EL DORADO, ARK. (July 13, 2022) – When female golfers from around the world descend upon El Dorado’s Mystic Creek Golf Course in September for the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout presented by Pepsico, many will rely on host families to accommodate them on the Epson Tour’s Road to the LPGA.
“Host families are especially important as they provide a home-away-from-home experience for the players during their time in El Dorado,” said Tournament Director Courtney Crotty Kelley. “The cost savings of staying in a home versus a hotel is important for tour athletes, many of whom are just getting started in their careers.”
The tournament, slated for Sept. 23 -25 at the course ranked best in the state by Golfweek, boasts a total purse of $225,000. It is part of the Epson Tour, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA tour.
Many lasting friendships have been formed between host families and golfers, Kelley said.
“We absolutely love hosting each year. We have made friends from around the world and have fun following their careers throughout the year. Once they stay with us, they are ‘our golfers’ and we are all in on supporting them and cheering them on during the tournament,” said Anne Hegi, who’s been hosting golfers since 2015. “Their life on the road every week is demanding, and they so appreciate feeling like a part of a family when they are here. We have had several golfers come back for multiple years, and still keep in touch even after some have left the tour.”
A similar sentiment was shared by Jana Woodyard who hosted a player in 2019.
“Besides being so much fun, hosting was so easy. She hung out with us when she wanted but we never felt like we had to constantly be in “host” mode. She became part of our family that week and we all learned so much about her life on the tour and off,” Woodyard said. “The experience also gave us someone to root for when we went out to the course which makes watching the event even more fun. Sydney sent our little one the cutest book as a thank you after she left and it’s still a favorite for our girls.”
Per tournament regulations, host homes must be located within a 45-mile radius of Mystic Creek Golf Course Crotty Kelley said, adding that host families are not expected to provide meals, though they are appreciated by the players.
Full details about hosting are available under the Host A Player tab at ElDoradoShootout.com. For more information, contact Tricia Vickery at shootout_housing@murphyusa.com or 870-918-1718. Ready to Host? Download the application.
For more information about the tournament, visit ElDoradoShootout.com or follow on social media: Facebook.com/road2eldo, Twitter.com/ROAD2ELDO, and Instagram @road2eldo.
About Murphy USA
Murphy USA (NYSE: MUSA) is a leading retailer of gasoline and convenience merchandise with more than 1,650 stations located primarily in the Southwest, Southeast, Midwest, and Northeast United States. The company and its team of nearly 15,000 employees serve an estimated 2.0 million customers each day through its network of retail gasoline and convenience stations in 27 states. The majority of Murphy USA’s sites are located in close proximity to Walmart stores. The company also markets gasoline and other products at standalone stores under the Murphy Express and QuickChek brands. Murphy USA ranks 240 among Fortune 500 companies.
About Epson Tour
The Epson Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 42nd competitive season in 2022. With the support of entitlement partner Epson, the Tour’s mission is 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 prize money to over $4 million awarded across 20+ events in 2022. With more than 600 graduates and alumnae moving on to the LPGA Tour, former Epson Tour players have won 458 LPGA titles.
Tournament Contact
Courtney Crotty Kelley
Tournament Director, El Dorado Shootout
director@eldoradoshootout.com
Media Contact
Lamor Williams
Public Relations Director, Sells Agency
lamor@sellsagency.com
501-406-9367