Match Foursome to Feature Davante Adams, Mark Ingram, Terry McLaurin and Additional NFL Player
LAS VEGAS – Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards announced today that the final round of the May 24-28, 2023 tournament at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas will include the “Players Challenge presented by MGM Resorts International,” a nine-hole, two-man team scramble showcasing NFL superstars. The match will feature wide receivers Davante Adams and Terry McLaurin squaring off against running back Mark Ingram and a fourth NFL player to be announced in the near future. The event will be played concurrently with the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play final match and air during Golf Channel’s feature coverage from 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET. As beneficiary of the event, Play Like a Girl will receive a $40,000 donation from MGM Resorts International.
“As a champion of women’s sports, MGM Resorts is honored to donate to Play Like a Girl, an organization that also supports young athletes excel in a variety of educational fields,” said Lance Evans, MGM Resorts’ Senior Vice President of Sports and Sponsorships. “The Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play offers sports fans the opportunity to witness these incredible female athletes, and NFL stars, perform at the top of their game at Shadow Creek.”
Play Like a Girl is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization working to level the playing field for girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The organization harnesses the collective power of women volunteers and male allies to unite around gender inequality and the critical role they play in inspiring the next generation of women leaders. Play Like a Girl programs, which primarily live in a hybrid space, elevate women who are natural role models and leaders in their communities through partnerships with companies working to advance diversity, equity and inclusion across all industries and sectors. These programs leverage the transferable skills girls gain from sport to give them a competitive edge in the classroom and, ultimately, prepare them for the workforce.
Dr. Kimberly Clay, Play Like a Girl’s founder and chief executive officer, said, “We’re excited to partner with MGM Resorts International to enable members of the community and elite athletes across the LPGA and NFLPA to give back through the celebrity challenge and support our mission to empower girls and women through sports and education.”
Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play
The 64-player field for the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards is a showcase of the world’s best female professional golfers. The players will be divided into 16 groups of four, with three days of round-robin matches deciding the final 16-player bracket. The tournament will proceed in single-elimination matches to determine the two players who will face off in Sunday’s championship match.
The Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards field currently includes past champions Ally Ewing (2021) and Eun-Jee Ji (2022), as well as major champions Brooke Henderson, Danielle Kang, Jennifer Kupcho, Stacy Lewis and Anna Nordqvist. Last year, after 111 holes of golf spread across three group-play and four knock-out matches, Korea’s Ji captured the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards championship. Ji earned a 3-and-2 victory over Japanese rookie Ayaka Furue and, at age 36, became the oldest LPGA Tour winner from her home country.
The tournament is on sale with a limited number of VIP tickets which, for the first time in the event’s three-year history, gives fans the opportunity to watch their favorite LPGA Tour players, and now NFL players, up close as they compete. Tickets are available at Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Tickets.
Ticket packages offering golf fans a VIP experience include:
Birdie Package Pricing:
- Wednesday and Thursday: $149
- Friday and Saturday: $199
- Championship Sunday: $249
- Children 24 months of age and under will not require a ticket for entry into Shadow Creek. One (1) child per one (1) ticketed adult.
- Package includes: Course entry, access to all skyboxes, complimentary parking; food and beverage available for purchase on-site.
Eagle Package Pricing:
- Wednesday and Thursday: $349
- Friday and Saturday: $399
- Championship Sunday: $459
- Children 24 months of age and under will not require a ticket for entry into Shadow Creek. One (1) child per one (1) ticketed adult.
- Package includes: Course entry, access to all skyboxes including 19th hole VIP tent, complimentary parking, and complimentary food and beverage.
About the Athletes Participating in “Players Challenge presented by MGM Resorts International”
Davante Adams – Drafted in 2014 by the Green Bay Packers, the Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro Wide Receiver spent eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers where he surpassed the Packers’ franchise record for receiving yards in a single season and has also broken the Raider’s most receiving yards in a season this past year. Adams led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2020, has consistently been in the League’s ‘Top 100’ players since 2018, and has earned six Pro Bowl selections.
