Manulife Financial LPGA Classic
Posted Jun 28, 2011 09:40:03 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The LPGA and Sports Properties International has announced that Manulife Financial has signed a three-year agreement to title sponsor a new LPGA event starting in 2012 at Grey Silo Golf Course in Waterloo.
The tournament will feature a standard eligibility field of 144 players, 72 holes of stroke play and a purse of $1.3 Million.
At a news conference at the Waterloo Inn, CEO of Sports Properties International Hugh Morrow said he could not be more excited, “this community has a very strong history of supporting local, regional, national and international events. Making our decision to focus on the Waterloo Region very easy”.
Chief Marketing Officer of the LPGA Jon Podany told the conference that a tournament like this will require a lot of volunteer support, “in fact over a thousand.. twelve-hundredish volunteers. That’s really what allows a tournament to be able to leave money behind for charity instead of having to pay all those people to run a tournament” Podany thanks Manulife for their commitment of three years and that hopefully the partnership continues for “many years to come”.
Senior Vice President of Distribution for the Canadian Division of Manulife Financial Brian Gooding tells the conference that Manulife strongly believes in Waterloo Region, “and we care deeply about helping it succeed in both the national and international stage. The economic, social and charitable benefits of this tournament will have a real and positive impact with the people in this region”. Gooding adds that “the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic is an excellent opportunity to showcase to the world what many of us know in this room, and that is that Waterloo Region is a great community in which to work and to live”.
Kitchener-Waterloo Member of Parliament, Peter Braid welcomed the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic to the region, “this tournament represents another step in the evolution of Kitchener-Waterloo truly becoming a world class community. This tournament will attract some of the best golfers in the world, will have a tremendously positive impact on our local economy, promote volunteerism and will help to inspire young people here and across the country to pursuit the sport”.
With an option for a fourth and fifth year, the inaugural Manulife Financial LPGA Classic will run next June from the 18th through the 24th.
570’s Mike McCulloch attended the news conference and you can check out video of the event below.
