2016 pure silk-bahamas lpga classic fact sheet

Pure Si lk-Bahamas LPGA Classic January 25-31, 2016 | Ocean Club, Paradise

Island, Nassau, Bahamas www.puresilkbahamasclassic.com

2016 PURE SILK-BAHAMAS LPGA CLASSIC FACT SHEET

January 25-31, 2016 Ocean Club Golf Course

Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas THE PLAYERS – One hundred eight (108) golfers will compete in the fourth annual Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. The field is headed by Rolex World Rankings No. 2 Inbee Park, a seven-time major champion, and No. 3 Stacy Lewis, the 2014 LPGA Rolex Player of the Year, plus defending champion Sei Young Kim, the 2015 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year. Five of the top 10 players in the current Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are entered. AT STAKE – The Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic offers a purse of $1.4 million, plus a full allocation of points in the Race to the CME Globe season-long competition. The winner receives $195,000 and 500 CME Globe points. LOCATION – The Tom Weiskopf-designed Ocean Club Golf Course is located on the eastern end of Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas. FORMAT AND SCHEDULE OF PLAY – Eighteen holes of stroke play are scheduled on each of four days – Thursday, Jan. 28 through Sunday, Jan. 31. TELEVISION COVERAGE – The Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic will receive 10 hours of live coverage on the Golf Channel. The television schedule (EST): Thursday, January 28 – 11:30 A.M.-2:30 p.m. Friday, January 29 – 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday, January 30 – 3-5 p.m. Sunday, January 31 – 3-5 p.m. INTERNET COVERAGE – Follow the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic at www.puresilkbahamasclassic.com or LPGA.com. LAST YEAR – Rookie Sei Young Kim became a Rolex fist-time winner when she defeated Ariya Jutanugarn and Sun Young Yoo in a sudden-death playoff. Each finished 72 holes at 14-under 278. Brittany Lincicome finished one stroke back for fourth place.



MAJOR WINNERS IN THE FIELD – There are 11 major championship winners in the field for the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic with a total of 23 major titles: Paula Creamer (1) – 2010 U.S. Women’s Open Cristie Kerr (2) – 2007 U.S. Women’s Open, 2010 Wegmans LPGA Championship Stacy Lewis (2) – 2011 Kraft Nabisco Championship, 2013 RICOH Women’s British Open Brittany Lincicome (1) – 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship Mo Martin (1) – 2014 RICOH Women’s British Open Anna Nordquist (1) – 2009 Wegmans LPGA Championship Inbee Park (7) – 2008 U.S. Women’s Open, 2013 Kraft Nabisco Championship, 2013 Wegmans LPGA Championship, 2013 U.S. Women’s Open, 2014 Wegmans LPGA Championship, 2015 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, 2015 Ricoh Women’s British Open Morgan Pressel (1) – 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship Lexi Thompson (1) – 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship Yani Tseng (5) – 2008 McDonald’s LPGA Championship, 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship, 2010 Ricoh Women’s British Open, 2011 Wegman’s LPGA Championship, 2011 Ricoh Women’s British Open Michelle Wie (1) – 2014 U.S. Women’s Open 2015 LPGA TOUR WINNERS – The Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic is the first of 34 events on the LPGA Tour in 2016. There are 12 champions from the 2015 LPGA schedule who are entered in the tournament at Ocean Club: Cella Choi – Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I Brooke Henderson – Cambia Portland Classic Cristie Kerr – Kia Classic, CME Group Tour Championship Hyo Joo Kim – JTBC Founders Cup Sei Young Kim – Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, Lotte Championship presented by Hershey, Blue Bay LPGA Jessica Korda – Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia Brittany Lincicome – ANA Inspiration Minjee Lee – Kingsmill Championship presented by JTBC Anna Nordquist – Shoprite LPGA Classic presented by Acer Inbee Park – HSBC Women’s Champions, Volunteers of America Texas Shootout presented by JTBC, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Ricoh Women’s British Open, Lorena Ochoa Invitational presented by Banamex and JTBC Kris Tamulis – Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic Lexi Thompson – Meijer LPGA Classic presented by Kraft, LPGA KEB HANA Bank Championship



