Professional women's golf returns to Northeast Florida starting Oct. 26, and tournament organizers have made available a limited number of free tickets to the PXG Women’s Match Play Championship being hosted at World Golf Village.
Tickets are valid for both sessions of the event, which features back-to-back tournaments.
The first session will be held Oct. 26-28. It is a 54-hole stroke-play event on the King & Bear Course and will seed the following week’s Match Play Championship at Slammer & Squire on Nov. 1-4.
In the PXGWMPC format, players will be divided into pool play with 16 groups of four women playing against each other twice over the first two days in nine-hole head-to-head matches.
Each hole is worth a point, with the winner of the head-to-head match being awarded a bonus point. The player in each group with the most points then advances to the knockout rounds with the Sweet 16 beginning at 8 a.m. Nov. 3. The Elite 8 will be held at 1 p.m. the same day.
Semifinal and final matches will be held on Nov. 4 beginning at 9 a.m. The Champions Trophy presentation, open to the public, will be held immediately following the final matches.
Tee times will be posted daily on the tournament website, pxgwmpc.com.
The championship is an official event on the Women’s All Pro Tour, which is one of only three U.S. women’s developmental tours and the only one which provides a pathway into the Symetra Tour.
While sanctioned by the WAPT, the PXG Match Play Championship is open to all professional players who are not current LPGA players.
“This is a pretty significant distinction as a professional event,” said the tournament’s executive director, Mark Berman of MediaShare Consulting. “We are very intentional in providing opportunities for the up-and-coming professional female players, for whom very few tours and tournaments exist, particularly compared to the men’s game,” Berman shared.
To claim complimentary tickets, golf fans are required to register in advance on the tournament’s website, where they can print a voucher. Upon arrival at the tournament gate, vouchers will be exchanged for a wristband, which provide access to tournament grounds, its Pop-Up Retail Experience and fan hospitality.
The free admission is provided by a women-owned business, Kessler Creative, the tournament’s official printing sponsor, which designed the tournament signage and graphic materials.
“We want people to see these amazing women play,” CEO Dina Kessler said. “There is so much talent and competitive drama, and so many great stories inside and outside the ropes. It is our pleasure to provide access for free to our community.”
Fans will also be given the opportunity to donate to the tournament’s official charity partner, Investing in Kids (INK!), which helps to fund underserved public schools in St Johns County. The INK! Charity Pro-am presented by Davidson Realty Inc. is being held for Oct. 25 on the King & Bear course, with Murray Bros Caddy Shack hosting the official meet the players pairings party.
The PXGWMPC is a collaboration with Jacksonville’s women’s empowerment organization, Generation W. Competitors and other area female athletes and executives will participate in the Generation W Links to Leadership Summit presented by Circle K on Oct. 29.
“We are shining a light on women’s initiatives not just on the golf course, but in the workplace and in the community,” Berman said.
For information about the tournament, click here.
