The world’s top-ranked amateur Lydia Ko and the University of Arkansas freshman Gaby Lopez were added to the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship field of competitors today as official sponsor exemptions into the LPGA Tour event being held at  Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, June 17- June 23.

“We are delighted to invite Gaby and Lydia to play in the event as our sponsor’s exemptions,” said Gisel Ruiz, chief operations officer, Walmart U.S. “Walmart is committed to empowering women, and we hope that providing this opportunity will help them to grow in their careers and to be successful if and when they join the professional ranks.  We are also proud that the tournament can continue to support the Razorbacks golf team, which is producing outstanding student-athletes.”

The 16-year-old Ko resides in Auckland, New Zealand but is regularly competing in professional tour events and most recently took home low amateur honors at the Kraft Nabisco Championship—the third time in the last three majors she has accomplished that feat.  Last year, she became the youngest person ever to win an LPGA Tour event, winning the CN Canadian Women’s Open at the age of 15 years and four months.

“We have been very impressed by Lydia and Gaby and we’re thrilled to have them play in the tournament this year,” said Tournament Director Harry Hardy. “Lydia has already won a professional event and turned in several impressive finishes in her young career while Gaby has continued the tradition of great Razorback golfers in only her first college season. Giving these amateurs a chance to prove themselves on the biggest stage is great, not only for the players, but for the fans and the community as well.”

Lopez, a freshman at the University of Arkansas was most recently named to the All-SEC Second-Team and the SEC All-Freshman team after collecting four top-five finishes this season.  She became the first Razorback in program history to earn the Southeastern Conference Freshman Women’s Golfer of the Week honors earlier this year after tying a program record for lowest single day score, a 66 at the Westbrook Invitational.

“Having the opportunity to play in the Northwest Arkansas LPGA Tour event against so many accomplished professionals is an honor,” said Lopez. “Being invited this year is beyond words, I can’t wait to play in front of the crowds at 17 and hear them Call the Hogs.”

Lopez and Ko will be competing against a stellar tournament field including defending champion Ai Miyazato, 2012 Player of the Year Stacy Lewis and two-time winner Yani Tseng. Eighteen of the top 20 in the Rolex World Rankings are also scheduled to compete. The entire field will be looking to play well leading into the U.S. Women’s Open being held the week after in Southampton, NY. With a $2 million purse and $300,000 going to the NW Arkansas champion, the two-week swing will feature $5.25 million in available prize money.

To continue the growing tradition of a family-friendly atmosphere, ticket prices for this year have been reduced, and children 17 and under will continue to be admitted free with a ticketed adult. Daily tickets are now $15, valid any one day Friday, June 21 – Sunday, June 23. Weekly ground passes, valid all week, can be purchased for $30. To purchase tickets please click here. Volunteers are also still needed, to register click here. 

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VICTORIES

LPGA: Becomes a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic

Previous career-best finish was also on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail – a T8 at the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic in Prattville

MONEY

CAREER: With the $180,000 first-place check, Jennifer moves to 249^th on the LPGA Career Money List with $626,966

SEASON: Jennifer has earned $251,993 this season and is 11^th on the 2013 LPGA Official Money List

SOLHEIM CUP

Earns 60 points toward the 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup Team. Currently 10^th in the points race with 140 points.

ROLEX RANKINGS

With her win, Jennifer is projected to move from 78^th to 50^th on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings

TOURNAMENT SPECIFIC

Set the 72-hole tournament record with a four-day tally of 21-under-par (67-70-65-65=267)

2012: T45 (-2)

2013 IN A NUTSHELL

9 events, 7 cuts made, $251,993 earned, 1 win

Previous season-best was T13 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship

Earns 30 points toward Player of the Year race with her victory and now currently sits in eighth place

2012 IN A NUTSHELL

23 events, 20 cuts made, $245,999 (50)

Best finish was T11 at the Navistar LPGA Classic

Carded career-low 63 in the second round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic

Recorded 5 top-20 finishes

OF NOTE

Made the winning point for the 2010 U.S. Curtis Cup Team, where she recorded a 3-0-1 record

Named 2010 NCGA Freshman of the Year and was a 2010 NCAA First-Time All-American at Arizona State University

Reduced tickets are on-sale. Click Here to purchase. 

You can also order the phone by calling (479) 715-6100 ext. 7.

Admission is free to the public Monday, June 17 – Thursday, June 20. Children 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. 

