Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour, speaking at the press conference this morning at the Prairie Band Casino & Resort.
November 26, 2013 –
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) will make its way to the Firekeeper Golf Course this fall for the inaugural Prairie Band Casino & Resort Charity Classic. Leaders from the LPGA Symetra Tour and Prairie Band Casino & Resort/Firekeeper Golf announced the tour today during a press conference at the casino.
The Prairie Band Casino & Resort Charity Classic will take place Sept. 5-7 and will feature an international field of 144 players representing more than 30 countries at Firekeeper Golf Course in Mayetta, Kan.
Charities selected are the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Boys & Girls Club and the Folds of Honor Foundation which provides scholarships and other aid for children of disabled or fallen soldiers.
Steve Ortiz, assistant general manager for Prairie Band Casino & Resort, Randy Towner, Firekeeper golf professional and manager, and Dave Garcia, Golf Tournament Management, were available at the conference to answer questions along with Mike Nichols and Tim Kramer from the Symetra Tour.
Jeff Alderman, from Visit Topeka Inc, was emcee for the conference and Visit Topeka, Inc. is also involved in the upcoming tournament.
“As the 2014 schedule continues to look promising, we are excited to add the Prairie Band Casino & Resort Charity Classic at a first-class venue such as the Firekeeper Golf Course,” said Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour, Mike Nichols. “Kansas has always welcomed the Symetra Tour with open arms and we are excited to return in 2014.”
An elite list of Symetra Tour alums have earned victories in Kansas including 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team member Ryann O’Toole, two-time LPGA Tour winner and 2007 U.S. Solheim Cup Team member Stacy Prammanasudh and two-time LPGA Tour winner Gail Graham.
“Prairie Band Casino & Resort is honored to bring professional golf to the Northeastern Kansas region. The Symetra Tour will be a valuable addition to our resort and to our area, and will showcase all that we have to offer,” said Assistant General Manager of Prairie Band Casino & Resort, Steve Ortiz. “We are thrilled to be a part of the Road to the LPGA.”
The 2014 season will mark the third year in the Tour’s 34-year history that the top 10 Symetra Tour players on the season-ending Volvik Race for the Card standings will earn fully-exempt LPGA Tour status for the following year.
For more information on the event, please contact Tournament Director David Garcia at (913) 707-4653 or kcgtmgolf@aol.com.
About the Symetra Tour
The Symetra Tour, the official Road to the LPGA, will enter its 34th competitive season in 2014. With the 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. The top-10 money winners each season earn memberships on the LPGA Tour for the following season. With more than 500 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 379 LPGA titles, including 43 major championships. Symetra Tour events have contributed more than $5 million to charitable organizations throughout the nation since 1989. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, Facebook.com/RoadtotheLPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA, and YouTube.com/Road2LPGA.