GETTYSBURG, PA (August 15, 2008) - Professional women's golf returns to the region for The Gettysburg Championship, an LPGA Duramed FUTURES Tour event set for the week of August 18, 2008 at The Links At Gettysburg. A full field of 144 players will compete for the $100,000 purse and Vikki Laing of Musselburgh, Scotland will return to defend her title.
The Gettysburg Championship officially gets under way on Tuesday, August 19 with the first of a series of related events occurring through Friday when the first round of the tournament officially kicks off. The second and third rounds will be held on Saturday and Sunday. Tournament play begins Friday and Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. The tournament is expected to conclude some time around 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Pennsylvania native and LPGA Hall of Fame Golfer, Betsy King, will be on hand for the entire week of events and as the Honorary Chair of the Gettysburg Championship, she will be participating in the Pro-Am events scheduled for Wednesday of tournament week. Ms. King will be the keynote speaker at the Gala and Charity Auction set for Wednesday night at the Wyndham Hotel, Gettysburg. Ms. King's charity, Golf Fore Africa, is a beneficiary of the tournament this year.
Activities for Tuesday, August 19, include a free Youth Golf Clinic conducted by players on the Duramed FUTURES Tour at 2:30 p.m. The Youth Golf Clinic will be supported by The First Tee of the Susquehanna Valley, which serves 10,000 youth in Central Pennsylvania by helping young individuals set goals, gain personal confidence and trust their judgment, all while learning to play golf. First Tee is also a beneficiary of the tournament this year. In addition, on Tuesday evening there will be a volunteer barbecue.
Wednesday and Thursday the public is invited to come and watch the Pro-Am competition which includes a round of golf and a fiercely difficult putting competition. Tour players and local golfers will team up in the Pro-Am for an exciting competition. The Pro-Am begins both days at 8:00 a.m. This year the Pro-Am includes four amateurs who recently won slots in the Pro-Am after a grueling skills challenge competition at The Links At Gettysburg. The winners were: Pat Corbosiero of Carlisle, Dan Hylton of Fayetteville, Alli Weaver of Lititz and Maura Donley of Mechanicsburg
"The competition this week is going to be intense," said Duff Forsythe, Tournament Director, "since the hunt for an LPGA Tour card for next year is still wide open." The top five money winners on the LPGA Duramed FUTURES Tour receive automatic tour cards for the 2009 LPGA season.
Current tournament winners this season are: rookie Vicky Hurst, 18, of Melbourne, Fla., (with wins in McAllen, Texas, Illinois, and Indiana); Mindy Kim, 19, of Diamond Bar, Calif., (with wins in Kansas, Wisconsin and Kentucky); rookie M.J. Hur of Seoul, South Korea (Louisiana); Mo Martin of Altadena, Calif. (Concord, N.H.); Kim Welch of Sacramento (Syracuse, N.Y.); Stephanie Otteson of Wilson, N.C. (Mason, Ohio); Kristina Tucker of Stockholm, Sweden (El Paso, Texas); non-exempt LPGA Tour member Leah Wigger of Louisville, Ky., (Daytona Beach, Fla.); and fifth-year player Sunny Oh of Manhattan Beach, Calif. (Lakeland, Fla.). Of the 2008 winners, all nine are in the tournament field for the Gettysburg Championship.
Players on this year's Duramed FUTURES Tour roster hail from 31 nations and 40 U.S. states. There are also currently 114 first-year (rookie) members. Most of these young women professionals are making their first transition from college and amateur golf to the professional level. And with the lowering of the Tour\'s minimum age requirement to age 17, some players have transitioned to the professional level right out of high school.
Players with Pennsylvania connections who are in the tournament field are: tour veteran and two-time tournament winner Stephanie George of Myerstown, Pa., and rookie Whitney Myers of York, Pa., who played collegiate golf at the University of Florida. Players with close Mid-Atlantic regional ties are: second-year player Ashley Grier of Hagerstown, Md., rookie Kate Stepanek of Guilford, Conn., who played collegiate golf at the University of Maryland; and rookie Jenny Suh of Fairfax, Va., who played collegiate golf at Furman University and the University of Alabama.
"This is a great chance for avid golfers, families and residents to come out and see women's professional golf and the only opportunity to do so in our region," said Forsythe. Tickets for a three-day pass to the tournament are affordable at $20 per adult with anyone under 15 years of age admitted free. Single day tickets are $10. Senior and active duty military discounts are also available.
Forsythe noted that the entire week is packed with events for the entire family. In addition to the free Youth Golf Clinic on Tuesday and the Pro-Am events on Wednesday and Thursday there will be a Civil War Encampment located between the 10th and 11th holes at The Links At Gettysburg during all three days of the tournament. Visitors will be treated to Living History and Battle Re-enactments, candlelight tours, traditional food, music, activities and battle preparedness from the 22nd North Carolina Infantry. The 22nd North Carolina Infantry was part of Penders Division, Scales Brigade and is based in the National Military Park at historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Detailed information regarding The Gettysburg Championship is available at: www.thegettysburgchampionship.com
About the Gettysburg Championship
In its third year as part of the growing LPGA Duramed FUTURES Tour, the Gettysburg Championship has become a cornerstone event on this professional women's golf tour. The Gettysburg Championship supports local charities through this event and in 2008 will not only be supporting Golf Fore Africa, but our local First Tee of the Susquehanna Valley program. The Links at Gettysburg is nestled in the hills of southern Pennsylvania and offers a challenging golf experience complete with creeks on almost every hole and red rock cliffs that add to the dramatic beauty of this course. During the three-day event, The Links will also play host to a Civil War Encampment that is free to all attendees. For more information on The Gettysburg Championship see: http://thegettysburgchampionship.com/
About the Duramed FUTURES Tour
Called "The Road To the LPGA and Beyond," the Duramed FUTURES Tour has become the world's largest international women's developmental tour. In its 28th competitive season this year, the Tour has remained committed to developing LPGA stars of tomorrow and creating viable role models for youth today. The top-five money winners each season earn automatic exemptions for the LPGA Tour. With more than 300 alumnae as current members of the LPGA, through 2007, former Duramed FUTURES Tour players have won a total of 329 LPGA titles, including 35 major championships. Duramed FUTURES Tour events have contributed more than $4 million to charitable organizations throughout the nation since 1989. For more information, visit www.duramedFUTUREStour.com
Web Site: http://www.thegettysburgchampionship.com
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