CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — In the shadows of the iconic sandstone canyons of Zion National Park, Copper Rock Golf Course once again welcomes rising stars of women’s professional golf. The winner of the 2nd annual Copper Rock Championship will earn a $30,000 prize and be one step closer to fulfilling her dream of earning an LPGA Tour card.
Local golf fans have plenty to look forward to this weekend, championship director David Viveiros said. This year’s Copper Rock Championship offers expanded viewing opportunities with general admission seating at the first tee and along the ninth and 18th holes, which have beautiful lakes. The new VIP hospitality area extends halfway around the 18th green.
The first players will tee off at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, and play is expected to continue until just before 8 p.m. on the first two days of competition. The awards ceremony will be held around 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Tickets start at $15 per person for grounds access on the first two days of competition or $20 for the final round. Grounds passes for the entire tournament are available for $45, and daily VIP passes are available for Thursday and Friday ($100) as well as championship Saturday ($125).
For $350, VIP Champions Club tickets provide exclusive access to the private seating area on the 18th green along with lunch, snacks and beverages. These tickets also benefit the Switchpoint Community Resource Center in St. George. Along with providing food and shelter, Switchpoint offers a stepping stone to independence for people experiencing homelessness.
“We’ve sold over 4,000 tickets so far,” Viveiros said. “Come out with your family, with your friends and watch some great golf.”
The Copper Rock Championship is the fifth tournament of the 2022 Epson Tour season. A total of 120 players from 30 different countries will be competing for a $200,000 purse in a 54-hole, stroke-play format with a cut to the top 60 players plus ties after 36 holes.
Last year’s champion, Bailey Tardy of the United States, is looking to defend her title. Now in her fourth year on the Epson Tour, the 2021 Copper Rock Championship was her first professional tournament win. She eclipsed the rest of the field by a margin of three strokes, finishing at 10 under par.
“It’s a special tournament for me,” Tardy said in a press release from the Epson Tour. “The goal is always to win, but to do that for the inaugural playing of an event made it that much more special. I can’t wait to return to Copper Rock, enjoy the amazing views of Zion and have all the great memories come back.”
Eight of the current top 10 players in the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card are also set to compete. Every year, the 10 players leading in prize money earn LPGA Tour membership for the following season.
The Epson Tour, now in its 42nd competitive season, is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour. The tour was created with the mission of preparing the world’s best female professional golfers for a successful LPGA career. With more than 600 graduates and alumni moving on to the LPGA Tour, former Epson Tour players have won 459 LPGA titles.
Copper Rock Golf Course is Southern Utah’s newest golf destination and features 6,901 yards of adventure laid out among the native sage, desert dunes and copper mountains of Hurricane Valley. Although Southern Utah has long been popular among golfers, last year’s Copper Rock Championship was the first professional women’s tournament ever held in the area.
Again this year, the championship will be televised on the Golf Channel as an hourlong special showcasing the course’s stunning natural beauty and the talented international field of players. Viveiros said more than 200,000 golf fans tuned in to the last installment.
“They’re top-notch players,” he added. “Southern Utah will eventually see a player that comes through Copper Rock either win on the LPGA tour or win a major.”
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
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Event details
- What: 2022 Copper Rock Championship.
- When: Thursday through Saturday, April 21-23, all day.
- Where: Copper Rock Golf Course, 1567 W. Copper Rock Parkway, Hurricane.
- Tickets: $15-$350.
- Resources: Website.
Resources
- Copper Rock Golf Course | Location: 1567 W. Copper Rock Parkway, Hurricane | Telephone: 435-359-9339 or 435-215-4845 | Email: [email protected] | Website.
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