Wascana Country Club already gearing up for LPGA major tournament
The countdown is on.
Fewer than 365 days remain until the opening round of the LPGA’s 2018 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, which begins Aug. 20 at the Wascana Country Club.
WCC chief executive officer Greg Dukart was initially contacted by Economic Development Regina in 2014 about the possibility of the Wascana playing host to championship golf events.
After an unsuccessful bid for a 2016 tournament, Dukart and his club — in conjunction with Tourism Saskatchewan, the City of Regina and the Regina Hotel Association — secured the 2018 LPGA event.
Considerable advance work has already been done, but the next year will still be busy.
“We’re nowhere near ready,” the longtime Wascana Country Club CEO says with a laugh. “There’s a lot of work yet to be done.”
The first LPGA tournament in Saskatchewan is to feature more than 150 of the world’s top female professional golfers.
In addition to scores of coaches, sports psychologists, nutritionists and caddies converging on Regina for the week, Dukart anticipates a huge influx of fans.
As if the profile wasn’t already high enough, the tournament will be telecast live on The Golf Channel, reaching a potential 200 million households internationally.
“It’s great to be a part of a project like this.
“It’s something that I’ve done before, but my team and I are happy to do it for the club, the city, and the province,” says Dukart, who served as director of golf at East Sussex National Golf Club in England after starting his golf career as a junior member of the WCC in the 1970s.
In anticipation of the tournament, which runs Aug. 20-26 next year, the Wascana Country Club host committee has formed 21 subcommittees under the direction of Golf Canada. Those groupings are currently working on recruiting 500 volunteers for the tournament.
Representatives from Golf Canada will visit Regina in the fall to provide further directives for the various subcommittees, and construction of projects like the gallery, concession areas, and broadcast and parking compounds.
The anticipated economic impact of the event is up to $10 million. More than that, Dukart is hoping the LPGA event does something more than generate income.
“Hopefully by having the event, we’ll be able to grow golf in our province, and maybe inspire young girls and boys who will have a chance to approach these top 156 golfers in the world that we get to see on TV every week,” Dukart says.
“It’s really a unique opportunity for everybody who gets to be a part of this spectacular event.”
More information about the tournament, as well as a volunteer application form, can be found at www.cpwomensopen.com.
The Wascana is also playing host to the Canadian mid-amateur men’s golf championship from Tuesday to Friday.