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LPGA Tour event returns to Rogers June 21-23

The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G is looking for an additional 100 volunteers to help put on the official LPGA Tour event being played at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers June 21-23. The event will host the world’s best golfers and volunteers are needed to put on the seventh edition of one of the most popular LPGA Tour stops. Golf knowledge is not required and those who register now will receive an unforgettable experience.

“Volunteering is a great way to watch the best female golfers in the world, experience behind-the-scenes access to a world-class event and connect with friends in the community,” said Tournament Chairman Jay Allen. “Anyone interested should register; volunteers play a vital role in the success of the tournament each year.”

The volunteer fee is $45 and includes two volunteer shirts and a hat featuring the tournament logos, a volunteer credential valid for week-long tournament access and parking, four weekly grounds tickets for guests of the volunteer’s choice, an invitation to the annual volunteer appreciation party, and meals and beverages during assigned shifts. Employees from Walmart and P&G, as well as Pinnacle Country Club members are eligible for a discounted registration fee with the supplied promotional code from their respective employer or club.

Daily tickets are now $15, valid any one day Friday, June 21 – Sunday, June 23. Weekly ground passes, valid all week, can be purchased for $30. To purchase tickets please click here.

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RESOURCES:

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Mobile Bay LPGA Classic

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

Magnolia Grove, The Crossings

Mobile, Alabama

Top Storylines

Lewis comes full circle:

Rolex Rankings No. 2 Stacy Lewis returns to Mobile, Ala. to defend the first of four titles she earned last season in 2012. Lewis gets to come full circle this week and can be reminded of how much she has achieved in just one calendar year, dating back to her second-career win at the Crossings at Magnolia Grove. Although it wasn’t her first-career victory, her one-stroke win over Lexi Thompson in southern Alabama last season proved to be her breakout moment. She went on to record three more wins and eight additional top-10 finishes en route to Rolex Player of the Year honors.

The Woodlands, Texas native has kept things rolling in 2013, notching two wins in her first four starts at the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore and the RR Donnelley Founders Cup in Phoenix, Ariz. She reached No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings after her second victory and held the spot for four weeks. Current No. 1 Inbee Park will be missing in action this week, setting Lewis up for the perfect opportunity to close in on the top spot. Park sits 1.09 average points over Lewis in the rankings and leaves the door open to the University of Arkansas alum who is trying for her fourth-consecutive top-10 finish and eighth this season. Lewis is coming off a solid performance, finishing in a tie for fifth at the Tour’s last stop at the Kingsmill Championship.

Who to watch for this week:

Rolex Rankings No. 27 Beatriz Recari will look to extend her made-cut streak to 43 this week and notch her second win in 2013. Recari, who won her second-career victory at the 2013 Kia Classic, has the chance to move up the rankings on both the money list and in Rolex Player of the Year points. She currently ranks fourth in both categories with $470,111 made this year and has 46 points toward the award that honors the Tour’s top player.

Lexi Thompson loves the state of Alabama and has played some of her best golf in her career on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. She made history in 2011 when she became the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history (since broken by Lydia Ko) with her victory at the Navistar Classic in Prattville. Both of the teenagers’ best finishes last season in 2012 came on the Trail when she recorded runner-up finishes at both the Navistar Classic and the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic. She’s had an up-and-down year so far with one top-10 finish in Singapore and is due for a top finish.

Two past champions are also in the field this week and have shown they know how to close out a tournament on the Trail. Angela Stanford (2008) and Maria Hjorth (2011) will play for their second wins in Mobile. Stanford is coming off her second top-5 finish of the season at the Kingsmill Championship where she played solid golf the entire week, carding rounds of 68-68-70-69. The Texas native says she plays well where she’s comfortable, and if she can channel any good memories from 2008 this week, Stanford will be one to watch.

Twenty-nine LPGA Tour rookies will have the chance to make a name for themselves this week, with nine making their debuts as LPGA members. Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn leads the Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year race with 269 points with Germany’s Caroline Masson trailing at No. 2 with 128 points.

Back for more:

Bradenton, Fla. native Jessica Korda returns to action this week after a two-week break while treating a wrist injury sustained from hitting a metal pipe in the final round of the LPGA LOTTE Championship presented by J Golf. Korda, who missed the Tour’s last stop in Williamsburg, Va. at the Kingsmill Championship, was playing some of the most solid golf out of the LPGA’s American contingent and will try to add on to her three top-6 finishes this year. The 20-year-old and winner of the 2012 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open currently ranks seventh in U.S. Solheim Cup points and will be playing the next nine events with every intention on securing a spot on the U.S. squad. The top eight players will qualify by points, two spots will be given to the highest ranked in the Rolex Rankings not already qualified and two will be selected by U.S. Team Captain Meg Mallon.

