Aliso Viejo, CA March 23, 2016- The Symetra Tour, Road to the LPGA, kicked off the 2016 season February 19-21 with the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon. This was the first of 23 events spread across 14 states in a season that will culminate with the Symetra Tour Championship in Daytona Beach, FL October 13-16.
This is the first year that IOA has been the title sponsor for a California Tour event, but the fourth annual IOA Golf Classic in Longwood, FL will be contested the week of October 3-9 at Alaqua Country Club. “IOA is a partner we’re really excited about because their involvement and commitment to the Tour and women’s golf has grown year by year,” said LPGA Chief Business Officer Mike Nichols. “Based on what I’ve seen from the IOA event in Florida, I’m confident that our event in California will become a premier tournament on the schedule.”
The IOA Championship in Beaumont featured a field of 106 professionals and two amateurs from around the world vying for a total tournament purse of $100,000. Erynne Lee, winner of the season-opening IOA Championship, made an eagle on the par-5 16th and closing with 7-under 65 for a one-stroke victory. She earned $15,000 and moved into the top spot on the first Volvik Race for the Card money list. The top 10 on the final money list will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2017 season. Nelly Korda, the 17-year-old sister of four-time LPGA winner Jessica Korda, made her debut as a Symetra Tour member after announcing that she is turning professional during the IOA Championship.
“The IOA Championship was a great opportunity to partner with our insured, the LPGA,” said IOA Regional President John Tenuto. “We’ve seen first-hand the success of the IOA Golf Classic in the Orlando area and thought it was a no-brainer to put our name on a Symetra Tour event in Southern California as our brand continues to spread in this region.”
The Symetra Tour-Road to the LPGA is the official developmental tour of the LPGA and enters 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 awarded over the course of 23 tournaments- the most events in 27 years (1988). With more than 600 alumni moving onto 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
Insurance Office of America (IOA) is a full-service insurance agency founded in 1988 and is one of the fastest growing independent agencies in the U.S. IOA is currently named the thirteenth largest privately-held insurance agency in the U.S. by Insurance Journal and is the twenty-seventh largest American broker according to Business Insurance magazine. The IOA headquarters is located in Longwood, Florida, a contiguous community of greater Orlando. IOA has more than fifty brand offices across the United States and an international office in London, UK. With more than one thousand associates, IOA specializes in providing insurance solutions for many industries of business. We invite you to engage our people, discover the difference, grow your business and experience a service you will never want to leave. For more information about IOA call (800)-243-6899 or visit www.ioausa.com
