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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas – Tournament officials of the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic announced today a three-year sponsorship extension that will keep the tournament at the Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis, Paradise Island resort through 2018.
Pure Silk and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism together signed a three-year contract, which includes a purse increase of $100,000 to $1.4 million, and establishes the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic as the season-opening event on the LPGA schedule; a position it occupied in 2014. The 2016 tournament is scheduled for January 25-31.
"We cannot thank our partners at Pure Silk and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism enough for their loyal support,” said Jeff Raedle, president of Global Golf Management, the organization that manages the tournament. “Their generous commitments provide a solid foundation for the tournament moving forward. We feel that cementing the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic as the lead-in event on the LPGA calendar is pure magic.”
“We’re so pleased to extend our sponsorship of this world-class event,” said John Price, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Perio, Inc., parent company of Pure Silk. “The idyllic location, combined with competition featuring the best golfers in the world, continues to make the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic one of the best events on the Tour.”
“We are very excited to be partnering with Pure Silk to host the already popular Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic for another three years,” the Honorable Minister of Tourism, Obie H. Wilchcombe said. “Sports are intrinsic to the Bahamian culture, and we have a particularly close relationship to golf, and are fast tracking our golf product to be the best in the region. Hosting this wonderful tournament for the LPGA allows us to both support a beloved sport as well as share our courses with golf enthusiasts around the world. We truly look forward to further strengthening the popularity of this wonderful competition and cannot wait to watch the tournament in 2016.”
“Pure Silk and Bahamas Tourism have been wonderful partners to the LPGA and we’re thrilled to extend our relationship for the next three years,” said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan.
“The tournament is not only a first-class golf event, but also a premiere travel destination on the LPGA schedule. Our players will be overjoyed to open the season in paradise.”
Renewing the contract for three years was an easy decision given the popularity of the tournament, Wilchcombe said. More than 40 credentialed media attended, providing Global In-Telecast Media Equivalency value of more than $4.1 million to Pure Silk and $4.6 million to The Bahamas. Nearly 1,100 media placements were seen across 41 countries, with 411,827 unique users visiting the LPGA.com website and App and generating 6,237,004 page views.
The Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic has produced three exciting finishes since being added to the LPGA schedule, and has quickly become a popular event among LPGA golfers.
Earlier this year in the third edition of the tournament, 22-year-old LPGA rookie Sei Young Kim of South Korea became a Rolex first-time winner when she sank a 4-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to defeat Sun Young Yoo and Ariya Jutanugarn. The event drew seven of the top 10 professional golfers in the Rolex World Rankings and 28 of the top 30 on the 2014 LPGA Money List.
In 2014, Jessica Korda recorded her second career LPGA victory, firing a final-round 7-under 66 that included a birdie on the final hole to edge Stacy Lewis by one stroke. Korda completed 72 holes in 19-under 273. The 2013 edition was shortened to 36 holes due to inclement weather. Ilhee Lee of South Korea won her first LPGA title.
The official name of the tournament is the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. For more information, visit online at www.PureSilkBahamasClassic.com, www.facebook.com/PureSilkLPGAClassic or follow the tournament on Twitter via www.twitter.com/PureSilkLPGA.
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