Total purse grows to $125,000; event moves to May 23-29

BROCKTON, Mass., March 3, 2016 - The Epson Tour, Road to the LPGA, announced today that the 2016 W.B. Mason Championship will be contested the week of May 23-29 at Thorny Lea Golf Club. The second annual tournament will feature the top 132 aspiring LPGA Tour professionals from the United States and around the globe.

The 54-hole stroke play format will begin on Friday, May 27 and conclude on Sunday, May 29. There will be a cut to the top 60 and ties following second round play on May 28.

The tournament purse will increase from $110,000 to $125,000. The winner will earn $18,750 and move up the Volvik Race for the Card money list. The top 10 on the final money list will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2017 season.

“W.B. Mason really stepped up in year one to showcase women’s professional golf in our backyard and now we’re ready to grow,” said Tournament Director Robby Thompson of Thorny Lea. “This is a fantastic event for not only Brockton, but all of Boston. These are the brightest stars in the game of women’s golf and we hope to see great support from our sports crazy town.”

In 2015, Vicky Hurst posted three rounds in the 60’s to win her first Epson Tour event since 2008. Hurst, who played on the U.S. Solheim Cup team in 2011, came back to the Epson Tour in 2015 because of injuries. The win in Brockton propelled her to an eighth place finish on the Volvik Race for the Card money list to earn LPGA Tour membership for 2016.

“Winning the W.B. Mason Championship was a huge confidence booster for me and it helped me get back to the LPGA,” said Hurst. “Although I won’t be playing in the event this year, I know that it will be a first class all the way and I really want to urge golf fans in the area to come out and support.”

Rockland native Megan Khang played in the 2015 W.B. Mason Championship on a sponsor exemption and finished in a tie for 17th. Khang earned LPGA membership by passing through all three stages of LPGA Qualifying Tournament in 2015 and is now playing full-time against the best in the world. She finished T11 in her debut at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic.

“Getting to play in the 2015 W.B. Mason Championship was a highlight of my year because I got to play in an area that I love and am proud to call home,” said Khang. “I look forward to representing Rockland on the LPGA for many years to come.”

Volunteer registration is now open by visiting www.wbmasonchampionship.com. Local volunteers are critical to the operation of the tournament. Positions include cart drivers, leaderboard operators, standard bearers and more.

The W.B. Mason Championship is the eighth event on the Epson Tour schedule, which features 23 tournaments in 14 different states around the U.S. Former players include 2015 U.S. Solheim Cup hero Gerina Piller, 2015 LPGA Tour winner Brooke Henderson and current World No. 2 Inbee Park.

For more general information about the W.B. Mason Championship including playing in the pro-am, contact Tournament Director Robby Thompson at rtmarketinglgc@gmail.com.

W.B. Mason Championship Returns to Thorny Lea for Second Year

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