Invitation accepted:

Seventeen-year-old Thailand native Ariya Jutanugarn received one of the sponsor exemptions this week and will be playing in her fifth LPGA Tour event this season. Jutanugarn, who is a rookie on the Ladies European Tour, has made the most of her LPGA appearances so far and has yet to finish worse than fourth place.

Jutanugarn will be playing on her fourth sponsor exemption, having Monday qualified for the LPGA LOTTE Championship in Hawaii. She can accept two more exemptions this season to fill out the maximum of six invitations per year. But the Thai teen won’t be missing out on golf’s biggest stages. Jutanugarn has already earned her way into the fields of the Tour’s four remaining majors based on each event’s criteria. Based on her first professional win at the LET”s Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, Jutanugarn earned a spot in the RICOH Women’s British Open and The Evian, which will play as a major for the first time this year. She also secured a spot in the Wegmans LPGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open based on her Rolex Ranking, where she currently sits at No. 16.

Quick facts

May 16 – May 19

Mobile Bay LPGA Classic

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Magnolia Grove

Crossings Course

Mobile, Ala.

Field: 144 (all professionals)

Par:  36-36, 72

Yardage: 6,521

Purse: $1,200,000

Winner:  $180,000

Format: 72-hole stroke play

Defending champion: Stacy Lewis

TV Times

Golf Channel

May 16 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

May 17 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

May 18 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

May 19 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

All times Eastern

VICTORIES

LPGA: 16th career victory. Previous wins: 2002 Long Drug Challenge, 2004 Takefuji Classic, 2004 ShopRite LPGA Classic, 2004 State Farm Classic, 2005 Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill, 2005 Wendy’s Championship for Chidlren, 2006 Franklin American Mortage Championship, 2006 CN Canadian Women’s Open, 2006 John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic, 2007 U.S. Women’s Open, 2008 Safeway Classic, 2009 Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill, 2010 LPGA State Farm Classic, 2010 LPGA Championship, 2012 Lorena Ochoa Invitational

MONEY

CAREER: With the $195,000 first-place check, Cristie remains 4^th on the LPGA Career Money List with $14,722,962.75

SEASON: Cristie has earned $354,506 this season and is seventh on the 2013 LPGA Official Money List

TOURNAMENT SPECIFIC

Cristie becomes the only three-time winner at the Kingsmill Championship and marks the first time in her career she has won a single event three separate times

Has three additional top-6 finishes at the Kingsmill Championship

2013 IN A NUTSHELL

Projected to move to No. 10 in Rolex Rankings

7 events, 6 cuts made, $354,506 earned, 1 win, 2 top-10s

2012 RECAP

23 events, 21 cuts made, $837,314 earned

7 top-10 finishes including three top-fives

Captured her 15^th career victory at the 2012 Lorena Ochoa Invitational

OF NOTE

Marks the 10^th season in her 16-year career to register at least one win

Becomes the sixth different winner this year on the LPGA Tour

Second win in her last 10 starts

To continue the growing tradition of a family-friendly atmosphere, ticket prices for this year have been reduced, and children 17 and under will continue to be admitted free with a ticketed adult. Daily tickets are now $15, valid any one day Friday, June 21 – Sunday, June 23. Weekly ground passes, valid all week, can be purchased for $30. The Tournament wants to make the access to the world’s best female golfers as affordable as possible and ticket pricing is now no more expensive than a family trip out to the movies or dinner. Click Here to purchase. 

All three rounds of the tournament will be nationally-televised live.

VICTORIES

LPGA: Sixth career victory Previous wins: 2008 U.S. Women’s Open, 2012 Evian Masters, 2012 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, 2013 Honda LPGA Thailand, 2013 Kraft Nabisco Championship, 2013 North Texas LPGA Shootout

International: 10th career win including four victories on the JLPGA

MONEY

CAREER: With the $195,000 first-place check, Inbee moves to 26th on the LPGA Career Money List with $6,108,792

SEASON: Inbee now sits 1st on the 2013 LPGA Official Money List with $841,068

TOURNAMENT SPECIFIC

First-ever winner of the inaugural event

2013 IN A NUTSHELL

7 starts, 7 cuts made, $841,068 earned, 3 wins (also won Honda LPGA Thailand and Kraft Nabisco Championship)

2012 RECAP

24 events, 23 cuts made, $2,287,080 earned (1), two victories, 10 additional top-10 finishes, six runner-up finishes; won her first Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average (70.21)

