GAME ON – SYMETRA TOUR RETURNS TO SIOUX FALLS
It’s tee time in Sioux Falls – especially if you’re a lady golfer on the Symetra Tour – The Road to the LPGA. For the second year in a row the Tour will bring its slate of 144 talented women to Willow Run Golf Course to compete for a shot at a purse of $210,000 – with the winner taking home $31,500 – and points in the Volvik Race for the Card toward a coveted spot on the pro tour.
The Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge is one of only four 72-hole events on the tour and one of only 23 cities to host the tour. According to the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB), Sioux Falls will realize more than $3 million in economic impact, depending on overall attendance.
The tournament will begin on September 1 with the winner clinching the title on September 4. It will be hosted once again by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness Club and the Sioux Falls CVB.
ALL GOLF. ALL WEEK.
Golfers from across the region can enjoy a spectacular view of the fairway action and the LPGA hopefuls, and enjoy a few special events throughout the week of the tour including:
• Free Kids Clinic with Mike Malaska – Tuesday, August 30, Willow Run
• Dan Boever, World Long Drive Champion – Tuesday, August 30, Willow Run Driving Range
• Feherty Live! – Thursday, September 1, Washington Pavilion
To add to the excitement, one ambitious young golfer will have the opportunity to earn a spot in the GreatLIFE Challenge at an open qualifier to be held at Willow Run on August 26. The qualifier is open to all South Dakota female residents and any female college student that attends an accredited in-state college or university. Entries close Monday, August 22. Contact Jason Sudenga, GreatLIFE Director of Golf at 605-940-7344.
The second exemption for the tournament will be Mariah Stackhouse, a recent Stanford grad that has been turning heads on the fairway since she exhibited a talent for the game at age four. She’s the first African American woman to earn a spot in the field at the U.S. Open.
Last year’s winner, Caroline Westrup, finished the tournament with a 12-under 272 total, followed Sweden’s Dani Holmqvist in second place and Italy’s Giulia Molinaro who finished third.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES!
To ensure the success of this weeklong event, sponsors are looking for local volunteers to act as host families and to provide other services throughout the tournament. To learn more about these and other volunteer opportunities or to sign up, visit www.greatlifechallenge.com.