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Symetra Tour to offer exemptions to AJGA champions

Top female junior golfers will again test their skills at the next level
Symetra Tour Release - Website.png

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For a fourth consecutive year, the Symetra Tour and American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) will partner together to provide select AJGA Invitational champions with exemptions into Symetra Tour events.

Winners of the 2020 ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex, Buick Shanshan Feng Girls Invitational and KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational will qualify for a specific Symetra Tour exemption.

“As we continue to grow the game of women’s golf, our working relationship with the AJGA gives more young women an opportunity to chase their dreams,” said Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer for the Symetra Tour. “Several AJGA qualifiers across the last few seasons have found success in their respective Symetra Tour event. We look forward to having three elite amateurs compete against their preceding generation of fellow future LPGA Tour stars.”

From Jan. 17-20, the ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex will be contested on the Slammer & Squire Course at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla. The winner will earn the opportunity to test her skills at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic at Country Club of Winter Haven, hosted Mar. 6-8 in Winter Haven, Florida.

“We’re excited to once again offer a Symetra Tour exemption to the winner of the ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex,” said World Golf Hall of Famer and tournament host Annika. “It’s yet another element of our tournament that makes it such a coveted title.”

The third annual Buick Shanshan Feng Girls Invitational runs from Feb. 14-17 in Stanford, California, at Stanford Golf Course. The champion will earn an exemption into the Windsor Golf Classic at Windsor Golf Club in Windsor, California, April 2-4.

The final AJGA event in the 2020 partnership will be the KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational, June 29-July 2 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, at the Blessings Golf Club. The female champion will receive an invitation to compete at the Garden City Charity Classic in Garden City, Kansas, August 14-16 at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course.

“The AJGA is excited to offer Symetra Tour exemptions to some of our strongest all-female tournament fields,” said Jason Etzen, the Chief Business Officer for the AJGA. “We are proud to partner with the LPGA and Symetra Tour to help elevate these three invitationals to a new level and provide increased exposure and experience for our top girls.”

In 2019, twelve AJGA alumnae combined for 18 Symetra Tour titles including three-time 2019 champion and 2016 Rolex Junior Player of the Year Patty Tavatanakit of Van Nuys, California, Jillian Hollis of Rocky River, Ohio; Alana Uriell of Carlsbad, California; Cydney Clanton of Rockwell, North Carolina; Kelly Tan of (Malaysia) Bradenton, Florida; Leona Maguire of County Cavan, Ireland; Robynn Ree of Redondo Beach, California; Min Lee of Seoul, South Korea; Perrine Delacour of Aulnois Sous Laon, France; Ssu Chi Cheng of Taipei City, Taiwan; Alejandra Llaneza of Mexico Df, Mexico; and Laura Restrepo of (Panama) Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Of the eight AJGA invitational champions in the first three years through the partnership, seven utilized the Symetra Tour exemption and five made the cut at their respective event. Angelina Ye of Bradenton, Florida, earned the top overall finish (seventh, 2017 Florida’s Natural Charity Classic).

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 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 22 events. 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 , 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 .

ABOUT THE AJGA

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-19) of more than 7,000 members from 50 states and 60 foreign countries. Through initiatives like the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, a financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation.

TaylorMade and adidas are the AJGA’s National Sponsors, supporting the AJGA for more than 25 years. TaylorMade has served as the Official Ball of the AJGA since 2016. adidas has been the Official Apparel and Footwear of the AJGA since 2017. Rolex, in its fourth decade of AJGA sponsorship, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 900 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Ariya Jutanugarn, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Anna Nordqvist, Inbee Park and Lexi Thompson.