Symetra Tour

Senior LPGA and Symetra Tour Return to French Lick in 2018

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Senior LPGA and Symetra Tour Return to French Lick in 2018

Hall-of-Famers, major champions, and future stars will compete on both the Pete Dye and Donald Ross courses

FRENCH LICK, IN – The legacy of women’s golf at French Lick Resort was on full display this summer with the Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank, the first ever senior women’s major championship, and the Symetra Tour’s Donald Ross Classic at French Lick.

The week-long celebration of women’s golf was such a success for both women’s golf and the primary charity, the Riley Children’s Foundation, that French Lick Resort moved quickly to set the dates for 2018.

The Senior LPGA Championship, won this year by Trish Johnson, will be contested next year October 15-17, 2018 while the Symetra Tour’s Donald Ross Classic at French Lick will be played July 12-14, 2018.

The Senior LPGA Championship is part of a five-year commitment with the LPGA Tour and televised on Golf Channel.

A field of 81 players, featuring a collection of past greats in the women’s game including LPGA Hall-of-Famers, current LPGA members and major champions over the age of 45, will compete on the spectacular Pete Dye Course. The 54-hole event offers a total purse of $600,000. The Symetra Tour’s 54-hole tournament played on the Donald Ross Course will have a purse of $200,000.

The history of women’s golf at French Lick dates back to 1957 where Louise Suggs captured the French Lick Women’s Open on the historic Donald Ross course. A few years later the LPGA Championship was brought to the historic site. In 1959 Betsy Rawls won the LPGA major followed by the legendary Mickey Wright winning the title in 1960. In 2013, the resort hosted The Legends Championship on the Pete Dye course and opened up the LPGA Legends Hall of Fame.

In 2018, the resort will add yet another chapter to women’s golf with these elite and historic players returning.

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ABOUT THE LPGA

The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and head- quartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing 30 different countries. With a Vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while dedicated LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management. The Symetra Tour consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via: www.LPGA.com, www.facebook.com/lpga official, www.twitter.com/lpga, and

www.youtube.com/lpgavideo

ABOUT FRENCH LICK RESORT

French Lick Resort is a $600 million historic restoration and casino development spread dramatically across 3,000 scenic acres. It encompasses both the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West Baden Springs Hotel, which have been fully restored to their original sophistication and luxury, combine for 689 rooms and are located about one mile apart. The casino, built adjacent to the French Lick Springs Hotel, opened in 2006. West Baden Springs, with its spectacular massive dome, opened in 2007 after having not been used for its original luxurious purpose since 1932. Other facilities and amenities at this world-class golf resort destination include two spas with a 36 treatment rooms (they continue to offer the Pluto Miner- al Springs bath), over 51,000 square feet of gaming space, 165,000 square feet of meeting space and a variety of dining and entertainment options. Free shuttle buses serve golfers and visitors from around the world. Visit www.frenchlick.com.

ABOUT THE SYMETRA TOUR

The Symetra Tour — Road to the LPGA is the official developmental tour of the LPGA and concluded its 36th competitive season in 2016. 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 $3.5M in prize money awarded over the course of 23 tournaments — the most events since 1988. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 418 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, Facebook.com/RoadtotheLPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA, and YouTube.com/Road2LPGA.

French Lick Resort and LPGA Announce Formation of Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank 

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French Lick Resort and LPGA Announce Formation of Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank

Hall-of-Famers, major champions to compete July 10-12; televised on Golf Channel

FRENCH LICK, IN – The French Lick Resort and LPGA Tour announced this week on Golf Channel the formation of the first ever Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank, which will be contested July 10-12, 2017 at The Pete Dye Course at the French Lick Resort in Indiana. The Tour has reached a multi-year deal to both host the tournament and have it televised on Golf Channel.

“French Lick is proud to host such a prestigious event,” said Steve Ferguson, Chairman of the Board of the Cook Group, owners of the French Lick Resort. “We have long supported women’s golf and to now be part of the first major championship for senior women is indeed an honor. We look forward to a great relationship with the LPGA and an outstanding Championship.”

The field of 81 players will feature a collection of past greats in the women’s game including LPGA Hall-of- Famers, current LPGA members and major champions over the age of 45. The 54-hole event will offer a total purse of $600,000. There will be no cut.

The Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank, comes on the heels of the February announcement by the USGA of the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship, which will begin in 2018 at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill.

“This is a landmark event for the LPGA because it provides a larger platform to celebrate the legends of the game,” said Mike Whan, LPGA Commissioner. “With the USGA’s recently announced U.S. Senior Women’s Open and now our event, the women that forged the way for the current generation will now have two major championships each year.”

The inaugural Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank, will take place Monday-Wednesday of U.S. Women’s Open week, which begins on Thursday. The Pete Dye Course is no stranger to hosting premier tournaments including the 2015 Senior PGA Championship, the Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Championship from 2012- 2014, the 2010 PGA Professionals National Championship and the Legends Tour since 2013.

The history of women’s golf at French Lick dates back to 1957 where Louise Suggs captured the French Lick Women’s Open on the historic Donald Ross course. A few years later the LPGA Championship was also brought to the historic site. In 1959 Betsy Rawls won the LPGA major followed by the legendary Mickey Wright winning the title in 1960 also held on the Ross course. In 2013 the resort hosted The Legends Championship on the Pete Dye course and opened up the LPGA Legends Hall of Fame. In 2017 the resort will add a new chapter with these elite and historic players.

“The Legends Tour Players and Board of Directors congratulate the LPGA for this historic announcement,” said Rosie Jones, Legends Tour President. “We applaud French Lick Resort for their commitment to showcase to the world the competitive spirit and exceptional talents of current and former LPGA players and champions. Women’s golf has been enriched by the addition of this important Major Championship for senior women’s golf.”

The weeklong celebration of women’s golf will begin the weekend prior with a new Symetra Tour event on The Donald Ross Course at French Lick Resort from Friday-Sunday, July 7-9. The Symetra Tour’s 54-hole tournament will have a purse of $200,000 and a winner’s payout of $30,000.

Riley Children’s Foundation, the fundraising arm of Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health and the founding organization that opened Riley Hospital in 1924, will once again be the charity for the championship. Today Riley Hospital is recognized as one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation and is the only comprehensive children’s research hospital in the state of Indiana.

The Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank will host a pro-am on Friday, July 7th and Saturday, July 8th on the Pete Dye Course. For more information on playing in the pro-am with an LPGA legend, sponsorships, volunteering, or other information, contact seniorlpga@frenchlick.com.

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ABOUT THE LPGA

The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and head- quartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing 30 different countries. With a Vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while dedicated LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management. The Symetra Tour consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via: www.LPGA. com, www.facebook.com/lpga.official, www.twitter.com/lpga, and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo.

ABOUT FRENCH LICK RESORT

French Lick Resort is a $600 million historic restoration and casino development spread dramatically across 3,000 scenic acres. It encompasses both the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West Baden Springs Hotel, which have been fully restored to their original sophistication and luxury, combine for 689 rooms and are located about one mile apart. The casino, built adjacent to the French Lick Springs Hotel, opened in 2006. West Baden Springs, with its spectacular massive dome, opened in 2007 after having not been used for its original luxurious purpose since 1932. Other facilities and amenities at this world-class golf resort destination include two spas with a 36 treatment rooms (they continue to offer the Pluto Miner- al Springs bath), over 51,000 square feet of gaming space, 165,000 square feet of meeting space and a variety of dining and entertainment options. Free shuttle buses serve golfers and visitors from around the world. Visit www.frenchlick.com.

ABOUT THE SYMETRA TOUR

The Symetra Tour — Road to the LPGA is the official developmental tour of the LPGA and concluded its 36th competitive season in 2016. 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 $3.5M in prize money awarded over the course of 23 tournaments — the most events since 1988. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 418 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, Facebook.com/RoadtotheLPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA, and YouTube.com/Road2LPGA.

Tickets Available for Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass, ‘Road to LPGA’ Event

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IRCTickets Available for Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass, ‘Road to LPGA’ Event
(HARRIS, Michigan) – Tickets are available for the annual Island Resort Championship, a Symetra Tour “Road to the LPGA” tournament played at award-winning Sweetgrass Golf Club.Top players on the Symetra Tour official season money list each year advance to the LPGA.  Dani Holmqvist, winner of the 2015 Island Resort Championship, finished 5th overall last season and earned her 2016 LPGA Tour Card.

