SYMETRA TOUR “ROAD TO LPGA” RETURNS TO THE BATTLE CREEK COUNTRY CLUB IN FIREKEEPERS CASINO HOTEL CHAMPIONSHIP
(Battle Creek, Mich.) July 22, 2021 – The future stars of women’s golf will battle it out for a $175,000 purse in the 8th Annual FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship; held Friday, Aug. 6, through Sunday, Aug. 8, at Battle Creek Country Club. FireKeepers Casino Hotel, owned and operated by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi (NHBP), presents the event in partnership with the Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA.
Greeting the 144-player field in Battle Creek is a total purse of $175,000. Individuals are set to compete in a 54-hole stroke play format with a cut to the low 60 players and ties after 36 holes. The winner’s share for the event is $26,250. The FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship also marks the second of three events in this year’s Potawatomi Cup series. As well as the normal purse payout for each event, players receive “Potawatomi Points” with $20,000 in bonus money to be distributed at the conclusion of the Four Winds Invitational at South Bend Country Club in South Bend, Ind., from Aug. 13 - 15. The top five players in the point’s standings receive a sum from the prize pool including $10,000 to the Potawatomi Cup winner and $5,000 to the runner-up.
This year’s sponsor exemptions will be Gabrielle and Sarah Shipley, sisters from Hastings, Mich. Gabrielle finished 4th in the 2020 tournament, her best finish in a Symetra Tour event.
“Last year FireKeepers Casino Hotel stepped in tremendously as the first tournament host following the break due to COVID-19. Their team worked hard to ensure we could resume tournament golf while maintaining the safety of our staff and players. We could not be more excited to return for this season not only for the Championship, but also the second leg of the 2021 Potawatomi Cup.” stated Mike Nichols. Chief Business Officer. Symetra Tour - Road to the LPGA.
The Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA is the most established development tour in the world. Every year, the top 10 Symetra Tour players earn automatic membership to play on the LPGA Tour. The mission of the tour is to develop the skills and dreams of women professional golfers. Defending, Champion Ruixin Liu (People’s Republic of China), already has two victories under her belt this season on the Symetra Tour and currently sits atop the Official Money List.
This year, FireKeepers Casino Hotel will donate all proceeds earned from the event to the South Michigan Food Bank. The food bank works tirelessly to provide hunger relief, nutrition education, and hope to those in need in South Michigan.
“We are so excited to once again host the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship this summer. Bringing a top caliber golf event to the Battle Creek Country Club provides a great opportunity for our community to support these young golfers while bringing visitors from around the world to the Battle Creek area,” stated Kathy George, Tournament Director and FireKeepers Casino Hotel CEO.
FireKeepers Casino Hotel, the Battle Creek Country Club, and the Symetra Tour will provide a variety of partnership options for regional companies or individuals to support the tournament. In addition to the sponsorship packages available, there are two days of pro-am golf tournaments where sponsors can interact and play with professional golfers.
Volunteers are an essential part of the success of this tournament, with a need for approximately 200 volunteers during match play, as well as host families to house approximately 75 players. All are encouraged to join in on the opportunity. To learn more about these opportunities, visit firekeeperscasino.com/things-to-do/fkchc.
The week leading up to the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship also encompasses several community outreach programs including Outside the Ropes and a Kids Clinic. Outside the Ropes sends professional golfers around Battle Creek to give back to the community. In previous years, players have spent time at the Humane Society, the Women’s Co-op, The Haven of Rest, and the South Michigan Food Bank. The Kids Clinic is an opportunity for children from the Battle Creek area, to enjoy a day of fun, learning with the professional golfers and The First Tee of Battle Creek.
The Battle Creek Country Club, designed by Willie Park Jr., opened in 1919 and is located at 318 Country Club Dr. in Battle Creek, Michigan. This private members only course features 6,744 yards of golf and a beautiful club house overlooking Goguac Lake.
The LPGA stars of tomorrow are exemplary role models with more than 600 alumnae moving on to earn LPGA membership. To learn more about the Symetra Tour, please visit www.symetratour.com or contact Ali Palma alison.palma@lpga.com.
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FireKeepers Casino Hotel, located just off Interstate 94 at Exit 104 in Battle Creek, MI, has been named Best Casino by audiences in Western Michigan and Northern Indiana, plus earned multiple awards in the Casino Player Magazine Best of Gaming 2019 Native Midwest category, including Best Casino. FireKeepers was recognized as 2019 Employer of the Year by Michigan Works! Association and was also selected as one of the Best Casinos to Work For by Casino Player Magazine. FireKeepers' signature restaurant, Nibi, is a multiple recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. The property features 2,900 slot machines, 70 table games, a live poker room, and bingo room. FireKeepers offers a AAA-rated Four Diamond resort-style hotel with 243 rooms, a functional multi-purpose event center, six distinctive dining destinations, and multiple lounges. Driven by high demand, construction on a second hotel tower is underway and expected to be complete in early 2021. FireKeepers is the title sponsor of the FireKeepers Casino 400, a NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, and a host of the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship a Symetra Tour-Road to the LPGA golf event. For more information, visit www.firekeeperscasino.com.
FireKeepers Casino Hotel is owned and operated by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi.
