CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Over 100 players will travel from around the world to participate in this year’s Copper Rock Championship, the only women’s professional golf tournament in Utah. Set for April 27-29, the event features a competitive field of athletes hungry to win their share of a $220,000 purse.
And that purse, notably increased from $200,000 last year, is the focal point of efforts to close golf’s gender pay gap, which remains one of the largest in professional sports. The owners of the Copper Rock Championship have signed a contract to continue hosting the event through 2028, which includes a commitment to annual purse increases of $10,000. That doesn’t include money raised by the Clyde Challenge, a pay equity initiative organized by one of the tournament’s executive partners.
The Copper Rock Championship is sponsored primarily by Soltis Investment Advisors, Zions Bank, the City of Hurricane, the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office and Henderson Hospitality Management.
“We believe in trying to bring equity to golf, and we appreciate our sponsors for sharing that vision,” said Penny James-Garcia, volunteer and event coordinator for the tournament. “We’re proud to represent Utah as a state that supports women’s professional golf.”
The Copper Rock Championship is part of the Epson Tour, the qualifying tour of the LPGA that was created to prepare the rising stars of women’s golf for a successful professional career. Every year, the 10 players leading in prize money receive LPGA Tour membership for the following season.
The average purse of an event on the Epson Tour is $210,000 for the top 60 players. The winner will earn $31,500, but 60th place only receives about $800. That barely covers the tournament entry fee, let alone travel, lodging and food expenses for the week. No prize money is awarded to the other half of the field that doesn’t make the cut for the final round of play.
Now compare those numbers to an event on the Korn Ferry Tour, the official developmental tour of the PGA, where the top 70 players share an average purse of $1.07 million. The typical winner’s share is $181,260, and 70th place will receive approximately $4,000.
In 2022, the most successful player on the Epson Tour earned $119,190, while the Korn Ferry Tour’s prize money leader raked in $497,263. And that’s exactly why Clyde Companies is committed to leading the charge for gender pay parity in professional golf.
The Clyde Challenge pay equity match invites corporations to help close the gap by increasing the purse at the Copper Rock Championship. Clyde Companies has pledged to add $5,000 to this year’s prize money, and the goal is to raise $100,000 in total.
“With our sponsorship of the Copper Rock Championship, we saw an opportunity to make a bigger difference. Subsequently, we created the Clyde Challenge,” said Ally Isom, the vice president and chief strategy and marketing officer of Clyde Companies. “We challenge our business colleagues across the state to join us in sending the message that Utah is changing things for the better for women.”
The organizers of the Copper Rock Championship are dedicated to fostering golf within the local community as well. On Saturday at 1 p.m., Southern Utah’s junior golfers are invited to attend a clinic at the Copper Rock Golf Course driving range.
Gina Higbee, the women’s golf assistant coach at Utah Tech University, will teach techniques for proper setup, alignment, grip, ball position and body rotation along with generating club head speed. Admission to the tournament and clinic is free for all registered members of the Junior Association of Golfers accompanied by a paying adult.
The third annual Copper Rock Championship features three days and 54 holes of thrilling competition, with play beginning at 7:30 a.m. each day. Tickets cost $15 for grounds access on Thursday and Friday, $20 for the final round on Saturday and $45 for the entire tournament. General admission passes include access to the 1st and 10th tees as well as the bleachers at the 9th and 18th greens.
Offering exclusive access to the 18th green’s private seating area along with a buffet lunch, snacks and beverages, VIP tickets start at $100 for daily access on Thursday and Friday. Passes cost $125 for access on Saturday and $275 for all three days of play. Get your tickets today at CopperRockChampionship.com.
Event details
- What: 2023 Copper Rock Championship.
- When: Thursday through Saturday, April 27-29, all day.
- Where: Copper Rock Golf Course, 1567 W. Copper Rock Parkway, Hurricane.
- Tickets: $15-$275.
- Resources: Website.
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
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