ATHLETES ON THE 2021 "ROAD TO THE LPGA" WILL COMPETE IN 20 EVENTS FOR HIGHEST AVERAGE PURSE IN TOUR HISTORY
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ATHLETES ON THE 2021 “ROAD TO THE LPGA” WILL COMPETE IN 20
EVENTS FOR HIGHEST AVERAGE PURSE IN TOUR HISTORY
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., – The Symetra Tour has released the 2021 “Road to the LPGA” schedule,
featuring 20 tournaments and $3.8 million in total purses. Since 2013, average purses have increased by
76% and total purses are up 135%. At an average purse size of $190,000 in 2021, players will compete
for more money on a weekly basis than ever before in the 41-year history of the Tour.
“We are proud to unveil a schedule that includes six new title sponsors, six new venues and three
existing tournaments that have increased their purse,” said Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer of LPGA
Qualifying Tours. “Each year, our two stated goals for the schedule are to improve the quality of the
venues for both new and existing tournaments, and to increase the amount of money for which our
athletes are competing for each week. We are grateful to our new host venues for welcoming us, as well
as our new and familiar title partners who have demonstrated commitment to financially supporting
these players who are chasing their LPGA Tour dreams.”
2021 FEATURES SIX NEW TITLE PARTNERS AND SIX NEW VENUES
Last week, the Tour announced two new Arizona-based partners — Carlisle Companies Inc. and Casino
Del Sol Resort — that will be part of the West Coast swing to open the season. The Carlisle Arizona
Women’s Golf Classic kicks off the 2021 campaign from March 18-21 at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa,
while the Women’s Golf Classic at Casino Del Sol heads to Sewailo Golf Club in Tucson from April 15-18.
Between the two Arizona stops is the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, as
players will return to Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in Beaumont, Calif., from March 26-28 for its
typical spring date. Meanwhile, the extended Western run concludes with new host and title sponsor
Copper Rock Golf Course in Hurricane, Utah, holding the inaugural Copper Rock Championship from
April 22-24.
Twin Bridges joins the LPGA Tour family in 2021 as a first-time sponsor of the long-running Symetra Tour
event in Albany, N.Y., relocating the tournament to Pinehaven Country Club for the Twin Bridges
Championship from July 23-25. Another new tournament venue will be introduced by a familiar sponsor
Four Winds Casinos as South Bend Country Club is set to host the Four Winds Invitational in South Bend,
Ind., from Aug. 13-15.
Finally, Circling Raven Golf Club and the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel in Worley, Idaho, which was
originally scheduled to join the Tour schedule in 2020, will welcome the inaugural Circling Raven
Championship from Aug. 27-29. Two additional title sponsors and one new venue will be announced in
the weeks to come.
PURSE INCREASES LEAD TO HIGHEST AVERAGE IN TOUR HISTORY
In 2013, when average purses totaled $108,000, the highest weekly prize on the 15-event schedule was a single tournament at $150,000. This year, increases by both the Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla., from May 28-30, and the Four Winds Invitational leads to half of the events on the 2021 schedule featuring purses of $200,000 or more. The four new tournaments on the schedule sponsored by Carlisle Companies Inc., Casino Del Sol Resort, Copper Rock Golf Course and Coeur D’Alene Casino Resort Hotel (Circling Raven Golf Club) all debut with a $200,000 purse, helping contribute to the highest average purse in Symetra Tour history. SYMETRA TOUR ENTERS 41ST SEASON OF COMPETITION More than 300 players from at least 40 countries hold Symetra Tour Membership in 2021. Just last year, seven different countries were represented among the 10 champions during the 2020 season (Chinese Taipei, Finland, People’s Republic of China, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United States). Tour entitlement partner Symetra is set to host two events once again. The first is the 10th edition of the Symetra Classic to be contested in Davidson, N.C., from May 14-16 at River Run Country Club. The Symetra Tour Championship from October 7-10 will conclude the season at LPGA International in Daytona Beach. The Potawatomi Cup also returns to the Symetra Tour calendar for a ninth straight year. The contest highlights the contributions of three member tribes from the Potawatomi Nation that host tournaments throughout the Midwest. Symetra Tour Members will compete for a $30,000 prize pool with the opening event of the three-tournament series, the Island Resort Championship, at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris, Mich., from June 11-13. It will be followed by the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship from Aug. 6-8 at Battle Creek Country Club in Battle Creek, Mich., before the Four Winds Invitational wraps up the Potawatomi Cup from Aug. 13-15. Seven other tournaments return to the Symetra Tour schedule in 2021: the Garden City Charity Classic in Garden City, Kan. (Buffalo Dunes Golf Club from April 30-May 2); the IOA Golf Classic in Longwood, Fla. (Alaqua Country Club from May 21-23); the Prasco City Championship in Maineville, Ohio (TPC River’s Bend from June 25-27); the Donald Ross Classic in French Lick, Ind. (French Lick Resort from July 8-10); the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic in Rochester, N.Y. (Brook Lea Country Club from July 15- 18); the Guardian Championship in Prattville, Ala. (Capitol Hill Golf Club