Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Hosted by Shadow Creek
Added to 2021 LPGA Tour Schedule
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) today announced that the inaugural Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Hosted by Shadow Creek will be held May 26-30, 2021. The tournament, which will feature 64 players competing head to head for a $1.5 million purse, will be conducted at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, the exclusive golf course owned by MGM Resorts International and available only to guests of the company’s resorts.
Bank of Hope, based in Los Angeles, is one of the leading Asian-American banks in the United States and was previously associated with the LPGA Tour as title sponsor of the Bank of Hope Founders Cup from 2017 to 2019.
“We are extremely pleased to once again partner with the LPGA and inaugurate a highly anticipated LPGA match-play competition as title sponsor of the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Hosted by Shadow Creek,” said Kevin S. Kim, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Hope. “This event combines the top female golfers with one of the most exclusive golf courses in the country in a unique match-play format. We look forward to working closely with the LPGA and Shadow Creek to create one of the Tour’s most exciting and successful events of 2021 and beyond.”
Shadow Creek, built in 1989 by renowned golf architect Tom Fazio, is considered one of the world’s top golfing destinations. In 2018, the course served as host for The Match: Tiger vs. Phil, which saw Phil Mickelson outlast Tiger Woods in a match that stretched to 22 holes. This past October, Shadow Creek hosted the PGA Tour’s CJ CUP, won by Jason Kokrak. While this is the first time the LPGA Tour will visit Shadow Creek, MGM Resorts has supported the women’s game for many years through its Golf Ambassador program, led by popular Tour players Natalie Gulbis, Danielle Kang, Cristie Kerr, Alison Lee, Anna Nordqvist and Michelle Wie West.
George Kliavkoff, president of Entertainment & Sports for MGM Resorts International, said, “Shadow Creek, one of golf’s premier courses, will be an ideal setting for the world’s best women golfers. The LPGA Tour’s match-play event in May provides us with another opportunity to demonstrate why MGM Resorts and Las Vegas are the leaders in the sports and entertainment industry.”
The 64-player field for the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Hosted by Shadow Creek will be divided into 16 groups of four players, with three days of round-robin matches deciding the final 16-player bracket. From there, the tournament will proceed in single-elimination matches to determine the two players who will face off in Sunday’s Championship Match. Full qualification and tiebreaker information will be available in the coming weeks.
Ricki Lasky, LPGA’s Chief Tournament Business Officer, said, “We are beyond thrilled to add the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Hosted by Shadow Creek to the LPGA family of competitions. Bank of Hope and MGM Resorts are two organizations that have proven to be great supporters of women’s sports and we are honored to have them as LPGA partners. We look forward to working with them to continue to create more opportunities for women both on the course and in the workplace. This will also be an incredibly exciting week for our players, who have long told us that they wanted to add a match-play competition to our schedule.”
The Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play Hosted by Shadow Creek will be the the LPGA Tour’s first match-play event since the 2017 Lorena Ochoa Match Play, where Sei Young Kim earned a 1-up victory over Ariya Jutanugarn. Other official LPGA Tour match-play competitions include the 2010-2012 Sybase LPGA Match Play Championship and the 2005-2007 HSBC Women’s World Match Play Championship, as well as the 1950-1954 Women’s Western Open, then a major championship.
About Bank of Hope
Bank of Hope (the “Bank”) is the first and only super regional Korean-American bank in the United States with more than $17 billion in total assets. Headquartered in Los Angeles and serving a multi-ethnic population of customers across the nation, the Bank operates 53 branches in eight states across the country, nine SBA loan production offices adding presence in three additional states, residential mortgage loan production offices in Southern California and a representative office in Seoul, Korea. Bank of Hope is a diversified financial institution with a comprehensive offering of commercial, corporate and consumer products and services. The Bank is committed to improving the value of its services as Bankers, providing comprehensive financial solutions as Experts, and being good Neighbors that foster growth for its customers and communities. Bank of Hope takes great pride in supporting education in the communities where it operates and has distributed more than $2.1 million in scholarships through its Hope Scholarship Foundation.
Join the social conversation at www.facebook.com/Bankofhope.Official, www.instagram.com/bankofhope.official, and www.linkedin.com/company/bankofhope.
About Shadow Creek
Shadow Creek, one of the country’s most exclusive golf courses, has earned perennial top rankings among Golf Week and Golf Digest magazine’s public courses and has been designated the best golf course in the world in a Robb Report’s “Best of the Best” issue. Located in the midst of the Nevada desert on the outskirts of Las Vegas, and owned by MGM Resorts International, Shadow Creek continues to achieve national recognition and the kind of startling mystique reserved for only a select number of golf courses. Designed by renowned architect Tom Fazio, Shadow Creek is known for its natural beauty, rolling terrain, glistening brooks and ponds, lush gardens and mature trees. The visual elements, spectacular waterfalls and course design lend to astonishing views.
About the LPGA
The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 Members representing more than 30 countries. With a vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while the Symetra Tour, the official development and qualifying tour of the LPGA, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Additionally, LPGA Professionals directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management.
The LPGA demonstrates its dedication to the development of the game through The LPGA Foundation. Since 1991, this charitable organization has been committed to empowering and supporting girls and women through developmental, humanitarian and golf community initiatives, including LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, the LPGA Women’s Network and the LPGA Amateur Golf Association.
Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via www.LPGA.com. Join the social conversation at www.facebook.com/lpga, www.twitter.com/lpga and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo, and on Instagram at @lpga_tour.