Symetra Tour

The Symetra Tour, previously known as the LPGA Futures Tour and known for sponsorship reasons between 2006 and 2010 as the Duramed Futures Tour, is the official developmental golf tour of the LPGA Tour. Tour membership is open to professional women golfers and to qualified amateurs.

History

The Futures Tour was founded in Florida in 1981 as the "Tampa Bay Mini Tour". It officially became the Futures Golf Tour in 1983[1] and in 1999 become a national tour designated as the "official developmental tour" of the LPGA Tour (the U.S.-based professional women's golf tour).

Grace Park, Marilyn Lovander and Audra Burks were the first players to receive automatic LPGA Tour exempt status by finishing one, two, and three on the Futures Golf Tour Money List.[1]

The minimum age for participation was lowered to 17 prior to the 2006 season.[2] On July 18, 2007, the LPGA announced that it had acquired the Futures Tour effective immediately, "bringing women's professional golf now under one umbrella." Previously the Futures Tour had operated as a licensee of the LPGA.[3]

Duramed, a pharmaceutical company, was the tour's title sponsor from 2006 through the end of the 2010 season.

In 2010, the tour was known as the "LPGA Futures Tour." In 2012, Symetra, a United States-based insurance provider, became the title sponsor of the tour and tour's name was changed to "Symetra Tour".

Promotion to LPGA

1999–2007

From 1999 through 2007 the top five leading money winners at the end of each season earned full membership in the following season's LPGA Tour. Starting with the sixth-ranked player at the end of the season, ten additional Futures Tour players who are not already members of the LPGA, automatically advanced into the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, bypassing the sectional qualifying tournament.

2008–2010

Beginning in 2008 the process for promotion to the LPGA Tour was changed. The top ten leading money winners at the end of the season gain membership on the LPGA Tour for the next season, with those finishing in the top five positions gaining higher priority for entry into events than those finishing in positions six through ten. Finishers in positions sixth through ten still have the option to attend LPGA Qualifying School to try to improve their membership for the following season.[4]

2011–present

Beginning in 2011, the promotion process was changed slightly to allow the next 12 players, excluding current LPGA members, after the top ten qualifiers to automatic entry into Stage III of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament.[5]

The Symetra Tour also offers instant promotion to the LPGA for those who win three times in a single season, similar to the PGA-affiliated Korn Ferry Tour and European Tour-affiliated Challenge Tour.

Players

Players come from around the world to compete on the Symetra Tour.

Futures Tour graduates include LPGA tournament winners Laura Davies, Meaghan Francella, Cristie Kerr, Christina Kim, Mo Martin, Lorena Ochoa, Grace Park, Stacy Prammanasudh, Sherri Steinhauer, and Karrie Webb.

Historical tour schedules and results
YearNumber of
tournaments		Total prize
money (US$)		Prize money (US$)
per tournament
2020101,625,000162,500
2019234,000,000173,913
2018212,990,000142,381
2017222,950,000[6]134,091
2016233,125,000135,870
2015232,420,000105,217
2014202,250,000112,500
2013151,625,000108,333
2012161,755,000[7]109,688
2011161,765,000[8]110,313
2010171,920,000[9]112,941
2009171,795,000[10]105,588
2008181,710,000[11]95,000
2007191,585,000[12]83,421
2006191,425,000[13]75,000