on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail from Sept. 18-20); and the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout in El Dorado, Ark. at the newly renovated Mystic Creek Golf Club from Sept. 24-26. The Symetra Tour will once again partner with the Women’s All Pro Tour (WAPT) in 2021, with the top two finishers in each of the WAPT’s eleven tournaments through July earning a place in a subsequent Symetra Tour event. Additionally, the Top 5 players and ties on the WAPT Player of the Year Points List prior to the first stage of the LPGA Tour Q-School will earn an exemption into the second stage. At the end of the season, the top 10 players on the official Race for the Card money list will graduate to the LPGA Tour for the 2022 season. Every year from 2008-2019, the top 10 players have been awarded LPGA Tour Membership. That will happen once again in 2021 as players look to join the 162 graduates before them who made the leap to the LPGA Tour. Those who finish from Nos. 11-35 on the official Race for the Card money list will advance to LPGA Q-Series. ABOUT THE SYMETRA TOUR
The Symetra Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 41st competitive season in 2021. With the support of entitlement 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 $4.0 million in prize money awarded in 2019 and 2021. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 445 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, as well as Facebook.com/Road2LPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA and Instagram @road2lpga. ABOUT SYMETRA Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions and independent agents and advisors. Symetra began its partnership with the Road to the LPGA in 2010 as the title sponsor of the Symetra Classic. It secured naming rights for the Symetra Tour in November 2011. In addition to its title sponsorship of the Tour, which runs through 2021, Symetra sponsors two events on the tournament schedule—the Symetra Classic and the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship. For more information about Symetra, visit www.symetra.com. MEDIA CONTACTS Ali Palma, Tour Media Official alison.palma@lpga.com, (386) 451-7485
2021 Tournament Schedule *
*Schedule as of February 1, 2021
DATES TOURNAMENT NAME CITY, STATE TOURNAMENT COURSE & ADDRESS PURSE
March 18-21** Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic Mesa, AZ Longbow Golf Club $200,000
5601 E Longbow Pkwy, Mesa, AZ 85215
March 26-28 IOA Championship Presented by Morongo Beaumont, CA Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon $150,000
Casino Resort & Spa 36211 Champions Drive, Beaumont, CA 92223
April 15-18** Women’s Golf Classic at Casino Del Sol Tucson, AZ Sewailo Golf Club $200,000
5655 W Valencia Rd, Tucson, AZ 85757
April 22-24 Copper Rock Championship Hurricane, UT Copper Rock Golf Course $200,000
(Sat. Finish) 1567 W Copper Rock Pkwy, Hurricane, UT 84737
April 30-May 2 Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes Garden City, KS Buffalo Dunes Golf Club $175,000
5685 S US Hwy 83, Garden City, KS 67846
May 14-16 Symetra Classic Davidson, NC River Run Country Club $175,000
19125 River Falls Drive, Davidson, NC 28036
May 21-23 IOA Golf Classic Longwood, FL Alaqua Country Club $175,000
2091 Alaqua Dr., Longwood, FL 32799
May 28-30 Mission Inn Resort & Club Championship Howey-in-the-Hills, FL El Campeon Golf Course $200,000
10400 Country Club 48, Howey-In-The-Hills, FL 34737
June 11-13 Island Resort Championship Harris, MI Sweetgrass Golf Club $200,000
W-399 Highway 2, Harris, MI 49845
June 25-27 Prasco Charity Championship Cincinnati, OH TPC River’s Bend $175,000
316 Winding River Blvd., Maineville, OH 45039
July 8-10 Donald Ross Classic at French Lick Resort French Lick, IN French Lick Resort $250,000
(Sat. Finish) 8670 West State Rd. 56, French Lick, IN 47432
July 15-18** Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic Rochester, NY Brook Lea Country Club $175,000
891 Pixley Road, Rochester, NY 14624
July 23-25 Twin Bridges Championship Albany, NY Pinehaven Country Club $175,000
1151 Silver Road, Guilderland, NY 12084
August 6-8 FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship Battle Creek, MI Battle Creek Country Club $175,000
318 Country Club Dr., Battle Creek, MI 49015
August 13-15 Four Winds Invitational South Bend, IN South Bend Country Club $200,000
25800 Country Club Dr, South Bend, IN 46619
August 27-29 Circling Raven Championship Worley, ID Circling Raven Golf Club $200,000
37914 S Nukwalqw Rd, Worley, ID 83876
September 9-12** TBA TBA TBA $200,000
September 17-19 Guardian Championship Prattville, AL RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill Golf Club $175,000
2600 Constitution Ave., Prattville, AL 36066
September 24-26 Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout El Dorado, AR Mystic Creek Golf Club $150,000
191 Club House Dr., El Dorado, AR 71730
October 7-10** Symetra Tour Championship Daytona Beach, FL LPGA International, Jones Course $250,000
1000 Champions Drive, Daytona Beach, FL 32124
** 4-day Tournament
www.symetratour.com
SYMETRA TOUR ROAD TO THE LPGA HANNAH GREEN 2017 Symetra Tour Graduate 2019 Major Winner, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2019 Cambia Portland Classic Winner
SYMETRA TOUR
ROAD TO THE LPGA
Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA
2020 will mark the Tour’s 40th year anniversary
Top-10 money earners at the end of each season gain The Volvik Race for the Card money list is the official ranking system
for Symetra Tour players during the season. At the completion of the
LPGA Tour membership for the following year Symetra Tour Championship, the Top-10 players on the money list will
earn their LPGA Tour card.
