Amateurs Bailey Shoemaker, Michelle Zhang and Avery Zweig to Compete as Sponsor Exemptions

Tickets on Sale at www.AscendantLPGA.com

THE COLONY, Texas, Aug. 17, 2022 – World No. 1 and defending champion Jin Young Ko, fellow Texas residents and past champions Cheyenne Knight and Angela Stanford and major champions Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson headline a stacked field of early commitments for the 2022 Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America, tournament officials announced today.

Texas’ annual signature LPGA Tour event, the Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America will feature a field of 132 players competing for a share of the newly expanded $1.7 million purse, taking place at Golf Clubs at The Tribute and playing at Old American Golf Club.

Seven of the top-10 players in the world are early entries into the tournament, including Ko (1), Nelly Korda (3), Lydia Ko (4), Henderson (5), Atthaya Thitikul (6), Nasa Hataoka (9), and In Gee Chun (10). A number of local Texans also are entered into the tournament, headlined by its past three champions: Ko (2021), Stanford (2020) and Knight (2019).

“We are honored to attract the best players in the game to Golf Clubs at The Tribute and Old American Golf Club for the 2022 Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America,” said Tournament Director Emily Podzielinski. “The field this year will be one of the strongest in our tournament’s 10-year history, and we are excited to continue the momentum following the recent announcements of our new co-title sponsor and our increased tournament purse.”

Players have until Wednesday, Sept. 21 to commit to the 2022 Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America. For a complete list of tournament entries, click HERE.

Three sponsor exemptions previously announced by tournament officials include:

Bailey Shoemaker. High school senior from Dade City, Fla., University of Southern California commit and back-to-back champion at the Kathy Whitworth Invitational Junior Girls Golf Championship.
Yunxuan (Michelle) Zhang. Freshman at Southern Methodist University hailing from Plano, Texas. Wire-to-wire winner at the 2022 Volunteers of America Classic Girls Championship in July. Three-time Rolex Junior All-American.
Avery Zweig. High school sophomore from McKinney, Texas. 2021 Volunteers of America Classic Girls Championship winner. Finished T2 in 2022.

Earlier today, the LPGA Tour and Outlyr announced Ascendant National Title, a Cypress Ascendant Company, is teaming up with Volunteers of America in a new multi-year partnership to serve as co-title sponsors beginning in 2022. The announcement also included an overall purse increase for the 2022 event to $1.7 million, a $200,000 increase from the previous $1.5 million.

Tickets are now on sale for The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America exclusively at www.AscendantLPGA.com. Ticket packages include exclusive hospitality and general admissions tickets offering a wide degree of entertainment and access. New for 2022 is the Casamigos Club exclusive hospitality viewing patio near the 17th green at Old American Golf Club, where fans will be able to enjoy complimentary snacks and specialty cocktails featuring Casamigos, the Official Tequila of The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America. All tickets will be digital and will be emailed after purchase. Tickets can be viewed on either a mobile device or printed out where they will be scanned at the main gate.

2022 Ticket Options: There are three ticket options for fans interested in attending The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America:

Good-Any-One-Day Grounds:
- $20. General admission daily grounds. Valid any one day, Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 29-Oct. 2.

Weekly Grounds:
- $45. General admission weekly grounds. Valid all days Thursday-Sunday.

Casamigos Club:
- New for 2022, Casamigos Club offers VIP access to complimentary, upgraded snacks and specialty cocktails featuring Casamigos Tequila at an exclusive hospitality viewing deck located near the 17th green.
- Daily Casamigos Club: $125. Valid for one day, Thursday-Sunday.
- Weekly Casamigos Club: $400. Valid all four days, Thursday-Sunday.

All military (active, reserve, retired and veterans) and first responders will receive complimentary admission by showing proper identification at Admissions in exchange for a daily grounds pass. Children 17-and-under will be admitted free with a ticketed adult.

For more information on The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America, please visit www.AscendantLPGA.com and follow the tournament’s social handles @AscendantLPGA on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Jin Young Ko; Seven of the World’s Top-10 Players Headline Early Commitments to the 2022 Ascendant LPGA Benefiting VOA

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