FOUR WINDS INVITATIONAL PREVIEW

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The 10th stop on the 2019 “Road to the LPGA” takes the Symetra Tour to Blackthorn Golf Club in the Hoosier State for the eighth annual Four Winds Invitational from June 7-9.

“Everything about this tournament makes it feel like home,” said Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “From the Daddy-Daughter Pro-Am event early in the week and visiting patients within the Beacon Health System, to the opening ceremony conducted by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, the tournament staff has done an outstanding job of involving our players in the community and making them feel as connected as possible.”

Greeting the 144-player field in South Bend, Ind. is a total purse of $150,000. 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 $22,500.

In addition to the normal payout and new in 2019 is the Michelob Ultra Long Drive Challenge. It will take place at Blackthorn Topgolf Swing Suite on Wednesday evening of tournament week and give players the chance to compete for $1,750 in bonus money. First place earns $1,000, with $500 going to second place and the final $250 to third.

“We are very excited to host the Four Winds Invitational at Blackthorn Golf Club this year for the eighth time,” said Tim Firestone, the Owner and General Manager of Blackthorn Golf Club. “It has been an incredible experience for the club and local area. The countdown is on as we put together some final preparations to welcome the next wave of LPGA Tour superstars to northern Indiana.”

Defending champion Maia Schechter (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) is among the competitors and the win was the first of her Symetra Tour career. It helped propel the University of North Carolina alumna to finish at No. 26 in the final Volvik Race for the Card standings for 2018 and earn a spot in the inaugural LPGA Q-Series last October.

"I could not have picked a better place to claim my first Symetra Tour title than at the Four Winds Invitational in South Bend," Schechter said. "They truly make it an experience to remember for all the players and really welcome us with open arms. I cherish every moment as a professional golfer, but winning last year is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. It will be great to return and try to defend the crown."

First and second round action gets underway at 7:30 a.m. ET. Meanwhile, the final round will start at 9:00 a.m. with play beginning from No. 1 and No. 10 tees all three days.

ABOUT SYMETRA TOUR 

The Symetra Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 39th competitive season in 2019. With the support of its 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 $4.0 million in prize money awarded over the course of 24 events. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 437 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, Facebook.com/Road2LPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA, and YouTube.com/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.