More than 600 Symetra Tour alumnae have earned
LPGA Tour membership Since 1999, a total of 157 players have graduated to the LPGA Tour.
Meet the 2019 Symetra Tour graduates: Perrine Delacour (Paris, France),
Since 2013, ten LPGA Tour majors have been won by former Patty Tavatanakit (Bangkok, Thailand),
Symetra Tour alumnae and Tour champions, including Inbee Park, Jenny Coleman (Rolling Hills Estates, California),
Mo Martin, Brooke Henderson, Pernilla Lindberg and Ssu-Chia Cheng (Taipei, Chinese Taipei), Jillian Hollis
Hannah Green (Rocky River, Ohio), Julieta Granada (Asuncion, Paraguay), Leona
Maguire (County Caven, Ireland), Robynn Ree (Redondo Beach,
Of the 24 Solheim Cup members in 2019, nine Symetra Tour California), Esther Lee (Los Alamitos, California), Mind Muangkhumsakul
graduates and alumnae participated in the Solheim Cup (Banphai, Thailand).
Five of the six Rolex First-Time winners for the 2019 LPGA season
were Symetra Tour Alumnae (Celine Boutier, Cydney Clanton,
Hannah Green, Cheyenne Knight and Bronte Law)
MOVING UP TO THE LPGA TOUR
10
In 2019, the Symetra Tour
played 23 events for $4
million in total purses.
Comparatively, in 2013,
the Tour played 15 times
for $1.6 million.
CARDS
CHEYENNE KNIGHT
2019 Volunteers of America Classic Winner
2018 Symetra Tour Alumna
PROVING GROUND WITH A NATIONAL FOOTPRINT...
Worley, Idaho (Spokane Metro)
Harris, Michigan
Rochester, New York
Albany, New York
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Battle Creek, Michigan
South Bend, Indiana
Sonoma County, California
Cincinnati, Ohio
St. George, Utah French Lick, Indiana
Garden City, Kansas
Charlotte, North Carolina
Beaumont, California (Palm Springs Metro)
Atlanta, Georgia
El Dorado, Arkansas
Auburn, Alabama
Prattville, Alabama
Daytona Beach, Florida
Orlando (E), Florida
Orlando (W), Florida
IDENTIFYING THE LPGA’S FUTURE STARS
INBEE PARK MO MARTIN ANNIE PARK NELLY KORDA HANNAH GREEN CELINE BOUTIER
Career Earnings: $15M+ Career Earnings: $3M+ Career Earnings: $1.1M+ Career Earnings: $3.1M+ Career Earnings: $1.2M+ Career Earnings: $1M+
• 2006 Symetra Tour Graduate • 2011 Symetra Tour Graduate • 2015 Symetra Tour Graduate • 2016 Symetra Tour Graduate • 2017 Symetra Tour Graduate • 2017 Symetra Tour Graduate
• 16th on Rolex Women’s • Played on the Symetra Tour • Member of the 2019 U.S. • 3rd on Rolex Women’s • 20th on Rolex Women’s • Member of the 2019
World Golf Rankings from 2006-2011 and won Solheim Cup Team World Golf Rankings World Golf Rankings European Solheim Cup Team
• 99 career Top-10 finishes and three times • Eight career Top-10 finishes • Won the 2019 ISPS Handa • Won the 2019 Cambia • Five career Top-10 finishes
19 career victories • Won the 2014 RICOH • Won the 2018 ShopRite Women’s Australian Open Portland Classic • Won the 2019 ISPS Handa Vic
• Seven-time LPGA Tour Women’s British Open LPGA Classic • Won the 2018 Swinging Skirts • Won the 2019 KPMG Open in 2019 season debut
Major Champion LPGA Taiwan Championship Women’s PGA Championship
SOCIAL MEDIA
@ROAD2LPGA @ROAD2LPGA
@ROAD2LPGA @ROAD2LPGA
KEY CONTACTS
BUSINESS MARKETING
Mike Nichols Caitlyn Smith
Chief Business Officer, Symetra Tour Manager, Tour Marketing
Mike.Nichols@lpga.com Caitlyn.Smith@lpga.com
(386) 274-6204 (386) 341-7722
David Lafrennie
VP, Corporate Partnerships
David.lafrennie@lpga.com
(386) 274-6236
Tim Kramer
Sr. Director, Tournament Business Affairs
Tim.Kramer@lpga.com
(386) 852-6209
SYMETRATOUR.COM
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