(Phoenix, AZ) … Started in 1999 by LPGA Co-Founder Marilynn Smith, the scholarship program has had a major impact on hundreds of young women across the globe.
This year celebrates 25 years of dedication to young women by awarding $5,000 scholarships to 25 more young talented high school seniors. The celebration will also include the annual Marilynn Smith Sunday Tea, Marilynn Smith Scholarship Pro-Am, and Arizona Senior Women’s Open.
This will bring the total number of women impacted by Smith’s Scholarship Program to 264, and the total financial impact to $1,370,000.
All events are being held under the auspices of Golf It Forward™
(GIF), an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the legacy of the 13 Founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). The Marilynn Smith Scholarship Fund is made possible through the commitment of Golf It Forward and the LPGA Foundation.
The Marilynn Smith Sunday Tea kicks off the festivities on Sunday, April 28, from 1-3:30 pm at Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. The event is open to the public and requires a pre-purchased ticket. Guests will have an opportunity to meet and hear from event honorees, LPGA legends and Hall of Famers, Sandra Post and Renee Powell. Other guests include LPGA notables, such as Pat Bradley, Joanne Carner and Sandra Palmer. Tickets are $25, and free to kids 17 years of age and under.
Gainey Ranch Golf Club will also host the Marilynn Smith Scholarship Pro-Am on April 29, with proceeds benefiting Smith’s Scholarship Fund. Bradley, Carner and Palmer will be participating, along with 27 other well-known LPGA professionals such as the Ammaccapane sisters, Brandie Burton, and Pat Hurst. Each team consists of an LPGA pro and four amateur partners.
The third annual Marilynn Smith Arizona Senior Women’s Open will be played on Tuesday, April 30 and Wednesday, May 1 at Gainey Ranch, this time with a record breaking $100,000 purse.
Joining Bradley, Carner and Palmer in the 88-player field are well-known LPGA players, such as Liselotte Neumann, Nicole Jeray, Cindy Figg-Currier, and Barb Moxness. Participants will play as two-person teams.
Smith hosted the very first senior event for LPGA Tour players in 1988. To host this championship in the state she called home for 15 years is a tribute to Smith and her golf legacy.
For more information on obtaining tickets for the Sunday Tea, attending the Pro-Am, or attending the Senior event, visit GolfItForward.org.
ABOUT GOLF IT FORWARD™ (GIF)
GOLF IT FORWARD is the public face of the Marilynn Smith and Founders’ Legacy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation embodies the ingenuity, drive, and passion of 13 women who had the foresight to see that there was a future for women in golf and golf in the future of women. For more information on GIF, please go to www.GolfItForward.org
