
The Ladies Professional Golf Association’s (LPGA) best golf pros are coming to NJ and you can get free tickets for one day only. General admission tickets for October 6th, the opening day of the Cognizant Founders Cup, will be free thanks to the New Jersey Golf Foundation (NJGF), the charitable arm of the New Jersey PGA Section.
The Cognizant Founders Cup is happening October 6-10 at the Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell. The world’s best professional golfers will be competing for a $3 million purse, making it the largest LPGA Tour event purse outside the majors and the CME Group Tour Championship.
Olympic Gold Medalist and the world’s #1 ranked women’s golfer, Nelly Korda, will headline a 132-player field. The tournament, which debuted in 2011, pays tribute to the 13 founding members of the LPGA, including surviving founders Marlene Bauer Hagge and Shirley Spork.
On October 6th, gates open at 6:45 am and close at 6:30 pm, with morning wave tee-offs from 7 am – 9 am and an afternoon wave from 11:50 am – 1:50 pm. Each group will have one LPGA TOUR pro competing on the front 9 and a second on the back 9 so fans can get up close to the action. Your kids can also get a free golf lesson when they show up! The NJGF will host a free golf skills clinic for boys and girls on the upper range from 4 pm – 6 pm.
Here are some other events and activities happening during the week of the Cognizant Founders Cup:
- Mentor Monday with Valley Bank: On October 4, mentors from Valley, a sponsor, will host youth mentees from 10 am to 1 pm at Mountain Ridge Country Club to learn about the many jobs available in golf and sports.
LPGA - Junior Golf Day: On October 9, a full line-up of interactive activities throughout the day will introduce kids to the game of golf. This day is perfect for the whole family and kicks off with a Waffle Welcome breakfast from 9-11 am. The lesson zone will be open from 9 am till 1 pm. Kids will have a chance to ask a golf pro questions at the Jr. Golf Day Player Appearance from 1:30-2 pm. This day is also themed as a ParTee in Pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Enter for a chance to win two VIP tickets plus a bunch of Partee in Pink merch here.
- What’s Fore Lunch presented by Valley Bank: This quarterly women’s business networking series includes a golf clinic and lunch held at Mountain Ridge and features guest speakers and LPGA representatives who connect aspects of business with elements of golf.

Tournament parking for the Cognizant Founders Cup, from October 6th – October 10th, is located at 4 Becker Farm Rd. in Roseland. Daily parking is $15 and can be purchased in advance or on-site. To buy individual tickets and week-long ticket packages, go to thefounderslpga.com.
Read more about the Cognizant Founders Cup here.