THE Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and CME Group, the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, today announced an extension of the CME Group Tour Championship and the season-long Race to the CME Globe through 2027. Since assuming title sponsorship of the LPGA Tour’s season-ending tournament in 2011, CME Group has consistently grown its support, becoming one of the world’s most prominent sponsors of women’s sports.
This title extension is yet another demonstration of CME Group’s long-standing support for LPGA Tour athletes. The 2024 CME Group Tour Championship will feature an enhanced total purse of US$11 million (RM46m), including a historic US$4m (RM16m) first-place prize, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf. The runner-up will receive US$1m (RM4m).
“CME Group is proud to build on our commitment to celebrating women’s golf through the CME Group Tour Championship, which offers the largest single prize in the game and the highest prize purse on the LPGA Tour,“ said CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Terry Duffy. “We are pleased to extend our sponsorship and continue working with the LPGA and its talented athletes. For more than a decade, we have been able to help create an increasingly exciting experience for players and fans around the world, all while helping the sport grow to over 7 million women golfers. As enthusiasm for women’s golf continues to grow, this partnership with the LPGA allows us to bring our brand to their increasing audience around the globe.”
“Further extending our partnership with CME Group through 2027 marks a significant moment for the LPGA and our athletes,“ said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “CME Group’s long-term vision and commitment have consistently propelled women’s golf forward since they first partnered with the LPGA in 2011, and their continued investment in our players is a testament to their belief in the future of women’s sports. The $4 million first-place prize is one of the largest single prizes across women’s sports and highlights CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Terry Duffy’s recognition of our athletes’ incredible talents and the value this partnership brings to CME Group on multiple levels. We’re also extremely proud to be a part of CME Group’s life-changing support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Our partnership with CME Group has been a game-changer for the LPGA, and we can’t wait to continue to work together toward further growth and impact.”
As part of its on-site footprint, CME Group will host its clients at the second annual Financial Face-off, a primary element of the week’s pro-am experience. Today, 24 teams representing some of the world’s leading companies will take to Tiburon Golf Club for 18 holes, playing alongside the LPGA Tour professionals from the CME Group Tour Championship field. The leading two teams at the end of the day will compete in the inaugural Financial Face-off Playoff for the win and an additional donation to St. Jude. This year, the finalists will be joined by two of the biggest names on the LPGA Tour – Nelly Korda, No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and the 2024 Rolex Player of the year, and Lydia Ko, whose 2024 Olympic gold-medal performance earned her entrance into the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Since 2018, CME Group has been a proud supporter of St. Jude through the Score 1 for St. Jude campaign. For every hole in one carded during the LPGA Tour season, CME Group donates $20,000 to St. Jude in support of the lifesaving mission. Through last week’s The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, the next-to-last event of the LPGA Tour season, the campaign has donated $580,000 to St. Jude on the power of 29 holes-in-one. Since 2018, CME Group has donated more than $4.5 million in total to St. Jude.
Among the illustrious list of CME Group Tour Championship winners are Lydia Ko, the newest member of the LPGA Hall of Fame and a CME Group brand ambassador, and her fellow major champions Na Yeon Choi, Shanshan Feng, Ariya Jutanugarn, Cristie Kerr, Sei Young Kim, Jin Young Ko, Lexi Thompson and Amy Yang.
The Race to the CME Globe has also been an integral part of the LPGA Tour calendar since 2014. In the season-long points competition, LPGA Members accumulate points in every Official LPGA Tournament to gain entry into the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. The 2024 Race to the CME Globe competition began with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Florida and concludes with the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla.
