WORLEY, Idaho — The 16th stop on the 2021 “Road to the LPGA” takes the Symetra Tour to Circling Raven Golf Club in the Gem State for the inaugural Circling Raven Championship presented by KXLY 4 News Now from August 27-29.
Greeting the 132-player field in Worley, Idaho, is a total purse of $200,000. Individuals are set to compete in a 54-hole stroke play format with a cut to the low-60 players and ties after 36 holes. The winner’s share for the event is $30,000.
First- and second-round action begins at 7 a.m. PDT off No. 1 and No. 10 tees. Meanwhile, the final round will start at 7:30 a.m. PDT from No. 1 tee and a trophy presentation will follow on the 18th green.
“We’re honored to have these women play in the Circling Raven Championship,” said Laura Penney, CEO, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel. “We support empowering women and youth through the game. Doing so was one of the objectives the Coeur d’Alene Tribe set when it decided to build Circling Raven Golf Club, which aligns beautifully with the Symetra Tour.”
SEVERAL COLLEGIATE TIES AT 16TH STOP
One individual with a connection to Idaho institutions for higher education is featured among the competition in the Gem State and that is current No. 5 in the Race for the Card, Sophie Hausmann (Nottuln, Germany). A first-time winner on the Symetra Tour at the 2021 IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, she attended the University of Idaho.
“I spent my week off here to see friends and practice. It feels good to see familiar faces and brings back some good memories I made during college. It doesn’t really feel like I left long ago,” said Hausmann. “We played Circling Raven [Golf Club] on team retreats a few times, so I do know what kind of course to expect, which is nice, and I do believe people around here are super excited to have us. I’m excited to play here. It’s nice to know the area a little better, and I’m hoping to enjoy the week as much as I can.”
Gonzaga University, University of Oregon, University of Washington, and Washington State University each have one representative in Bianca Pagdanganan (Mandaluyong City, Philippines), Kathleen Scavo (Benicia, California), Julianne Alvarez (Wellington, New Zealand) and Alivia Reynolds (Gig Harbor, Washington), respectively.
COUNTRIES (AND STATES) OF THE CIRCLING RAVEN CHAMPIONSHIP
A total of 29 countries are represented this week at the Circling Raven Championship, led by the United States with 71 players then followed by Sweden having the next highest number of competitors (9).
“This venue looks amazing and the nature up north is beautiful, it feels a little bit like home. My mom is with me this week caddying which is exciting, and this is the first time she’s back since the 2020 Symetra Tour Championship,” said Frida Kinhult (Fiskebackskil, Sweden), a 2020 Symetra Tour graduate. “I’m very hungry for good results these last five events. My goal is obviously to finish top-10 and something really good needs to happen for that, or a couple good things. From last year, I learned that anything could happen the very last minute and I’m not the person who is going to give up.”
Individuals from 24 different states are also set to tee it up at Circling Raven Golf Club. One player hails from the host state, while California boasts the most with 13.
“Being from Idaho, I am mostly looking forward to getting the chance to play in front of family, friends, and local fans,” said Gabby Lemieux (Caldwell, Idaho). “It’s a very beautiful area, so I hope the players get the chance to explore and enjoy northern Idaho. I know how excited everyone within the Coeur D’Alene tribe and Circling Raven is for a Symetra Tour event to be here.”
ROOKIES APLENTY IN THE GEM STATE
Numerous professionals in their first year on the Symetra Tour have made the trek to Worley, Idaho, as 27 rookies are in the field and eager for the 16th event of the Symetra Tour season. Among them is Haylee Harford (Leavittsburg, Ohio), who is currently No. 15 in the Race for the Card with five top-10 finishes this season.
“It’s crazy that the last few events are already here. I’m feeling confident about the position I’m in and how much I’ve grown throughout the year,” said Harford. “I’m looking forward to finishing strong.”
RACE FOR THE CARD UPDATE
The Symetra Tour annually awards LPGA Tour membership to the top players on the Race for the Card money list. With 15 tournaments in the books, the top-10 underwent some shifting after the Four Winds Invitational. Eight members from the group are Idaho including Morgan Metraux (Laussane, Switzerland), currently ranked No. 7.
“I’m excited about the position I’m in, but I’m trying to keep my mind off the rankings and play as freely as possible. Being in the top-10 this close to the end of the season is a great feeling but it can be added pressure, so I take every event one week at a time. It’s not always easy but if I can do that, I think I’ll be in a good position coming into the Tour Championship,” Metraux said. “This week, I’m just really excited to play this great course in a new state on Tour.”
From 1999-2002, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA handed out three cards. Then from 2003-2007, that number increased to five before 10 were distributed starting in 2008. Since the inaugural year, a total of 162 players have graduated to the big stage.
For more details about this year’s tournament, contact Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel and Circling Raven at: 1.800.523.2464 or visit www.cdacasino.com.
About Circling Raven Golf Club and Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel
Owned/operated by Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Circling Raven is in the scenic Idaho panhandle approximately 55 minutes from Spokane International Airport (GEG). Measuring 7,189 yards from the rear tees, the 18-hole layout sprawls magnificently through 620 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and Palouse grasses. Its gleaming white sand bunkers are large and strategically placed and its hole variety ingenious. Other Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel amenities and activities include the full-service Spa Ssakwa’q’n (pronounced Sock-wock-en); 300 hotel rooms; bars, restaurants, lounges, and eateries; cultural immersion options; and more. The casino just completed a $15 million renovation of its gaming floor and Events Center in 2019. Circling Raven has garnered numerous best-in-kind honors since opening, including being rated a Top 100 Resort Course, Best in State, and a Top U.S. Casino Course. Its golf shop has won national and regional awards for its excellence and its variety of products, displays, and performance.
ABOUT THE SYMETRA TOUR
The Symetra Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 41st competitive season in 2021. With the support of entitlement 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 $1.7 million in prize money to $4.0 million in prize money awarded in 2019 and 2021. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 445 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, as well as Facebook.com/Road2LPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA and Instagram @road2lpga.
ABOUT SYMETRA
Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions and independent agents and advisors. Symetra began its partnership with the Road to the LPGA in 2010 as the title sponsor of the Symetra Classic. It secured naming rights for the Symetra Tour in November 2011. In addition to its title sponsorship of the Tour, which runs through 2021, Symetra sponsors two events on the tournament schedule—the Symetra Classic and the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship. For more information about Symetra, visit www.symetra.om
MEDIA CONTACT
Ali Palma, Tour Media Official
alison.palma@lpga.com, (386) 451-7485
Dan Shepherd, Circling Raven / CDA Casino Resort Publicist
danshepherdpr@gmail.com / +1 703-403-5317