro-am events earlier in the week. Following the second round of play on April 23, the community is invited to attend an outdoor concert featuring singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey, a Grammy Award nominee and member of the Western Music Hall of Fame. The final round of tournament play and awards ceremony will be held April 24. 

Tickets start at $30 for grounds access on all three competition days of the tournament. For $50, participants receive grounds access plus admission to the concert, and $200 VIP tickets provide grounds entry, concert admission and exclusive access to a private seating area on the 18th green along with lunch, snacks and beverages. Military personnel are eligible for a 10% discount. 

The tournament will be televised on the Golf Channel as an hour-long special showcasing the stunning scenery of the area and talented field of players. Viveiros said the production is expected to air at least three times and will be only the second Symetra Tour event shown on national television. 

The Salt Lake City-based Women’s Leadership Institute is the official charity partner of the tournament. Viveiros said their mission of advancing female business leadership in Utah aligns perfectly with Copper Rock’s quest to promote skilled and ambitious young women looking to make their mark in pro golf. 

“We thought it was a perfect relationship to have,” he added. 

Copper Rock has signed a contract with the Symetra Tour to host the tournament again in 2022 and 2023, Viveiros said, adding that more exciting developments for local golfers and golf fans are on the horizon. 

“Stay tuned,” he said. “We’re working very hard behind the scenes to make it not only a great experience but really highlighting Southern Utah as a golf destination.”  

Nestled in the Hurricane Valley, Copper Rock opened to the public in February 2020. The adventurous 6,901-yard layout forges across dunes dotted with native sagebrush against a backdrop of rustic sandstone formations. On every hole, players are treated to sweeping vistas of the grandeur offered by the Pine Valley Mountains, the Hurricane Cliffs, Zion National Park and beyond.

Marketing director Jason Timpson said that the owners and management team, all of whom live in Southern Utah, are committed to helping elevate the local golf culture as the community continues to grow. 

“We’re a new course, and we’re looking to breathe new life into the golf world here in Southern Utah,” Timpson said.

Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.

• S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T •  

Event details

• What: Copper Rock Championship.
• When: Monday-Saturday, April 19-24.
• Where: Copper Rock Golf Course, 1567 W. Copper Rock Parkway, Hurricane.
• Tickets: $30-$200.
• Resources: Eventbrite |  Website .
• Copper Rock Golf Course | Location: 1567 W. Copper Rock Parkway, Hurricane | Telephone: 435-359-9339  or  435-215-4845  | Email:  [email protected]  |  Website .

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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About Symetra Tour

The Symetra Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 40th competitive season in 2020. With the support of its umbrella partner Symetra, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best young women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Since Symetra’s inaugural sponsorship year in 2012, the Symetra Tour has grown from 16 tournaments and $1.7M in prize money to $4M in prize money awarded over the course of 24 tournaments. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 437 LPGA titles.

LPGA ALIGNMENT

The Symetra Tour is known as “the Road to the LPGA” and since 1999, it has been designated as the LPGA’s official developmental tour. The LPGA acquired the Symetra Tour in July 2007. A total of 147 women have graduated from the Symetra Tour to the LPGA since 1999.

• More than 600 Symetra Tour alumnae have earned LPGA membership
• Through 2018, Symetra Tour alumnae own a total of 428 LPGA victories
• Since 2013, 9 majors have been won by former Symetra Tour Players
• In 2016, 9 of the top 25 and 55 of the top 100 on the LPGA money list have ties to the Symetra Tour
• Tour graduate Inbee Park (2006) won the 2016 Olympic golf medal in the return of golf to the Olympics in Rio
• Tour graduate Gerina Piller (2010) was the 2015 Solheim Cup hero for the United States and has over 36 career top 10 finishes
• Tour graduate Mo Martin (2011) won the 2014 RICOH Women’s British Open and has 12 career top 10 finishes on the LPGA

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LPGA Symetra Tour – ProAm at Copper Rock Golf Course

by Nicole Carpenter | Apr 26, 2021 | Golf | 0 comments

The Women’s Leadership Institute was chosen as the official charity sponsor of the LPGA Symetra Tour’s Copper Rock Championship for 2021, 2022 and 2023. We are really excited for this partnership because golf is the language of business. The 2021 tournament was held in St. George, Utah at the Copper Rock Golf Course April 19-24. 

To kick the week off, WLI sponsors and tournament sponsors were able to play in a Pro-Am with an LPGA player and not only enjoy the beautiful Copper Rock golf course on a beautiful day, but also get to know down-to-earth athletes committed to their sport. It really was an opportunity of a life-time.

The Symetra Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 39th competitive season. With the support of its umbrella partner Symetra, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best young women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Since Symetra’s inaugural sponsorship year in 2012, the Symetra Tour has grown from 16 tournaments and $1.7 million in prize money to $4 million in prize money awarded over the course of 24 tournaments.

