OREANDA-NEWS. November 20, 2015. The seventh annual Kia Classic LPGA tournament returns to its home at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Carlsbad, California from March 21-27, 2016.

“Kia has been a vibrant supporter of not only this tournament but the LPGA and professional women’s golf, and we are thrilled to extend our partnership,” said Tournament Director, Dennis Baggett. “Kia is an integral part of this tournament’s success and we look forward to growing this event in Southern California.”

The Kia Classic features a 144-player field competing for a purse of \\$1.7 million. Tournament week will feature a qualifier, practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday, a Wednesday Pro-Am and four competitive rounds of play from Thursday through Sunday.

At the 2015 Kia Classic, Cristie Kerr took home the \\$225,000 winner’s check and an all-new Kia K900, the Official Vehicle of the LPGA, with a tournament scoring record of 20-under par 268.

Aviara Golf Club, which was named by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine as one of the best resort golf courses in America, and the No.1 golf resort in San Diego according to the readers of Conde Nast Traveler, overlooks the beautiful Batiquitos Lagoon ecological reserve and is the only San Diego golf course designed by Arnold Palmer.  Aviara features a memorable par-72 coastal layout that stretches 7,007 yards and is uniquely sculpted through rolling hillsides, native wildflowers and plenty of bunker and water challenges.  The golf club is part of the AAA Five Diamond-rated Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, which features 327 guest rooms, four on-site restaurants, full-service spa, tennis courts, fitness facility and more.

To purchase tickets or to sign up to volunteer, please visit www.kiaclassic.com. Tickets start at just \\$20 for a daily ticket. The volunteer package is \\$70 and includes a round of golf at Aviara Golf Club. Information on corporate hospitality packages, pro-am opportunities and advertising opportunities are also available at www.kiaclassic.com.

Kia Classic fans also can follow the tournament through social media.  The Kia Classic’s Facebook page (search “Kia Classic”) and Twitter feed (@LPGAKiaClassic) will allow fans to keep up on pre-tournament and tournament-week news, view exclusive photos and enter various contests for the chance to win Kia Classic tickets and other prizes.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea.  KMA proudly serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time annual sales record in 2014, surpassing the 500,000 unit mark for the third consecutive year. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the rear-drive K900** flagship sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle***, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona midsize multi-purpose vehicle, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States.  Kia’s U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 plant and supplier jobs.

Information about KMA and its full vehicle line-up is available at www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.  To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert. 

About LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association)

The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950, the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 1,700 members representing 29 different countries.  With a Vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while dedicated LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management.  The Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA serves as the official developmental tour of the LPGA, consistently producing a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage.  The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via: www.LPGA.com, www.facebook.com/lpga.official, www.twitter.com/lpga, and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo.

About Aviara Golf Club

Named by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine as one of the best resort golf courses in America, Aviara Golf Club overlooks the protected Batiquitos Lagoon, and it is the only golf course in San Diego designed by Arnold Palmer. Aviara features a memorable par 72 coastal layout that stretches 7,007 yards and is uniquely sculpted around rolling hillsides, native wildflowers, and plenty of bunker and water challenges. Hole after hole, Aviara golf stimulates the senses with colorful flowers and flora, and then it sneaks in an ocean view hole just to ensure that you will never forget this magnificent Park Hyatt golf experience. The elegant two-story, 32,000-square-foot Spanish Colonial clubhouse features a bar, a cozy lounge with fireplace and the adjoining Argyle Steakhouse with indoor and outdoor balcony seating. Showers, locker rooms, an upscale golf shop, driving range and an oversized practice putting green round out the Aviara experience.

About Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa

Situated on Southern California’s sun-drenched Pacific Coast, Park Hyatt Aviara Resort is a luxurious seaside hotel in Carlsbad, California, just north of San Diego, where you are inspired to relax and indulge. From atop a high ridge on the shore of Batiquitos Lagoon, a wildlife sanctuary and a place of natural beauty, and overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Park Hyatt Aviara is an AAA Five Diamond San Diego resort that’s far from ordinary.

Secluded amid 200 acres of verdant hillsides and rolling valleys, within the master-planned community of Aviara, our luxurious San Diego area hotel and resort provides a spectacular setting for your vacation or event. The resort’s Spanish colonial architecture welcomes you with a sense of casual elegance, and the lush landscape, edged by one of the top golf courses in San Diego, surrounds you in beauty and tranquility.

* The Sorento and Optima GDI (EX, SX & Limited and certain LX Trims only) are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts

** K900 available in select trims and in select markets with limited availability. 

*** Soul EV in select markets with limited availability.