LPGA Tour set to tee it up at Aurora's Magna Golf Club in 2019

Top women golfers in the world to challenge Carrick-designed layout

Yorkregion.com
July 9, 2018
John Cudmore

The top female golfers in the world will be carting their clubs to Aurora next summer for an LPGA Tour event.

Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific announced July 9 that the 2019 Canadian Pacific (CP) Women’s Open championship tournament will be held at Magna Golf Club in Aurora. The tournament and surrounding activities will run from Aug. 19 to 25.

"Magna Golf Club is truly a magnificent facility which will prove to be a world-class experience for the stars of the LPGA Tour," said Golf Canada CEO, Laurence Applebaum, as an audience including Canadian golf legends Sandra Post and Marlene Streit listened. "The CP Women's Open is one of Canada's premier sporting events and we are thrilled to return to the Toronto area for the first time in nearly 20 years so golf fans and partners can experience the incredible Magna Golf Club as well as the global excitement of the LPGA Tour.

"It is great to be in Aurora and part of the community. We will continue to have dialogue to bring Newmarket and Aurora into the fold to be even more involved in the event."

Also announced was a five-year extension through 2023 for CP as title sponsor for the tournament.

First held in 1973, the tournament typically presents one of the strongest fields on the LPGA Tour. The 2018 tournament is being held Aug. 20 to 26 in Regina.

It is estimated the 2019 event will have a $15 to $18-million impact for York Region. The magnitude of the event impressed Aurora Mayor Geoff Dawe.

"Gee. Just gee!," said Dawe "This is such a great opportunity for the Town of Aurora. The economical impact is incredible. The opportunity to highlight Aurora and York Region is phenomenal."

The purse of  $2.25-million projected for the 2019 event is among the largest contested on the women’s tour.

The past few week or so has been a whirlwind for Magna as the pieces were put into place for the announcement.

"To host an LPGA event is an absolute honour," said Magna general manager and head golf pro, Stuart Brindle. "We're thrilled. This will have a tremendous impact on the community.

"We were talking back and forth for a number of weeks but late last week was when it looked to be finalized. Golf Canada made a site visit Friday and wanted to make the announcement today."

The tournament was last held in GTA in 2001 at Angus Glen in Markham when Annika Sorenstam catured the title.

Through its first four years at title sponsor, CP has donated more than $6.5 million to local charities through its CP Has Heart program.