Issue link: https://digital.insidegolfmedia.com/i/1190372
PRO TOURS The Player's Club Insider // Winter 2019 I f you love the game of golf and watching future stars on professional tours hone their skills, then you're bound to be en- thralled by what's happen- ing on the Symetra Tour. The developmental circuit for the LPGA, the Symetra Tour hosted 23 tournaments in 15 states across the coun- try in 2019 and has for nearly four decades not only pro- vided a path to the LPGA for young female golfers, but has also produced many of the LPGA's well-known stars. So whether you play most of your golf at Moun- tain Meadows in Pomona, California, or Lely Resort and Country Club in Naples, Florida – or any American Golf-managed property in between – you're never more than a few hours drive from being able to watch the game's top up-and-coming players in person. "The growth of the Symetra Tour since 2013 has been impressive," said Tim Kramer, the LPGA's Senior Director of Tournament Busi- ness Affairs. "The 2013 schedule featured less than 15 events with total purses of $1.5 million, and the 2019 schedule featured 23 events and $4 million in purses. Many of our graduates dur- ing that span have gone on to make immediate impacts on the LPGA Tour." Each year, the Symetra Tour awards the top 10 fin- ishers on its season-long money list with full member- ship on the LPGA the follow- ing season. And the players who graduate to the big stage are clearly making the most of their opportunities. Through 2018, Symetra Tour alumnae owned a total of 428 LPGA victories. Ten major championships have been won by tour graduates since 2013, and the first Olympic gold medal in women's golf went to Inbee Park in 2016 – 10 years after she used the Symetra Tour to earn her LPGA card. Among the individual suc- cess stories are Nelly Korda, who earned her card in 2017 and by the end of the 2019 season was ranked third in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings. Mo Martin has a major championship on her resume as well as 12 top- 10 finishes since advancing through the Symetra Tour in 2011. And there are countless other examples of players who have used the tour as a career catalyst. For golf fans who want to support the Symetra Tour, the experience of attending an event is unlike anything else. "We do not rope and stake the golf courses, so fans can interact with players from greens to tees, and our players really enjoy that opportunity to engage with fans, especially the kids who come out and watch," Kramer said. FUTURE STARS Symetra Tour offers opportunities for up-and-coming women golfers PROvING GROUND The Symetra Tour presents players a path to the LPGA. > CLICk HERE to learn more. FURTHER READING…