THE OLYMPICS – Golf returns to the Summer Olympics for the first time since 1904. The Summer Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the Olympic Golf Course designed specifically for the competition by architect Gil Hanse. The women’s and the men’s competitions each feature 60 players competing over 72 holes of stroke play. The men’s tournament is scheduled for August 11-14 and the women’s August 17-20. There are 26 players in the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic field who are currently inside the 60-player qualifying list: Laetitia Beck, Christel Boeljon, Carlota Ciganda, Sandra Gal, Julieta Granada, Brooke Henderson, Charley Hull, Ariya Jutanugarn, Karine Icher, Cristie Kerr, Sei Young Kim, Minjee Lee, Stacy Lewis, Pernilla Lindberg, Gaby Lopez, Caroline Masson, Catriona Matthew, Azahara Munoz, Anna Nordqvist, Lee-Anne Pace, Inbee Park, Pornanong Phatlum, Paula Reto, Alena Sharp, Lexi Thompson, Yani Tseng. PAR AND YARDAGE – The Ocean Club Golf Course, Paradise Island, will be set up at 6,625 yards and will play to a par of 36-37–73. HOLE BY HOLE –

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out Par 4 4 3 5 3 4 5 4 4 36 Yards 362 374 167 535 183 370 480 310 385 3,166

Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Par 4 5 3 4 4 5 4 3 5 37 Yards 388 542 170 353 412 530 397 182 485 3,459

OCEAN CLUB GOLF COURSE – Dick Wilson designed the original layout of the Ocean Club, which opened in 1954. The course was completely redesigned in 2000 by Tom Weiskopf, who opened the layout to the scenic ocean views while infusing the course with tougher strategic features. The redesign, which included lengthening the layout to 7,159 yards, was completed in 2000 and re-opened to rave reviews. The course rating is 75.6 and its slope is 140 (compared to an average of 113). ARCHITECT TOM WEISKOPF – Tom Weiskopf became a professional golfer in 1964 and played on the PGA TOUR from 1968-1982, winning 16 times. He also won the British Open in 1973 and



later won the U.S. Senior Open in 1995. He has won 28 titles worldwide. As a golf course architect, he has more than 40 courses to his credit, many of which have received notable praise and ranking. OCEAN CLUB TOURING PRO – World Golf Hall-of-Famer Ernie Els previously represented the Ocean Club on the PGA Tour. He still is a frequent visitor. TICKETS – Admission is free to all spectators. GENERAL PARKING -- All general parking for the Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic will be available free of charge on Paradise Island. Spectators are asked to follow the posted signs. A FEW TOP WOMEN IN BAHAMAS GOLF – The Bahamas are part of the Caribbean Golf Federation. Players of note who have competed in the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic: Georgette Rolle, 29, is a two-time Bahamas National Women’s Amateur Champion (2003, 2007). An LPGA Teach Professional, Rolle will be making her third appearance in the Pure-Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. She hopes to make the cut for the first time in 2016. Raquel Riley, a former member of the Bahamas National Team, earned an exemption into the 2015 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. A former winner on the Sun Coast Ladies Tour, Riley, 34, missed the cut. VOLUNTEERS – More than 400 volunteers were recruited to serve on more than 25 committees to help stage this event. DISALLOWED ITEMS – Cameras are permitted only during practice rounds (Tuesday-Wednesday). Cell phones are permitted, but should be kept on vibrate or silent mode at all times. GOLF HISTORY IN THE BAHAMAS – Golf came to the Bahamas in the 1920s and the first golf course built was the Cable Beach Golf Club, which became a getaway destination for celebrities like William Randolph Hurst, Burl Ives and Benny Goodman. VISIONARY SOL KERZNER’S IMPACT – South African Sol Kerzner purchased the Ocean Club and many other area properties on Paradise Island in 1994 and turned them into luxury destinations. He founded Sun International Hotels, a world leader in family entertainment and gaming retreats.



GOLF EVENTS IN THE BAHAMAS – The Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational was held at the Ocean Club from 2001 through 2010. The 2000 Office Depot Father/Son Celebrity Classic was contested at the Ocean Club. The Michael Douglas and Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament also was held at the Ocean Club. Julius Boros defeated Arnold Palmer in a Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf made-for-television match in 1967 at Cotton Bay. And the PGA TOUR conducted the Bahamas Open for two years in Freeport, with Doug Sanders winning in 1970 at Kings Inn and Golf Club and Bob Goalby winning in 1971 at Lucayan Country Club. TOURNAMENT CONTACTS – The media contact for the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic is Dave Shedloski at [email protected]. His number is 242.698.7085. Nicklaus Parker is the lead LPGA media official during tournament week. His email is [email protected]. The media center phone number is 242.698.7084. The tournament office number is 242.677.6470. TOURNAMENT STAFF Jeff Raedle, President, Global Golf Management Matt Truax, Tournament Director Emily Norell, Tournament Manager Aaron Flickinger, Operations Director Victoria Bethell, Volunteer Coordinator Robbie Leming, General Manager, Ocean Club Jeff Hood, Course Superintendent, Ocean Club

2016 pure silk-bahamas lpga classic fact sheet

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