PGA VP Suzy Whaley To Play In Senior LPGA Championship at French Lick

PGA of America Vice President Suzy Whaley to Participate in Senior LPGA Championship

1st Ever Senior LPGA Championship to be held at French Lick Resort July 7-12

FRENCH LICK, IN (July 5, 2017) – The first woman ever elected to serve as an Officer of the PGA of America, PGA Vice President Suzy Whaley, has received a sponsor exemption to participate in the upcoming Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank.

Whaley will join the 81-player field, which includes five World Golf Hall of Fame members – Laura Davies, Patty Sheehan, Hollis Stacy, Betsy King and Pat Bradley – along with an additional 19 LPGA Tour major champions.

“It is an honor and privilege to receive an exemption into the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship,” said Whaley. “This Championship celebrates many legends of the game and the contributions that they have made to the future of women’s golf worldwide. It is with great pride that I represent PGA Members in what is anticipated to be a Championship that will build in the coming years.”

Whaley served as a member of the PGA Board of Directors from 2011-2013 before serving two years as PGA Secretary. She then became the Association’s Vice President in 2016.

Prior to joining the PGA board, Whaley worked as one of the country’s top instructors learning under teaching legend Jim Flick, and was the Head Golf Professional at Blue Fox Run in Avon, Connecticut, in 2002. From 2004-06, she also worked as an LPGA golf commentator for ESPN.

In 2003, Whaley made history at the Greater Hartford Open, becoming the first woman since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to qualify for a PGA Tour event. This occurred after Whaley became the first PGA of America woman professional to win the Connecticut PGA Section Championship.

In addition to Whaley, French Lick Resort has also extended a sponsor exemption to Lisa DePaulo, the winner of the 2007 Teaching and Club Professional Championship. Following 12 trips through Q school before playing on the LPGA Tour, Depaulo found her calling in sales by starting her own company, Tournament Treasures, which has served the golf industry as well as former President George W. Bush, with specialty golf items and event gifts.

The first major for former LPGA stars will take place next week on the Pete Dye Course at the French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana from Monday, July 10 through Wednesday, July 12. The total purse is $600,000 and all three rounds will be televised on Golf Channel. Proceeds from the Senior LPGA Championship will directly benefit the kids at Riley Hospital for Children through the Riley Children’s Foundation.

For more information about the Senior LPGA Championship, visit https://www.frenchlick.com/golf/events/seniorlpga/home.

For media credentials and covering the event, visit http://lpgamediacredentials.com

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ABOUT THE LPGA

The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and head- quartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing 30 different countries. With a Vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while dedicated LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management. The Symetra Tour consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via: www.LPGA. com, www.facebook.com/lpga.official, www.twitter.com/lpga, and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo.

ABOUT FRENCH LICK RESORT

French Lick Resort is a $560 million historic restoration and casino development project that includes the West Baden Springs Hotel, French Lick Springs Hotel and the French Lick Casino. This premier resort and casino destination in Southern Indiana features 686 guest rooms and suites; a 51,000-square-foot, single-level casino; 45 holes of golf, including the fully restored 1917-designed Donald Ross Course at French Lick and the 18-hole Pete Dye Course at French Lick; two full-service spas with a combined 36 treatment rooms totaling 42,000 square feet; meeting and event space totaling 163,000 square feet and an array of dining and entertainment options.

ABOUT THE SYMETRA TOUR

The Symetra Tour — Road to the LPGA is the official developmental tour of the LPGA and concluded its 36th competitive season in 2016. With the support of its umbrella partner, Symetra, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best young women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Since Symetra’s inaugural sponsorship year in 2012, the Symetra Tour has grown from 16 tournaments and $1.7M in prize money to $3.5M in prize money awarded over the course of 23 tournaments — the most events since 1988. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 418 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, Facebook.com/RoadtotheLPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA, and YouTube.com/Road2LPGA.

via Kevin Frisch