LPGA Returning to Hawaii

After a two-year absence, the LPGA Tour will be returning to Hawaii. The tour will hold the LPGA Lotte Championship Presented by J Golf April 18-21.

The $1.7 million event will have 144 players and a Saturday finish. The tournament venue will be announced in the near future.

"We are honored that such an established and well-respected conglomerate like Lotte has chosen the LPGA to expand its global platform," said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan.

"Together with Lotte and J Golf, we look forward to returning to the Hawaiian Islands, where our Tour has such a great history of fantastic golf."

The LPGA Tour will be releasing its full 2012 schedule next week. Among the new tournaments added this year are the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic in Waterloo, Canada, and the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic.

The tour hopes to add at least one more tournament this year.

Hawaii currently hosts two PGA Tour events, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, which starts today, and next week's Sony Open. As recently as 2008, the LPGA had three events in Hawaii. But that number dropped to zero in 2010 due to the loss of corporate sponsorships and the recession.

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