Chandler Amateur Hannah O’Sullivan and Chandler Professional Jessi White Receive Sponsor Exemptions into Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club

2^nd Guy Golf, founded by MLB pitcher Russ Ortiz, partners as major sponsor of Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., February 5, 2015 – The Epson Tour, the Road to the LPGA, is excited to announce that Chandler amateur Hannah O’Sullivan and Chandler professional Jessi White have received sponsor exemptions to play in the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club the week of February 16-22.

O’Sullivan, a 16-year-old junior at Hamilton High School and White, a former Oregon State golfer, will compete amongst the top 120 up-and-coming professional golfers from around the world at Longbow Golf Club. The players will be competing for a total tournament purse of $100,000 with the winner earning $15,000.

The three round tournament begins on Friday, February 20 and concludes on Sunday, February 22. There will be a cut made after second round play on Saturday, February 21.

“I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to play in the LPGA Epson Tour’s Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club,” said O’Sullivan. “It will be a unique experience for me to play with up and coming professional golfers, as normally I compete against elite junior golfers and top amateurs from around the country. Longbow Golf Club is one of my very favorite golf courses in Arizona and in the country for that matter. I am very grateful for receiving the sponsor’s exemption, and I thank Bob McNichols, the other sponsors of the tournament, and also the LPGA Epson Tour.”

O’Sullivan is a rising star in the game of women’s golf. She was one of only 12 juniors in the country selected to the victorious 2014 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team.

In August of 2014, she was a semifinalist at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. She is currently 45^th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) and 13^th in the AJGA Polo rankings. O’Sullivan has already committed to play college golf at the University of Southern California (USC).

O’Sullivan won the 2012 and 2013 Arizona High School Division I Championship individual title. She was also the Arizona state high school player of the year in 2012 and 2013. She was a Rolex Junior All-American each of the last three years (2012-2014).

This will not be her first start in a professional event. She qualified for the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open held in Kohler, Wisconsin.

“My goal is to golf professionally on the biggest stage after I graduate from college at USC, so I think playing in the Epson Tour’s Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club will be a great opportunity for me to learn and gain a greater understanding of my golf game.” Said O’Sullivan.

Jessi White, who has played on the Epson Tour since 2010 and is an ambassador for 2^nd Guy Golf’s ladies brand 2^nd Girl Golf, will play in the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club for a third consecutive year.

A Bellingham, Washington native who now resides in Chandler, White notched four career top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour after playing college golf at Oregon State.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to be playing so close to my home town of the last six years, Chandler, Ariz,” said White. “I always look forward to playing in the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club – it’s one of my favorite events on The Epson Tour. This opportunity will help kick start my year and help me chase my dream of playing on the LPGA. I’m excited to showcase the great 2nd Girl Golf apparel on the golf course and contend for the $15,000 winner’s check.”

2^nd Guy Golf, founded by Russ Ortiz, has partnered as a founding sponsor of the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. Ortiz, who pitched for 12 seasons in the major leagues, started the apparel company 2^nd Guy Golf to combine his passion for fashion, golf and giving back to charity. His company also started 2^nd Girl Golf, which caters to women golfers.

All of the proceeds from 2^nd Guy Golf go towards Feed My Starving Children and Josie’s Angels.

For more information on 2^nd Guy Golf, visit http://2ndguygolf.com/.

For more information about the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club, contact tournament director Ryan Ronk at 386-341-2972 or ryan.ronk@lpga.com.

O Sullivan and White Receive Sponsor Exemptions for Gateway Classic

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