This is the seventh year in a row for the LPGA Founders Cup, but this year the name has changed! Actually the name has changed to Bank of Hope Founders Cup for the next 3 years as title sponsorship has been picked up by the largest Korean-American bank in the US, Bank of Hope.
The LPGA Founders Cup was established in 2011 to honor women in golf! Their initial intent was to honor the 13 founding women of the LPGA but it didn’t take long for their vision to expand to include financial help to those that otherwise would not find their way onto a golf course. And help they did by raising more than $3 million for the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program!
The founders of the LPGA definitely deserve a shout since they helped create the oldest continuing women’s professional sports organization in the US! Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Alice Bauer, Helen Hicks, Babe Zaharias, Opal Hill, Patty Berg, Louise Suggs, Helen Dettweiler, Bettye Danoff, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Betty Jameson and Salley Sessions–we tip our hat!
Here are two more names that you should recognize that have made golf history, Kim and Suggs! All eyes will be on Sei Young Kim who took home the trophy last year in her 27-under par performance in the 2016 LPGA Founders Cup. She had just come off a personal best and was named 2015 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the year. Suggs you may know was a co-founder of the LGPA and was LPGA Tour Money Winner in 1953 and 1960 with 61 LPGA wins accredited to her name.
Tournament activities start on Monday, March 10th and you can head out to the JW Marriott Wildfire Resort & Spa and enjoy the play in person or watch all four days of the full-field tournament on the Golf Channel. It will be telecast in over 150 countries as the female golfers vie for a piece of the $1.5 million purse!
Gates open for professional practice rounds on Tuesday, March 14th followed by the Official Pro-Am on Wednesday, March 15th. First round tee times at the 1st and 10th tees start at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday and Friday. There is a time change for the third round and final round tee times to 7:35 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday on the 1st tee. It all wraps up on Sunday the 19th when the leaderboard lets us see who will take home the gold.
Ticket prices range from $20 – $125 a day with public parking $5 a day and valet parking is available starting for $35 a day.
Looking for a golf villa or home? Contact The Matheson Team – we specialize in golf community properties in the Scottsdale area.
Don Matheson
Realtor | Founder
The Matheson Team – RE/MAX Fine Properties
21000 N. Pima Rd., #100, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
480-405-4228
don@azgolfhomes.com
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