The Michelob Ultra Duramed FUTURES Players Championship is one of Decatur's
premier community events. It is the longest stop and the only Major Championship on the Duramed
FUTURES Golf Tour. This year, the tour will take place June 9-15, 2008 at Hickory Point Golf Club.
The tournament will boast the largest purse on the tour at $115,000 and feature
a four day, all caddied, 72-Hole Stroke Play Professional Tournament.
The Tournament will kick off with the Pro Challenge and
Pairings Par-Tee on Tuesday, June 10 followed by the Wednesday Pro-Am’s and
Junior Golf Clinic/Ice Cream Social. Tournament play begins on Thursday, June
12 providing spectators an opportunity to see some of the world's best women golfers.
The Duramed FUTURES Golf Tour is the official developmental tour for the LPGA
from the United States and several foreign countries. Nearly 300 FUTURES
alumnus are active on the LPGA tour. It is the dream of all who play on the
Duramed FUTURES tour to qualify and play on the LPGA tour. Many of the LPGA
players still have relationships with families in the Decatur area from the
times they played the tournament here.
The Duramed FUTURES Golf Tour is celebrating its 27th season this year. Growing
from a Tour of 20-some players from North America to more than 300 players from
29 different countries and six continents, the Duramed FUTURES Tour has
experienced marked growth since its early days in 1981, as the Tampa Bay Mini
Tour. Founder Eloise Trainor formed the Tour to offer competitive opportunities
for women aspiring to join the LPGA Tour. Trainor and a small staff operated
more than 20 tournaments in Florida during those early years, with purses
averaging around $6,000. The goal was, and still is, to help players develop
their golf skills and graduate to the LPGA Tour. Renamed the Duramed FUTURES
Golf Tour in 1984, the organization quickly grew from an in-state Florida Tour
to a Tour with players from Argentina to Zimbabwe. The Duramed FUTURES Tour is
now the largest international developmental tour and the second largest women's
golf tour in the world, featuring an 18-tournament national schedule and a
total purse of nearly $1.25 million.
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