Tickets cost $10 and bring admission to all three tournament rounds (June 24-26).  Ticket holders are eligible for daily prize drawings.

Purchase tickets at the Island Resort and Casino ticket office and from these non-profit organizations:
Bark River Harris School – Costa Rica Trip
Escanaba High School Athletics
Crystal Falls Girls Volleyball
Gladstone Boys Basketball
Ishpeming High School Girls Basketball
Kingsford High School Golf
Marquette High School Boys Basketball
Mid-Pen Girls Basketball
North Central High School Athletics
North Dickinson High School Athletics
Northern Michigan Drive AAU Basketball
Northern Michigan University Golf Team
Norway High School Athletics
Westwood Girls Basketball
The tournament schedule includes round one on Friday, June 24, 7:30 am-7 pm; round two on Saturday, June 25, 7:30 am-7 pm; and final round play on Sunday, June 26, 7 am-5:30 pm.In addition to seeing rising-star women golfers play, Sweetgrass is a beautiful setting with no surrounding development, featuring historic rescued bridges from the state and a unique collection of greens (Redan, Biarritz, Island and shared).

For more information about the course, tournament or casino call 906-723-2252 or 877-ISL-GREEN.

About Sweetgrass Golf Club   
Sweetgrass is ranked among Golfweek’s “America’s Best Courses You Can Play” by state.  It provides a dedicated on-site golf concierge and VIP Room where groups enjoy comfortable living room-style seating, private dinners, gaming tables, beverage service, televisions and direct access to the golf course, pro shop and open fire pit. Island Resort and Casino is building a companion course, as yet unnamed, which is planned for a 2017 debut. For information, see

www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com or call 906.723.2251.About Island Resort & Casino
Owned and operated by the Hannahville Indian Community, a band of the Potawatomi Nation, Island Resort and Casino is located in the unspoiled beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Boasting more than 1,200 slot machines and 24/7 Vegas-style gaming, the entertainment destination offers slot machines, craps, Blackjack, Spanish 21, Three-Card Poker, Let It Ride, Roulette, Bingo and more. The resort’s award-winning poker room features live action as well as a full tournament schedule.

The Island hosts top musical headliners from a variety of genres in the intimate, 1,327-seat Island Showroom. Lodging options at the resort include finely appointed guest rooms, 14 elegant suites and a 42-site RV Park, opening the 2016 season on May 1. The property is easily accessible via a pair of regional airports in Escanaba and Marquette.  It is an easy, scenic 4-hour drive from Milwaukee and two hours north of Green Bay.

For more information, see

http://www.islandresortandcasino.com/.

2015 Island Resort Championship Winner at Sweetgrass Golf Club Earns LPGA TOUR Card

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(HARRIS, Mich.) – Sweden’s Dani Holmqvist – winner of the Island Resort Championship in June – was one of the top 10 finishers on the Symetra Tour’s “Volvik Race for the Card” money list this season and will play full-time on the LPGA Tour in 2016.

The 2015 Symetra Tour schedule included 23 tournaments with stops in 12 U.S. states and a total purse of $2.73 million.

“It means a lot,” Holmqvist said after the Symetra Tour Championship at LPGA International on Sunday, Oct. 18, upon securing her LPGA card for 2016. “I played some [LPGA Tour] events last year on conditional status but it felt like it wasn’t for real.  This time I’m really excited.”

She’s not the only one.

“Everyone at Island Resort and Casino, Sweetgrass Golf Club and the many volunteers and fans who support the Symetra Tour annually here are ecstatic for Dani Holmqvist,” said Tony Mancilla, Island Resort & Casino general manager and event co-chair. “We’ve come to know and appreciate what fine people and golfers these young women are, and we look forward to watching Dani flourish at the next level. We can’t wait for the 2016 Island Resort Championship – our sixth consecutive year hosting the event – to see if our next winner also advances to the LPGA Tour full-time.”

