Future LPGA stars to make 31st trip to Capital Region and 12th to Albany
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., April 1, 2015 – The Epson Tour, Road to the LPGA, is excited to announce that the tradition of women’s professional golf in Albany will continue with the 2015 Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills the week of July 20-26. This year’s event will mark the 31st year that the Epson Tour has played in Albany and the 12th straight year at Capital Hills. The Tour first came to the Capital Region in 1984.
First-round play begins on Friday, July 24 with the final-round scheduled for Sunday, July 26.
“Kia is committed to promoting women’s golf in the United States, most recently on the LPGA Tour at the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, California, with former Epson Tour member Cristie Kerr finishing first,” said Billy Fuccillo, Sr. “Fuccillo Kia of Schenectady is proud to bring the Epson Tour back to the Albany area while supporting the young women on the tour as they pursue their dreams.”
The Fuccillo Kia Championship rounds out the 2015 Epson Tour schedule, which features 23 events, the most on Tour since 1988. The complete schedule has a total purse of $2.73 million, the largest in the 35-year history of the Tour.
The Fuccillo Kia Championship will feature 144 of the top up-and-coming professionals from the United States and around the world competing for a $100,000 total tournament purse. The winner will earn $15,000 and take a significant step towards the top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. The top 10 on the final money list earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2016 season.
“Albany has always been a supportive city for women’s professional golf and we’re thrilled that Fuccillo Kia has stepped up to keep the Epson Tour event alive and that Kia has expanded it’s partnership with the LPGA as the official car to the Epson Tour,” said Chief Business Officer of the Epson Tour, Mike Nichols. “12 consecutive years in any city is quite an accomplishment and I hope that golf fans continue to support the next wave of LPGA stars at Capital Hills. We are happy to welcome Fuccillo Automotive group and longtime LPGA Official Automotive Partner, Kia, to the Epson Tour family.”
Last year, Sadena Parks tied the course record with a 9-under 62 to come from behind and win her first career event. Parks became just the second African-American to ever win in the 35-year history of the Epson Tour. She finished fourth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and is now playing full-time on the LPGA Tour. The 2013 winner, Wei-Ling Hsu, finished 5th on the money list last year and is also now playing on the LPGA. Other past winners of the event include current ESPN broadcaster Dottie Pepper (1985) and current LPGA Tour employee Heather Daly-Donofrio (1997).
“We are pleased to bring the Epson Tour back to the Albany and Capital Hills for the 12th year,” said Tournament Director, James Miller. “The Capital Region has been a host of a tournament for over 30 years and has seen some of the most successful LPGA players come through and compete in the area. This year that tradition will continue as we are excited to have a new title sponsor – Fuccillo Kia of Schenectady. The Fuccillo Automotive Group is one of the most recognized brands in our region and the Fuccillo Kia Championship will help us continue to provide a world class sporting event for all of the golfing fans in the area.”
For more information including opportunities to play in the pro-am, contact tournament director Jimmy Miller at jwmiller@outlook.com.
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