World Congress of Women's Golf Opens Next Week; First-Ever Global Meeting of Leaders in Women's Golf Held in New York City

Press Release

Posted 2004-05-15

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 14, 2004--Representatives of 33 golf organizations from 19 countries will gather in New York City next week to take the pulse of women's professional golf around the world and discuss its future. The inaugural World Congress of Women's Golf was created by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) to fuel the growing global popularity of women's professional golf by assembling the sport's most influential leaders. The event will be held May 20-22 at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

"By gathering the leaders of the golf industry for the first World Congress of Women's Golf, we hope to identify new opportunities, define key areas for growth of women's golf worldwide and ultimately continue to increase the growing popularity of our sport," said Ty M. Votaw, commissioner of the LPGA.

Highlights of the Congress include a panel discussion on "The State of Women's Golf Worldwide," featuring the leaders of the five major women's tours and moderated by David Fay, executive director of the United States Golf Association and co-secretary of the International Golf Federation. Panelists include: S. Kyu Hong, chairman of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association; Hisako Higuchi, chairman of the Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan; Ian Randell, chief executive of the Robe di Kappa Ladies European Tour; Warren Sevil, general manager of Australian Ladies Professional Golf; and Votaw. Ruth Ann Marshall, president of the Americas for MasterCard International, will deliver the keynote address.

The Congress will also feature three panel discussions focusing on player development, television and sponsorship with some of the leading experts in these fields offering their opinions. In addition, the Congress will kick off on Thursday, May 20, with workshops on fan development/market research and selling sponsorships and close on Saturday, May 22, with workshops on tournament development and professional player development.

Sybase Inc., MasterCard International, Rolex U.S.A., Inc. and Steuben Glass are official sponsors of the World Congress of Women's Golf.

About Ladies Professional Golf Association

Featuring the world's best women golfers, the LPGA's membership includes touring, teaching and club professionals. The LPGA Tour in 2003 features 34 events, with more than 260 hours of television coverage, and total prize money of nearly $40 million. Since 1981, the LPGA and its tournaments have raised more than $139.5 million for charity. From the dreams of its 13 founders in 1950, the LPGA has evolved into the world's preeminent women's professional sports organization. The LPGA has grown from its roots as a playing tour into a non-profit organization involved in every facet of golf. The LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) membership boasts a total of nearly 1,200 women golf professionals who serve as teachers, golf professionals, club managers and coaches. Through the LPGA T&CP membership, the LPGA is working to increase the involvement of women and youth in golf, as well as contribute to the growth of the sport overall. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the LPGA, log on to www.LPGA.com.