News

2nd Annual Marilynn Smith Arizona Senior Women’s Open and Pro-Am Set For April 24-26, 2023

For Immediate Release
March 14, 2023

Media Contact: David Bataller, Director of Communications
(602)-944-3035 | [email protected]

Player Contact: Amy Fruhwirth, Programs Manager
(602) 944-3035 | [email protected]

SCOTTSDALE – The Arizona Golf Association today announced the 2nd Annual Marilynn Smith Arizona Senior Women’s Open and Scholarship Pro-Am, set for April 24-26, 2023, at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa. The exciting week of golf will feature 120 players joining 30 professionals in the Scholarship Pro-Am on Monday, April 24. The following day, a sold-out field of 80 players (comprised of 40 two-woman teams) will compete for a $60,000 purse, with the winning team taking home $15,000.

“We are excited to bring back the Marilynn Smith Arizona Senior Women’s Open and Scholarship Pro-Am after a successful inaugural event in 2022,” said Joe Foley, Executive Director of the Arizona Golf Association. “The list of confirmed players, including Hall of Famers and Tour Legends, shows the excitement building for women’s golf in Arizona and across the country.”

“Marilynn Smith lived her life as a trailblazer, uplifting, befriending and making a difference for others, especially for women,” said Debbie Waitkus, President of the Golf It Forward™ Foundation. “I’m sure she’s smiling about the success of her annual Scholarship Pro-Am and amazed that the Arizona Women’s Open purse is larger than the $50,000 overall LPGA payout in 1950!”

The Marilynn Smith Arizona Senior Women’s Open field is full, and includes 2024 World Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Sandra Palmer, LPGA Hall of Famer JoAnne Carner, 2021 and 2022 U.S. Curtis Cup Captain Sarah Ingram, 2013 European-winning Solheim Cup Captain Liselotte Neumann, Danielle and Dina Ammaccapane, Brandie Burton, Kay Cockerill, and defending champions Lisa DePaulo and Rosie Jones. For a full list of players, click here.

On Sunday, April 23, the community is invited to attend Sunday Tea at Papago Golf Club in Phoenix. Joe Passov, award winning Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) award-winning journalist Joe Passov will interview players, including Tournament Honoree and 1991 World Golf Hall of Inductee Pat Bradley, 2022 World Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Susie Berning, Palmer and Carner. Guests will enjoy refreshments, an expo and an incredible memorabilia display. Sponsorship opportunities are available for the Sunday Tea, the Marilynn Smith Scholarship Pro-Am and Arizona Women’s Open, ranging from Presenting Sponsor to General Benefit Sponsorships. For more information on sponsorships, please contact Chris Montgomery by email at [email protected], or by phone at (602) 872-7011.

On Monday, April 24, the Marilynn Smith Scholarship Pro-Am will see amateurs tee it up with special guests and professionals playing in the Arizona Senior Women’s Open, with proceeds going to the Marilynn Smith Scholarship Fund. The MSSF provides scholarships to female high school seniors who plan to play golf at an accredited college or university in the United States. In 2022, the Pro-Am funded 15 of the overall 24 awarded and the 2023 goal is to fund fifteen more $5,000 scholarships. Registration is currently full, please contact Amy Fruhwirth at [email protected] to be added to the waitlist.

For all information on the Marilynn Smith Arizona Women’s Open, visit azgolf.org/azwomensopen.

About Golf It Forward Foundation

GOLF IT FORWARD™ is the public face of the Marilynn Smith and Founders’ Legacy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. The journey of the 13 founders of the LPGA started with a hope to introduce more woman to the game of golf and provide opportunities for those women to compete. Along the way they forged friendships, found a family and fueled a motivation to make a difference. Golf It Forward carries on the legacy of the Marilynn Smith Scholarship Fund, which, since 1999,has awarded more than $1 million to over 200 young women to pursue their collegiate academic dreams and further their golf careers. For more information, visit golfitforward.org.

About The Marilynn Smith Scholarship Fund

Marilynn Smith Scholarships are granted annually through The LPGA Foundation. A founding member of the LPGA in 1950, Marilynn established the fund in 1999 with the proceeds of a golf tournament she organized. The objective of the Marilynn Smith Scholarship is to provide a scholarship to a female high school senior who has played golf in high school or in her community and is planning to play golf at an accredited college or university in the United States. The Marilynn Smith Scholarship is awarded to high school seniors who will play golf at the collegiate level. To date, more than $1 million has been granted to over 200 young women.

About Arizona Golf Association

The Arizona Golf Association has been serving amateur golfers in Arizona since 1923 when it held the first State Amateur Championship. Today, it is licensed by the United States Golf Association to provide handicapping and course rating services to member clubs, to provide tournament and rules expertise and to oversee the application of amateur status.

About Longbow Golf Club

Longbow Business Park and Golf Club is a 330-acre, mixed-use development, being developed by Daedalus Real Estate Advisors, that incorporates office, light industrial, retail, hotel and residential uses surrounded by desert vegetation, a main street transportation design and features the award-winning Longbow Golf Club. Troon managed Longbow Golf Club was originally designed by Ken Kavanaugh in 1997. In 2003, Daedalus commissioned Kavanaugh to execute a complete redesign of the golf course creating a complete refresh layout. For more information on Longbow Golf Club, visit longbowgolf.com or call (480) 807-5400.