There are fewer stops on the 2020 Symetra Tour — Road to the LPGA — than originally planned. But, the team at Insurance Office of America (IOA) isn’t going to let a revised schedule spoil an exciting start to the international insurance agency’s first sponsored event on the card: the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. Below are some key details about the quickly approaching tournament.
Where, When, and How Much
The eighth annual IOA Championship will take place in Beaumont, CA, at the Morongo Golf Club in Tukwet Canyon from August 21–23. Competing in a 54-hole stroke play format for the event’s $125,000 purse, 132 players are set to take the field. Round one and two will start at 7 a.m. PT and the third round of the event will start at 8 a.m. PT.
No One to Defend the Title
At this year’s IOA Championship, there will be no one to defend the 2019 title. Since last year’s event champion, Jillian Hollis, graduated from the Symetra Tour, she will not play in Tukwet Canyon to reclaim or relinquish her title this year. However, as Hollis competes in the LPGA Tour, returning players and newcomers will take on the IOA Championship to score the winner’s share of $18,750.
A Word From Sponsor IOA
IOA has been a title sponsor on the Symetra Tour since 2013 — the inaugural year of the IOA Golf Classic. Since then, former IOA Chairman and CEO John Ritenour has built an even stronger relationship with the Symetra Tour and signed the full-service insurance agency up to title sponsor two additional annual events: the IOA Championship and IOA Invitational. Now, his son Heath is proud to continue IOA’s Symetra Tour partnerships for the 2020 competitive season.
“Hosting this championship tournament and working with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians to help showcase the next wave of LPGA Tour talent is really special for our whole organization,” said IOA Chairman and CEO Heath Ritenour. “We are very excited to welcome all of the competitors to Beaumont, California, and provide a first-class experience they won’t forget.”