The LPGA Tour to Restart This July

LPGA Tour to restart this July with restrictions

The LPGA Tour to restart this July with a brand new event. The LPGA Tour’s last held event was in mid-February at the Women’s Australian Open. Since that time, several events were rescheduled, and some even scrapped, such as the Evian Championship, in lieu of the coronavirus pandemic.

LPGA Tour says ‘Drive On’ with new championship

Now that golf fans have collectively begun to rejoice due to the return of the sport, the LPGA Tour will kick-off next month as confirmed by officials on Wednesday. This will be the first event since COVID-19 has spread. Eve though the LPGA Tour to restart in July, it will resume with a fresh event, The LPGA Drive On Championship. This event will feature a whopping field of 144 players competing for a purse of $1million. It will be a 3-day event from July 31st to August 2nd, providing players the opportunity to compete and earn more points.

New event will be at Inverness Club in Ohio without fans

This was revealed in a statement made by the LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan “Thanks in part to the generosity of our partners who could not reschedule their events in 2020. We are adding a valuable additional playing opportunity for our LPGA Tour members.” The new event will hold at Inverness Club in Toledo.

Event will act as a testing stage for COVID-19 protocols

Even though the LPGA Tour is to restart this July, The LPGA Drive On Championship will be held without fans. Mike Whan also revealed that the main drive behind the new event is to provide an opportunity to test their COVID-19 protocols before allowing spectators at the Marathon LPGA Classic.

Mike Whan thanks Marathon and Dana for the partnership

“Thanks in part to the generosity of our partners who could not reschedule their events in 2020, we are adding a valuable additional playing opportunity for our LPGA tour members,” Whan explained.

“We are so appreciative of our longtime partners, Marathon and Dana, as well as the memberships at Highland Meadows and Inverness, for adjusting their schedules and helping us create a valuable two-week stretch in the Toledo area as we work to safely return to competition. This new event will allow us to test our COVID-19 protocols before we get to welcome back our fans at the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana.”

The Ohio Marathon Classic might have fans if the governor approves

The LPGA Drive On Championship, which will end on August 2nd, will then be followed by the Marathon LPGA Classic, which was presented by Dana earlier on July 23-26, but now rescheduled for August 6-9 at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio. The Marathon Classic had always been a well-attended event with averages of 2,500 and 5,000 fans coming to watch the game unfold each day. However this event, if approved by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, will allow fans on site with proper social distancing restrictions to keep patrons, staff, and players safe.

Both Ohio Marathon Classic events will be able to be viewed by fans on the Golf Channel.

Update on other LPGA Tour events that follows

Aug. 13-16: Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland

Aug. 20-23: AIG Women’s British Open, Royal Troon, Troon, Scotland

Aug. 28-30: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Pinnacle CC, Rogers, Ark.

Sept. 3-6: CP Women’s Open, Shaughnessy Golf and CC, Vancouver, British Columbia

Sept. 10-13: ANA Inspiration, Mission Hills CC, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Sept. 17-20: Cambia Portland Classic, Columbia Edgewater CC, Portland, Ore.

Sept. 24-27: Kia Classic, Aviara GC, Carlsbad, Calif.

Oct. 1-4: Meijer LPGA Classic, Blythefield CC, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Oct. 8-11: KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Aronimink GC, Newtown Square, Pa.

Oct. 15-18: Buick LPGA Shanghai, Qizhong Garden GC, Shanghai

Oct. 22-25: BMW Ladies Championship, LPGA International Busan, Busan, South Korea

Oct. 29-Nov.1: Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA, Miramar Golf and CC, New Taipei City, Taiwan

Nov. 6-8: Toto Japan Classic, Taiheyo Club (Minori Course), Ibaraki, Japan

Nov. 19-22: Pelican Women’s Championship, Pelican CC, Belleair, Fla.

Dec. 3-6: Volunteers of America Classic, Old American GC, The Colony, Texas

Dec. 10-13: U.S. Women’s Open, Champions GC, Houston, Ga.

Dec. 17-20: CME Group Tour Championship, Tiburon GC, Naples, Fla.

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