Tournament purse grows to $125,000, highest in 32-year event history
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., February 3, 2016 -The Epson Tour, Road to the LPGA, announced today that the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills in Albany has been added to the 2016 schedule. The event will be played the week of May 30-June 5 at Capital Hills at Albany. First round play will begin on Friday, June 3 and the final-round will be Sunday, June 5.
Fuccillo Kia of Schenectady stepped up as the title sponsor of the long standing event in 2015. The Epson Tour has played in the Capital Region for 32 years dating back to 1984. The 2016 event will mark the 13th consecutive year that the Tour has played at Capital Hills at Albany.
“Don’t miss this great opportunity to see the up and coming stars of women’s golf,” said Billy Fuccillo Sr. “This is a chance of a lifetime to see these women play prior to entering the LPGA Tour. Fuccillo Kia of Schenectady is proud to be part of this event that will be absolutely HUGE!”
The top 144 aspiring LPGA Tour stars will compete for a $125,000 purse with the winner earning $18,750. Both the total purse and the winner’s payout are the highest in event history. The purse was $120,000 in 2011 when the event served as the Tour Championship, but fell to $100,000 each of the last four years.
The top 10 on the final Volvik Race for the Card money list will earn LPGA Tour membership for 2017.
Notable winners of the event in the Capital Region over the years include Dottie Pepper (1985), Heather Daly-Donofrio (1997), Sydnee Michaels (2011) and Sadena Parks (2014).
In 2015, Breanna Elliott held off Augusta James to win the Fuccillo Kia Championship and drove away in a brand new 2015 Snow White Pearl Kia Optima LX.
The 2016 Fuccillo Kia Championship will take place the week following the W.B. Mason Championship in Brockton, Mass.
“We are extremely pleased to bring the Epson Tour back to Capital Hills for the 13th year,” said tournament director Jimmy Miller. “The tournament came here in 2004 and it clearly found a home in Albany. Our staff provide a great atmosphere for the 144 professional golfers that travel each year to Albany to compete. Some of the brightest stars currently on the LPGA have played the challenging layout of Capital Hills and we look forward to another great tournament in 2016. This year we were able to increase the tournament purse to $125,000 and in the coming weeks we expect to announce additional events during tournament week that will provide a great experience for our sponsors and spectators. I would like to extend special thanks to Billy Fuccillo Sr. and Kia Motors America for sponsoring the tournament again this year. Last year their participation as title sponsors brought increased exposure to our tournament and we look forward to working with them in 2016 and beyond”
Tickets to the Fuccillo Kia Championship are $10 for a day grounds pass and $20 for a three-day ticket. Children 16 years old and younger are free.
For more information about the tournament, playing in the pro-am or sponsorship opportunities, contact tournament director Jimmy Miller at jwmiller@outlook.com.
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