For Release: March 21, 2024
NORTHERN TEXAS PGA ANNOUNCES NEW TITLE SPONSOR, SITE OF THE TEXAS WOMEN’S OPEN
- NTPGA set to conduct the Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open at Grapevine Golf Course
- Legends of the LPGA Division Included
- Projected Record Total Purse of $150,000
FRISCO, Texas – Today, the Northern Texas PGA announced a multi-year agreement with the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau to become the title sponsor of the Texas Women’s Open. The Championship will be named the “Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open.”
The Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open will take place May 29 – 31, 2024, at Grapevine Golf Course in Grapevine, Texas. It will be the 44th playing of this historic event.
The Women’s Texas Open was first played in 1933. Some of the game’s greatest names won the event in its early years, including Babe Zaharias, Betty Jameson and Betsy Rawls. The playing of the event was stopped in 1955 and revived in 2001 by the Northern Texas PGA to promote the game to female golfers throughout the region. The name was changed to the Texas Women’s Open.
Today, the Texas Women’s Open offers a competitive tournament for some of the best professional and amateur female golfers in the country.
In 2020, the Championship featured an incredibly talented professional field that included numerous LPGA Tour stars. It was the first professional golf tournament played in the world following the COVID shutdown. The current world number three ranked golfer, Celine Boutier, captured the Championship that year.
In 2023, the Texas Women's Open began featuring a separate division for the Legends of the LPGA. The division is sponsored by the Ewing Automotive Group, a longtime partner and supporter of the game of golf in Texas. Eligibility in the Ewing Automotive Group Legends of the LPGA Division is open only to members on the Legends of the LPGA Priority List. Those who were entered last year included World Golf Hall of Famers like Sandra Haynie and Hollis Stacy along with native Texans, Angela Stanford, Jill McGill and Cindy Figg-Currier. This group of Legends combined for more than 50 LPGA Tour wins, including 10 major championships.
The 2024 starting field will be comprised of 144 professionals and top amateurs from all over the country. The Open Division will consist of 120 professionals and amateurs competing for a projected $75,000 purse and the Legends of the LPGA Division will consist of 24 professionals competing for a separate $75,000 purse. The tournament will be played on the Pecan and Mockingbird nines of the 27-hole facility at Grapevine Golf Course.
“Destination Grapevine is proud to be a multi-year sponsor in partnership with Grapevine Golf Course. It’s a great honor for Grapevine and our Byron Nelson-inspired golf course to host the historic and prestigious Texas Women’s Open incorporating the legends of LPGA Championship,” said Paul W. McCallum, Executive Director of the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Defending champion Grace Jin of Huntsville, Texas, will try to become one of only a handful of players to claim more than one Texas Women’s Open title. Only one player has won five Texas Women’s Open events: Babe Zaharias (‘40, ’45, ’46, ‘51 and ’52); other World Golf Hall of Famers who have captured multiple championships include Betty Jameson and Betsy Rawls.
“Over the past several years, the Texas Women’s Open has gained great momentum. It was a goal of the Northern Texas PGA’s Board of Directors to continue that energy by securing a title sponsor and permanent home for the event,” said Mark Harrison, CEO of the Northern Texas PGA. “We couldn’t be more excited than to partner with the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau to enhance the Texas Women’s Open and continue the Championship’s positive momentum.”
“It is also fitting that the City of Grapevine’s own golf course will host the Championship. Grapevine Golf Course is known for its exceptional year-round course conditioning, service and amenities highlighted by a new clubhouse that opened last year. Our team is very excited to work with the team at Grapevine Golf Course led by PGA Director of Golf Robert Singletary, who was instrumental in bringing this partnership to the table," said Harrison.
The Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open is open to all professionals and competitive amateurs aged 18 & over. Junior golfers can earn exemptions into the Championship through qualifying events. Eligibility for the Ewing Automotive Group Legends of the LPGA Division is open only to members on the Legends of the LPGA Priority List. Registration is now available at www.ntpga.com. The entry deadline is Thursday, May 23.
Proceeds from the Championship will benefit the Northern Texas PGA Foundation’s scholarship program with the creation of the Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open Scholarship. The scholarship will be designated for a Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour Member from the Grapevine area who will be attending college this fall. In 2024, the Northern Texas PGA Foundation plans to award more than $700,000 in scholarships to approximately 75 high school seniors from North Texas.
ABOUT THE GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
The Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau acts as the promotional arm of the City of Grapevine and is responsible for actively selling, marketing and publicizing Grapevine globally. The Bureau promotes the city’s hotels, meeting facilities, historic and family attractions, festivals and events, dining establishments and retail businesses to the group meetings and leisure markets.
ABOUT GRAPEVINE GOLF COURSE
Grapevine Golf Course is a 27-hole facility located in Grapevine, Texas. The original 18-holes opened in 1979 and was designed by Byron Nelson. In 1999, a third nine opened and was designed by D.A. Weibring’s Golf Resources. Golf enthusiasts for years have enjoyed playing a rare blend of rolling fairways, penalty areas and bunkers that create a simultaneously challenging yet relaxing experience.
ABOUT THE NORTHERN TEXAS PGA
The Northern Texas PGA is one of 41 Sections of the PGA of America. Its geographic territory includes the State of Texas north of the 31st latitude, or just north of Austin. Over 1,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals employed at more than 300 facilities comprise this Section.
Northern Texas PGA headquarters are located on the PGA Frisco campus and feature state-of-the-art office space, a growth of the game pavilion and a golf park designed for junior golfers.
In addition to managing the day-to-day affairs of the Section, the Northern Texas PGA also operates a non-profit and charitable foundation that focuses on five pillars: junior golf, college scholarships, inclusion, internships and military & veterans.