For talented young Mexican golfers aspiring to play in the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association), becoming a professional golfer is not just a dream. Five young Mexican women were invited to play in the first tournament of the 2011 LPGA Futures Tour season getting a taste of the possibilities. Known as “the road to the LPGA,” the LPGA Futures Tour has been recognized as the developmental tour for women’s professional golf since 1999.
With many professional golf courses across Mexico, it’s an ideal sport to learn, but it’s also a luxury sport, and most Mexican youth don’t have the finances to invest in a golf career after completing their education. Impulsando al Golf Profesional Mexicano (IGPM)* [Advancement of Mexican Professional Golf] helps bridge the gap. Developed four years ago to help young Mexican golfers rise to LPGA Tour player status, the organization provides economic support and professional resources to help Mexican youth improve their golf game.
This year, five young Mexican women supported by IGPM were invited to play in the first 2011 LPGA Futures Tour, Florida’s Natural Charity Classic: (1) Lili Avarez, (2) Tanya Dergal, (3) Marcela Leon, (4) Pamela Ontiveros, and (5) Sophia Sheridan. All were present except for Tanya Dergal, who had already committed to playing in the KIA Classic qualifier. Of the four women who participated in the first LPGA Futures Tour of the season, Sophia Sheridan demonstrated outstanding plays, overcoming various challenges with skill and determination.
Kicking off the 2011 LPGA Futures Tour season on March 21-27, Florida’s Natural Charity Classic was held at Lake Region Yacht and Country Club in Winter Haven, Florida. Other tournaments on the 2011 tour schedule include 16 tours in 13 of the United States and one in Mexico. The same four Mexican players will participate in the second tournament - the Daytona Beach Invitational – on April 1-3, as they strive to obtain their 2012 LPGA Tour card.
For many golfers throughout the world, golf is not just a sport but a way of life and the road to success – and is no longer just a dream thanks to the professional development programs of organizations like Mexico’s IGPM and America’s LPGA. Although amateur golfers may not participate in the big leagues, they can still take a dream golf vacation, and play on championship golf courses throughout Mexico.
* Impulsando al Golf Profesional Mexicano AC (IGPM) is a Mexican non-profit organization established in 2007 by Rosalba Papacostas and Marina Villasana to help young Mexican women achieve their professional dreams. To raise support for aspiring Mexican LPGA golfers, IGPM hosts a fundraiser pro-am tournament before the LPGA Futures Tour season begins (this year on January 24, 2011 at the Mexico City Country Club). Mexican sports celebrities and government officials play an 18-hole tournament together with male and female professional golfers, such as the best Mexican golfer of all time, Lorena Ochoa.
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