Copper Rock is an 18-hole Championship Course. Set against a copper rock desert landscape with breathtaking mountain vistas, the Copper Rock Golf Course extends an open invitation to an unforgettable experience. Offering 18 holes of challenging play, Copper Rock is an adventurous rolling 6,823 yard layout with native sage, desert dunes, and copper mountains. Grab your clubs and discover for yourself what makes Copper Rock stimulating and worthwhile.

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Epson Tour: Chacon first title, 26th Moresco

B riana Chacon, competing in only her third event on the Epson Tour after earning her card at the Qualifying School, emerged victorious at the Atlantic Beach Classic, finishing with 206 (67 70 69, -7) strokes, ahead of Jessica Porvasnik and Kim Kaufman, who tied for second with 207 (-6).

On the Atlantic Beach Country Club course in Florida, where the tournament took place, Benedetta Moresco finished in 26th place with 214 (74 70 70, +1), while her sister Angelica missed the cut (tied for 77th with 147 – 70 77, +5).

Epson Tour, results

Occupying fourth place with 208 (-5) were Karen Chung, Lauren Stephenson—who led after the first two rounds—and Colombian MariaJo Uribe. Tied for seventh with 209 (-4) were Amanda Doherty, Kendra Dalton, Cydney Clanton, and Japanese player Yurika Tanida.

22-year-old Briana Chacon from Whittier, California, who had missed the cut in her first two events of the season, earned a prize of $45,000 from a total purse of $300,000. The Epson Tour, formerly known as the LPGA Futures Tour and previously named the Duramed Futures Tour from 2006 to 2010, and the Symetra Tour from 2012 to 2021 due to sponsorship reasons, is the official developmental golf tour of the LPGA Tour.

It provides a platform for professional women golfers and qualified amateurs to hone their skills. History: The tour was established in Florida in 1981 under the name "Tampa Bay Mini Tour" before officially becoming the Futures Golf Tour in 1983.

In 1999, it attained national tour status as the "official developmental tour" of the LPGA Tour. Notably, Grace Park, Marilyn Lovander, and Audra Burks were the first players to earn automatic LPGA Tour exempt status by finishing in the top three on the Futures Golf Tour Money List.

In a move to facilitate younger talent, the minimum age for participation was lowered to 17 before the start of the 2006 season. The LPGA officially acquired the Futures Tour on July 18, 2007, consolidating women's professional golf under one governing body, having previously operated as a licensee of the LPGA.

Duramed, a pharmaceutical company, served as the tour's title sponsor from 2006 until the conclusion of the 2010 season. The tour was briefly referred to as the "LPGA Futures Tour" in 2011. Subsequently, in 2012, Symetra, an insurance provider based in the United States, became the title sponsor, prompting a name change to the "Symetra Tour." In January 2022, Epson America Inc.

signed a five-year title sponsorship agreement with the LPGA, leading to the tour being renamed the "Epson Tour."

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Nelly Korda delivers more drama and wins playoff for 10th LPGA Tour title

Nelly Korda holds up the trophy after winning the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning during the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning during the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament,Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Nelly Korda hits from the fourth tee during the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Ryann O’Toole hits from the fourth tee during the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Nelly Korda reacts after finishing on the 16th green during the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Jiyai Shin, of South Korea, hits from the fourth fairway during the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Alison Lee hits from the fourth tee during the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Nelly Korda watches her shot from the fourth tee during the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Ryann O’Toole reacts after missing her putt on the 18th green in a playoff against Nelly Korda during the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Nelly Korda, right, holds up the trophy with Seri Pak, left,of South Korea, after winning the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Nelly Korda waits to putt on the 18th green during the final round of LPGA’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship golf tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. (AP) — Nelly Korda took seven weeks off and nothing changed. She won again on the LPGA Tour and made it far more exciting than it needed to be.

Korda made bogey on her last two holes Sunday to fall into a playoff in the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, and then ended it quickly with a 12-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to beat Ryann O’Toole and return to No. 1 in the women’s world ranking.

“I’m aging myself really quickly out here,” the 25-year-old Korda said.

Korda, who closed with a 2-under 69, won for the second time this year, both of them involving surprising collapses and amazing revivals. She won the Drive On Championship in Florida in January by dropping four shots in three holes on the back nine, only to rally with an eagle-birdie finish to beat Lydia Ko.

She hasn’t played since then, skipping the Asia swing and returning this week with a little bit of rust that didn’t take long to shake off. Korda seized control by smashing a fairway metal up the hill on the par-5 14th. The ball caught a slope at the back of the green and rolled down to 18 feet, and she made the eagle putt.

