Above: the One & Only Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Bahamas will be hosting its first-ever official LPGA tournament this year, according to the LPGA.

The Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic will take place from May 23 to May 26; it will include four tournament rounds with 72 holes of stroke play.

The tournament will be hosted at the One & Only Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis, which was designed by Tom Weiskopf.

“This event is a great example of truly fantastic partners coming together to stage a world-class event,” said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan. “As Commissioner, there are few things more enjoyable than telling your players that they’ll be heading to the Bahamas for Memorial Day weekend at Atlantis Paradise Island. To say the players are excited would be a huge understatement.”

The tournament will be supported by Pure Silk and the Islands of the Bahamas.

“I think everyone on the LPGA is excited about going to the Bahamas, not only to play in a world-class tournament, but also to see the beautiful beaches and enjoy the island,” said Stacy Lewis, the 2012 Rolex Player of the Year. “It’s also great to see a company like Pure Silk continue to increase their involvement with our Tour. Today’s announcement gives us some nice momentum heading into the New Year.”

David Johnston, Director-General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, said the country was “most excited” about the prospect of hosting the event.