Host homes provide encouragement, support for golfers
EL DORADO, Ark. (Aug. 1, 2024) – Organizers are calling for volunteers to host players who will be competing in the 2024 Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout presented by PepsiCo and Celsius at Mystic Creek Golf Club from Sept. 20-22.
Many of the women who compete in the El Dorado Shootout rely on local host families for accommodations during the week leading up to the tournament and the three days of tournament play.
“Being able to offer these women host homes helps them save money on hotel costs as they get started on their career with the LPGA,” Tournament Director Courtney Crotty Kelley said. “These women often bond with their host families, and it allows them to have a home away from home while they compete.”
Fern Smith has been hosting golfers for several years and cannot wait to welcome new women and familiar faces into her home again this year.
“I’ve developed friendships with individuals I would have never had the opportunity to meet if I had not hosted them. The ladies I’ve had in my home are appreciative and very gracious,” Smith said. “I am looking forward to September and having one of the ladies back for the third year in a row.”
Hosts are asked to open their homes starting Sept. 16 so golfers have time to acclimate and practice on the course at Mystic Creek, considered by many to be the toughest on the circuit, Crotty Kelley said. The tournament boasts a total purse of $337,500 and is part of the Epson Tour, which is the official qualifying tour for the LPGA Tour.
Tournament regulations require host homes to be located within a 45-mile radius of Mystic Creek Golf Course. Host families are not expected to provide meals, but they are appreciated by the players.
All details about host homes are available at eldoradoshootout.com/host-a-player. Interested families can also reach out to shootout_housing@murphyusa.com with questions or concerns.
For more information, visit eldoradoshootout.com or follow the tournament and Epson Tour on Facebook, Instagram and X at @road2eldo and @epsontour.
About Murphy USA
Murphy USA (NYSE: MUSA) is a leading retailer of gasoline and convenience merchandise with more than 1,700 stores located primarily in the Southwest, Southeast, Midwest and Northeast United States. The company and its team of over 15,000 employees serve an estimated two million customers each day through its network of retail gasoline and convenience stores in 27 states. The majority of Murphy USA’s stores are located in close proximity to Walmart Supercenters. The company also markets gasoline and other products at standalone stores under the Murphy Express and QuickChek brands. Murphy USA ranks 214 among Fortune 500 companies.
About the Epson Tour
The Epson Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour, the world’s leading competitive destination for female professional golfers. With the support of entitlement partner Seiko Epson Corporation, the Tour, entering into its 44th competitive season in 2024, aims to prepare the world’s best female professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. In the last decade, the Epson Tour has grown from 15 tournaments and $1.6 million in total prize money to hosting more than 20 events and awarding $5 million in 2023. With more than 600 graduates and alumnae moving on to the LPGA Tour, former Epson Tour players have won 466 LPGA titles.
Follow the Epson Tour at www.epsontour.com, as well as on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Media Contact
Caity Hatchett
PR and Social Media Coordinator, Sells Agency
caity@sellsagency.com
(501) 406-9357
Tournament Contact
Courtney Crotty Kelley
Tournament Director, El Dorado Shootout
director@eldoradoshootout.com