“The Island Resort Championship is one of the most anticipated events on tour each year and once again it was superb,” said Symetra Tour Senior Director of Operations Kathy Lawrence. “The players always feel at home here because there is a level of excellence at every turn, whether it’s the quality of the golf course, the food, the resort accommodations or the welcoming service they receive from the staff and volunteers”

Area non-profits that sold tickets to the tournament kept 100 percent of profits. In addition, Eagles for Charity, an extra donation program based on the number of eagles made throughout the tournament, raised $1,400 for the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Island Resort Championship is also part of the Potawatomi Cup, which awards cash bonuses to players finishing in the top six of five Potawatomi Native American Indian-owned casino-resort tournaments.

For more information visit www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com, or call 877-ISL-GREEN.

About the Championship

Welcoming the world’s brightest new talent in women’s professional golf, the Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass is a Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA event held at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  The 54-hole stroke-play event was last held June 26-28, 2015. Located in Harris, Michigan, Sweetgrass Golf Club was designed by Michigander Paul Albanese and is situated at the Island Resort and Casino.  Both course and resort are owned/operated by the Hannahville Indian Community of the Potawatomi Nation.

About the Symetra Tour

The Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA, is the official Qualifying Tour for the LPGA and just completed its 35th competitive season in 2015. With the continued support of its umbrella sponsor, Symetra, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best young women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Top-10 money winners receive full, equal status for the following season on the LPGA Tour.

Symetra Tour events have contributed more than $5 million to charitable organizations throughout the nation since 1989.

For more information:  www.SymetraTour.com

Architect James Engh Wants Fans to Enjoy Course during Symetra Tour’s Tullymore Classic

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STANWOOD – Golf course architect James Engh is elated the LPGA’s Symetra Tour is stopping in to play the Tullymore Classic at Tullymore Golf Resort on the Fourth of July weekend, but not because he wants to see professionals take on the classic golf course he designed.

“I’m thinking about the people outside the ropes, visiting the resort, walking around, watching and having a good time,” said the award-winning Colorado-based architect who designed Tullymore for its 2002 opening. “I want them to see all the things that go with great golf – challenge, skill and the beauty of the course.”

The Tour staff will do the course set-up and Engh said tournament experts can make almost any golf course as easy or as hard as they choose. He just hopes they take advantage of the flexibility, versatility and variety of the course design.

“The thing I would recommend is that they change it daily because you have the ability to do that with the many distances and angles that can be played,” he said. “Tour golfers usually don’t like changes all that much. They get in this cocoon of concentration, and change messes with that. I think changing the distances and angles would make it more interesting to watch.”

The 54-hole stroke play championship will tee off on Friday, July 3, and conclude on Sunday, July 5. The top 144 up-and-coming professionals in women’s golf will compete for a purse of $100,000. The winner will earn $15,000 and have an opportunity to move into the top-10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. The top-10 on the year-end Symetra Tour money list earns LPGA Tour membership for the 2016 season.

Tullymore can play well over 7,000 yards from the back tee positions with as many as six possible tee positions on each hole. The Symetra Tour works on courses around the country and will find the comfort zone for its players. Engh said he designed the course so that a comfort zone could be found for all golfers regardless of ability.

“There are a lot of interesting features on the course, like the quasi blind shot on No. 3, the risk-reward factors on the five par 5s, negotiating the wetlands and I hope these girls go out and appreciate the quality and the value of the setting and the uniqueness of the holes,” he said. “Of course, when you play at the level the pros play, they lock in and I think it’s very rare that they appreciate the aesthetics of a golf course. Still, Tullymore can be made difficult without having to trick it up. You just adjust the tees and pins and change the angles.”

Tullymore can challenge the pros Engh feels, but he doubts they will find it too difficult. He said designing a course today that would function only as a dramatic challenge to touring professionals without having to be tricked up would not make sense.

“It would be almost impossible for others golfers to play,” he said. “The gap between even an amateur scratch player and a touring pro is wider than ever. In the 60s they were in the same area code. Today a legit scratch player is probably closer to a 10-handicap player than to a touring pro. The professionals are that good and they hit it that far.”

Fans who attend the Tullymore Classic should enjoy the course as much as watching the players. When Engh first came to the property he was captivated.

