Native American Gabby Lemieux to Compete with the World’s Best
ONEIDA, WISCONSIN, June 12, 2019 – Native American Gabby Lemieux, former U.S Women’s Amateur champion Sophia Schubert and 14-year-old sensation Alexa Pano complete sponsor invitations for the third edition of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic from July 4 – 7, 2019.
Gabby Lemieux, a member of the Shoshone-Paiute tribe, returns to Thornberry Creek at Oneida, the official golf course of the Green Bay Packers, just one year from her professional debut. Lemieux, who graduated from Texas Tech in 2018, has played the majority of the season on the LPGA Epson Tour and is the only Native American in the 144 player field.
Joining her in field competing for a $2 million purse, which includes past champions, Sei Young Kim and Katherine Kirk as well as Rolex Ranking No. 3 Sung Hyun Park and Hall of Famer, Inbee Park is Sophia Schubert and Alexa Pano.
Schubert, a 23-year-old from Tennessee, shot to prominence in 2017 with victory in the U.S Women’s Amateur before turning professional and making her LPGA debut last summer. Schubert currently competes on the LPGA Epson Tour but has competed in three of the five LPGA majors.
Completing the trio of invitations is 14-year-old amateur star, Alexa Pano, who despite her age, already boasts a notable golfing CV including no less than 67 national titles and most recently, an appearance in the U.S Women’s Open. Pano, who made her professional debut aged 11 was recognized as the seven-year-old girl from the well-known golfing documentary ‘The Short Game’, but is now more often compared to a young Lexi Thompson. Similarly, to Lemieux, Pano also participated in the 2018 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.
Commenting on her return, Gabby Lemieux, said, “I’m so grateful to Oneida for the invite to play at Thornberry Creek again this year and I’m determined to learn from my experience last season and come back stronger. As the only Native American in the field I definitely felt the support of the tribe out on the course and I can’t wait to be back.”
Alexa Pano added, “I can’t wait to get back to Thornberry Creek and hopefully make a few more birdies this year. The scoring last year was unbelievable and it is still a real learning curve for me to see how the professionals go about their business on the LPGA. I’m thankful to all of the tournament organizers for the opportunity to compete against some of the best players in the world and I hope to realize my dream one day of competing against them full-time.”
Oneida Golf Enterprise Agent Chad Fuss said, “We are thrilled to offer invitations to these three rising stars and provide them with a platform to showcase their talent to the world. They all have extremely bright futures and we are looking forward to giving the fans a chance to cheer on some young talent. Gabby is the only Native American tribe member with LPGA Epson Tour status at the moment but I’m sure she will help to inspire the next generation of golfers to get to this level.”
Check out the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic social channels:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thornberrycreeklpga
Twitter: @thornberrylpga
Instagram: @thornberrycreeklpga
Ticket Information
A range of ticket options are now on-sale by visiting the tournament website. Children 17 years old and under receive free admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. New for 2019 – The Clubhouse facility will be open to the public. All ticketholders will have access into the Thornberry Creek at Oneida Clubhouse.
- Single Day Grounds & Clubhouse Tickets $25
- Weekly Grounds & Clubhouse Tickets $65
Additionally, tickets to our premier hospitality venue, the Sky Woman Suites, are on-sale starting at $200.
Active duty, retired, reserve military and veterans as well as Tribal Members of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin will receive complimentary grounds access.
Oneida Tribal members will also have access to the Oneida Pavilion, which is located close to the 18th green while Oneida elders will also benefit from a special viewing area.
Tickets and additional information is available by visiting www.ThornberryCreekLPGAClassic.com.
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