HISTORY OF THE GINN OPEN
The 2007 Ginn OPEN included 47 of the top 50
players on the 2006 money list and increased the purse to $2.6
million. But, what spectators will remember from this year’s
Ginn OPEN is one of the best finishes on the LPGA tour.
Brittany Lincicome, who started and ended the final round at
10-under-par (67-72-67-72=278) and four strokes off the lead
behind reigning Rolex Player of the Year Lorena Ochoa and
veteran Laura Davies, battled weather delays and wind gusts of
up to 40 mph. In the end, Lincicome emerged with an even-par
final round and one-stroke victory over Ochoa in second place,
who carded a final-round 77; just two strokes better than
Davies' 79 for a third-place finish.
The inaugural Ginn OPEN was one of the most
highly-touted new events on the 2006 LPGA schedule. Featuring a
$2.5 million purse, 49 of the top 50 players on the 2005 money
list and a variety of music events highlighted by country duo
Brooks & Dunn, the Ginn OPEN blazed new trails on the LPGA Tour.
Bobby Ginn, President and CEO of The Ginn
Company, has long held a vast commitment to the game of golf. In
fact golf is the central amenity in each Ginn community. Ginn
had long wanted to own and operate a tournament that would pair
the finest in golf with the finest in service, two hallmarks
that define Ginn Resorts.
Ginn envisioned a golf tournament that would
be an event within an event. Tournament spectators would be up
close and personal with the top players on the LPGA tour as well
as two nights worth of headlining concerts.
"The Ginn OPEN allowed us to bring the LPGA
back to its home state of Florida," said Ginn. "In addition, we
were able to provide an experience for our players, members and
guests that was unparalleled in the golf world."
ABOUT Ginn Sports Entertainment
Ginn Sports Entertainment, LLC, (GSE) is
dedicated to the organization, production and marketing of Ginn
Resorts professional sports properties, which include the
company's NASCAR team and professional golf tournaments on the
LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR's Champion's Tour.
Following the success of the inaugural LPGA
Ginn OPEN in April of 2006, Ginn Resorts expanded its role in
the development of professional golf tournaments with the
addition of The Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika Sorenstam at
RiverTowne Country Club in Mt. Pleasant, SC and two PGA TOUR's
Champion's Tour stops, the ACE Group Classic at Quail West in
Naples, FL and The Ginn Championship at Hammock Beach at The
Conservatory at Hammock Beach in Palm Coast, FL. For further
information please visit
ginnsportsentertainment.com.
ABOUT GINN RESORTS
The Ginn Company is a privately held resort
development and management firm which specializes in exclusive
leisure lifestyle and vacation destination communities across
the U.S. From private residential communities to resort
destinations offering unparalleled ownership and vacation
opportunities, the common denominator throughout every Ginn
Resort is service. The company’s principals have more than three
decades of experience in creating extraordinary large-scale,
recreation-oriented communities. Current Ginn Resorts
communities include Cobblestone Park in Columbia, S.C. as well
as Belvidere Club & Resort, which encompasses RiverTowne Country
Club, The Cottages on Charleston Harbor and Patriot’s Point Golf
Course in the Charleston area. The company also owns and
operates Hammock Beach, The Conservatory at Hammock Beach and
Yacht Harbor Village near St. Augustine, Fla., Reunion Resort &
Club, Bella Collina north of Orlando and Tesoro and Tesoro
Preserve in Port St. Lucie on Florida’s historic “Treasure
Coast.” The company also owns and operates Mahogany Run Golf
Course in St. Thomas and has several projects under development
in North Carolina, Vermont, Colorado and in the Bahamas.
ginnclubsandresorts.com
ABOUT REUNION RESORT & CLUB
Located on 2,300 gently rolling acres in
Osceola County, the Resort is 25 minutes south of Orlando, Fla.,
immediately south of Disney’s Town of Celebration, 15 minutes
from Walt Disney World and 25 minutes from Orlando International
Airport. In addition to championship golf, planned amenities
include a five-acre, multi-pool water and swim pavilion, a
first-class tennis complex, stables and riding trails, a
state-of-the-art spa and fitness center, walking and biking
trails, and terrific boutique shopping and dining in Reunion
Square. More information about Reunion Resort & Club is
available at (888) 418-9611 and
www.reunionresort.com.
About Ladies Professional Golf Association
Featuring the world's best women golfers,
the LPGA's membership includes touring, teaching and club
professionals. The LPGA Tour in 2005 features 34 events, with
total prize money of $45.1 million. Since 1981, the LPGA and its
tournaments have raised approximately $160 million for charity.
From the dreams of its 13 founders in 1950, the LPGA has evolved
into the world's preeminent women's professional sports
organization. The LPGA has grown from its roots as a playing
tour into a non-profit organization involved in every facet of
golf. The LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) membership
boasts a total of nearly 1,200 women golf professionals who
serve as teachers, golf professionals, club managers and
coaches. Through the LPGA T&CP membership, the LPGA is working
to increase the involvement of women and youth in golf, as well
as contribute to the growth of the sport overall. The LPGA is
headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the
LPGA, log on to www.LPGA.com. |
