Celebrating 10 Years with the LPGA Kia Classic

The LPGA Kia Classic is one of golf’s finest events. Celebrating its 10th year, the Classic is back again this year, bringing nail biting competition and star-studded talent to Carlsbad’s backyard.

The tournament started in 2010 and features all of golf’s favorite female stars. Last year, Eun-Hee Ji won with an ace on the closing stretch to secure her fourth win on the tour. Ji’s win is notable, as she has recently battled back from a notable absence in the winner’s circle. Her career appeared on the global stage in 2007, and she quickly won the Women’s US Open in 2009. Since then, she seemed to have disappeared off the radar until she re-emerged as the LPGA champion in Taiwan two years ago. In the off season, she worked with her caddy to change her back swing. The hard work paid off and she secured a win at the 2018 Classic with a hole-in-one to top it off.

This year, the tournament will be drawing in golf greats like Ji and her close rivals, Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson, Paula Creamer, and Michelle Wi. Last year, Christie Kerr and Lizette Salas gave champion Eun-Hee Ji a run for her money. Each finished a mere two strokes behind Ji, carding a final round at 3-under par. The trio played alongside each other during the tournament, and the competition was close up until the end very end. Spectators can be sure that this year’s roster of players will deliver the same level of competition and excitement as last year. If Li’s re-emergence as a winner shows anything, it shows that you can never be sure who will come out on top. Similar to Ji, Lydia Ko has had a roller coaster of ups and downs during her career. She started playing golf at age five. By the young age of 20, she had achieved more than her male counterpart Tiger Woods had at the same point in his career. Nonetheless, her game has taken a slump in recent years and she has fallen in and out of the top 10 rankings. As a crowd favorite, it will be interesting to see if Ko will turn on the prodigy of her youth and make a comeback at this year’s Kia Classic.

The tournament is on March 25th-31st and is being held at Carlsbad own’s Aviara Golf Club at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort. The Kia Classic will feature 144 of the best women in golf. The purse is a healthy 1.8 million dollars and the course is spread across 6,558 acres of lush greens and native flora. It is a par 72, and the front nine holes range from a mixture of fairways, uphill grass mounds, picturesque coastal valleys, and straightaways. The back nine holes increase in difficulty and feature beautiful expanses of water and eucalyptus trees.

Tickets are available for three different tiers of spectating. Grounds access can be purchased for $20/day or $40 for the weekend. Guests can enjoy Clubhouse access in addition to grounds access for $40/day or $80 for the weekend. Champions Club tickets include access to the 18th green skybox, a complimentary full bar and lunch, as well as snacks and access to the grounds and Clubhouse.

If you would like to get up a behind-the-scenes look at the tournament, volunteer registration is now open. Get your tickets now and experience the fun and excitement of this year’s 10th annual LPGA Kia Classic tournament.