DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 17, 2020 – The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced today that Volvik, the golf ball manufacturer, has signed on to become the official 2020 title sponsor of the newly renamed Volvik Founders Cup. The 10th edition of the Volvik Founders Cup will be played in Phoenix, Ariz. on March 16-22, 2020, at the Wildfire Golf Club.
“We are proud to participate as the title sponsor of this event that honors the founders of the LPGA and does so much to grow the game we all love through the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program,” said Don Shin, President of Volvik USA. “Volvik plays a vital role in growing the game by offering high-quality, attractive golf balls for players of every skill level, and by bringing a wide array of colors and a unique matte finish into the golf ball market.”
With this announcement, Volvik continues a successful partnership with the LPGA Tour. Since 2011, Volvik has been an official marketing partner of the LPGA. The company was the title sponsor of the LPGA Volvik Championship between 2016 and 2018 at the Travis Point Country Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Currently, Volvik sponsors the Epson Tour’s Volvik Race for the Card, with the top-10 players on the Epson Tour Money List by the end of each season earning LPGA Tour Membership for the following year. The company also has eight LPGA Tour players on staff.
“Volvik has made a clear, and consistent commitment to our LPGA players, our LGPA events, and to the future of women’s golf worldwide,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “Our 13 Founders would be excited to know that companies like Volvik have not only raised the bar for women’s golf, but also support The Founders Cup – an event that pays as much ‘forward’ as it does to the current stars.”
The Volvik Founders Cup was created in 2011 to honor the 13 Founders of the LPGA, celebrate the talented players currently on Tour and invest in future generations through donations to the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf program. The new partnership continues this mission in an event that has raised more than $4 million for the Girls Golf program and boasts a list of champions that includes LPGA Hall of Fame members Karrie Webb and Inbee Park as well as current World No. 1 Jin Young Ko.
This year, a 144-player field will compete for the $1.5 million official purse. In 2019, Jin Young Ko jumpstarted her historic sophomore LPGA Tour season when she closed with bogey-free rounds on the final two days of the tournament to earn a one-stroke victory over Yu Liu, Carlota Ciganda and Jessica and Nelly Korda. It was Ko’s first of four wins on the year, including two major championships at the ANA Inspiration and The Evian Championship.
The ‘Founders’ Perch’ tradition, where LPGA Founders and legends of the game sit behind the 18th green to greet players as they finish rounds, will continue with founders Shirley Spork and Marlene Hagge, and the 2020 LPGA Pioneers. The tournament will also host their Women’s Leadership Forum for the second consecutive year. New for 2020, the event will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the LPGA and the event’s 10th anniversary with a Founders Museum that will feature official memorabilia from legends of the LPGA Tour. The 2020 Volvik Founders Cup will also debut the Founders Food Fest, featuring food samples and select beverages from a variety of local community vendors.
)
)
)
)
