HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. (Sept. 9, 2020)— The Symetra Tour announced a new addition to the 2020 schedule today, as Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla., will host the inaugural Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship presented by Insurance Office of America (IOA) from Oct. 15-17.
“Working with Mission Inn and the Symetra Tour during these unique times to provide a new event has not only been exciting for the Club and Tour, but also for the IOA family,” said IOA Chairman and CEO Heath Ritenour. “Providing these talented young ladies with more opportunities to pursue their dreams is what allows the IOA values and brand to be even more relatable to our consumer, especially in a year full of challenges and uncertainty. We are thrilled to help make this tournament a reality.”
A full field of competitors will battle for a total purse of $125,000 on the El Campeón course. 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 $18,750.
“On behalf of our colleagues at Visit Lake and Mission Inn Resort & Club, we are thrilled to welcome the inaugural Mission Inn Championship presented by IOA to Lake County,” said Jason Siegel, President and CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “We look forward to working with our partners and the LPGA to deliver a tremendous event experience for the Symetra Tour players who are the future stars of women’s professional golf.”
Mission Inn Resort & Club has welcomed more than 20 NCAA Championships to its two courses, as well as numerous U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur qualifiers. The Mission Inn Championship presented by IOA will mark the first LPGA Tour family event contested on the George O’Neil-designed track, El Campeón, which celebrates 103 years of golf history. It is also the third tournament with ties to IOA on the 2020 “Road to the LPGA.” They serve as the title sponsor for the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Beaumont, Calif., from Aug. 21-23, and the IOA Classic presented by HomeValue.com in Longwood, Fla., from Sept. 25-27. A fourth event—the IOA Invitational at Atlanta National Golf Club in Milton, Ga.—was originally scheduled for May 7-9, but postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Lake County Florida community is proud and excited to host the 2020 Symetra Tour,” said Tim Sullivan, Lake County Commissioner. “We welcome the athletes, staff and officials to enjoy all that ‘Real Florida. Real Close.’ has to offer, in addition to the great competition.”
Included in the team of sponsors who are providing another opportunity for the “Road to the LPGA” members, Keiser University College of Golf joins as an Official Sponsor of the Mission Inn Championship presented by IOA.
Finally, the Pro-Am event will take place at Mission Inn Resort & Club on Wednesday, Oct. 14. For more information including volunteer opportunities contact John Konicek at johnksymetratour@gmail.com and sponsorship opportunities contact Marci Doyle at marcidoyle5@gmail.com.
ABOUT THE SYMETRA TOUR
The Symetra Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 40th competitive season in 2020. With the support of entitlement 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 $1.7 million in prize money to a record $4.0 million in prize money awarded in 2019. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 445 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, as well as Facebook.com/Road2LPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA and Instagram @road2lpga.
ABOUT SYMETRA
Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions and independent agents and advisors. Symetra began its partnership with the Road to the LPGA in 2010 as the title sponsor of the Symetra Classic. It secured naming rights for the Symetra Tour in November 2011. In addition to its title sponsorship of the Tour, which runs through 2021, Symetra sponsors two events on the tournament schedule—the Symetra Classic and the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship. For more information about Symetra, visit www.symetra.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Ali Palma, Tour Media Official
alison.palma@lpga.com, (386) 451-7485
