
The LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup is coming to New Jersey next month and it’s a great day out, whether you have a golf fan in the house or just want to spend a fun day with the kids. The Founders Cup began in 2011 to celebrate the 13 courageous women who in 1950 set out to create what is today the longest-running women’s sports organization in the world. “It was done so in a time where women were still trying to find their place in the world being accepted into every area, every aspect of life,” Tracy Hupko, sales & marketing manager for LPGA, told New Jersey Family. “They had a really tough road in that they were not supported initially in their efforts.”
Now the 2022 Cognizant Founders Cup is coming to the Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, May 9-15. It’s not just a chance to be a part of history but also to share the sport of golf with your kids. Hupko told us more about the history of the LPGA, a history sure to inspire your kids.
Celebrating the LPGA’s Founders
“They were basically 13 women who did the job of 100. They handled their marketing, they handled their promotions, they handled, actually, playing and coaching, tending to each other’s medical needs,” she said. “It was really a well-oiled machine that these 13 women were able to go out on their own with very little financial support and really develop the sports organization that today is the longest-running women’s sports organization in the world.”
Now the aim is to celebrate the founders, recognize the players of today and build a better future for the game of golf. The Girls Golf program is front and center, encouraging girls from all walks of life to take up the game.
This year’s purse will be the biggest ever in the history of the event. “It’s the largest of any of the regular year-round events worth a $3-million purse, which means the players or the champion is receiving around a $450,000 check,” says Hupko. “We’re really excited about it, but yet we’re so far behind the men. The men will play for a million-dollar check, not a million-dollar purse. Baby steps, we’re getting there.”
Hupko says there are so many opportunities for young golfers to participate in the event this year.
“One of the things we’re most proud of is that our players are very personable, very approachable. We have players that make sure they stop to sign autographs and talk to the young girls that are out there. I think it’s important for the young girls to see what a powerful empowered woman looks like in the sports field.”
The Girls Golf program’s outreach includes building chapters in communities that may have otherwise been underserved. “There are opportunities for girls to join Girls Golf at no cost, to receive equipment at no cost and they get instruction through this program,” says Hupko. “It’s an amazing way to see girls that may have the means to participate on their own joining up with other girls that may not have had an opportunity like this if there wasn’t a way for them to do so without any cost.”
Junior Day Fun for the Kids
As for the tournament itself, Junior Day takes place Saturday, May 14. All day long, there will be activities for kids to try including various stations where they can learn how to hold a golf club, how to swing and how to putt. There will also be crafts and snacks for kids of all ages to enjoy.
“It’s like just playing with your friends on the playground,” says Hupko. “It’s an opportunity for kids to learn about the game and find out if they have a natural love for it.”
You don’t have to know or love golf to have a great time at the LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup. “You can come out with your family and expose them to something new and learn that golf is one of those sports that it doesn’t matter how old you are when you start, you can play it for the rest of your life.”
Hupko says she’s seen multiple generations of family members come out and play together at these events. “By coming out as a family, you can learn, ‘Hey, there’s another opportunity for us to do something together as a family,'” she says. “If it’s not to participate in golf, it’s at least coming out, enjoying the fresh air, getting some exercise walking around, and actually having the opportunity to watch golf.”
Some of the highlights of the tournament kids and families can enjoy include honoring military families in the area on Saturday, a Junior Clinic and a Hall of Fame Skills Challenge.
“As part of our Junior Clinic, on Saturday, we will have a waffle welcome for juniors in the morning. That’s completely free for kids to come up and grab a waffle for breakfast in the morning, maybe throw on some sprinkles and some whipped cream. Then in the afternoon, we will have a junior golf clinic, which is an invitation-only clinic that will go out to the first two organizations as well as the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf in the area.”
On Saturday, there will also be a Hall of Fame Skills Challenge where participants are paired up with either an LPGA Hall of Fame member or a pioneer with a youth player. “We set up a series of challenges, everything from breaking a panel of glass to a putting contest.”
Every general admission adult purchase gets a free junior ticket and parking is included. There are many packages available and tickets start at $40. Visit thefounderslpga.com to purchase individual and week-long ticket packages.