Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, NJ Named Host Site for LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup, Taking Place May 9-15, 2022
Golf’s Best Professional Players Will Visit Northern NJ For 2nd Straight Year to Compete in Prestigious Spring
Event that Honors LPGA’s 13 Founding Members; LPGA Seeks Hundreds of Brand Ambassadors to Support
Operations Team with “Up Close & Personal” Experience at World-Class Golf Tournament
Clifton, NJ, February 7, 2022 - The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) today announced a multi-year agreement with Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, NJ to host the LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup, starting with the 2022 tournament from May 9-15.
NJ-based Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), one of the world's leading professional services companies, will continue to serve as Title Sponsor, with the 2022 Cognizant Founders Cup in May. This marks the second consecutive year that golf’s best professional women players will visit Northern NJ to compete in the prestigious event that pays tribute to the 13 founding members of the LPGA, including surviving founders Marlene Bauer Hagge and Shirley Spork. The Cognizant Founders Cup offers a $3 million purse, which is the largest of any LPGA Tour event outside of the majors and the CME Group Tour Championship.
“The LPGA is thrilled to return to Upper Montclair Country Club and make this historic venue the new home of the Cognizant Founders Cup,” said Scott Wood, Tournament Director, Cognizant Founders Cup. “After an amazing first year in Northern NJ, where women’s golf was passionately embraced by fans and sponsors alike, we are excited to begin a new tradition and cre-Tate memorable moments at UMCC.”
“We’re committed to creating equal opportunity and diversity, both in and out of the workplace,” said Gaurav Chand, Chief Marketing Officer, Cognizant. “We invested in the Cognizant Founders Cup as part of that commitment with the goal of helping to build a better future for the next generation of female golfers. We’re pleased to continue that effort and look forward supporting the talented athletes of the LPGA in 2022 and beyond through our sponsorship.”
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. 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 present 27-hole Championship layout. The acclaimed venue, which has hosted hundreds of the world’s best players over many decades, will challenge defending Champion Jin Young Ko; top ranked player in the world, Nelly Korda; and the elite field of LPGA TOUR golfers.
“The membership of Upper Montclair Country Club is truly excited to welcome the LPGA back and host the Cognizant Founders Cup,” said Charlie Dimpfl, CCM, General Manager/Chief Operating Officer, Upper Montclair Country Club. “There is no greater supporter of women’s golf and the professional game than UMCC, and we expect today’s world-class women professionals will find our golf course as challenging, yet as fair as their predecessors.”
As part of pre-event planning, golf fans, local residents and supporters of women’s golf are welcomed to visit the brand ambassador center and register to serve as Brand Ambassadors throughout tournament week. These Brand Ambassadors will assist with all aspects of tournament operations, in both on-course and behind the scenes capacities for the week-long event. Golf fans who purchase an LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup Brand Ambassador Package will receive an up-close-and-personal experience with a world-class professional golf tournament operation. As an integral part of the LPGA team, Brand Ambassadors serve as the conduit between the players, spectators, event operations and media covering the tournament, delivering relevant information while providing important services and brand representatives.
In addition to core responsibilities, a Brand Ambassador is encouraged to serve as a champion of first impressions, promoting not only the players and their world-class golf skills, but the overall spectator experience of tournament week, the history of the event and the beneficiaries of the LPGA placing its footprint in Northern NJ. Brand Ambassador Packages, priced at $80 apiece, are valued at over $350 and include: six single (good any day) general admission tickets; a logo hat, polo shirt and an outerwear piece; a commemorative pin and credential; a compact sports seat; free dining on days of service; free general admission parking on days of service; and an invitation to the Ambassador Appreciation Party. For more information about the LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup, visit: https://www.thefounderslpga.com/.
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 U.S. television home, Golf Channel, online at www.LPGA.com and on its mobile apps. Join the social conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Cognizant
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) engineers modern businesses. We help our clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in our fast-changing world. Cognizant works to advance diversity and inclusion in its business and beyond, including its partnership with the LPGA Tour, which aims to make sports more inclusive at all levels across the globe. Together, we're improving everyday life. See how at www.cognizant.com or @cognizant.
About Upper Montclair Country Club
Founded in 1901, Upper Montclair Country Club (UMCC) is one of only a select few golf clubs world-wide to have hosted tournaments for all three Professional Golf Associations. Starting with the Thunderbird Classic in 1962, UMCC was the host of many professional tours including the NFL Golf Classic for 10 years. Hall of Famers Gene Littler, Arnold Palmer, Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley, Lee Trevino and Ray Floyd have all won titles at UMCC. The 27-hole Championship course, designed by two of golf’s most prominent architects, A.W. Tillinghast and Robert Trent Jones, Sr., offers a truly challenging golf experience for those at all skill levels.