YOUNG FEMALE GOLFERS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA INVITED TO EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME AT LPGA’S FIRST MAJOR OF 2016 – ANA INSPIRATION
Title sponsor ANA, Japan’s global leading airline, expands junior tournament to help young players take-off on their inspirational journey in golf
RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA, 24th February 2016 – The ANA Inspiration, the LPGA’s most iconic major championship, today announced that its traditional junior tournament will spread its wings and take flight in 2016. Organizers have revealed exciting planning to expand invitations to selected elite female junior golfers across North America thanks to the support of title sponsor ANA, Japan’s global leading airline.
Historically the tournament, which is run in partnership with the Southern California Golf Association, had offered female junior golfers from Southern California the opportunity of a lifetime. Since 2012, leading local juniors were given the chance to be paired with a LPGA legend for an inspirational round of golf on the eve of the championship while competing for the coveted prize of a starting place in golf’s first major of the season.
Now in an unprecedented development for world golf at major championship level across both the men’s and ladies’ game, this latest initiative led by title sponsor ANA will see golf’s next generation of rising young players invited to go earn a spot to go on their own ‘inspirational journey’ at the ANA Inspiration March 31- April 3, 2016.
The new expansion of the junior tournament, to be known as the ‘ANA Junior Inspiration,’ will see leading players from each of ANA’s North American gateway cities specially selected to travel, compete and enjoy an inspirational week at the LPGA’s spiritual home of Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.
Speaking on the introduction of the new and expanded ANA Junior Inspiration tournament, Mr. Hideki Kunugi, Senior Vice President of the Americas, ANA said: “When ANA first decided to partner the LPGA as title sponsor of the ANA Inspiration and become the Official Airline of the LPGA, it was opportunities like this that really stood out. We wanted the opportunity to nurture and inspire the future of golf especially in North America, our key market, and now we have it. The ANA Junior Inspiration is completely unprecedented in the game of golf. Nowhere else can high-school students share precious moments with their idols and be mentored by both LPGA hall of fame legends and past champions of tournament while trying to win the chance to tee off in the opening round with the greatest players on the planet.
“ANA is an organization that holds dear the value of tradition. So we are extremely proud to be associated with this incredible opportunity and feel privileged to help expand upon the strong foundations developed by the tournament and its partners, including the SCGA. As a business that literally connects people and their ambitions through inspired journeys there could be no better example of why ANA is involved in this wonderful game than this specific initiative. Especially in this our 30th year of connecting North America with Japan and Asia. We are so excited by the future and we hope we can give even more juniors across North America the chance be inspired as their golfing careers take-off.”
Players will now be invited from far and wide across North America to the iconic ‘desert’ venue from Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., Houston and Honolulu to compete over eighteen holes on Monday, March 28th on the renowned Arnold Palmer course at Mission Hills Country Club. Each invited player and city represents and celebrates an ANA North American gateway city that offers a convenient connection between North America, Japan and Asia with ANA.
The exciting junior expansion announcement is just one of a number of inspiring new initiatives to be introduced by ANA in 2016, as part of the airline’s 30th Anniversary celebrations of flying between Japan and North America. More significant announcements are planned in coming weeks including details of the lucky recipients to be awarded an invite to take part in the ANA Junior Inspiration and the truly unique opportunity to secure a spot in the first major of the year.
Tournament Director Gabe Codding added: “This tournament has inspired all of golf and the next generation of female golfers for five decades. Just think of the names and legends to have leaped into Poppie’s Pond. But over the last five years we’ve made a concerted effort to really make an impact on the lives of junior players locally. To see that spirit and opportunity not only supported by ANA and SCGA, but built upon and opened up to so many more cities and golfers across North America, is very special. I have no doubt this is exactly what Dinah Shore and all connected with this historic event would have hoped to see. Golf has a very bright future when you have committed partners like ANA and see initiatives like the ANA Junior Inspiration flourish.
“Already in just five years this local opportunity has had a massive impact and we are eager to see the influence it will have across the country. You only have to look at the progress of Alison Lee, a player who could potentially go on and represent the U.S. Olympic Team at Rio 2016. Alison won our junior event in 2012 and four years later she now enters one of the biggest years for golf at the forefront of the game. Clearly Alison was inspired and now even more players can follow in her footsteps.”
Welcoming the news Alison Lee, world number 21, said: “I remember it like yesterday and winning the junior challenge still ranks as one of my most memorable weeks and achievements. As a young player you dream of playing in a major and now ANA is making those dreams come true for even more players throughout the country. It’s something new for players to strive for. Just to be part of the week and meet former champions is awesome so whoever gets invited will definitely be inspired. But for the player lucky enough to win it will mean the world. I know what it did for me. I took a lot of belief and confidence from the experience and I’ll never be able to thank those who made it happen enough. Good luck to all involved in 2016, I’ll see you there!”
The juniors participating in the ANA Junior Inspiration have been invited based on an exemption list, which includes all eligible past champions. The remaining spots will be chosen by an ANA Inspiration selection committee along with representatives in golf associations like the SCGA connected with ANA Gateway cities. Last year, at only sixteen years old, Haley Moore of Escondido fired a 2-under par 70 to win the Junior Challenge after a one-hole playoff. She ended up making the cut in the LPGA Major and finishing T67.
For a remarkable 45th straight year the best female golfers will return to Mission Hills Country Club to do battle over four days on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course in the golf’s first major of the season, all dreaming of taking a leap into the history books and the legendary Poppie’s Pond. Played March 31- April 3, 2016, the ANA Inspiration will feature a stellar line-up including Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lydia Ko and defending champion Brittany Lincicome, who triumphed with a dramatic play-off win over Stacy Lewis to claim the famous trophy and all-new champions robe designed and created with Japanese Imabari Towel.
In November 2014, ANA, Japan’s leading airline, announced its partnership with the LPGA to become the title sponsor of the first major of the LPGA season as well as becoming the Official Airline of the LPGA. The theme of inspiration has served as the platform for this tournament and ANA is looking forward to reaching a global audience with the ANA Inspiration while maintaining the long-standing traditions of the championship.
For more information about the ANA Inspiration, visit www.anainspiration.com.
Stay in touch on social media, go to https://www.facebook.com/ANAinspiration, www.twitter.com/ANAinspiration or @ANAinspiration on Instagram
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