CIGNA Golf Classic
Encyclopedia
The ING New England Golf Classic is an annual golf tournament for professional women golfers on the Duramed FUTURES Tour
, the LPGA
's developmental tour. The event has been played since 1999 in the Hartford, Connecticut
area.
Prior to 2009, the tournament had various title sponsors, most recently CIGNA
, a health service company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The 2009 season opened with the tournament lacking a title sponsor. In mid-June 2009 it was announced that ING
, a global financial institution, would become the new title sponsor.
The Tournament is a 54-hole event, as are most FUTURES Tour tournaments, and includes pre-tournament pro-am opportunities, in which local amateur golfers can play with the professional golfers from the Tour as a benefit for local charities. The benefiting charity from the New England Golf Classic is Chip in for a Cure, a Connecticut-based breast cancer charity.
Tournament names through the years:
^ Tournament shortened to 36 holes because of rain.
* Championship won in sudden-death playoff.
FUTURES Tour
The LPGA Futures Tour, previously styled in uppercase as FUTURES Tour and known for sponsorship reasons between 2006 and 2010 as the Duramed FUTURES Tour, is the official developmental golf tour of the LPGA Tour...
, the LPGA
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
's developmental tour. The event has been played since 1999 in the Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
area.
Prior to 2009, the tournament had various title sponsors, most recently CIGNA
CIGNA
Cigna , headquartered in Bloomfield, Connecticut, is a global health services company, owing to its expanding international footprint and the fact that it provides administrative services only to approximately 80 percent of its clients...
, a health service company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The 2009 season opened with the tournament lacking a title sponsor. In mid-June 2009 it was announced that ING
ING Group
The ING Group is a global financial institution offering retail banking, direct banking, commercial banking, investment banking, asset management, and insurance services. ING is the Dutch member of the Inter-Alpha Group of Banks, a cooperative consortium of 11 prominent European banks...
, a global financial institution, would become the new title sponsor.
The Tournament is a 54-hole event, as are most FUTURES Tour tournaments, and includes pre-tournament pro-am opportunities, in which local amateur golfers can play with the professional golfers from the Tour as a benefit for local charities. The benefiting charity from the New England Golf Classic is Chip in for a Cure, a Connecticut-based breast cancer charity.
Tournament names through the years:
- 1999: SNET Women's Classic
- 2000: Connecticut FUTURES Golf Classic
- 2001-2003: Lincoln Financial FUTURES Golf Classic
- 2004: GMAC FUTURES Golf Classic
- 2005-2008: CIGNA Golf Classic
- 2009–present: ING New England Golf Classic
Winners
| Year | Champion | Country | Score | Tournament Location |
Purse | Winner's Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 2011 in golf -Men's professional golf:Major championships*7–10 April: The Masters - South African Charl Schwartzel won his first major title with a two stroke margin over Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day.*16–19 June: U.S... |
Brittany Johnston Brittany Johnston Brittany Johnston is an American female professional golfer currently playing on the Futures Tour.-Personal:Johnston was born in Cleveland, Ohio on January 6, 1986 to Rod and Sandy Johnston. Her father is a PGA Master Golf Professional. She resides in Akron, Ohio.-College:Johnston played college... |
199 (−11) | Wintonbury Hills Golf Course | $100,000 | $14,000 | |
| 2010 2010 in golf -Men's professional golf:Major championships*8–11 April: The Masters - American Phil Mickelson defeated Englishman Lee Westwood by three strokes. The event also marked Tiger Woods' return from a self-imposed absence after revelations of marital infidelity; he finished tied for fourth.*17–20 June: U.S... |
Tiffany Joh Tiffany Joh Tiffany Joh is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour and on the Futures Tour.-Childhood:... |
200 (−10) | Wintonbury Hills Golf Course | $100,000 | $14,000 | |
| 2009 2009 in golf -Men's professional golf:Major championships*9–12 April: The Masters - Argentina's Ángel Cabrera won his second major in a sudden death playoff over Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell .*18–22 June: U.S... |
