BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 19, 2022 – World Golf Hall-of-Fame member and multiple major champion Karrie Webb will return to LPGA Tour competition for the first time in two years at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, taking place Jan. 24-30 at Boca Rio Golf Club in Boca Raton, Fla.
Webb, a seven-time major champion from Australia who resides in nearby Boynton Beach, last played a full-time schedule on the LPGA Tour in 2017. She joins Laura Davies as the two Hall- of-Famers competing in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.
“We are honored to have Karrie Webb joining the field and are excited to welcome the world’s best players back to Palm Beach County for the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio,” said Lesley Baker, executive director for the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. “We are equally as excited to welcome back fans to the tournament this year and representing Southeast Florida on a global scale, both in person and to television audiences around the world.”
Webb will join a stacked field at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio that will feature 16 of the top-25 players in the world, headlined by World No. 1 and defending champion Nelly Korda and fan favorites / major champions Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson. The first full- field event for the 2022 LPGA Tour season, the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio will include a field of 120 players competing for a share of a $2 million purse.
The final three spots in the field will be determined on Monday via the Monday Qualifier at Boca Rio Golf Club (two spots) along with the winner of this week’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, if not already eligible.
The field features 16 of the top-25 ranked players in the world according to the Jan. 17 Rolex Women’s Golf Rankings, including Nelly Korda (1), Lydia Ko (3), Inbee Park (4), Nasa Hataoka (6), Yuka Saso (8), Danielle Kang (10), Brooke Henderson (11), Lexi Thompson (12), Patty Tavatanakit (13), Ayaka Furue (14), Anna Nordqvist (16), Jeong Eun Lee6 (19), Atthaya Thitikul (20), Ally Ewing (21), Jessica Korda (22) and Ariya Jutanugarn (23).
Jaye Marie Green (Jupiter) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Boca Raton) join Thompson (Delray Beach). Jessica Korda (Jupiter) and Webb as Southeast Florida residents competing in the championship.
2022 sponsor exemptions include Taylor Collins and Nishtha Madan. Collins is currently a PGA Teaching Professional at Coral Ridge Country Club in Ft. Lauderdale. She captured the South Florida PGA Section Championship in September, becoming the first woman to win the tournament in its 42-year history. Madan, formerly India’s top-ranked women’s amateur and a two-time member of the Indian National Team, turned professional 2020 following a standout collegiate career at Sacramento State University. She finished second on the Cactus Tour money list in 2021 and has recorded five professional wins since turning professional. Madan will be competing on the Symetra Tour in 2022 and will be making her LPGA Tour debut at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.
GOLF Channel will televise live all four rounds of the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Thursday- Sunday, Jan. 27-30, as well as live streaming on the NBC Sports App. Boca Raton resident and Boca Rio Golf Club member Morgan Pressel will be a part of the broadcast team for the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio as lead analyst, joining play-by-play host Grant Boone, hole announcer Jim Gallagher, Jr., and on-course reporters Karen Stupples and Jerry Foltz.
For a complete list of current tournament entries, click HERE.
The 2021 Gainbridge LPGA was contested at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Fla., in late February, when Nelly Korda captured her fourth LPGA Tour win at 16-under par. The win was her first on American soil and with her parents in attendance. The Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio made its debut in 2020, with Madelene Sagstrom capturing the inaugural championship, her first LPGA Tour victory. Group 1001 has been a proud sponsor of the LPGA since 2017.
The 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio will welcome back fans to Boca Rio Golf Club, featuring a field of 120 players competing over 72 holes for a share of a $2 million purse. Tickets are now on sale, including exclusive hospitality and general admission tickets offering a wide degree of entertainment and access. Tickets are available for purchase exclusively at www.GainbridgeLPGA.com.
All service personnel, including military (active, reserve, retired and veterans), fire, police, EMS and front-line healthcare workers (doctors and nurses) will receive complimentary admission to the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio by showing proper identification at Will Call in exchange for a daily grounds pass.
For more information on the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, visit www.GainbridgeLPGA.com, and on social media at @GainbridgeLPGA on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio
The Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio is the LPGA Tour’s first full-field event of the season and features the world’s best women golfers competing over four rounds for a share of the $2 million
purse. The tournament, launched in 2020 at Boca Rio Golf Club, was contested at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in 2021 and is returning to Boca Rio in 2022. The Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio is operated by Outlyr, a global sports, event management and lifestyle marketing agency that specializes in the development and execution of engaging events and experiences. In addition to managing 12 professional golf tournaments, Outlyr also operates a number of other sporting and lifestyle events and manages the sponsorship profile for several blue-chip clients. For more information on the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, visit www.GainbridgeLPGA.com.
About Gainbridge
Gainbridge Insurance Agency, LLC (“Gainbridge”) is a self-managed, innovative digital platform providing its clients with direct access to trusted financial products to smartly grow their savings over time. Gainbridge strives to offer products through its platform that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge empowers clients to take control of their financial future with simple solutions that are accessible to everyone no matter their budget. Gainbridge is part of the Group 1001 enterprise striving to make insurance products more useful and intuitive for everyone. Group 1001 has combined assets under management of approximately $43 billion as of September 30, 2021 and is focused on a new standard for the insurance experience. Group 1001’s family of brands includes Delaware Life, Gainbridge, Clear Spring Health®, and Clear Spring Insurance®. Group 1001 and its companies have a strong commitment to service and community through programs focusing on improving lives through sports and education. Strong partnerships amplify our ability to make this positive change in our communities. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.life and www.group1001.com.
About Boca Rio Golf Club
Boca Rio Golf Club is a private member owned club set in an unspoiled landscape in Boca Raton. The course is a minimalist masterpiece designed by Robert Von Hagge, built on 200 acres of native Florida wilderness, with no developed real estate. The course was recently described by a Hall of Fame lifetime Grand Slam winner as one of the finest courses in Florida. For more information, visit www.bocariogolfclub.com.
Media Contact:
Jeremy Friedman
Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Communications Outlyr
407-721-9752
jfriedman@outlyr.com