Awards
  • The Player of the Year Award is given to the player who leads the money list at the end of the season.
  • The Gaëlle Truet Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the player competing in her first professional season who finishes highest on the Symetra Tour money List. Truet was a Tour member who was killed in a car accident during the 2006 season. The award was renamed in her honor beginning in 2006.
  • The Trainor Award has been given each year since 1999 to an individual or group that has made a significant contribution to women's golf. It is named in honor of the Tour's founder and former president, Eloise Trainor.
  • The Heather Wilbur Spirit Award has been given each year since 2003 to a Symetra Tour player who "best exemplifies dedication, courage, perseverance, love of the game and spirit toward achieving goals as a professional golfer." It is named in memory of Heather Wilbur, a four-year Futures Tour player who died from leukemia in 2000 at age 27.
YearPlayer of the YearRookie of the YearTrainor AwardHeather Wilbur Spirit Award
2020 Ana Belac Ana Belac
2019 Perrine Delacour Patty Tavatanakit
2018 Ruixin Liu Linnea Ström
2017 Benyapa Niphatsophon Hannah GreenPotawatomi Nation tribes Laura Wearn
2016 Madelene Sagström Madelene Sagström John Ritenour and Valli Ritenour Ally McDonald
2015 Annie Park Annie Park Walt Lincer Casey Grice
2014 Marissa Steen Min Lee Mike Vadala Min Seo Kwak
2013 P.K. Kongkraphan Giulia Molinaro Kyung Ahn Moon Melissa Eaton
2012 Esther Choe Mi Hyang Lee Zayra Calderon Nicole Jeray
2011 Kathleen Ekey Sydnee Michaelsn/a Izzy Beisiegel
2010 Cindy LaCrosse Jennifer SongExecutive Women's Golf Association Mo Martin
2009 Mina Harigae Mina Harigae Renee Powell Malinda Johnson
2008 Vicky Hurst Vicky Hurst Jocelyne Bourassa Katie Fraley
2007 Emily Bastel Violeta Retamoza Cynthia Rihm Jenny Hansen
2006 Song-Hee Kim Song-Hee Kim Sherrin Smyers Katie Connelly
2005 Seon-Hwa Lee Sun Young Yoo Karrie Webb Salimah Mussani
2004 Jimin Kang Aram Cho Decatur, Illinois Women's Committees Lindsey Wright
2003 Stacy Prammanasudh Soo Young Moon Wilma Gilliland Heather Wilbur
2002 Lorena Ochoa Lorena Ochoa Bob Hirschman and Connie Shorb
2001 Beth Bauer Beth Bauer Diane Lewis
2000 Heather Zakhar Jamie Hullett Betty Puskar
1999 Grace Park Lew Williams
1998 Michelle Bell
1997 Marilyn Lovander
1996 Vickie Moran
1995 Patty Ehrhart
1994 Marilyn Lovander
1993 Nanci Bowen
1992 Jodi Figley
1991 Kim Williams
1990 Denise Baldwin
1989 Jennifer MacCurrach
1988 Jenny Lidback
1987 Laurel Kean
1986 Tammie Green
1985 Tammie Green
1984 Penny Hammel

The Big Break

Many of the contestants on The Golf Channel's The Big Break III: Ladies Only, which aired in the Spring of 2005, played on the Futures Tour, including Danielle Amiee, who ended up being the show's overall champion. The other players from the show that played on the Futures Tour were Jan Dowling, Valeria Ochoa, runner-up Pamela Crikelair, and LPGA veteran Cindy Miller. Show co-host Stephanie Sparks played on the Futures Tour from 1996 to 1999.

The Big Break V: Hawaii, which aired in the spring of 2006, included six additional Futures Tour competitors: Dana Lacey, Ashley Prange, Kim Lewellen, Kristina Tucker, Becky Lucidi and Jeanne Cho. Prange won the competition; Cho was runner-up.

The Big Break VI: Trump National, broadcast in the fall of 2006, included six more Futures Tour players: Rachel Bailey, the individual winner of the 2002 Sunbelt Conference Championship at New Mexico State University; Bridget Dwyer, a member of the 2004 NCAA Women's Golf Championship winning team at UCLA; Ashley Gomes, the 2004 WAC Player of the Year and individual winner of the 2004 WAC Championship while at San Jose State University; Sarah Lynn Johnston, the 2004 Southern Conference Player of the Year and individual winner of the 2004 Southern Conference Championship while at Furman University; Kristy McPherson, a three-time NCAA All-American First Team selection and two-time individual winner of the SEC Championship while at The University of South Carolina; and Briana Vega, who holds North Carolina State University's scoring records for 18-holes (68) and 54-holes (216).

Notes and references
  1. Lisa D. Mickey. "Silver Anniversary Salute: Futures Tour Prepares For Next 25 Years". Duramed Futures Tour. Archived from the original on 2007-04-09. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
  2. "Duramed Futures Tour Lowers Minimum Age Requirement". Golf Business Wire. February 1, 2006. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  3. "LPGA acquires Duramed Futures Tour". LPGA.com. 2007-07-18. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
  4. "LPGA Tour Cards Award to Duramed Futures Tour Top 10". LPGA. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  5. "Ten LPGA Futures Tour Players Earn 2012 LPGA Tour Membership". LPGA. September 11, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
  6. 2017 Tournament Schedule
  7. 2012 Tournament Schedule Archived 2012-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
  8. 2011 Tournament Schedule Archived 2011-11-25 at the Wayback Machine
  9. 2010 Tournament Schedule Archived 2011-10-30 at the Wayback Machine
  10. 2009 Tournament Schedule Archived 2011-10-30 at the Wayback Machine
  11. 2008 Tournament Schedule Archived 2011-10-30 at the Wayback Machine
  12. 2007 Tournament Schedule Archived 2011-10-30 at the Wayback Machine
  13. 2006 Tournament Schedule Archived 2011-10-30 at the Wayback Machine
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