The Brickyard Crossing Golf Course will host the Indy Women in Tech Championship presented by Guggenheim
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., September 27, 2016 – The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced today that it will host a new tournament, the Indy Women in Tech (IWIT) Championship presented by Guggenheim, in Indianapolis next September. With Guggenheim Life as the title sponsor, the tournament will feature a full field of 144 players competing for a $2 million purse. The event will be held September 7-10, 2017 at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course, a Pete Dye-designed course that weaves through the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“While the LPGA continues to expand its global reach, we are proud to bring professional female golfers from around the world to the great city of Indianapolis,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “The IWIT Championship adds momentum to our growing presence in the Midwest and it is great to be back in Indiana. The unique layout of Brickyard Crossing will give our players and fans a new experience while showcasing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues, to our global audience.”
The announcement was made at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by Whan, IMS President Doug Boles, CEO of Guggenheim Life Dan Towriss, and former Mayor of Indianapolis Greg Ballard. With support from Guggenheim Life, the IWIT aims to advance opportunities for women in the fast-growing field of science and technology (STEM), including robotics, as well as assist women looking to re-enter the workforce.
“With our growing presence and connection to the city of Indianapolis, we continue to be committed to the important cause of women in tech but also giving back to the community we live and work in,” said Towriss.
LPGA players Morgan Pressel, Gerina Piller, Paula Creamer, and Indianapolis-native Danah Bordner were also onsite to support the event. Players spent the day discussing the empowering potential of technology with students from Speedway Junior High, highlighting the Speedway community at a local auto parts manufacturer, and cruising down the streets of Indianapolis in carpool karaoke to promote the new tournament.
The LPGA hosted the 500 Ladies Classic at the same venue in 1968 before the course was remodeled in 1991 and
given its current name. The redesigned course places holes 7 through 10 inside the Speedway track, which is host to the two largest single-day sporting events in the world – the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. The last LPGA stroke-play tournament held in Indianapolis was the Mayflower Classic in 1988, although events have been held in state of Indiana since that time -- most recently the 2005 Solheim Cup at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel.
The return to Indianapolis demonstrates the LPGA’s commitment to the Midwest region. Since 2014, the Tour has added six new North American events, four of which are based in the Midwest.
Octagon will oversee operations for the IWIT Championship. Tickets will go on sale starting November 14, 2016 at www.IWITChamp.com.
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