ISPS Handa Heroes to be played Monday, Nov. 19 following CME Group Titleholders
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA, November 6, 2012 - The LPGA today announced the ISPS Handa Heroes, a nine-hole, made-for-TV charity event honoring golf philanthropist Dr. Haruhisa Handa, to be played on Monday, Nov. 19 at TwinEagles Golf Club in Naples, Fla., home of the 2012 CME Group Titleholders. The team scramble tournament will recognize Dr. Handa for his philanthropic commitment and dedication to women's golf around the world, while also furthering his goal of charity support through golf.
The nine-hole scramble will feature four teams of two consisting of one current LPGA star and one LPGA Legend. The star-studded group of eight players accounts for 148 LPGA Tour victories and 21 major championships. The tournament, which will air Wednesday, Nov. 21, from 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern on Golf Channel, will feature live interviews and sound throughout the competition.
"The ISPS Handa Heroes gives us the opportunity to showcase the stars who helped build the LPGA and the players who continue to carry the torch, while simultaneously honoring a man who has become a hero around the globe thanks to his generous philanthropy," said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan. "The LPGA's 13 Founders challenged us to leave the game better than we found it and through the ISPS Handa Heroes, I think we are making strides toward doing just that."
Each team has designated two primary charities of their choice and will be playing for a total of $80,000 in charitable donations. The winning duo will be awarded $50,000 for charity, while the remaining three teams will earn $10,000 each. Below are the pairings and their charities for the first-annual ISPS Handa Heroes:
• Brittany Lincicome/Jan Stephenson (The First Tee of St. Petersburg & Handa Foundation)
• Stacy Lewis/Betsy King (Scoliosis Research Society & Golf Fore Africa)
• Paula Creamer/Nancy Lopez (Paula Creamer Foundation & AIM for the Handicapped)
• Lexi Thompson/Pat Bradley (Wounded Warriors & Handa Foundation)
"I would like to thank the LPGA and everyone involved for creating such a unique platform from which to showcase these worthy causes," said ISPS Chairman, Dr. Haruhisa Handa. "As Chairman of ISPS, I am extremely humbled that this event will be played in my honor. ISPS has strived to harness the power of sport and provide opportunities through sport for those less fortunate around the world. We at ISPS strongly believe in the power of sport to inspire, to create hope and to transform society, and I would like to congratulate the LPGA and the players for their dedication to their charitable causes beyond golf."
Dr. Handa is a devoted golf supporter who has played a significant role in showcasing the women's game around the globe. ISPS, the organization that he founded in 2006 to support charitable causes throughout the sporting world, currently sponsors more than a dozen professional golf events worldwide, including The Handa Cup and the ISPS Handa Legends Tour Open Championship on the Legends Tour and the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open on the LPGA Tour, won in a six-way playoff earlier this season by Jessica Korda.
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