Placed in the top-10 in nine additional categories including putting average (28.34), greens in regulation putting average (1.72), rounds under par (72.3%), top-10 finishes (12), birdies (347), eagles (7), rounds in the 60s (30), subpar holes (354) and finished second to Stacy Lewis in the Rolex Player of the year race

OF NOTE

With her victory, Park crosses the $6 million mark in career earnings

Will retain her No. 1 ranking in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for a third consecutive week

Has captured 5 victories in her last 18 starts

Played in 72 tournaments over nearly four years between her first-career victory at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open and her second career victory at the 2012 Evian Masters

Becomes the first player this season to earn three victories

Recorded 10 consecutive top-10 finishes in 2012 – a streak that included two wins and four runner-ups

Crossed the $3, $4 and $5 million marks in career earnings in 2012

2013 LPGA LOTTE Championship Presented by J Golf
Born: Oslo, Norway
Lives: Orlando, Fla.
Birthdate: April 7, 1981 – currently 32 years, 1 month, 13 days
Qualified for LPGA Tour: tied for 10^th at 2002 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament
Turned Professional: 2000

VICTORIES

LPGA: 11th career victory; first victory of the 2013 season

Pettersen’s fifth playoff victory in seven career playoff appearances (finished T2 in other two)

MONEY

CAREER: With the $255,000 first-place check, Suzann moves to seventh on the LPGA Career Money List with $9,796,708

SEASON: Suzann has earned $428,368 this season and is fourth on the 2013 LPGA Official Money List

TOURNAMENT SPECIFIC

Previous best finish at the LPGA LOTTE Championship was sixth place in 2012

2013 IN A NUTSHELL

6 events, 5 cuts made, $428,368 earned, 1 win, 1 additional top-5

Earns 30 points toward Player of the Year race with her victory and now currently sits in third with 48 points

2012 RECAP

24 events, 23 cuts made, $1,182,860 earned (9), 2 wins, 3 additional top-10 finishes

Recorded back-to-back victories in the fall in Asia at the LPGA KEB*HanaBank Championship and the Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship Presented by Audi

Crossed the $1 million mark in season earnings for the sixth consecutive year

OF NOTE

Her previous best finish this season was a T3 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship

Won the Mission Hills World Ladies Championship in China on the Ladies European Tour in March

With her victory this week, Suzann is projected to move up to No. 5 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings

ROGERS, AR (April 9, 2013) – Stacy Lewis, a four-time All American at the University of Arkansas, has committed to play in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G. Fans wanting to catch the current Rolex World Golf Rankings No. 1 in action can purchase tickets now at a reduced price for 2013. The official LPGA Tour event will return to Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, June 17- June 23.

“Officially winning the tournament would be great, not only for me but for the people of Arkansas that have supported me throughout my career,” said Lewis. “This is definitely a tournament that I would love to win. It’s a major for me. I always love playing in Arkansas, and everyone is always supportive. There is nothing like playing in front of a crowd and knowing that everyone wants you to do well. ”

Fan favorite Lewis, who unofficially won the rain-shortened tournament as an amateur in 2007, will lead the field at this year’s event. Lewis has seven career victories on the LPGA Tour, including one major championship and two victories this year. She capped off a stellar 2012, in which she had four wins and 12 top ten finishes, by becoming the first American since Beth Daniel in 1994 to win the LPGA Player of the Year award.

Lewis finished T-19 in 2012, shooting 1-under for the weekend. Ai Miyazato won in a tightly contested battle on the final day of tournament play. After beginning the day five shots back, Miyazato hit four birdies in a row on the front nine and two more after the turn, putting her in title contention and ultimately winning the event.

To continue the growing tradition of a family-friendly atmosphere, ticket prices for this year have been reduced, and children 17 and under will continue to be admitted free with a ticketed adult. Daily tickets are now $15, valid any one day Friday, June 21 – Sunday, June 23. Weekly ground passes, valid all week, can be purchased for $30.

“By lowering ticket prices, we wanted to give more fans the chance to see the best female golfers in the game, including the No. 1 player in the world, Stacy Lewis,” Tournament Director Harry Hardy said. “It’s also a great way to honor the community’s support from over the years, and we encourage fans to bring their families and friends to check out all the tournament has to offer.”

Tickets are on-sale now at www.nwachampionship.com or (479) 657-6107. Admission is free to the public Monday, June 17 – Thursday, June 20. Children 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.

SHARE: Tickets now on sale! Buy yours today to catch @Stacy_Lewis in action at the @NWAChampionship http://bit.ly/YbER7c