Hospitality leader announces five-year partnership extension with LPGA and
an increased tournament purse of $2.5 million
ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 1, 2024) – Hilton Grand Vacations Inc.
(NYSE:HGV), a premier vacation ownership and experiences company, announced
Sunday that Lydia Ko won the
2024 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. MLB All-Star Jeff McNeil was this year’s
celebrity field champion.
Ko took the Professional Title, winning by two strokes over 2023 LPGA Tour
rookie Alexa Pano and finishing 14-under par overall. Pano secured the first
runner-up position on the professional field, earning the second top-10 finish
of her career and carding 19 birdies before finishing 12-under par overall.
This is Ko’s 20th LPGA Tour win across 11 seasons and her first at the Hilton
Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. The two-time Rolex Player of the Year
represented New Zealand at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, earning a silver and
bronze medal respectively, and she was the youngest winner in LPGA Tour
history to be named Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year. She is also a Lake
Nona Golf & Country Club member and resident, earning this win on her home
course.
McNeil was crowned the winner of the tournament’s celebrity field after
scoring 138 total points using a modified Stableford format in his Hilton
Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions debut. McNeil has played for the New
York Mets since 2018 and is a two-time All-Star, Silver Slugger Award winner
and was named the 2022 MLB Batting Champion.
This year, the tournament welcomed 35 LPGA Tour winners playing alongside 48
celebrities from the worlds of music, entertainment and sports to kick off the
LPGA Tour season. LPGA Tour champions from the past two years competed for
$1.5 million in official prize money in 72 holes of stroke play with no cut,
while celebrity participants competed using a modified Stableford format for a
$500,000 purse.
Additionally, HGV and the LPGA announced that they have reached an agreement
to extend their partnership for the next five years, growing the purse each
year to reach $2.5 million by 2029.
“We’re thrilled with the outcome of another successful Hilton Grand Vacations
Tournament of Champions, and congratulations to Lydia Ko and Jeff McNeil on
their well-deserved wins,” said Mark Wang, president and CEO of Hilton Grand
Vacations. “We’re proud to underscore our commitment to the LPGA and women’s
golf by extending our partnership and increasing our purse. I’m looking
forward to making each event over the next five years bigger, better and more
memorable than the last.”
The tournament integrated the company’s corporate social responsibility
program – HGV Serves – through a $100,000 donation to the ANNIKA Foundation to
support youth development and expand opportunities for female golfers at all
levels. Youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida were also
invited by HGV to the tournament for an exciting behind-the-scenes look at how
the event comes to life.
“Each year, the tournament provides an opportunity to highlight our HGV Serves
corporate social responsibility platform and partners that share our
commitment to youth development,” said Pablo Brizi, executive vice president,
chief human resources officer & corporate affairs at Hilton Grand
Vacations. “We’re excited about the impact our work with the ANNIKA Foundation
and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America will have on the lives of aspiring
young golfers and their communities.”
The 2024 HGV Tournament of Champions excitement extended off the course,
including through an exclusive three-night private concert series at Lake
Nona’s Town Center for sponsors, HGV members and guests that concluded with a
headline performance by Grammy-winning global superstar Pitbull. LPGA
Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, actress and author Stephanie Szostak and
television personality and model Blair O’Neal also led an inspiring Women's
Leadership Conference. The event brought together a variety of women in
leadership to discuss their personal and professional lives, share wisdom and
learn ways to thrive in the face of adversity.
For highlights from this year’s Tournament, visit
www.HGVLPGA.com.
About Hilton Grand Vacations Inc.
Hilton Grand
Vacations Inc. (NYSE:HGV) is recognized as a leading global timeshare company
and is the exclusive vacation ownership partner of Hilton. With headquarters
in Orlando, Florida, Hilton Grand Vacations develops, markets, and operates a
system of brand-name, high-quality vacation ownership resorts in select
vacation destinations. Hilton Grand Vacations has a reputation for delivering
a consistently exceptional standard of service, and unforgettable vacation
experiences for guests and more than 700,000 Club Members. Membership with the
Company provides best-in-class programs, exclusive services and maximum
flexibility for our Members around the world. For more information,
visit www.corporate.hgv.com.
About the LPGA
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is the world’s premier women’s
professional golf organization. Created in 1950 by 13 pioneering female
Founders, the LPGA, whose members now represent more than 60 countries, is the
longest-standing professional women’s sports organization. Through the LPGA
Tour, the Epson Tour, the LPGA Professionals, and a joint venture with the
Ladies European Tour, the LPGA provides female professionals the opportunity
to pursue their dreams in the game of golf at the highest level. In addition
to its professional tours and teaching accreditation programs, the LPGA
features a fully integrated Foundation, which provides best-in-class
programming for female golfers through its junior golf programming, and its
LPGA Amateurs division, which offers its members playing and learning
opportunities around the world. LPGA aims to use its unique platform to
inspire, transform and advance opportunities for girls and women, on and off
the golf course.
Follow the LPGA online at www.LPGA.com and on its mobile apps. Join the social conversation on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram and YouTube.
About the LPGA Tour
The LPGA Tour is the world’s leading competitive destination for the best
female professional golfers in the world. The Tour hosts more than 30 annual
events across 10 countries for over 200 Active Players, awarding total prize
funds exceeding $118 million and reaching television audiences in more than
220 countries. Follow the LPGA Tour on its U.S. television home, Golf Channel.
About Lake Nona Golf & Country Club
Recognized as
one of the world’s top private golf club communities, Lake Nona Golf &
Country Club sits at the heart of Lake Nona, one of the fastest growing and
innovative master-planned communities in America that is establishing a new
standard of living for its residents with groundbreaking initiatives around
technology, mobility, and wellbeing. For more than 35 years, Lake Nona Golf
& Country Club has delivered exceptional Central Florida living, combining
natural splendor with a dynamic lifestyle amidst a sanctuary of luxury estate
homes. The unique opportunity to live and play at Lake Nona is enhanced by a
wealth of amenities, including a Tom Fazio-designed, championship golf course,
a fully equipped golf performance center, a 40,000-square-foot Clubhouse, an
array of sports and recreational facilities and services, and a trio of
waterways. Guided by a continual pursuit of excellence, highlighted by
exceptional family experiences and outstanding service, Lake Nona Golf &
Country Club will continue to set the benchmark for lifestyle-driven club
communities for years to come.
For more information, visit: www.lakenona.club.
About Lake Nona
Planned and developed by the Tavistock
Development Company, Lake Nona is one of the fastest growing and most
innovative communities in America. Located in Orlando, Florida, the
17-square-mile community has established a new standard of living for its
residents with groundbreaking initiatives around technology, mobility, and
wellbeing. Lake Nona is located contiguous to Orlando International Airport in
the most visited destination in the U.S. The smart and connected community’s
advanced infrastructure and commitment to collaboration has drawn visionary
companies and entrepreneurs from across the globe to join its living lab
environment accelerating economic growth and opportunity across health and
life sciences, education, hospitality, and sports and performance. Lake Nona’s
attractive business ecosystem is enhanced by a thriving cultural landscape
defined by iconic architecture and engaging public art installations, miles of
trails and walkable green spaces, weekly signature events, shopping, dining
and entertainment options set amongst Central Florida’s beautiful natural
landscape and year-round sunshine.
For more information, visit www.lakenona.com.