Lake Nona to host the second edition of the Gainbridge LPGA in 2021

  • Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden poses with the trophy after winning the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio on January 26, 2020 in Boca Raton. Photo:Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
    Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden poses with the trophy after winning the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio on January 26, 2020 in Boca Raton. Photo:Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and Group1001 has announced that Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in will host the second edition of the Gainbridge LPGA in 2021. 

The event will be Feb. 25-28 and feature a field of 120 players competing for a $2 million purse.

 “We are thrilled to bring the LPGA Tour to Lake Nona Golf & Country Club for the second event of our record-breaking 2021 season,” said Ricki Lasky, the LPGA’s chief tournament business officer. “Lake Nona will be a quality, competitive test for the world’s best professional golfers, and we’re excited to showcase their abilities in Orlando come February on a global stage.” 

 This is the second LPGA Tour event to be held at Lake Nona. In 1990, the club hosted the inaugural Solheim Cup, where the United States defeated Europe, 11.5 to 4.5. Noted as one of the top private golf and country clubs in the world, the picturesque, 600-acre Lake Nona Golf & Country Club is located within Lake Nona, a 17-square-mile community in an aerotropolis setting that is recognized among the fastest-growing and most innovative in the nation. Designed by Tom Fazio, Lake Nona’s 18-hole championship golf course has also served as the host venue for the World Cup of Golf (1993), the Tavistock Cup (2004, 2007, 2009, 2012), U.S. Open qualifiers (1993, 2003, 2009) and numerous amateur tournaments.

 “We couldn’t be happier to welcome back the LPGA and the top women golfers in the world to our championship course at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club,” said Rasesh Thakkar, Senior Managing Director of Tavistock Group. “We love the global vision of the LPGA and its athletes who inspire and empower people from all walks of life, even beyond the game of golf.”

 The Gainbridge LPGA will be the second of five events in Florida during the 2021 season, along with the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America (Lake Buena Vista), the Drive On Championship at Golden Ocala presented by JTBC (Ocala), the Pelican Women’s Championship presented by DEX Imaging and Konica Minolta (Belleair) and the CME Group Tour Championship (Naples). In 2020 at the inaugural Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club in Boca Raton, Madelene Sagstrom became a Rolex First-Time Winner with a one-stroke victory over Nasa Hataoka.  

 “We are grateful to continue our work with the LPGA Tour and to confirm Lake Nona Golf & Country Club for the 2021 event,” said Dan Towriss, CEO and President, Group1001 and Gainbridge.  “While it will be different without the presence of fans, Lake Nona offers the best female golfers a playing opportunity early in the Tour’s season. We are honored to be able to support the LPGA Tour and its players.”