Journey at Pechanga Hosted the 12th Kore Pro-Am last April 2-3

The 29 LPGA golfers at Pechanga Resort Casino

Pechanga Resort Casino hosted the 12th Annual Kore Pro-am Golf Tournament at Journey at Pechanga last April 2 and 3, 2018. This marked the 6th year for Pechanga to host the tournament as the proud official sponsor. Journey at Pechanga is Pechanga Resort Casino’s premiere championship golf course, already well known among many Asian golfers. This year, 29 talented LPGA golfers were invited to participate in this highly anticipated tournament with the Pro-Am’s tee sponsors.

Kore Pro-Am continues to serve as a community event by inviting the Great Oak High School (GOHS) Girls Golf team for the second year, providing the students an opportunity to meet and greet pro players and experience the tournament. This year the Great Oak High School Girls Golf team provided over 30 volunteers to help with various area of the event. The Kore Pro-AM donated $3,000 to GOHS team for their support. GOHS Girls Golf team became the league champion last year and made it to postseason of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).

Kore 2018 Pro-Am featured many outstanding LPGA professional golfers including Chella Choi, Megan Khang, Jenny Shin, Sarah Jane Smith, and Angel Yin. Chella Choi, Rolex ranking 49, posted a season-best third place result at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which was her best career finish in major. Megan Khang who started playing golf at age 5 and just turned 21 debuted in 2016 and recorded a career-best T3 at the Blue Bay LPGA. Jenny Shin became Rolex First-Time winner with her victory at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout in 2016 after 5 years since her debut and crossed $3M mark in career earnings last year. Shin is also famous for her stylish fashion on the green. Sarah Jane Smith, a veteran golfer from Australia, recorded a season-best T3 at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. The super rookie Angel Yin entered LPGA only last year and ranked second in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year standings. She was also selected by Team USA Captain as a captain’s pick for the Solheim Cup and posted a 1-1-1 record.

The following popular LPGA superstars joined the game: Tiffany Chan, Brianna Do, Jennifer Ha, Muni He, Vicky Hurst, Tiffany Joh, Lauren Kim, Erynne Lee, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Lee Lopez, Sydnee Michaels, Annie park, Hee Young Park, Robynn Ree, Melissa Reid, Demi Runas, Hanule Sky Seo, Kelly Shon, Kelly Tan, Kassidy Teare, Gabriella Then, Andrea Wong, Jing Yang, Julie Yang. This elite group of 29 pro golfers challenged each other on the stimulating and demanding course, along with their fans and golf partners. 

Filipina LPGA golfer Demi Runas

Demi Runas is the only Fil-Am in the tournament. In 2014, she finished ninth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. She posted two second-place results and three additional top-10 finishes. She placed third as Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year.

The night before the tournament, sponsors found out which LPGA Pro golfers they are playing with at the Pairing Party in the Pechanga Summit Ballroom. The pairings party featured gourmet buffet-style foods premium open bar and live entertainment, creating a relaxing atmosphere for all players to get to know their LPGA partners and strategize for the next day’s tournament.

The tournament began at 11 a.m. on Tuesday following the breakfast and press conference. Players competed in an 18-hole scramble tournament and the team with the lowest score wins the coveted Kore Pro-Am Cup. 

About Journey at Pechanga
Journey at Pechanga championship golf course, one of the many high-end amenities at Pechanga Resort & Casino, is consistently rated among the top public courses in California. When golfers partner their rounds with a luxury stay at the adjacent resort, the value of the experience rises.

Hotel guests receive complimentary access to the course’s award-winning practice facility, even if they do not have a tee time. The course’s clubhouse is home to spacious men’s and women’s locker rooms, an extensive pro shop and the Journey’s End restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and evening appetizers and cocktails.

Nestled in the foothills of the scenic Southern California wine country in Temecula Valley on the Pechanga Indian Reservation, adjacent to Pechanga Resort & Casino, Journey at Pechanga winds along a boulder-strewn mountain. Journey at Pechanga’s par-72, 18-hole golf course winds across 7,219 yards. A challenging and rewarding course, it presents a range of topography – canyons, ravines, open fairways and even a tee shot with a 175-foot drop.

Just across a small walkway sits the state’s largest resort/casino with all the luxuries a traveler would expect from a high-end casino property. Rated a AAA Four Diamond property for 15 years running, the resort recently underwent a major makeover with $300M investment and now offers a total of 1,090 hotel rooms and suites, an all-new 25,000 sq-ft full-service spa and beauty salon, a 4.5-acre pool complex, world class entertainment, meeting and event space that encompasses 200,000 sq-ft, and 11 restaurants. Pechanga also offers its guests a casino floor larger than any in Las Vegas, one that features more than 4,500 state-of-the-art slots and video poker, 154 table games, a High Limit Salon, a spacious and stylish Poker Room with an Off-Track Betting facility and a Bingo Parlor of unparalleled comfort.

For more information or to make reservations at Pechanga Resort Casino, please visit www.Pechanga.com or call (877) 711-2946. Pechanga Resort Casino is located in Temecula, Calif. just two minutes off Interstate 15, less than one hour from San Diego and Ontario International airports, and less than one and one-half hours from Los Angeles and Orange County. With an average of 276 sunny days per year, Temecula and Journey at Pechanga offer an ideal golfer’s retreat year-round.

About Pechanga Resort Casino

Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States. Voted the Number One casino in America by readers of USA TODAY and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway. Offering more than 4,500 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 1,090 hotel rooms, dining, spa and championship golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free 1-888-PECHANGA or visit www.Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort Casino on Facebook and on Twitter @PechangaCasino. Pechanga Resort Casino is open 24-hours. Guests must be 21 and older to enter the casino.