Three New Events Headline LPGA Tour’s 2018 Schedule

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LPGA Tour's 2018 Schedule

Fresh off one of its most exciting seasons in recent memory, the LPGA Tour released its schedule for 2018, which shows 34 events spread out over 11 months, and across 14 countries.

Along with the five majors, the season will be highlighted by three new events, including two on the west coast in the spring, and another in Shanghai as part of the fall’s Asian Swing.

The total purse of $68.75 million is a new LPGA Tour record.

“Perhaps the most important aspect of our schedule is the consistency — continuing to deliver strong playing opportunities both in North America and around the world, while growing overall purse levels every year,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “There is simply no better Tour opportunity in the world, when it comes to purses, global TV coverage or strength of field. It’s an exciting time in women’s golf, with the best players from every corner of the globe competing against each other in virtually every event.”

THREE NEW TOURNAMENTS

Following the season’s first major at the ANA Inspiration, the Tour will return to Oahu, Hawaii, for the LOTTE Championship on April 11-14. The Tour then moves to the greater Los Angeles area on April 19-22 for the inaugural HUGEL-JTBC Championship. The host club for the tournament will be announced in early 2018.

The following week, on April 26-29, the Tour heads north to the Bay Area and a return to Lake Merced Golf Club for a new event sponsored by Korean skincare company L&P Cosmetic. Lake Merced, located just outside San Francisco, hosted the Swinging Skirts LPGA Championship in 2014-16, but that sponsorship moved to the Tour’s event in Taipei in 2017. The official tournament name will be announced in early 2018.

“These two new events are perfect additions to our schedule,” said Whan. “We believe they will offer terrific playing opportunities in wonderful golf environments, and make it more enticing for our players by strengthening this West Coast swing. They create a great four-week stretch that starts in Hawaii and finishes in Texas with our always exciting Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic, which is now being played at a new venue, Old American Golf Club.”

The third new event will become the only event held on the mainland of China, and join the calendar on Oct. 18-21 as part of the LPGA’s Fall Asian Swing. Further details about this new tournament, including the title and course, will be announced in 2018. The Fall Asian Swing will open Sept. 27-30 in Kuala Lumpur for the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, before heading to the Republic of Korea for back-to-back weeks in Incheon at the UL International Crown and LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship.

The LPGA Tour expects to have more than 400 hours of domestic broadcast coverage on Golf Channel and network TV in 2018, with more than 450 hours available in 175 countries around the world. With domestic TV ratings that continue to climb annually, up 19% in 2017, the 2018 season is sure to continue to entertain and inspire golf fans around the globe.

2018 LPGA TOUR SCHEDULE

January 25-28
Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic
Paradise Island, Bahamas $1,400,000 (Brittany Lincicome)

February 15-18
ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open
Adelaide, Australia $1,300,000 (Ha Na Jang)

February 22-25
Honda LPGA Thailand
Chonburi, Thailand $1,600,000 (Amy Yang)

March 1-4
HSBC Women’s World Championship
Singapore $1,500,000 (Inbee Park)

March 15-18
Bank of Hope Founders Cup
Phoenix, Arizona $1,500,000 (Anna Nordqvist)

March 22-25
Kia Classic
Carlsbad, California $1,800,000 (Mirim Lee)

March 29-April 1
ANA Inspiration
Rancho Mirage, California $2,800,000 (So Yeon Ryu)

April 11-14
LOTTE Championship
Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii $2,000,000 (Cristie Kerr)

April 19-22
HUGEL-JTBC Championship
Greater Los Angeles, California $1,500,000 Inaugural Event

April 26-29
NAME TO BE ANNOUNCED
San Francisco, California $1,500,000 Inaugural Event

May 3-6
Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic
The Colony, Texas $1,300,000 (Haru Nomura)

May 17-20
Kingsmill Championship
Williamsburg, Virginia $1,300,000 (Lexi Thompson)

May 24-27
LPGA Volvik Championship
Ann Arbor, Michigan $1,300,000 (Shanshan Feng)

May 31-June 3
U.S. Women’s Open Championship conducted by the USGA
Shoal Creek, Alabama $5,000,000 (Sung Hyun Park)

June 8-10
ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer
Galloway, New Jersey $1,750,000 (In-Kyung Kim)

June 14-17
Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give
Grand Rapids, Michigan $2,000,000 (Brooke Henderson)

June 22-24
Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G
Rogers, Arkansas $2,000,000 (So Yeon Ryu)

June 28-July 1
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Kildeer, Illinois $3,650,000 (Danielle Kang)

July 5-8
Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic
Oneida, Wisconsin $2,000,000 (Katherine Kirk)

July 12-15
Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning & O-I
Sylvania, Ohio $1,600,000 (In-Kyung Kim)

July 26-29
Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open
East Lothian, Scotland $1,500,000 (Mi Hyang Lee)

August 2-5
Ricoh Women’s British Open
Lancashire, England $3,250,000 (In-Kyung Kim)

August 16-19
Indy Women in Tech Championship presented by Guggenheim
Indianapolis, Indiana $2,000,000 (Lexi Thompson)

August 23-26
CP Women’s Open
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada $2,250,000 (Sung Hyun Park)

August 30-September 2
Cambia Portland Classic
Portland, Oregon $1,300,000 (Stacy Lewis)

September 13-16
The Evian Championship
Evian-les-Bains, France $3,850,000 (Anna Nordqvist)

September 27-30
Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia $1,800,000 (Cristie Kerr)

October 4-7
UL International Crown
Incheon, Korea $1,600,000 ** (Team USA)

October 11-14
LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship
Incheon, Korea $2,000,000 (Jin Young Ko)

October 18-21
NAME TO BE ANNOUNCED
Shanghai, China $2,100,000 Inaugural Event

October 25-28
Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship
New Taipei City, Chinese Taipei $2,200,000 (Eun-Hee Ji)

November 2-4
TOTO Japan Classic
Shiga, Japan $1,500,000 (Shanshan Feng)

November 7-10
Blue Bay LPGA
Hainan Island, China $2,100,000 (Shanshan Feng)

November 15-18
CME Group Tour Championship
Naples, Florida $2,500,000 (Ariya Jutanugarn)

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