Phoenix Announces Golf Events

The biggest names in women’s professional golf are set to tee off in the Valley this March for the 6th annual JTBC Founders Cup. This LPGA event is set for Mar. 15-20, 2016 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Wildfire Golf Club.  The premiere stop on the LPGA tour has a $1.5 million purse up for grabs. High profile players including last year’s winner, Hyo Joo Kim, Lydia Ko, Stacy Lewis and Inbee The four-day series is slated for March 14-20, 2016, and one of the most exciting events will feature a few local celebrities. The Pro-Am on March 16 will include Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald and Patrick Peterson, and other local athletes. The LGPA tour was created to honor the 13 original founders of the LPGA.

The LGPA Legends are making a stop in the Northwest Valley March 5-6, so residents can enjoy first-class ladies golf up close and personal. Tickets to the event at Grandview Golf Course are $15 and won’t just be benefiting attendees. The Sun City West Foundation will receive $5 of each ticket and remaining proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Walgreens’ Charity Classic’s tournament charity partners: The American Diabetes Association and Aunt Rita’s Foundation.

Annually sporting the largest crowds on the PGA Tour, the Waste Management Phoenix Open has gained legendary status on Tour for being unlike any other golf tournament. It starts with the unbelievable golf played by the likes of Rickie Fowler, Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, and Keegan Bradley on the beautiful TPC Scottsdale and ends with the biggest galleries on Tour. If you are visiting for the first time, hole 16 is a must-see. With stadium seating and crowds exceeding 16,000, it makes the fan experience at this hole more comparable to a Phoenix Suns game than a traditional PGA Tournament. Visit their website for more information including a list of events and concerts throughout the week.

If you’ve never seen the breaking of a Guinness World Record, now is your chance. Go to this year’s GolfFest and watch Lynn ‘Capt’n Crush’ Ray’s attempt for the most 300-yard drives hit in one hour. Since having his record broken by Andrew Frakes of 448 golf balls hit in 2013, Ray will try to reclaim his place in history on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13 at the Longbow Golf Club. If that’s not enough jam-packed action, attendees will also be able to meet representatives from premier golf companies ranging from TaylorMade to Wilson, who will be offering golfers a chance to test their latest clubs and equipment.