O’Toole holed a 20-foot par putt on the 18th for a 66, and that looked to be good only for second place. And then Korda made it interesting.

She missed a 5-foot par putt on the 15th hole. She went just over the green on the par-5 16th with a 7-iron and made birdie. She came up short on the par-3 17th and missed a 6-foot par putt. And then she went long on the 18th and failed to save par again.

“Eagle, bogey, birdie, bogey, bogey. Yeah,” Korda said. “I say this all the time, but I seem to always make it interesting. Just doing normal Nelly things, making it interesting.”

They finished at 9-under 275, and the playoff ended quickly.

O’Toole hit 7-iron from the right rough to about 15 feet and her birdie putt burned the edge of the cup. Korda hit 8-iron to 12 feet and poured it in for her 10th career LPGA title.

“At least I gave it my best attempt,” O’Toole said. “That putting could have gone either way. Nelly played really great. Obviously, last couple holes for her put her in the position to be in a playoff with me. Hey, I came from behind and gave it my best chance. I can’t be more proud.”

Korda decided to skip the entire Asia swing, giving her nearly two months off. It helped that her swing coach, Jamie Mulligan, works down the road at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach and was able to work with her after each round.

It also helped to calm her anger after the bogey-bogey finish.

“I vented to my coach on the putting green and then he asked me if I’m ready to be positive. Took a little bit and then I was ready,” Korda said. “And then we talked a little bit, laughed a little bit. He’s really good at just cracking jokes, which sometimes I just give him a pity laugh.”

And then she reminded herself that despite the sloppy finish, the trophy was still in her sights.

Making it tougher were brutal conditions of wind and cold. O’Toole was wearing ear muffs when she holed her clutch putt at the end of regulation.

Korda seemed to embrace the challenge.

“The weekend was brutal,” she said. “It’s also the beauty of the game. It’s fun to be able to play in these conditions and be a little more artistic.”

Jiyai Shin, a former world No. 1 who has been the top player on four worldwide tours, shared the lead going into the final round but fell back for good with a three-putt double bogey on the 12th. She closed with a 73 and tied for fifth.

Gabriela Ruffels (70) and Alison Lee (72) tied for third. Ruffels needed a birdie on the final hole to join the playoff.

Korda replaces Lilia Vu at the top of the women’s world ranking.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

LPGA Symetra Tour

The LPGA Symetra Tour is the official tour of the LPGA. It allows professional women golfers to prepare for a successful career on the LPGA. The tour has grown from 16 tournaments to 24 tournaments over the years and continues to be extremely popular among golf enthusiasts.

The tour normally starts in March and goes on till October with 20 events. This year, however, the tour had to reschedule its events because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The LPGA Symetra Tour is now being held from July till October 2020 with 16 events.

This tour comes to Daytona Beach this year between September 26 and October 5, 2020, with the Symetra Classic. This event will see players from around the world compete in the 12th stop for the 15th event.  A host of success events have been planned for the Symetra Classic week:

5K Run and Walk for Success – September 26th A family-friendly event, the 5K Run and Walk for Success invites runners, both casual and competitive, to participate at the beautiful course of the LPGA International. This event is an official event in the Boys and Girls "Success Events" Series. All proceeds of this event will go to the local Volusia and Flagler Clubs. You can participate individually, or as a corporate team competing against local businesses.

Registration: 7:30 am Race Start: 8:30 am Cost: $35 early registration. $40 race day

Deal for Success – September 27th The Deal for Success Texas Hold'em will be presented by Southern Stone Communications. The event, happening at the Daytona Beach Racing and Card Club will donate all the proceeds to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Volusia and Flagler. The tournament winners will get a host of prizes like Trips to Vegas, cash prizes, diamonds, and raffle prizes.

Registration: 3:00 pm Cards in the Air: 5:00 pm Add on 4,000 chips before the game begins: $50 Unlimited re-buy through the first break: $25

Symetra Tour, Road to the LPGA, Morning PRO AM – September 30th This event gives you a wonderful opportunity to play alongside and get to know a future LPGA star. You will also get to attend a VIP event at Daytona International Speedway Presented by Alfa Romeo of Daytona on September 29th. Every participant will get:

• An amateur playing position with a Symetra Tour Professional
• A $200 PRO AM shopping experience
• Two invitations to the Road to the LPGA: Final Lap VIP Event
• Two 4-day VIP hospitality tickets
• All-inclusive food and beverages

Registration: Investment of $2,000 per team (3 Amateur playing spots)

Swing for Success – October 5th This charity golf event has been a not-to-miss event for two decades now. Attracting close to 300 participants, local restaurants, and countless benefactors every year, the Swing for Success is a charity golf event in the Volusia/Flagler area. 

