Hospitality leader announces five-year partnership extension with LPGA and an increased tournament purse of $2.5 million
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.
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Lauren George
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