 Founded
in 1981, The Duramed FUTURES Tour is the largest international developmental
tour and the second largest women's golf tour in the world. Featuring over 300
players hailing from Argentina to Zimbabwe, the "Official Developmental Tour of
the LPGA" annually plays 18-20 tournaments in cities
across the country.
In the past 26 years, more than 280 Duramed FUTURES Tour alumnae have attained
LPGA Tour membership. In total, they represent 314 LPGA victories, including 33
Major championships. Duramed FUTURES Tour alumnae include the LPGA’s reigning
Player of the Year, Lorena Ochoa, Rolex Rookie of the Year, Seon-Hwa Lee, and
ADT Million Dollar Champion, Julieta Granada. Other current LPGA
superstars that began their professional career on the Duramed FUTURES Tour
include Karrie Webb, Cristie Kerr, Christina Kim, Grace Park, and of course
Summerfield Crossings' own Beth Bauer – the 2002 LPGA Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie
of the Year.
You may have also seen the current generation of rising Duramed FUTURES Tour
stars on The Golf Channel’s “Big Break”. Seventeen members of the Tour have
appeared in the popular series, including “Big Break V: Hawaii” winner Ashley Prange, who followed up that feat by winning last year’s Greater Tampa Duramed
FUTURES Classic!
The Tour has earned the
reputation as "The Road to the LPGA”, a relationship that was formalized in
1999, through an agreement that offers full LPGA Tour membership to the leading
money winners in each Duramed FUTURES Tour season. Three automatic LPGA cards
were awarded from 1999 to 2002, with an upgrade to five cards beginning in
2003. Using the automatic LPGA card exemptions awarded to the top players on
the Duramed FUTURES Tour Money List,
32 players have graduated directly to the LPGA Tour following
successful Duramed FUTURES Tour seasons.
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