Registration for Golf Packages:

Platinum: $2,950 Gold: $2,250 Silver: $1,700 Bronze: $1,450

Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort is the premier resort for experiencing the Symetra LPGA Tour in Daytona Beach. Book your stay with us and enjoy the festivities and different events that will be held between September 26th to October 5th.

Spring Break Savings

Make a splash this Spring Break at Hilton Daytona Beach! Save up to 25% off your stay when you book 2 days or more.

Nelly Korda wins third straight LPGA start at Ford Championship in Gilbert

Nelly Korda’s last win was seven days ago. Lexi Thompson’s winless streak spanned 1,696 days.

Korda was looking for a third win in her last three LPGA Tour starts. Thompson was seeking to snap a winless streak of 77 tournaments, dating back to June 2019.

That contrast in styles served as the backdrop on the back nine Sunday at Seville Country Club in Gilbert as the two American stars battled Hyo Joo Kim and Maja Stark, as well as the cold and rain, during the final round at the inaugural Ford Championship.

The four golfers were tied for the lead at 17 under after they all made the turn until Korda made a second straight birdie on the 13th hole, allowing her to pull ahead by a shot and hold the solo lead for the first time all week. She didn't hold that lead the rest of the round, but had enough momentum to claim the title with a 20-under 268.

A few minutes later, Kim dropped out of contention after a costly four-putt on No. 11 that led to a double-bogey 6. Stark could only string together pars before carding a bogey on 16.

It briefly became a two-way battle between Thompson and Korda, with Thompson reclaiming a tie for the lead at 18 under after a birdie on the par-3 14th hole.

On 16, Korda reclaimed the solo lead once again after almost jarring her second shot on the driveable par 4, the ball bouncing three times before rolling just over the edge of the cup. She would make birdie to get to 19 under.

Hira Naveed joined the party late, as she went 4 under over a six-hole stretch from No. 12 through 17. The first LPGA player of Pakistani descent, Naveed was ranked 648th in the world coming in and finished at 18 under. But it wasn’t enough to threaten the lead of Korda.

Thompson’s run came to an end on the short par-4 16th. With driver in hand, she pushed her tee shot right and into a lake. She took a drop in the desert and then hit her third on the green but two putted for bogey. She then missed a short par putt on 17 for another bogey, and she was suddenly three back of Korda with one hole to go.

Korda closed out her day going up-and-down from just off the green on 18 for one final birdie, this one getting her to 20 under and with few pursuers left chasing, safely in the clubhouse.

She later hoisted the trophy to make it official. In the process she becomes the fifth American to win three times before April 1 and the first since 1980.

Since her last win, Thompson has four solo seconds and four ties for second but the winless streak will extend at least another week. With this win, Korda now has 11 victories, tying Thompson. Jane Geddes and Jiyai Shin also have 11 career wins, which is good for 31st all-time.

Lydia Ko came into the week one point away from clinching a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame. A win at the Ford would have given the 26-year-old the 27th and final point needed for entry. Ko tied for 11th at 15 under and a pair of 70s over the weekend.

The total purse was $2.25 million after Ford signed on as the title sponsor and the Thunderbirds, who run the PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open, joined as a founding partner.

Korda earned a first-place check worth $337,500, pushing her career total to $9.86 million, good for 26th all-time in 131 starts.

A cold and rainy Sunday

There was plenty of rain and cold  Sunday for the LPGA’s sixth event on its 2024 calendar. It had been since 1999 that the greater Phoenix area had an Easter Sunday with rain.

Saturday night, tournament organizers decided to move up the final-round tee times by two hours in anticipation of inclement weather and some of that is peeking ahead on the schedule.

The Ford Championship is the second leg of a three-tournament West Coast swing for the LPGA, which next heads to Shadow Creek in Las Vegas for the T-Mobile Match Play, a five-day event that starts Wednesday.

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Sunday Scheduling Update: Ford Championship presented by KCC

Featured groups: 2024 t-mobile match play presented by mgm rewards.

• Ford Championship

In anticipation of inclement weather on Sunday, final-round tee times for the 2024 Ford Championship presented by KCC have been adjusted. Athletes will play in groups of three off the first and 10th tees, with the first groups off at 9:08 a.m. and the last at 11:20 a.m.

Spectator gates will open at 8 a.m., with shuttles beginning at 6:45 a.m. from Gilbert Regional Park.

Broadcast times are as follows:

• 4:30-6 p.m. Eastern: Live on Peacock/International
• 6-7:30 p.m. Eastern: Live on GOLF Channel/Peacock/International
• 7:30-9 p.m. Eastern: Replay on GOLF Channel (6-7:30 p.m. Eastern coverage)

For more information, visit  www.fordchampionship.com .

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