LPGA Tour to open 2018 season with Tournament of Champions

PHOENIX (AP) - The LPGA Tour will open next season with the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

The tour and Diamond Resorts announced the tournament Wednesday at the Founders Cup. It will be played Jan. 17-20 at Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Resort Orlando.

The tournament replaces the Diamond Resorts Invitational, a PGA Tour Champions offseason event that Lexi Thompson, Brittany Lincicome and other LPGA Tour stars played the last three years.

The new event will feature winners from the last two LPGA Tour seasons and sponsor exemptions, playing alongside 45 celebrity participants and 10 amateurs all four rounds. The tour players will compete for a $1.2 million purse in 72 holes of stroke play. The celebrities and amateurs will use a Modified Stableford scoring format. The event will be broadcast by Golf Channel the first two days, and Golf Channel and NBC the final two rounds.