FireKeepers Casino Hotel announces “Road to the LPGA” championship

BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The 14th stop on the 2021 “Road to the LPGA” takes the Symetra Tour to Battle Creek Country Club for the eighth-annual FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, which takes place August 6-8.

Officials with the casino made the announcement on Monday.

“We are extremely grateful for our partnership with the FireKeepers Casino Hotel this season. Last year, their team worked tirelessly as the first tournament back after our break due to COVID-19,” Chief Business officer of LPGA Qualifying Tours Mike Nichols said in a statement. “Our staff and athletes look forward to returning once again to Battle Creek Country Club that annually provides a unique challenge for our players and has crowned some great champions – including current No. 2 in the Race for the Card, Ruixin Liu last year.”

Greeting the 144-player field in Battle Creek is a total purse of $175,000.

Individuals are set to compete in a 54-hole stroke play format, cut to the low 60 and ties after 36 holes. The winner’s share for the event is $26,250.

“We are so excited to once again host the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship this summer,” Tournament Director and FireKeepers Casino Hotel CEO Kathy George said in a statement. “Bringing this caliber of an event to the Battle Creek Country Club provides a great opportunity for our community to support these young golfers while bringing visitors from around the world to the Battle Creek area.”

Defending champion Ruixin Liu (Guangdong, People’s Republic of China) is among the competitors.

The win was the fourth of her professional career and one of fifteen career top-10 results. This year, Liu has claimed two champion titles in the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic and Casino Del Sol Golf Classic.

She currently is No. 4 in the Race for the Card with season earnings of $74,442.

“I am really excited to tee off at Battle Creek again this year as a defending champion,” Liu said in a statement. “This will be a first-time experience for me, I haven’t played any Symetra Tour events as defending champion before. Of course, I hope I can do as well as 2020 at Battle Creek Country Club but the main goal is to go out there and have some fun and also improve my game.”

As well as the normal payout, players receive “Potawatomi Points” with $30,000 in total bonus money distributed over the three participating events.

The top players in the points standings receive a sum from the prize pool, including $5,000 to the Potawatomi Cup winner who has competed in all three events at the conclusion of the Four Winds Invitational at South Bend Country Club in South Bend, Ind., Aug. 13-15.

Action gets underway at 7:30 a.m. EDT all three days with play starting off No. 1 and No. 10 tees in each round.

A trophy presentation on No. 18 green is set to follow final round play.

More information can be found online at www.SymetraTour.com, as well as Facebook.com/Road2LPGA.