Copper Rock Golf Course hosts LPGA Symetra Tour event, first women’s pro tournament in Southern Utah

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Local golf fans will have the opportunity to watch rising stars of the women’s professional tour play during the inaugural Copper Rock Championship on April 19-24. 

Links of the Copper Rock Golf Course in Hurricane, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Copper Rock Golf Course, St. George News

The tournament allows fans to get close to the action as up-and-coming golfers from around the world compete for a $200,000 purse amid sweeping desert views at Copper Rock Golf Course in Hurricane.

Although the area is heavily promoted as a golf destination, tournament director David Viveiros said the Copper Rock Championship will be the first women’s pro tournament ever held in Southern Utah. The tournament is a sanctioned event on the Symetra Tour, the official developmental tour of the LPGA. 

“It’s a big deal for an area to have a tour event,” Viveiros said. “It tells people that golf is a booming economic business, and it definitely is in Southern Utah.” 

The Copper Rock Championship will welcome a field of 120 players. Among the players are several names that followers of women’s golf may recognize, including Cheyenne Woods, half-niece of Tiger Woods; Brigham Young University All-American Kendra Dalton; and Gabriela Ruffels, winner of the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur championship.

Additionally, the tournament provided a special exemption to Haley Sturgeon, a graduate of Dixie State University and two-time Utah PGA Omega Women’s Player of the Year. 

“They’re incredible golfers,” Viveiros said. 

Links of the Copper Rock Golf Course in Hurricane, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Copper Rock Golf Course, St. George News

Competition begins Thursday, April 22, after a series of corporate pro-am events earlier in the week. Following the second round of play on April 23, the community is invited to attend an outdoor concert featuring singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey, a Grammy Award nominee and member of the Western Music Hall of Fame. The final round of tournament play and awards ceremony will be held April 24. 

Tickets start at $30 for grounds access on all three competition days of the tournament. For $50, participants receive grounds access plus admission to the concert, and $200 VIP tickets provide grounds entry, concert admission and exclusive access to a private seating area on the 18th green along with lunch, snacks and beverages. Military personnel are eligible for a 10% discount. 

The tournament will be televised on the Golf Channel as an hour-long special showcasing the stunning scenery of the area and talented field of players. Viveiros said the production is expected to air at least three times and will be only the second Symetra Tour event shown on national television. 

The Salt Lake City-based Women’s Leadership Institute is the official charity partner of the tournament. Viveiros said their mission of advancing female business leadership in Utah aligns perfectly with Copper Rock’s quest to promote skilled and ambitious young women looking to make their mark in pro golf. 

“We thought it was a perfect relationship to have,” he added. 

Copper Rock has signed a contract with the Symetra Tour to host the tournament again in 2022 and 2023, Viveiros said, adding that more exciting developments for local golfers and golf fans are on the horizon. 

Links of the Copper Rock Golf Course in Hurricane, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Copper Rock Golf Course, St. George News

“Stay tuned,” he said. “We’re working very hard behind the scenes to make it not only a great experience but really highlighting Southern Utah as a golf destination.”  

Nestled in the Hurricane Valley, Copper Rock opened to the public in February 2020. The adventurous 6,901-yard layout forges across dunes dotted with native sagebrush against a backdrop of rustic sandstone formations. On every hole, players are treated to sweeping vistas of the grandeur offered by the Pine Valley Mountains, the Hurricane Cliffs, Zion National Park and beyond.

Marketing director Jason Timpson said that the owners and management team, all of whom live in Southern Utah, are committed to helping elevate the local golf culture as the community continues to grow. 

“We’re a new course, and we’re looking to breathe new life into the golf world here in Southern Utah,” Timpson said.

Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.

• S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T • 

Event details

  • What: Copper Rock Championship.
  • When: Monday-Saturday, April 19-24.
  • Where: Copper Rock Golf Course, 1567 W. Copper Rock Parkway, Hurricane.
  • Tickets: $30-$200.
  • Resources: EventbriteWebsite.

Resources

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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