Dewi Claire Schreefel Dewi Claire Schreefel Dewi Claire Schreefel is a Dutch female professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour and formerly on the Futures Tour.-Personal:Schreefel was born in Alkmaar, Netherlands on 12 November 1985... |
202 (−8) | Wintonbury Hills Golf Course | $100,000 | $14,000 | |
| 2008 2008 in golf -Men's professional golf:Major championships*10–13 April: The Masters - South African Trevor Immelman won his first major by a three-stroke margin.... |
Vicky Hurst Vicky Hurst Vicky Hurst is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour.She turned professional as a 17-year-old in 2008, while still in high school. Playing on the Futures Tour that year, she won five times and set a Tour record for single season earnings with $93,107.-Childhood and... |
209 (−7) | Gillette Ridge Golf Club | $80,000 | $11,200 | |
| 2007 2007 in golf -Men's professional golf:Major championships*5-8 April: The Masters - American Zach Johnson won his first major tournament, in a high scoring week at Augusta.*14-17 June: U.S. Open - Ángel Cabrera became Argentina's first U.S... |
Taylor Leon Taylor Leon Taylor Leon is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour and on the Duramed FUTURES Tour.-Amateur career:... |
215 (−1) | Gillette Ridge Golf Club | $80,000 | $11,200 | |
| 2006 2006 in golf -Men's professional golf:Major championships*6–9 April: The Masters - Winner: Phil Mickelson The Augusta National course was lengthened to 7,445 yards for the tournament, generating some advance controversy. For the first time since 1954 neither Jack Nicklaus nor Arnold Palmer played... |
Song-Hee Kim Song-Hee Kim Song-Hee Kim is a Korean female professional golfer currently playing on the United States-based LPGA Tour.-Futures Tour :*2006 Louisiana Pelican Classic, IOS Golf Classic, Aurora Health Care Championship, CIGNA Chip in For A Cure FUTURES Golf Classic, The Gettysburg Championship-Results in LPGA... |
216 (E) | Gillette Ridge Golf Club | $70,000 | $9,800 | |
| 2005 2005 in golf -Men's professional golf:Major championships*7-10 April: Masters Tournament - Tiger Woods defeated fellow American Chris DiMarco at the first playoff hole to claim his 4th Masters title, and his 9th major. He temporarily returned to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings.*16-19 June: U.S... |
Virada Nirapathpongporn Virada Nirapathpongporn Virada Nirapathpongporn is a Thai former professional golfer who won the 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur.Nirapathpongporn was born in Bangkok, Thailand. She attended Duke University where she won the 2002 NCAA Division I Championship. She graduated in 2004 with a degree in psychology. She was voted the... |
142 (−2) | Gillette Ridge Golf Club | $70,000 | $9,800 | |
| 2004 | Nicole Perrot Nicole Perrot Nicole Perrot is a Chilean professional golfer. She is the first Chilean-born player to win on the LPGA TourPerrot was born in Viña del Mar, Chile. She won the 2001 U.S. Girls' Junior and was runner-up at the U.S. Women's Amateur that same year. She turned professional the following year. She... |
209 (−4) | Blue Fox Run Golf Course | $70,000 | $9,800 | |
| 2003 | Stacy Prammanasudh Stacy Prammanasudh Stacy Prammanasudh is a Thai American golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour.-Amateur career:Stacy was born in Enid, Oklahoma to an American mother and a native Thai father who immigrated to the United States from Thailand... |
203 (−10) | Blue Fox Run Golf Course | $60,000 | $8,400 | |
| 2002 | Linda Ishii | 208 (−5) | Blue Fox Run Golf Course | $60,000 | $8,400 | |
| 2001 |
Kathryn Cusick | 212 (−1) | Blue Fox Run Golf Course | $60,000 | $8,400 | |
| 2000 |
Christel Tomori | 140 (−2) | Blue Fox Run Golf Course | $50,000 | $7,000 | |
| 1999 | Riko Higashio Riko Higashio - Amateur career :Higashio was born in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As a teenager, she won the 1993 Japan Amateur Championship and the 1994 Japan Junior Championship.Higashio first attended Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan... |
206 (−7) | Blue Fox Run Golf Course | $50,000 | $6,600 | |
Tournament records
| Year | Player | Score | Round | Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Nicole Materne | 65 (-6) | 1st round | Blue Fox Run Golf Course, par 71 |
| 2002 | Michele Vinieratos | 65 (-6) | 2nd round | Blue Fox Run Golf Course, par 71 |
| 2007 | Mollie Fankhauswer | 67 (-5) | 1st round | Gillette Ridge Golf Club, par 72 |
| 2009 | Song Yi Choi | 64 (-6) | 1st round | Wintonbury Hills Golf Course, par 70 |