JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro wins Tournament of the Year, Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G earns Green Driver Award
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 19, 2024 – Today, the LPGA announced the winners of the 2024 Gold Driver Awards. The Gold Driver Awards are open to all LPGA Tournaments from the previous season. This year’s Tournament of the Year distinction was awarded to the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro, the event’s first time receiving the honor.
The full list of categories and winners are:
Tournament of the Year
Winner: JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro
Dedicated to growing women’s golf, Walter and Shirley Wang from JM Eagle and Plastpro more than doubled the purse from $1.5 to $3.75 million in 2024, setting the pace in pushing for continued growth in purses across the LPGA Tour.
The tournament provided complimentary accommodations for players at the Hotel Roosevelt, a luxury hotel located in the heart of Los Angeles near the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Select players were also provided Porsche courtesy cars for the week.
The Tuesday Night VIP Party included a player-only giveaway raffle, with prizes valued at over $80,000.
There were extended player dining hours to include a “Happy Hour” Menu at Wilshire Country Club.
Green Driver Award presented by Dow, the Official Sustainability Resource of the LPGA
Winner: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G
The #NWAChampionship became the second LPGA Tournament certified sustainable by the GEO Foundation.
In 2024, 88% of event waste was diverted from landfills with over 38,000 pounds of waste sorted into compost, recycle and landfill streams, in partnership with Food Loops. Compostable food service utensils were used throughout the week as well.
Over 100 participants joined a guided bike ride to the tournament, promoting low-carbon travel. Free valet bike parking was also provided in partnership with Pedal it Forward, a local nonprofit.
Other local sustainability partnerships included:
Foxfire Artisan Class Company: Over 125 custom candles made from repurposed wine bottles and gifted to sponsors.
Grateful Vase: 225+ floral arrangements were donated to hospice and healthcare facilities via Grateful Vase, the nonprofit’s largest donation ever.
SparkLawn: Eco-friendly, zero-emission electric landscaping equipment was used by SparkLawn NWA for daily maintenance, reducing noise and pollution.
Best Player Experience
Winner: AIG Women’s Open
Players used the newly refurbished Royal and Ancient Clubhouse, featuring a locker room, relaxation area, showers, ice baths, pro shop, and bag store. A welcoming registration took place in the North Room, with views of the 1st tee and 18th green of St Andrews. Complimentary shoe cleaning and laundry services were also available.
A separate structure offered a concierge, a beautician (facials, nails), a relaxation area with Ishga beds, recovery equipment and a peaceful environment for players to unwind.
There were extended hours for Player Dining (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and on-course nutrition included a fully stocked halfway house and on-tee refreshments.
A new gym offered Origin equipment, complimentary Adidas gym kits and a mobile cold plunge unit for cold water therapy as well as dedicated space for physical therapy treatments.
The championship provided complimentary transfers from the Women’s Scottish Open and courtesy car services, and each player received gifts from The R&A and its partners upon registration.
Best Community Engagement
Winner: The Chevron Championship
For every birdie made on No. 17 during The Chevron Championship, Chevron donated $10,000 to their social investment partner fund. This initiative has led to more than $8.6 million donated to support community partners.
The championship created the Spectator Passport, highlighting nine Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activations on-site and encouraged fans to collect a series of stamps towards entry into a giveaway.
Spectators could also enhance their experience by purchasing a ticket to the St. Luke’s Health Pavilion, in which a portion of the proceeds from each ticket was donated to a local charity. In 2024, over $25,000 was donated to Interfaith of The Woodlands.
Best Advertising/Social Media Campaign
Winner: Mizuho Americas Open
The Mizuho Americas Open collaborated with Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show, with tournament host and ambassador Michelle Wie West appearing on the program prior to tournament week, expanding promotional outreach for the tournament in the local market and nationally.
The tournament also partnered with the New York Yankees and Delta for a first pitch experience with Wie West and Rose Zhang to garner exposure through the in-game attendance and the local New York fanbase.
With the support of Mizuho, there was branded ferry transportation for players and spectators, which provided a unique advertising opportunity targeting New York City residents during a month-long campaign.
Best Sponsor Activation
Winner: Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give
J. Brewer's | Frederik's was a 40,000 sq. ft. hospitality venue on the 4th fairway of Blythefield Country Club, which offered a unique food and beverage experience with over 60 local restaurants, breweries, and sponsors.
Open to 2,500 guests per day, Friday to Sunday, it featured an 80-foot circular bar with 90+ selections.
Guests enjoyed an all-you-can-eat restaurant-style experience, a Frederik's To Go menu for outdoor patio dining and front-row views of the course from a two-tiered terrace.
Best Volunteer Appreciation
Winner: CPKC Women’s Open
Over 1,300 dedicated volunteers were present through the CPKC Women’s Open.
The event hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Day with a complimentary breakfast, happy hour and gifts given out to all volunteers to celebrate the 50th playing of the event.
The tournament’s post-event survey showed an increase of 25 points towards their net promoter score from 2023 to 2024 amongst CPKC Women’s Open volunteers.
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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.
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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 $125 million and reaching television audiences in more than 220 countries. Follow the LPGA Tour on its U.S. television home, Golf Channel.