Wichita, KS – The Women’s All Pro Tour headed to Wichita, Kansas for the 2nd Annual Heritage Classic at the beautiful Rolling Hills Country Club, which played host to the 1950 Women’s US Open and is the birthplace of the LPGA. The tournament was the WAPT’s Tour Championship and the final event of the 2023 season.
The Heritage Classic ran from August 3 – 6, 2023. The week included a Junior Pro-Am, Pro-Am, clinics, parties and a 72-hole championship finishing on Sunday, August, 6th. The $100,000 purse is the largest in the five year history of the WAPT with the tournament champion taking home $20,000. The tournament field contained 114 of the best LPGA hopefuls, including 45 out of the top 50 WAPT ranked players and featured all of the top 10 players on the PXG Race To Stage II.
“We are thrilled to wrap up our season at the birthplace of the LPGA. It’s fitting that the Heritage Classic and Rolling Hills CC will offer the largest purse in the history of the WAPT,” said WAPT president Gary DeSerrano. “The support from the members and the surrounding community is second to none.”
Heritage Classic Winner, Gurleen Kaur (Houston, TX) fired a 5 under par, 67 during the final round to take home the victory. It was also the first time for Kaur to have her dad on the bag.
“It was an awesome experience to have my dad caddy for me this week,” said Kaur. “It was even more special to have him here with me when I won.”
With this win under her belt, Kaur earned an exemption to the Epson Tour’s Circling Raven Championship in Worley, ID. Crystal Wang (Diamond Bar, CA) who finished second on the leaderboard, shot 7 under par, 65 for a total score of 18 under par. With Wang finishing in second place, the California native earned an exemption to the Circling Raven Championship.
Alongside the top two finishers for the Heritage Classic, the top two players of the PXG Race to Stage II points list also earned exemptions to the Worley, ID event. The PXG Race to Stage II is a season- long points race beginning at the first regular season event and concluding at the WAPT Championship. The top five players on the Race to Stage II list will earn exemptions to Stage II of the LPGA Q- School and will receive Q-School entry fees paid for via the PXG Race to Stage II scholarship program. The top five women on the points list are: Bi Shin, Ou Olankitkunchai, Gurleen Kaur, Elizabeth Wang, and Brigitte Thibault.
With Shin finishing at the top of the points list, Carry Golf awarded her a $10,000 bonus to help kick-start her career on the Epson Tour.
About Carry
Carry was founded to help “early-stage” professional golfers efficiently navigate the high costs of competition by connecting them with golf fans seeking to invest in the careers of elite athletes in exchange for unique access, special golf experiences, and potential financial returns. As part of its initial proof-of-concept, Carry funded nine up-and-coming pro golfers in 2022, including three full-time members of the Women’s All Pro Tour. The company looks forward to expanding its reach and catering to a broader group of athletes and fans in 2023. Carry is led by CEO and Founder, Donnie Dotson, who has a diverse background of experience, including business development and finance roles at Sportradar and Goldman Sachs, and as a former Marine and CIA-trained Operations Officer within the US Intelligence Community. Learn more at www.carry.golf.
About the WAPT
The WAPT represents one of the best development opportunities for golf professionals in the USA to hone their competitive skills, while preparing for a life on the Epson and LPGA Tours. The WAPT is the Official Qualifying Tour of the Epson Tour. Graduates now playing the LPGA Tour include Grace Kim, Gabby Then, Celine Boutier, Yealimi Noh and Matilda Castren. Follow the WAPT on the web at www.wapt.golf, facebook.com/waprotour/, Twitter: @WAPTGolf, and Instagram @womensallprotour.
