MAINEVILLE, Ohio — Both played at TPC River’s Bend, the inaugural Prasco Charity Championship from June 29-July 1 on the Symetra Tour calendar and Big Ten Women’s Golf Championships from April 20-22 have a lot more to share than the host course.
The 2018 Big Ten women’s golf individual champion will receive an exemption into the first-ever Prasco Charity Championship.
“We currently have greater than 102 institutions represented by Symetra Tour membership, including players from nine of the 14 Big Ten schools, so this seemed like a natural partnership,” said Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer for the Symetra Tour. “We look forward to welcoming the 2018 Big Ten women’s golf individual champion back to TPC River’s Bend to compete in the very first Prasco Charity Championship.”
This will be the second consecutive year that TPC River’s Bend hosts the Big Ten Conference Championships for women’s golf.
“We are delighted to enhance our commitment to helping our students become successful in college and beyond by our partnership with TPC River’s Bend and the Symetra Tour,” said Wendy Fallen, the Associate Commissioner of Sports Administration for the Big Ten Conference. “These students are great representatives of our schools and we are thrilled to provide an additional opportunity to showcase their skills on a new stage.”
The Prasco Charity Championship will be the first LPGA Tour family event at any level to be contested on a PGA TOUR owned and operated course.
However, TPC River’s Bend is no stranger to welcoming professional golf to its grounds. It has been the site of several professional tournaments, including the PGA TOUR Champions Kroger Classic between 2002 and 2004, and the Chiquita Classic on the Web.com Tour from 2010 to 2012.
Designed by Arnold Palmer, TPC River’s Bend opened in 2001 as a Golf Digest “Top 10 Best New Private Courses in the U.S.” and has since been consistently recognized by the publication as one of Ohio’s “Best Courses in State.” Complementing the golf course is an expansive TOUR-caliber, 12-acre practice facility featuring multiple chipping and putting areas.
ABOUT BIG TEN CONFERENCEThe Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,500 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. The Big Ten sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013. For more information, visit bigten.org.
ABOUT TPC RIVER’S BENDTPC River’s Bend’s par-72, 7,180-yard championship layout was crafted to blend harmoniously with its surroundings on a hillside overlooking the historic Little Miami River, 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati. The Arnold Palmer-designed golf course meanders through corridors of mature hardwoods and whispering creeks. Winding playing routes, picturesque waterfalls and gentle elevation changes create a stunning backdrop for a memorable test of golf. The design of the golf course preserves natural habitats and serves as a refuge for numerous wildlife species, earning it recognition as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International.
ABOUT SYMETRA TOURThe Symetra Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 38th competitive season in 2018. 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 $3M in prize money awarded over the course of 22 tournaments. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 427 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, Facebook.com/RoadtotheLPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA, and YouTube.com/Road2LPGA.
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