Mark Ingram – Ingram played college football for Alabama, becoming the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner after rushing for 1,658 yards in 2009 en route to winning the 2010 BCS National Championship. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints where he played from 2011-2018. After stints with Baltimore and Houston, Ingram was traded back to the Saints in 2021.
Terry McLaurin – A wide receiver for the Washington Commanders, McLaurin was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft after playing college football at Ohio State. He was included on the 2019 PFWA All-Rookie Team and recorded three straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2020 to 2022, making his first Pro Bowl in 2022.
About MGM Rewards
MGM Rewards, MGM Resorts’ reimagined loyalty program, unlocks unprecedented access for both gaming and non-gaming guests to MGM Resorts’ 20+ premier destinations across the country and features five tier levels – Sapphire, Pearl, Gold, Platinum and NOIR. MGM Rewards’ marquee benefits include waived resort fees (Gold+), Tier Achievement Air Travel Credit to Las Vegas (Platinum+), complimentary tickets to MGM Rewards concerts (Pearl+), advanced suite upgrades for up to three nights (Platinum+) and access to exclusive tier appreciation events and experiences (Gold+). Both non-gaming and gaming MGM Rewards members have the benefit of earning a currency – MGM Rewards Points – redeemable for complimentary food and beverage, entertainment, hotel stays, and more. Members can earn Points on nearly all expenditures at MGM Resorts destinations, integrating both non-gaming and gaming activity. In addition to MGM Rewards Points, slot customers also earn Slot Dollars. MGM Rewards grants members access to MGM Resorts’ entire portfolio of luxury properties in the U.S. from Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas; to Borgata in Atlantic City; Beau Rivage in Mississippi; and MGM National Harbor in Maryland, in addition to many others. Please visit mgmrewards.com for more information.
About Bank of Hope
Bank of Hope (the “Bank”) is the first and only super regional Korean American bank in the United States with more than $19 billion in total assets. Headquartered in Los Angeles and serving a multi-ethnic population of customers across the nation, the Bank operates 53 branches in nine states across the country, specialized loan production offices adding presence in three additional states, and a representative office in Seoul, Korea. Bank of Hope is a diversified financial institution with a comprehensive offering of commercial, corporate and consumer products and services. The Bank is committed to improving the value of its services as Bankers, providing comprehensive financial solutions as Experts, and being good Neighbors that foster growth for its customers and communities. Bank of Hope takes great pride in supporting education in the communities where it operates and has distributed more than $2.3 million in scholarships through its Hope Scholarship Foundation.
About Shadow Creek
Shadow Creek, one of the country’s most exclusive golf courses, has earned perennial top rankings among Golf Week and Golf Digest magazine’s public courses and has been designated the best golf course in the world in a Robb Report’s “Best of the Best” issue. Located in the midst of the Nevada desert on the outskirts of Las Vegas, and owned by MGM Resorts International, Shadow Creek continues to achieve national recognition and the kind of startling mystique reserved for only a select number of golf courses. Designed by renowned architect Tom Fazio, Shadow Creek is known for its natural beauty, rolling terrain, glistening brooks and ponds, lush gardens and mature trees. The visual elements, spectacular waterfalls and course design lend to astonishing views.
About the LPGA Tour
The LPGA Tour is the world’s leading competitive destination for the best female professional golfers in the world. The Tour hosts more than 30 annual events across 12 countries and regions for over 200 Active Players, awarding total prize funds exceeding $100 million and reaching television audiences in more than 220 countries. Follow the LPGA Tour on its U.S. television home, Golf Channel.
CONTACTS:
Chris Reimer, CR PR Group, reimer@crprgroup.com, 904-806-6614
Scott Ghertner / Katharine Sherrer, MGM Resorts International, sghertner@mgmresorts.com / ksherrer@mgmresorts.com
