18 Tournaments in 13 States with a Record Purse of $1.48 Million
LAKELAND, Fla., Dec. 13, 2006 — The 2007 season for the Duramed FUTURES Tour is positioned to be the strongest in the Tour’s 27-year history. The Tour will play 18 tournaments in 13 states with a record total season purse of $1.48 million, which includes three tournaments with a $100,000-plus purse.
"We are very excited about the 2007 Tour schedule, as well as hitting a significant milestone in the Tour’s history with three tournament prize purses and a total season purse that surpass anything we have ever awarded," said Zayra F. Calderon, president and CEO of the Duramed FUTURES Tour. "This shows that women’s professional golf is healthy and that our sponsors value the talent and passion these young pros bring to the game."
The Duramed FUTURES Tour will kick off the season, March 9 – 11, in its hometown of Lakeland, Fla., for the Lakeland Duramed FUTURES Classic and will conclude the season Sept. 7 – 9, in Albany, N.Y., at the ILOVENY Championship. The Tour will play two events in Florida, three events in Texas – in host cities Frisco, McAllen and El Paso -and one event in Lafayette, La., before moving to the Midwest for five tournaments.
Competition then travels to the Northeast for three events, then to the Mid-Atlantic region for three tournaments before returning to New York for the season-ending event.
Key highlights of the 2007 schedule include:
* Three tournaments with purses of $100,000 or higher. They are: the Michelob ULTRA Duramed FUTURES Players Championship in Decatur, Ill., the Duramed Championship in Batavia, Ohio and the ILOVENY Championship in Albany, N.Y.
* Record season purse of $1.48 million in 2007.
* The average purse is over $82,200, an increase of nearly 10% from 2006.
* Fourteen tournaments increased their purses, with one event (Albany, N.Y.) boosting its purse by $15,000.
* The Tour adds Cincinnati to a growing list of top-tier tournament markets that include the Dallas Metroplex area, Greater Tampa (Fla.), Greater Hartford (Conn.), three events outside the Greater Chicago area and the host Empire State Capitol of Albany (N.Y.).
* Five 2008 LPGA exempt cards will be awarded to the top five players on the
2007 Duramed FUTURES Tour Money List.
* Tour steps up alignment in strategic planning alongside LPGA Tour to enable players to move seamlessly from Duramed FUTURES Tour to LPGA Tour.
About the Duramed FUTURES Tour
Celebrating its 26th competitive season this year, the Duramed FUTURES Tour has remained committed to developing the skills and dreams of women golfers, establishing role models for youth and creating LPGA stars of tomorrow. With more than 280 alumnae as current members of the LPGA Tour, former Duramed FUTURES Tour players have won a total of 314 LPGA titles, including 33 major championships. Designated as "the official developmental tour of the LPGA,"
the Duramed FUTURES Tour has become the largest international developmental tour and the second largest women’s golf tour in the world. At season’s end each year, the top five players on the Tour’s money list earn automatic LPGA Tour exemptions for the following year. Throughout its first quarter century, membership has increased from approximately 150 North American players to more than 300 players from 31 different nations. The Duramed FUTURES Tour in 2007 will conduct 18 tournaments in 13 states and has raised nearly $4 million for charitable organizations since 1989. For more information, please visit www.duramedfuturestour.com
Please see below for the 2007 Duramed FUTURES Tour tournament schedule.
Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, Duramed FUTURES Tour, 863-709-9100, Ext. 2, lisa@duramedfuturestour.com
March 9 – 11 $80,000
Lakeland Duramed FUTURES Classic
Cleveland Heights Golf Course
Lakeland, Florida
To Benefit: The First Tee of Lakeland at YMCA Par 3
March 16 – 18 $75,000
Greater Tampa Duramed FUTURES Classic
Summerfield Crossings Golf Club
Riverview, Florida
To Benefit: TBA
April 13 – 15 $80,000
The Power of a Dream Golf Classic
The Trails of Frisco Golf Club
Frisco, Texas
To Benefit: Various Local Charities
April 20 – 22 $75,000
Louisiana Pelican Classic
The Wetlands
Lafayette, Louisiana
To Benefit: CASA of Acadiana, CADENCE of Acadiana & Goodwill Industries of Acadiana
April 27 – 29 $75,000
Jalapeno Golf Classic
Palm View Golf Course
McAllen, Texas
To Benefit: McAllen Hispanic Chamber Chamber of Commerce
May 4 – 6 $80,000
IOS Golf Classic
Underwood Golf Complex, Sunrise Course
El Paso, Texas
To Benefit: Rotary Club of West El Paso Foundation
June 1 – 3 $90,000
Aurora Health Care Championship
Presented by Foresters
Geneva National Golf Club
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
To Benefit: Geneva National Foundation, Aurora Health Care
June 8 – 10 $75,000
Horseshoe Casino Golf Classic
Lost Marsh Golf Course
Hammond, Indiana
To Benefit: Lake Area United Way
June 14 – 17 $105,000
Michelob ULTRA Duramed FUTURES Players Championship Hickory Point Golf Course Decatur, Illinois To Benefit: Various Local Charities
June 22 – 24 $100,000
Duramed Championship
The Golf Club of Stonelick Hills
Batavia, Ohio
To Benefit: The First Tee of Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
June 29 – July 1 $80,000
Team WLF.org Golf Classic
Kankakee Elks Country Club
Saint Anne, Illinois
To Benefit: World Leadership Foundation
July 13 – 15 $80,000
CIGNA Chip In For A Cure Golf Classic
Gillette Ridge Golf Club
Bloomfield, Connecticut
To Benefit: Chip In For A Cure
July 20 – 22 $80,000
Alliance Bank Golf Classic
The Links at Erie Village
Syracuse, New York
To Benefit: TBA
August 3 – 5 $75,000
Havenwood-Heritage Heights Golf Classic
Beaver Meadow Golf Course
Concord, New Hampshire
To Benefit: The Havenwood-Heritage Heights Trust Fund (Resident Support
Fund)
August 10 – 12 $80,000
Betty Puskar Golf Classic
The Pines Country Club
Morgantown, West Virginia
To Benefit: Betty Puskar Breast Care Center
August 17 – 19 $75,000
Hunters Oak Golf Classic
Hunters Oak Golf Club
Queenstown, Maryland
To Benefit: TBD
August 24 – 26 $75,000
The Gettysburg Championship
The Links At Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
To Benefit: United Way of Adams County
September 7 – 9 $100,000
ILOVENY Championship at Capital Hills Golf Course at Albany Capital Hills Golf Course at Albany Albany, New York To Benefit: Albany Police & Fire Foundation
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