Pro golfers coming to C.R.
My Sunday column this week will deal with the upcoming Duramed Futures Tour bringing a tournament to the Metro area.
The inaugural Ladies Titan Tire Challenge is June 5-7 at Hunter's Ridge in Marion.
Former Cedar Rapids Washington H.S. AD Denny Goettel, 63, is co-director of the event, working alongside Charity Tyler of the Junior League. Their challenge is selling the tournament to area businesses and the public.
“It’s been an adventure,” Goettel said. “But I’m excited about the event.”
The first step is introducing the Duramed Futures Tour to Eastern Iowa.
So what is it? Here are a few of the “fast facts” provided by the tour:
- The Duramed Futures Tour is the LPGA’s Developmental Tour, in its 29th season.
- Through 2008, tour alums own a total of 345 LPGA victories and 37 major championships.
- Tour alums won 17 of 34 LPGA tournaments and two of the four major championships in 2008.
- The tour’s 2009 schedule includes 17 tournaments in 14 states, including its debut in Iowa.
- Tournament purse for 2009 is nearly $1.8 million, including $110,000 for the Ladies Titan Tires Challenge.
- The tour’s 2009 roster has attracted professionals from 31 different nations and 40 U.S. states, including Jill Frantz of Iowa City, the lone Iowan on the tour.
“It will be a pretty unique event,” Goettel said. “We really want to make it a community event ... family entertainment.