Together with the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) and Port Mayaca Polo Club in Southern Florida, the United States Polo Association® (USPA) will host the Susan G. Komen U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship™ (16- to 22-goals), March 16-23. A record eight teams comprised of women’s players from across the nation and around the world will be taking the field to compete for the most prestigious women’s tournament in the country. To further their reach as the leading breast cancer foundation, Susan G. Komen will partner with this high-profile women’s event as the title sponsor.
“The U.S Open Women’s Polo Championship is, without question, a premier event in our sport,” said Bob Puetz, CEO of the USPA. “Each year, it grows in global visibility and prominence, and it’s thrilling to see the bar raised every time this diverse group of champion women players compete. With this year’s relocation from the Houston Polo Club in Houston, Texas, to Port Mayaca Polo Club and the International Polo Club Palm Beach in South Florida, we expect a riveting week of play.”
The most celebrated cup in women’s polo in the United States, the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship™ has a profound history dating back to the 1930s in California. The first women’s U.S. Open tournament was presented by the United States Women’s Polo Association (U.S.W.P.A.) in 1937 at the Golden Gate Field in San Francisco, California. On the centennial anniversary of the USPA in 1990, a U.S. Women’s Open was officially sanctioned and held at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It was officially recognized as a national tournament in 2011, and has since become America’s largest annual women’s polo event. The 2017 Champions San Saba will be returning for the chance to reclaim the trophy, competing with three members of the original championship team. The remaining seven teams (Black Watch, BTA/The Villages, Cabo Wabo, Cedar Croft Farms, Crossfit El Cid, Hawaii Polo Life, and Icon Global) will be competing for the first time and the opportunity to capture their inaugural title. Arguably the best women’s player in the world, English 10-goaler Nina Clarkin will be among the competition, representing Hawaii Polo Life. An international event, the tournament rosters boast players from four countries including the United States, Argentina, England, and Kenya. Two all-American teams, Cedar Croft Farms and BTA/The Villages, will be gracing this year’s competition. The USPA is also happy to announce that the tournament will serve as a Women’s Championship Tournament (WCT) Qualifier, The Sunny Hale Legacy.
Following the Draw Party on March 13 at the 7th Chukker Restaurant & Lounge at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, play dates will take place March 16- 17, 19 and 21 at Port Mayaca Polo Club in Okeechobee, Florida. The official draw determined the playing order for the tournament. The final will be hosted on Saturday, March 23, at the International Polo Club Palm Beach on the U.S. Polo Assn. Field at 11:00am ET.
Coverage of the Susan G. Komen U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship™ matches will be livestreamed on the USPA Polo Network on uspolo.org, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. For more information on the tournament please visit uspolo.org. Local spectators are encouraged to attend the preliminary matches at Port Mayaca Polo Club and the Championship Final at International Polo Club Palm Beach. General admission is free to all events. Please visit the Women’s Polo Championship™ tab at https://ipc.coth.com to purchase tickets to the Susan G. Komen U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship™ Final which will feature a pink tailgating competition and brunch options.
FIRST ROUND SCHEDULE:
Saturday, March 16 at Port Mayaca Polo Club
12:30pm ET: BTA/The Villages vs. Cabo Wabo
2pm ET: San Saba vs. Cedar Croft Farms
Sunday, March 17 at Port Mayaca Polo Club
12:00pm ET: Hawaii Polo Life vs. Icon Global
1:30pm ET: Crossfit El Cid vs. Black Watch
###
About the United States Polo Association®
The United States Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. Founded in 1890, the United States Polo Association (USPA) is the national governing body for the sport of polo. USPA is currently comprised of almost 300 member clubs with thousands of individual members, and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org. About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global Licensing Inc.
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States founded in 1890, making it one of the oldest sports governing bodies. With a global footprint of $1.6B and worldwide distribution through 1,050 U.S. Polo Assn. stores, department stores, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel
for men, women and children, as well as accessories, footwear, travel and home goods in 166 countries worldwide. USPA is one of the major sponsors of the GAUNTLET OF POLO.
USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA and the exclusive worldwide licensor for the USPA’s global licensing program. USPAGL is the steward of the USPA’s intellectual properties, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue. Additionally, USPAGL also produces global broadcasts to bring the sport of polo to millions of consumers and sports fans around the world.
About The International Polo Club Palm Beach The International Polo Club Palm Beach is the premier polo destination in the world, hosting the largest field of high-goal teams and the most prestigious polo tournaments in the United States. Polo enthusiasts descend upon Wellington, each winter season to enjoy their love of the sport in the most prominent and well‐equipped polo facility. Polo matches are open to the public, with a wide range of hospitality and guest seating that includes elegant grandstand viewing, field tailgating, stadium seating, field-side champagne brunch at The Pavilion, and exclusive sponsor boxes.
About Port Mayaca Polo Club Situated in South Florida, surrounded by vast sugar cane fields and the popular fishing body of Lake Okeechobee, Port Mayaca Polo Club has steadily become a destination for winter polo. Located on more than 600 sprawling acres, the club has eight regulation fields, club barns with 220 stalls, an exercise track, a stick-and-ball field, a clubhouse and several acres of pastures for turnout and trail riding. Quality polo is at the forefront of the club’s objectives and a tight-knit sense of community supports it.
MEDIA CONTACTS
United States Polo Association: Matt Baran, Director of Communications
561-373-4954 mbaran@uspolo.org USPA Global Licensing:
Shannon Stilson, Senior Director of Marketing 561-227-6994 sstilson@uspagl.com
International Polo Club Palm Beach:
Carly Weilminster, Assistant Director of Marketing & Public Relations
(828) 863-1144 cweilminster@equestriansport.com
Port Mayaca Polo Club: Laura Linfoot Townsend, Club Manager (772) 597-0115 portmayacapolo@gmail.com
Visit our website at www.uspolo.org
Follow Us on Instagram @uspoloassociation @uspoloassn
@internationalpoloclub @portmayacapolo #USOPENWOMENSPOLO