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The inaugural Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open will be
played April 14-20, 2008, at Reunion Resort & Club of
Orlando on a composite layout of two of the resort's golf
courses, the Legacy designed by Arnold Palmer and the Independence
by Tom Watson. The Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open will be the
only full-field LPGA Tour event in the state of Florida.
The Ginn Open will have the largest purse on the North
American LPGA Tour, and is the only full-field LPGA Tour
event in the state of Florida, home of the LPGA. Featuring
weekend coverage on CBS Sports of the final two rounds, the
Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open is to be among the elite women's
pro tour golf events with a major television network broadcast
package.
The Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open will be the first
LPGA golf event to use Cygnus
Technology. Cygnus will include volunteer registration,
ticket sales, management, sponsorship package sales, distribution
of individual tickets and credentials, Pro Am and player registration,
and the ability to make online donations to the tournament's
charity the Florida
Hospital Foundation.
The Ginn Open has renamed its championship trophy
in memory of Kelly Jo Dowd, mother of Dakoda
Dowd. Dakoda, then 13, received an invitation from Annika
Sorenstam to play the tournament two years ago, thus fulfilling
the wish of her dying mother to see her in an LPGA tournament.
Kelly Jo died of breast cancer last year, but only after making
a stirring fight and generating lots of attention in the fight
against the disease.
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