This post is sponsored by the LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup, an event that welcomes all NJMOMs and their families to Upper Montclair County Club in May.
Want to watch some of the best golfers in the world compete while introducing your kids to some inspiring role models? Once again, the Cognizant Founders Cup returns to Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, NJ, on May 10th-14th, 2023, where LPGA players compete—including defending champion Minjee Lee—for a $3 million purse (one of the largest of any LPGA Tour event). It’s going to be a great four days of exciting and thrilling golf, but The Cognizant Founders Cup is also an inspirational event—it honors the 13 founding members of the LPGA, who created the organization in 1950 and were dedicated to engaging, empowering, and supporting girls and women through golf. Read on for how you watch world-class golf with the entire family for a day of inspiring play and fun. (featured photo credit: LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup)
Nancy Lopez teeing off, with the founders of the LPGA in the photos behind her. Photo Credit: Ben Solomon/LPGA
Meet role models at the LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup
Over the tournament’s four days, families can watch world-class golf and participate in activities designed to engage and encourage young players. Amid the activities, expect to see world-class players present and past, like Nancy Lopez, winner of 48 LPGA events and one of the most recognizable names in the sport, who will be there to welcome fans and watch rising players, as well as honor The Cognizant Founder’s Cup legacy. Lopez is the youngest woman ever to be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame and recognizes how much the sport has changed for women, thanks to the hard work the original 13 founders put in to create the LPGA. “The Founder’s Cup is special to me because of the people it honors—they opened doors for me. I wish they were still with us so I could thank them for what they have done for the LPGA and generations of women golfers,” she says.
During the weekend, kids and adults can take a lesson to learn about the game or perfect their skills. Photo Credit: LPGA
Golf for the next generation
The Cognizant Founder’s Cup event is unique in how it inspires rising players through the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf initiative, a non-profit junior golf program that introduces the game to the next generation of women and brings the gift of golf to others. “The program opens the eyes of young women to the great sport of golf,” says Lopez. And that’s the goal since golf is a lifelong skill women can use in business and pleasure. “It’s great when we can get women on the course to feel comfortable and confident, especially at a young age— I started at 8,” says Lopez. As a mom of three daughters who grew up playing golf, Lopez feels kids can learn a lot from playing the game, especially about respect, honesty, and being good to others. “On the golf course, you see people respecting each other. But it’s about having fun too—no matter whether you play 18 or 5 holes, it’s a great family sport,” says Lopez.
Girls can participate in the Girls Golf Clinics at the Cognizant Founders Cup on Saturday and Sunday. Photo Credit: LPGA
Celebrate world-class golf and family fun
On May 10, the festivities kick off with all spectators receiving FREE admission to watch the Pro-Am, courtesy of the New Jersey Golf Foundation. Young players will be thrilled to participate in Junior Golf Day activities on Saturday, May 13, with a Jr. Clinic, where they can hone their swing and get tips from LPGA and PGA pros. Girls can also participate in a Girls Golf Clinic just for them on both Saturday and Sunday. The tournament ends on Mother’s Day, May 14, when everyone is encouraged to wear pink to celebrate. Activities are on the roster from morning to the day’s end, including the Lesson Zone, and it culminates with a Trophy Ceremony for the winner of the Cognizant Founders Cup. And every day, expect phenomenal and thrilling golf as players compete for the $3 million purse. You can find more info (including clinic times and where to see players) on this schedule of events.
About Upper Montclair Country Club
Upper Montclair Country Club is one of only a few country clubs worldwide known to have hosted tournaments for all three professional golf tours, including the LPGA in 1979-1980, 1983-1984, and 2007-2009. Lopez also has a connection to Upper Montclair. “I won the 1979 Coca-Cola Classic here, so it’s a very special place for me to come back to.” Long considered one of NJ’s premier golf clubs, this legendary A.W. Tillinghast golf course design underwent a major renovation in the 1950s, directed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., transforming Upper Montclair Country Club into its current 27-hole Championship layout.
To purchase individual tickets and weeklong packages for The Cognizant Founders Cup, visit their website. Bring the whole family—all juniors 17 and under receive FREE general admission, and the interactive fan zone offers instructional clinics hosted by LPGA and PGA Professionals. To pre-register for the Junior Clinic, click here. You can also stay updated on all LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup by visiting their website, Instagram, and Facebook.
About the LPGA
The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women, with a goal to change the face of golf by making the sport more accessible and inclusive. Created in 1950 by 13 Founders, the Association celebrates a diverse and storied history. The LPGA Tour competes across the globe, reaching television audiences in more than 220 countries. The Symetra Tour, the LPGA’s official qualifying tour, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. The LPGA also holds a joint-venture collaboration with the Ladies European Tour (LET), increasing playing opportunities for female golfers in Europe. Across the three Tours, the LPGA represents players in more than 60 countries.
Additionally, the LPGA Foundation has empowered and supported girls and women since 1991, most notably through LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, the only national program of its kind, which annually engages with nearly 100,000 girls. The LPGA Amateur Golf Association and LPGA Women’s Network provide virtual and in-person connections to female golfers around the world, while LPGA Professionals are educators, business leaders, and game-changers dedicated to growing the game of golf for everyone. Follow the LPGA on its US television home, Golf Channel, online at www.LPGA.com, and on its mobile apps. Join the social conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
