DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. and HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi, April 13, 2022 – The LPGA announced today that the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) has joined the LPGA family as an official partner. This partnership will immediately be on display at this week’s LOTTE Championship, which continues a 40-year tradition of world-class LPGA Tour competition on the spectacular Hawaiian Islands.
As an official partner of the LPGA Tour, HTA has reinforced its commitment to women’s golf. The partnership will extend the brand image of Hawaiʻi while generating economic and community benefits by providing complimentary attendance at the LOTTE Championship for the first 5,000 local spectators. With local excursions featuring LPGA Tour players and other pieces of custom content created in partnership with the Tour, HTA will share the history and beauty of the Islands with fans around the world through the tournament broadcast and various digital and social-media platforms, including the LPGA Women’s Network. Additionally, the partnership will fund a new LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Chapter in Hawaiʻi.
“We are happy to partner with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and further this long-standing relationship,” said Kelly Hyne, Chief Sales Officer for the LPGA. “Hawaiʻi is always a favorite stop for many of our LPGA Tour players and staff. We look forward to sharing our love of the Islands with our global audience.”
“The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is excited to welcome the LPGA Tour back to the Hawaiian Islands and support the LOTTE Championship. Bringing the world’s best golfers to Hawaiʻi provides opportunities for our residents to enjoy world-class competition, and we hope the experiences the golfers will have inspire them as well,” said John De Fries, President and CEO of HTA. “We have worked for over a year to bring this partnership to life. We are grateful for this partnership with the LPGA and their contributions to our community, like the Girls Golf chapter that will nurture our future champions.”
The LPGA Tour first came to Hawaiʻi in 1982, when major champion Amy Alcott won the Women’s Kemper Open at Royal Kāʻanapali on Maui. Notable winners on Hawaiian soil include kamaʻāina (Hawaiʻi local) Michelle Wie West (2014 LOTTE Championship), as well as fellow major champions Paula Creamer, Beth Daniel, Brooke Henderson, Juli Inkster, Cristie Kerr, Sei Young Kim, Betsy King, Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee, Meg Mallon, Catriona Matthew, Alison Nicholas, Suzann Pettersen, Morgan Pressel, Annika Sorenstam, Patty Sheehan, Angela Stanford and Karrie Webb.
The 2022 LOTTE Championship will be played April 13-16 at Hoakalei Country Club in ʻEwa Beach, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. It was previously played at Ko Olina Golf Club (2012-2019) and Kapolei Golf Club (2021), both on Oʻahu. In 2021, Lydia Ko took the title with a dominant seven-stroke victory over Sei Young Kim, Nelly Korda, Leona Maguire and Inbee Park. It was Ko’s first victory in more than three years and kicked off a career resurgence that has seen her move to No. 3 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, her best position since June 2017.
The 2022 LOTTE Championship will be open to spectators, in alignment with local COVID-19 guidelines, with broadcast coverage on Golf Channel during all four rounds from 7-11 p.m. EST. For more information, visit www.lottechampionship.com .
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