“It had a lot going for it – great vegetation, mature trees and a wonderful sand base to work from,” he said. “Mix those things with existing wetlands and we came up with beauty and variety. The goal was to preserve what we found along the boundary of the wetlands and we did that creatively.”

Awards came quickly, too. Tullymore was named the Best New Public Upscale Course in 2002 by Golfweek, and it has been a regular among the Greatest Public & Resort Courses in America by Golf Digest in the last 13 years. Engh finished Tullymore while on a hot streak with awards. In 2003 he was Golf Digest’s Architect of the Year. Visit www.enghgolf.com for more about Tullymore’s designer.

ABOUT TULLYMORE: Two distinct world-class golf courses welcome golfers to Tullymore, including the award-winning Tullymore course. In addition, St. Ives Golf Club is a prime example of the best design work by Michigan’s own Jerry Matthews. The 36 holes of great golf wind amid 800 acres of glacier-carved rolling Michigan woodlands and wetlands in the captivating Canadian Lakes area.

The luxuriously appointed accommodations and premium amenities like the fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, and two comfortable clubhouses with great dining service options make for more reasons to visit and stay for a while. Choose from a getaway for two in the cozy inns, or a cottage, condominium or rental home for an unforgettable few days away or even a home away from home.

Tullymore was named Michigan’s No. 1 Golf Resort and one of the Top 50 Golf Resorts in the U.S. in the 2010 Golf World Readers Choice Awards. It has also been selected as a Silver Medal Winner – Premier Resorts 2010 – The Best Destinations in Golf by Golf Magazine.

Sponsorship opportunities, playing spots in the Tullymore Classic pro-am and some volunteer slots remain available. Visit www.tullymoreclassic.com for more tournament information and to be a part of the Tullymore Classic.

Visit www.tullymoregolf.com for resort information, and for reservations, call 1 (800) 972-3837 ext. 239.

Successful 2015 Firekeepers Casino Hotel Golf Championship At Battle Creek Country Club

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INCREASES IN ATTENDANCE, SPONSORS AND CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS PROUDLY MARK A SUCCESSFUL 2015 FIREKEEPERS CASINO HOTEL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP AT BATTLE CREEK COUNTRY CLUB

(Battle Creek, MI.) June 10 2015- FireKeepers Casino Hotel hosted the second annual FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, June 2-7. FireKeepers partnered with the Battle Creek Country Club to bring the Symetra Tour-Road to the LPGA back to Battle Creek for the second year in a row.

“The tournament events, which spread out over a seven day period, were clearly a success on a variety of key levels. Through the hard work of the volunteer committee chair staff, FireKeepers Casino Hotel team members, the Battle Creek Country Club staff and their membership and the team of volunteers, the event was a great success,” says Vice President of Hotel Operations and Tournament Director, Kathy George. “The support of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, our 46 plus corporate and individual sponsors and the community helped us showcase Battle Creek very well to the players, the LPGA and the visitors from all over who came into town. In our inaugural year we were rated as one of the best stops on the Symetra tour and feel certain we will recapture this again for 2015.”

The second year of the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship saw vast improvements in the amount of community involvement. Volunteerism grew by 40 percent, with community members throughout Battle Creek volunteering in various capacities during the tournament week.  This year 48 golfer’s enjoyed housing through the generosity and kindness of Calhoun County residents and many golfers returned to the families that housed them in 2014. The biggest single sign that the regional community was excited about this year’s event was attendance, which doubled in 2015 compared to prior year.

The FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship benefactor was S.A.F.E Place women’s shelter, which aids women and children affected by domestic violence in Calhoun, Eaton and Barry counties. Thanks to the many attendees and sponsors, the amount of money the tournament generated for S.A.F.E Place increased 20 percent from last year.

FireKeepers Casino Hotel is located just off Interstate 94 at Exit 104 in Battle Creek, Mich. The property features a 111,700-square foot gaming floor with 2,900 slot machines, 70 table games, a live poker room and bingo room. FireKeepers also offers a AAA-rated Four Diamond resort-style hotel with 243 rooms, a functional multi-purpose event center capable of seating up to 2,000 guests, six distinctive dining destinations and multiple lounges and entertainment venues. For more information visit www.FireKeepersCasinoHotel.com.

FireKeepers Casino Hotel is owned and operated by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi.

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